I am a college student who has managed to get my father to be ok with lending me some money to buy a car. I would like to get a classic mini. He said I should look up and research information on them. He also said I should know of any problems or areas to look out for in minis. So im asking anyone who would know, is there any problems or issues with minis that could help me better understand classic minis?

 

Yes, it's British.

 

Check out this thread for more information on classic minis.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-purchase.html

 

I've my Flame suit on ... but let us be real.

college student + classic car = bad decision

a classic is a problem prone toy that needs constant care, a wallet with disposable income, a garage, a good tool box, a back-up vehicle for when it is unhappy, and time to work on it even when it is running well.

All these are things a typical college student does not have. I even encouraged my son to sell our 2002 which he had at school because we could not find a good mechanic to work on it (and I got tired of the bills even tho I'm PRO MINI)

Buy a new MINI a few years old if you can afford it and save the classic for after you have a house, a garage, a tool box, and a credit rating. Or I'll recommend a Miata ... a first generation Miata is still a fairly bullet proof car. Not something that will EVER be said about a 'classic' Mini.

 

Granted your school may not be as bad as my alma mater (Pitt) but I seem to remember college students aren't the most respectful of cars. I remember a buddy urinating on someones car while they were sitting in it. Someone also put a couch on top of a random car and burned it after the superbowl. Do yourself a favor and buy a 1992 Nissan or some other beater for $500 until you get out of school. Why do you want more debt after racking up all of those college bills?

 

I had a 1977 TR7 in the mid 1980's when I was in college... it was only an 8 year old british car at the time and I couldn't keep it on the road... always something breaking... granted, Mini's are simpler and, if well maintained, can be more reliable that the worst built Triumph ever... but they're still British.

I eventually sold the TR7 and bought something super-reliable. I got tired of riding my bike all winter when it wasn't running.

 

im 22, thought a mini would be a good idea for the DD back and fourth to work... its a good thing i kept the honda. i have been stranded at work several times, lucky for me, most times i break down, it is at my apt.

 

Issues? These cars are bulletproof. (I've heard that from some people who have tried to shoot them.) They rarely need any maintenance. Just gas 'n go. No rust problems, no electrical system problems, no problem finding parts, no oil leaks. I don't know why more people don't have 'em as they are the very definition of reliable. By the way, do you actually want to drive this car? That, my friend, would be a whole different ball of wax.

 

I'm thinking there are 2 possibilities:

1. The OP is a prankster.

2. The OP thinks a MINI is a Classic Mini.

At first I favored #2 but the fact that they haven't replied makes #1, i.e. trollism seem more likely.

 

I saw (and lusted after) my first Classic Mini when i was in college as well... And I bought one when I was almost 40. Upon reflection, I'm immensely glad that I did. I agree with everything said here - the classic Mini needs often hard-to-find parts, it can be temperamental, it can (and likely will) get damaged on campus, etc. etc. etc.

Don't get me wrong - I LOVE my Classic and the smiles and waves I get every time I drive it, but I'm also so, so glad that it's not my only car. The comment re: getting a $500 Nissan beater until you graduate and get a regular paycheck and a garage is GOOD ADVICE.

 

I totally agree. Case in point: I decided to drive my classic to work yesterday since the weather was so nice. On my way home the car started to stall on the highway and it eventually died. I was stranded on the side of the highway for almost two hours until a tow truck hauled me and the car back to my house. I suspect a bad fuel pump and another new thread on this forum.

 

Last year I was selling an Innocenti Mini, a nice 1300 model (equivalent to a Cooper S 1275). But being a classic, it was less than reliable. I had multiple college students come look at it thinking they were going to drive to and from Manhattan KS (KSU) or Lawrence KS (KU), to KC (1-2 hours depending on destination). Right. Good luck with that one. These things are awesome fun to drive, but you can almost guarantee that something will break each time you drive it. I had to steer them away even though I wanted to sell the car. Just couldnt sell it in good concience.

