When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
About three weeks ago, my lovely wife comes up to me and says that she found something that she wants to buy. She hands me her phone and says that as I know she has been wanting one for a long time and what I thought about it but she REALLY wants to get it. When I hear that, no matter what I think, she's buying whatever it might be. Normally, it's nothing big and even if it is, I really don't care, we are exceptionally fortunate that on a occasion we can splurge on things. With how the world has been over the last few years, we have been able to save up some money as well.
I look at the phone and say..... Shouldn't you be emailing this guy instead of talking to me? She responds, I wanted to walk it past you first just so you know what I was going to do. Me: I am 100% behind you on this one.
With in a week, we drive home in this:
Meet Tony.
He's a 1994 JDM Rover Classic 35 Mini Mayfair.
As such it is an automatic, has A/C and the 1.3l (1275cc) SPI.
No rust of any concern. It's essentially rust free, at little bit of surface rust in the boot by the battery but no where else.
Automatic is as good as they get, according to the owner of Jet Motors.
A little less than 19,000 original miles - this was confirmed as correct as the motor and transmission were in perfect order.
The owner of Jet said, if it were his car to sell, he would start at 20 and not let it go for less than 18. We paid less than 18, a lot less.
Autos are rare, but less desirable, as if (when) the transmission fails, you have to do a manual transmission swap. Not a hard job but not an easy one either. It is rumored that there are still two shops in the world that can work on the autos, both in London. The shops are seemingly very reluctant to sell rebuild kits as there seems to be a finite number of them left with no more to be made, if you can believe the posts on Autominiregister.com. To quote both techs and the owner of Jet Motors, "not a single automatic made it out of warranty." They went on to say that almost all have had a MT swap at this point. He had one in his shop in for a rebuild as the owner of that car did source a rebuild kit at some point it time. They (Jet Motors) had an auto waiting for someone to buy but he only had the one as compared to the dozen built motor/trans combos he had in the shop. Though on the test drive after the oil change, the owner said that the transmission was as good as he had ever experienced, which is good.
7 coats of Zaino and a sunny afternoon made for a nice short drive and a few photos.
Beautiful Mini. I lived in London in 1969 and 1970 next door to an F1 mechanic who had the most amazing Cooper of that era. I will never forget the first ride I took in it. He hit a roundabout going 70mph and never let off the gas -- had me screaming like a little girl the entire way round! My first introduction to a car that handled really, really well. Have fun!
Very nice! You are a lucky man to have a wife who thinks in Mini terms 👍
I love the mirrors at the front rather than further back. Wishing you many miles of happy motoring. I smile the most when I'm driving the Classic. I suspect you will too😁
I never owned a classic Mini but friends did back in the mid to late 60's (ok, so I'm an old guy ), often referred to then as a "shoebox". Closest I came was picking up this Cooper S sales brochure back in the day, which is framed intact and hanging in my garage...
Congrats. Even better to have the backing of the wife. Lucky man. Mine is like yours. The wife that is. I think the classic Mini has been on many people's list of cars to want and love.
It's great owning both a classic Mini and a modern MINI. The MINI has the modern and tech stuff and the extra room, but it's nice to go back to the basics and get into the classic and still tear it up and have a blast.
Agreed! Having a MINI and a Mini gives you the best of both worlds. I feel safe tracking my R53, and totally confident that the classic will make it around the next bend no matter how badly I take the apex! I am also a lucky guy'; my girlfriend has never asked me once to 'slow down please'. 👍
Congrats! Lovely car! Growing up in London, I fond memories of being driven around in them! Got my love of cars from my uncle who took his Mini fast around every corner! I still want to own one of the originals ones day!
Thanks everyone! We are really stoked. As the weather, slowly, here in the PNW changes from dreary and soggy to sunny and dry; we do plan to take it to a few meets and drive it more. The local Cars and Coffee has a Mini/MINI day and then there is the All British Field Meet. I am sure that she will want to drive it more though.
