My daughter is approaching a driving age and I was thinking of buying (and maybe restoring) her a classic Mini. We don’t live in a big city and she will use it mainly to go to school and see her horse (15 mi/ day). Good/bad idea?

Also, what are my chances of finding a LHD (steering wheel on the left side of vehicle) or how hard is to convert a RHD to a LHD?

Thanks in advance for you opinions.

 

To be honest, even though I learned how to drive and have had my classic 36 years, I would not recommend a classic for the new teenager driver. They are classic cars and do require upkeep beyond what a teenage girl would probably want to tackle. Legal Minis in the US are anything from 1959-1983. Any 1983 car Mini or not, you can imagine what it takes to keep them running safely that you would want for your daughter.

What you do is get a classic for yourself and give your daughter your 06 MCS. That would make me sleep better at night for sure. Look how small the classic is and in a serious accident they don't fair well.

 

Actually, I wouldn't give a teen a Cooper S EITHER. Way too much power for a first-time driver.

Do yourself a favor... get her a completely UNSEXY, dependable and safe Honda Civic as her first car (preferably gray). They have airbags, power everything and are safe safe safe. Teens have enough temptations to drive in "un-smart" ways without having a supercharger/turbocharger under the hood. And yes, classic Minis are indeed fum, but they're basically tin cans without door stiffener bars, airbags (unless you get a very late-model car and pay a fortune) or any modern safety features. In a world populated by distracted hockey moms in SUVs and teens chatting on cell phones while blasting along in pickup trucks, I'd want my teen in something safe. My 17 year old daughter drives a 4-door Jeep to give you an idea...

Make her first car boring (but safe and dependable) and leave it up to HER to purchase a "fun" car later, with her own hard-earned money. If she's a normal teen, that will do worlds more for her safe driving and respect for the vehicle than anything else.

 

a) giving her a classic is right on par with giving her a motorcycle .... IMO not a good idea to give a new driver something w/out the benefit of safety devices common today.

b) on the other hand this does not mean that it has to be dull... I am not an advocate of the 'give her a tank' crowd either because a big car invites "fill er up with friends" which is also bad. When my son got his lic' I gave him my Miata. Some say "CRAZY MAN" - a red sports car???? I see
1. Very reliable
2. Relatively low power
3. Handles very well - learn how to get out of trouble
4. Can NOT fit 4 friends inside!
5. Airbags, 4 wheel disks, all the modern conv's

and follow up with: http://www.streetsurvival.org/index.php

He felt like a BMOC with his red convertable sports car & after 3 years he moved on to a MINI - no accidents and no tickets....knock on wood.....

You'll also find an A series Miata to be easy to work on with good parts availability, very mod'able with as many goodies avail' as MiNi....and a decent autocross beginner too.....

 

Pick-up trucks are good too... Only 2 seats (so she can't pack in 6 friends), and you can borrow it to haul stuff.

BJ's suggestion isn't the craziest thing I've ever heard - never considered a Miata. They ARE small though, but he's right about them having all the most modern safety gear. Not a bad idea a'tall...

 

I know I grew up when cars didn't even have seat belts or even disc brakes. I survived, but when it came time to get my son a car I wanted one with a lot of safety built in. We chose a Subaru Forester for him.

Every kid is different & only you can tell what is the right call for yours. The lack of safety is what would worry me the most.

 

Something to consider from a totally different direction of my earlier post.

I have 'collector car' insurance on my 79. It costs very little. Among the restrictions are: not a daily driver and no one under the age of 21 drives it ... company rules will vary to be sure

However, I wonder what the insurance rate would be for a new driver on such a vehicle as a daily driver

(and if you are connecting the dots....when I gave my son a Miata we compared rates for everything in the driveway which were 2 MiNi, a new Honda Element and the 10 year old Miata)

 

I'd consider a newer "justacooper" 1st, all of the fun, (should be) none of the hassles........

 

Thanks all for your good comments. I guess I'll have to get a classic Mini for myself.

 

Gee yeah... that IS a burden... So sorry to inflict that fate on you....

 

I see no reason why you couldn't let your daughter borrow your classic mini on rare occasions as a treat. This might help with the WAF (wife acceptance factor) of you getting such a vehicle...

Particularly if you planned to make the restoration of it a hobby that you shared with your daughter, and the learning of how to repair it became her responsibility.

Then... when she graduates college, after you two have put all of this effort in on this car together, give her the car as her graduation gift from Dad. The car will not only be a cool graduation gift because dammit, it's a car... but it will also have such an immense sentimental value attached to it, because of all the time she spent with her Dad working on that car, that I imagine... she will hang on to it for as long as circumstances allow.

Do it. For both of your sakes.