Hey all, I'm Ryan. I joined awhile back, had a 1989 Mini 30 for a little over a year and due to a cross country move for grad school, reluctantly sold my precious weekend car. Now, I'm nearly done with grad school and have some change saved up.

I'M READY TO GET BACK IN THE GAME.

So, with that being said, I've been looking for a few weeks for the right Mini. I don't have any crazy criteria for what I'm looking for as long as its not a rust bucket. Although I'd like to steer clear of a running project, I know that just about all Minis are one.

So, with that being said, any good leads on Minis for sale? I'm in Buffalo, NY now so anywhere in New England. However, I'm moving to Charlotte, NC in August so if theres a car somewhere in the South, I'd be willing to buy it and put it in storage for a few months. I would consider buying from an overseas seller but I want to ensure they are reputable, my car wont be seized and it actually runs so I'd really rather buy one from a yank.

My budget is around $7K but I might be willing to dig a little deeper, sell some sperm, etc.

 

EBay seems to have the most cars listed in a diverse range of prices and conditions, many from private owners. I know there is one seller/dealer in the South, Charlotte I believe, who always has several for sale at any one time with US title and registration, but he never gives much detail in the descriptions or pictures.

Good luck with the search, ohh, and you probably fell into the category of too much information on the bodily fluid sales

 

Hope you find a good match--you're obviously dedicated to the cause!

Welcome back to MINIs (Minis)!

 

Thanks guys, still looking! I'll be heading to NC on Sunday to visit some friends and am looking at 3 down there. Hopefully I come across the right Classic. After owning one a few years ago I'm ready to get back in one but want to be sure I buy the right car.

Ted, where in WNY are ya? I'm in Buffalo, work in Niagara Falls, and my GF's family lives in Syracuse so I'm out that way regularly.

 

Ok, I'll be heading down to Charlotte tomorrow and there is 3 Classics I intend on looking at... Obviously I haven't seen these cars but am just curious what you think about the prices:

1983 BRG Mayfair with 998, drum brakes, straight from the UK. Some rust here and there but the owner is fixing all the rust, putting in sportpack seats and a respray: $7500

1979 BRG Mini with 998, 8.4 disc brakes, original interior with seat covers, body in good shape from what he tells me: $5500 and has a 1275 he will throw in for $1000. Said he would buy the original 998 for $500, so after the swap, its a $500 1275 upgrade.

Late 70s Mini (forget year, need to search emails) with 998, drum brakes, tons of rust but "runs well". Its yellow too, which I'm not crazy about. The seller says "$5K but is realistic" so could probably go a little less.

Any advice on these three Minis? The $5500 Mini with the extra 1275 sounds nice but I'll definitely have to take a close look. The $7500 one sounds nice with the "few rust fixes and respray" sounds nice too. However, with the $2K difference, I could get a 1275 and have the car repainted and rust fixed I'm sure. The disc brakes and bigger wheels/tires is nice too.

Figure I could rebuild the 1275 before it goes in the car. Although I've never rebuilt a car motor, I've done plenty of Vespa motors and am fairly mechanically inclined. Is this pretty straight forward with a haynes manual or some walkthroughs/videos online? Any good links on doing this?

Advice?

 

I would say that, all things concidered, go for the one with the best body. Mechanicals are easier to work on the body work IMHO. You've owned one before, so as you know, look at the little stuff as well as the little nagging things can add up in a hurry.

You could still have a look at my Cabrio while in town (we may not be as far off in price as it would seem) Drop me a note if interested. Either way good luck and let me know if you need another set of eyes on something if you are thinking about taking the plunge.

 

I'll keep you in mind. It's not that I'm not interested in your Cabrio, it just seemed a little out of my range. If you're truly flexible, I'll have a look. Just don't want to waste your time.

 

If you are passing through the NY/MA border area on any of your travels, you are welcome to look at my classic. Check out my gallery for some pix.