It will be interesting living with a RHD in a LHD country. The automatic transmission makes driving easier but also a bit slower. Acceleration was not a consideration for the transmission. I think that it originally had just 44hp when new, so, perhaps, it was never in the books. The manuals are much faster off the line. We are lucky, the automatic does have Park. We found out that many did not. Park wasn't added until the sometime in the 70's or 80's some such nonsense.
The car will be driven but will be a part time garage queen even though the transmission does seem to be strong, well, as strong as these autos can be anyway.
We will be posting up here from time to time; a digital record of an analog car.
Just FYI, there is no reason to fear the automatic, and there is a place not too far south of you that can rebuild it if it ever needs it - Boot2Bonnet in Woodland, California. not close, but certainly not so far as London!
Second, the key to saving the auto trans is routine oil changes every 1500 miles, the auto requires different oil than the manuals, even tho they both share the sump with the engine. The difference is the wet clutches in the transmission, the correct oil is a 10W40 MA 2 motorcycle oil, it also will have the zinc in it the camshaft needs, so win win. You can get it at any motorcycle dealer, brand isn't really important.
Lastly, is the engine a 1275 or a 998? If you don't know post a pic of the engine and I can tell you - but based on the 44hp I'd say it's a 998. And the best thing you can do for this car is to drive it regularly, and not just around town. Head out and find some good roads and put some miles on it!
It should be the 1.3l SPi so the 1275 as it is a 94 JDM specification. We haven't fully detailed the engine bay yet, though that is on the list of things to do.
About three weeks ago, my lovely wife comes up to me and says that she found something that she wants to buy. She hands me her phone and says that as I know she has been wanting one for a long time and what I thought about it but she REALLY wants to get it. When I hear that, no matter what I think, she's buying whatever it might be. Normally, it's nothing big and even if it is, I really don't care, we are exceptionally fortunate that on a occasion we can splurge on things. With how the world has been over the last few years, we have been able to save up some money as well.
I look at the phone and say..... Shouldn't you be emailing this guy instead of talking to me? She responds, I wanted to walk it past you first just so you know what I was going to do. Me: I am 100% behind you on this one.
With in a week, we drive home in this:
Meet Tony.
He's a 1994 JDM Rover Classic 35 Mini Mayfair.
As such it is an automatic, has A/C and the 1.3l (1275cc) SPI.
No rust of any concern. It's essentially rust free, at little bit of surface rust in the boot by the battery but no where else.
Automatic is as good as they get, according to the owner of Jet Motors.
A little less than 19,000 original miles - this was confirmed as correct as the motor and transmission were in perfect order.
The owner of Jet said, if it were his car to sell, he would start at 20 and not let it go for less than 18. We paid less than 18, a lot less.
Autos are rare, but less desirable, as if (when) the transmission fails, you have to do a manual transmission swap. Not a hard job but not an easy one either. It is rumored that there are still two shops in the world that can work on the autos, both in London. The shops are seemingly very reluctant to sell rebuild kits as there seems to be a finite number of them left with no more to be made, if you can believe the posts on Autominiregister.com. To quote both techs and the owner of Jet Motors, "not a single automatic made it out of warranty." They went on to say that almost all have had a MT swap at this point. He had one in his shop in for a rebuild as the owner of that car did source a rebuild kit at some point it time. They (Jet Motors) had an auto waiting for someone to buy but he only had the one as compared to the dozen built motor/trans combos he had in the shop. Though on the test drive after the oil change, the owner said that the transmission was as good as he had ever experienced, which is good.
7 coats of Zaino and a sunny afternoon made for a nice short drive and a few photos.
congrats! If you need any hard to find 94 JDM 1275 SPI automatic specific parts let me know, we parted one out while over there and I’m sitting on a lot. 😁
), often referred to then as a "shoebox". Closest I came was picking up this Cooper S sales brochure back in the day, which is framed intact and hanging in my garage...