 

I'll second this. Although my first Classic was pretty reliable (picked up in Little Rock and drove 9 hours back to KC on a hot southern July day), every time I drove it, the thought would go through my head... "What happens if it doesn't start when I stop for gas, a soda, etc." It was my Sunday car and although I just got another and am a grad student, I've got a good daily driver and a job that can support my hobbies. This is NOT the car to have if you rely on it everyday to get around.

After all, you can only fit a case of beer, a case of ramen and maybe one girl in it. If you're a college student, you need a reliable way to put a keg, a dozen pizzas and at least a few ladies in it. Even more of a reason not to have this car in college! Sorry buddy, do well in college and get a good J-O-B and you can squeeze a few of these in the garage.

 

Ryan... hey, its Monza from KC... hope the 1275 project goes well, should be awesome when done

 

Hey Paul! Good to hear from you! The project is going well. I'm actually having a guy doing it all for me. Swapping the 998 for a 1275 after a rebuild and fresh paint on a 1990 British Racing Mini (w/ disc brakes). Interior needs some TLC but thats later this summer. Had to sell a few scoots to buy the car though! But the car is flippin sweet and I miss being in a little RHD. Nearly forgot how small these little guys really are!

How things in KC? (sorry for the thread jacking)

 

things good in KC. Just getting ready for rally time. spent last night working on a Lambretta / auto 150 hybrid

 

rally time sure is approaching! ill be in maine all summer for an internship so unfortunately, wont be able to make it to any

lammy auto hybrid? i figured the 8-ball tattoo sportin, PBR drinkin, rockabilly vintage purists would look at something like that as an abomination. is that one of those HY6 hybrids?

 

This is a really easy replacement job - you don't even have to take the oil out of the motor (unless there's gas in it from the leaking pump, then you'll need to change it out afterwards). Literally the hardest part is cramming your hand and a wrench behind the motor to release the pump (it's directly below the carb and is held on with two long bolts). Let me know if you get stuck, but I think you'll be fine.

I disagree with this statement (in bold). My classic has over 87K miles on it, all on the original motor, and in the summertime I drive it 3-5 days a week (literally if it's not raining), and I've seldom if ever even been slowed down, let alone broke down every time i take her out. (Now watch... my transmition will drop out the bottom now that I said that..)

But (and this is a big but)...

I'm not a student, and have the time and money to constantly tinker with the car. If I detect an issue/hear a weird noise/smell something burning/spot actual flames, I garage the car, spend a week or so looking on forums and asking mechanics, then spend 3-5 more days waiting for parts to arrive from mail-order (very seldom will AutoZone have anything fancier than a hose clamp in stock that I can use), and THEN spend a few hours on Saturday or Sunday afternoon in my garage tinkering with installing it. While I'm in there, I usually find something ELSE that needs to be looked at - usually not urgently, but soon. I have the luxury to do this because:

1. I have another (modern and reliable) car and...
2. I have garage space to put the car up for as long as I need to

I never would have done all this when I was in college. Now, I don't know how much time this guy has, but when *I* was a student it was all I could do to get myself to class on time every day - between having a social life and homework/studio time I didn't have the luxury of lying under a car for 2-4 hours on the weekends. I woulda driven the thing on the idea "I'll wait till that rattle/squeak/thump/lurch/smoke turns into something failing, THEN replace it", which would have completely wrecked my car ten times over by now. I dunno.... maybe this kid's going to the Diesel Institute and has access to a Snap-on tool chest as big as a Yugo or something...

So... unreliable? Not hardly. Provided you constantly head-off problems BEFORE they lead to a mechanical failure. In this way, Minis are like pre-Evolution Harleys - if you want to ride on Sunday, you usually had to get a bit greasy on Saturday afternoon, or have your AAA card handy.

Can you tell I'm still leaning towards the $500 Nissan?

 

OP hasn't commented

I think we ran him off

 

I think he was a troll like I said in post 9. But it doesn't really matter because it lead to some good discussion

 

My fuel pump is in the gas tank since I have an SPI. We'll see how the tank removal goes this weekend. I hope it's just some gunk in the tank that can be cleaned out or a bad tank of gas and not the pump itself or the darn ECU. We shall see!