I had a brg 2005 non s mini and loved it. I only had it for about 6 months until a not so defensive driver plowed into me and totaled it. I paid the loan off with the insurance money and have some left over.

I want a classic mini this time around, they are so cool. I am just wondering how they are as a daily driver. what's it like owning a classic mini as your primary car. I think it would be totally awesome! but things like road noise, and dependability, and that sort of thing concern me. Also are they fast? I just have no idea what to expect. I figure I should do a little research before I seriously start looking for a classic to purchase.

So maybe a pros and cons list? Your favorite things about owning a classic mini and your least favorite things about one. ANY INPUT WILL HELP!!!

Thanks.

 

"Classic Mini" and "daily driver" are just not terms which are often used in the same sentence. If you get the right car, and you're very talented with a set of tools, I suppose it can be done.

Remember ... due to import laws, the classic is either more than 25 years old, or its a (illegal) re-vin of a younger car. I believe the last "classic" built was around 1999. So, you are dealing with a car that is most likely more than 25 years old and at least 11 years old. There are some manufacturers, i.e. Toyota, Nissan, Honda, where an older car can still have some expectation of reliability, but the classic Minis do NOT fall in that category.

They are simplistic vehicles (until you get to the fuel-injected models of the 90s), so a talented backyard mechanic can keep them running, but ...

Sometime this month I'll be the proud owner of a classic, but it WON'T be a daily driver. It will come out of the garage on sunny days and special occasions.

You also asked about performance. Like the modern cars, the classic Mini is a blast to drive, but I wouldn't call it fast. Handling and quickness are the trademarks of the classic. You don't want to get in a drag race with less than 100 horses under the hood.

If you want a "classic" daily driver with lots of speed, look for one with the Honda VTEC conversion.

 

I had a brg 2005 non s mini and loved it. I only had it for about 6 months until a not so defensive driver plowed into me and totaled it. I paid the loan off with the insurance money and have some left over.

If you had been driving a classic you'd probably be dead. Driving a classic is about as close you can come to riding a motorcycle as you can get. I have a full 6 point roll cage in mine, not for looks but rather for self defense.

I want a classic mini this time around, they are so cool. I am just wondering how they are as a daily driver. what's it like owning a classic mini as your primary car. I think it would be totally awesome! but things like road noise, and dependability, and that sort of thing concern me.
there are exceptions to every rule and you WILL find folks that have a classic that they use as a daily driver. I suppose you can also find SOMEONE in the world that uses a Model T as a daily driver. But most classic owners, I believe, will tell you that you'd better have a back up car cuz one of these little beasts is usually anything BUT reliable. (exception being one that has a ground up profession restoration and that car is gonna cost you more then a new JCW). As a classic owner for several years now I can tell you that more often than not turning the key to start the car is like buying a lottery ticket. If it ran great yesterday I'm fairly confident it will start today but never sure.


Also are they fast? Your basic Mini has somewhere around 45 horsepower ... some less some more. But no one is going to win a drag race in a Mini. And don't be impressed about Cooper facts cuz a true Cooper is a rare beast ... there are many fakes out there. And even there, it was not raw horsepower that made the car a rally winner. It was and remains the ability of a very good driver to use the amazing handling of the car to wipe the behinds of morepowerful machines cuz in the right hands they corner like a go-kart.

To wit, I used to frequent an 'adult go-kart track'. They didn't have a lot of power but have no weight and great handling if you can keep 'em on the track. All drivers there had similar machines...no advantage of horsepower or tricked suspension. However, a person who "knew how to drive" could post lap times 10 seconds or more better then someone who just tried to power around the course. That's where Mini glory came from.... great advantages when in the hands of someone who could exploit the qualities.

For the most part a classic Mini is a GREAT first collector car. Parts are easy to find and you'll be hard pressed to find a simpler car to work on (as long as you stay with the pre fuel injected ones)

Post script

Today the Mini has achieved an iconic reverence due in part to the resurrection of the name by MINI/BMW but we must remember that the Mini was targeted at the small family and not the sports car community ... not unlike the VW but maybe even MORE like the Chevy VEGA, which had the HOT Cosworth varient to compare to the Cooper

Not much of a car and the hot one WAS hot .. but in that case it did not catch on

 

Wait... you didn't really just lump in the Mini with the Vega

I would agree with all that has been said. I drive my classic quite a bit (less so since I bought the Clubbie) but it is an old economy car. Has it left me stranded, yes buy only once. Is it a blast to drive..yes without a doubt. Would I want it as my primary car... no not any more than I would have any 30 year old car as my primary. Great weekend toy though!

 

Thanks for all the info. It sounds like a Classic Mini would be a great SECOND car! Which was my backup plan. I would like to buy one for as little as possible and build it up. I don't know where to look for them though. I live in Oklahoma and there are not any around here that I know of. So, where do I look for one if I am not looking to spend $5000 or more? And what can I expect to spend? I am hoping for something like $2000 to a max of $4000. Is this reasonable?

 

Reasonable? That all depends how how much you plan to "build it up". In that price range, you're probably looking at a major project car. Either a total rust-bucket which runs or a car someone else cleaned up and then blew the engine.

Watch eBay and MiniMania for cars for sale. LOTS of them out there. Some are interesting looking projects, but you need to be tool-handy and mechanically savvy.

As an example ...
http://www.minimania.com/web/id/8296...ale_Detail.cfm

 

For starters: http://www.minimania.com/Cars4Sale_list.cfm

When I was looking for mine I watched Craigslist and some classic Minis did surface from time to time. I live in Arizona and a couple of years ago I looked for a <= $5000 project car. I couldn't find any in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, or Nevada for 3 months. I ended up picking up a non-running car with great potential for $5000 in Southern California.

Be patient and _don't_ buy one without seeing it in person first.

I would be surprised if you can find a drivable car for $4000, but if you are looking for a project car to dump money in, you should be able to find one in your price range.

Cheers,
Jeff

 

Ok, sounds like I should wait, save a little more, so spend a little more money up front to get a car that is operational from purchase. Thanks for the info and links. That's a huge help. I want a classic SO bad right now, but I think i'll have to wait to get something I can enjoy for a long time.

 

get the money together and put it in the bank and don't touch it until you find the right car ... you want to have the capital on hand and I wouldn't even begin to think about trying to get a loan to buy one of these... You should also have a garage and a good set of tools. IMHO $7000 to $8000 is what you should expect to pay for a reliable driver.

then keep watching the sites mentioned and also look around for local Mini clubs as many owners will offer the car to the local community first. For example around my part of the world watching SunshineMinis.org can pay off - review the Classic classifieds there. And note that many owners have traveled good distances to get their car ...Also watch for the other British car clubs in the area - Triumph & MG especially - these guys have a lot of knowledge of cars very similar in engine. Their shows may turn up Minis and they know about English engineering, esp Lucas electrics!



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