I'm looking at getting my first mini here in the next month or so and honestly I am having a hard time deciding on what I am really looking for. I like the look of the Mk III, and I want the roll down windows, not the sliders, and all the other goodies that come with it. My real question is, If I end up getting a mini with a 998cc over a 1275cc, will I have less of the fun factor while driving this car? I intend to swap the engine a few years down the road, but right now the car I am most interested in has a 998cc engine. I am considering one with a 1275, but it needs more work and costs more than the 998. I'll attach below a picture of the 998 and a link to its specs and then a pic of the 1275 and a link to its page. Please help me out here guys. I know I've been bugging the forums a lot lately with the whole "What do you think about this car" threads, but This is my first big investment in a car and I know you guys are the most knowledgeable people to ask for advice. Thanks for any help, hints, or ideas.

Car 1) Link to the 998

Car 2) Link to the 1275

 

Although I like the appearance of the 998 better, the presence of any visible rust, especially around the lights and windshield could turn out to cost big bucks if you don't weld or have bodywork experience. The 1275's biggest issue seems to be the reverse gear as you'd need to pull the engine to fix that. I don't know where you live, but you really need to see them both up close and personal to get a real idea about their condition. Taking an experienced owner with you would be best. I've had a '75 (I think) since last July and it's not finished yet- engine and tranny work, but it should be a beauty when completed. So I guess it all depends on how much time/effort you can expend and whether you want to drive as you fix or do everything up front. Good luck!

 

Thanks for the opinion. I'm not too worried about the visible rust. I've rebuilt a 79 ford bronco, and a '68 mercury cougar from the frame up. Right now my father and I are working on his '59 corvette. So I know body work, and honestly, I plan on restoring the thing to the specs that I want about 4 years down the road. I have a 2005 dodge ram (Daytona Edition) that I can drive while I work on the mini too, so it's not too big of a deal if there is down time with her. Mainly the 998 has a better over all look and is running better than the 1275. I'm leaning towards that 998, but seeing as I won't be swapping engines for about 4 years, I want to know if I will lose that "Fun Factor" if I go with the 998 over the 1275.

 

Oh, another question... I don't like the grille on the Red one, (The only thing I DON'T like actually) is it possible to just switch grilles later on or is there a large amount of body work involved?

 

Simple answer.
Buy the red one.
I'll give you 50 bucks for the grille!



TTI

 

TTI- you know that mk1 grille will clash with lt. blue?

 

Now I like that blue.....

 

998's can still be plenty of fun... it does depend on how you are planning on driving it however. my 998 was pretty well tuned and quite quick for what it was. That said it was strictly a back roads car (ie no freeways.) That is not to say that you couldn't take it on the highway but I never felt it had enough power in reserve to get me out of trouble if need be. A blast to drive none the less and I did commute with it a fair amount before it's demise (PO botched mechanics not the fault of the engine itself.)
My 1275 on the other hand, to me, seems much more like a "modern" car in terms of the available power. I drove it 200 miles each way to MOTD about 1/3 of which was at highway speeds. The extra HP can be felt at both the low end (even with the tall 2.79 final drive) as well as at speed. Also a blast to drive on the back country roads.
Much like the current MINI, the fun factor in many ways comes down to handling. Light wheels (many will say the the 13's really take away from the handling of the car) and well sorted suspension will go along was to ensure the fun factor.
If I were forced to choose between the two cars that you have presented I would likely go with the 1275 (although I would ditch the 13's.) The reverse issue does scare me a bit as that is an engine out fix, it just seems like it is a bit more complete a package to build up from. JMTC's Also I would highly recommend looking at them in person or at least try to find someone in the classic community that will check them out for you

 

Buy the best Mini body shell you can afford. The mechanical is of secondary importance.

 

I'm with Minimad on this one.....but just based of those pics, i like the red one much more than the blue one.
Tamer
i'll give $60 for the MkI grille!

 

There are a good number of grille choices available in the market. Lots of pictures and information can be found here: http://www.minimania.com/web/STSearc..._Inventory.cfm

 

I have seen the red one at car shows when I lived in Louisville. It is a good looking Mini. Buy the one you want. When I started searching, it took me 6 months to find one that was 'close enough'. I few thousand later and it is now the one that I want.

Good luck.

 

Thanks for the opinions and information guys. I'm really leaning towards the Red guy.

 

Hey MiniManiac, did you see anything on the car that you would raise a flag to? Or is it a pretty solid car?

 

The red one's sold...

 

That means it wasn't meant to be. Keep looking!!!

 

I agree. That's my philosophy. The mini I'm meant to have will come to me eventually. It's a good thing I'm more patient than my brothers. haha. I'd be driving.. well...... anything. haha

 

I totally agree I had a Classic sold out from under me that I really wanted and then when Ms. Sasha came along... I was glad the first one didn't work out because she is really the one for me...

 

So how hard would it be to fit the sportpack flares to a mini that had them before, but for whatever reason the owner took them off?

 

should be fairly easy since the holes are already there they usually bolt on

 

My current Mini is a 998. Previously I had a highly tuned 1275 (bored to 1330) in my pickup. The pickup had close to 3 times as much hp as the stock 998, but honestly I prefer to drive the 998. The pickup was harsh. The 998 is pleasant. And the real joy of driving a Mini (IMHO) comes from throwing it through the turns rather than seeing how fast you can accelerate. A properly set up suspension can definitely make up for less hp in the twisties.

Not to mention with today's gas prices, I'm much more impressed with gas mileage than I am with acceleration. I get twice as many miles from my 6 gallons in the 998 as I did with the pickup.