I was thinking of selling my ultra reliable Honda Civic (2002) and getting a classic Mini. I think I can car pool with my wife in the winter, so that should be ok but what about daily driving. Could be great fun, or just days of frustration. I know I wouldn't care because I would be driving my dream car but I wonder how the boss would feel when I couldn't make it into work because it was raining and I couldn't get the Mini to start. ha.
Just thinking out loud, see if this is an insane idea or could it be a reality.
I am in the Great White North so climate changes are the norm.

Thanks

Glenn

 

I sold my 2001 GMC for my 77 Clubman... everyone will tell you that you are crazy... and if your not then I say don't do it! Over the last year I have been "that guy" who needs a ride (from the wife) about 8 times! Its not that the car has been really bad - its just once something goes wrong - you add about a week to the issue. (mailing times + work and school= two weeks after the problem you have time to fix it) But as a daily driver... just know you will have good times and bad... I say go it only if you are crazy (like me)

 

if you could do it, I'd keep the Honda, and get the mini.

 

Would be best to try and keep the honda. My wife uses here classic as much as possible for a daily driver. Thankfully we have a "backup" because she wont take it out in really bad weather (rain ok, snow bad) Or often its too cold to get it going in the morning (could probably fix if I replaced the battery)

In the last year I towed it home twice, and made one roadside repair. Not at all that bad - but having a backup is a nice option. As Screamer mentioned above, getting the parts slows some repairs down.

Nik

 

a back up car is always great, or depending on your mechanical skills.......i say go for it ......i use mine as a daily driver ......but sometimes i will switch to the 06

 

Ideally, I would like to keep the Honda and get the classic, but that means paying off the Civic (2 years to go). I guess in the big picture, that is no time at all. mrmini.com has some nice ones for sale, maybe I'll take a trip up there and have a look. Doesn't hurt to look right!?

Screamer, don't worry, I'm as crazy as they come, so my wife tells me.ha

 

what ever you do .........dont test drive one unless your ready to buy......thats what happened to me .....lol

 

I've been wanting a classic british racing green mini to match my new one ever since i got it, but the question is are they up to the challenge in heavy traffic where i live and would the clutch give out?

 

I agree with Cassy!!!
I plan on getting a MINI and keeping my truck that's been payed off for years.Then I'll try & talk my boss into selling me his 72 classic that sits in our showroom collecting dust!!

 

showroom?

Where do you work?

 

Where do you live?

I drive my classic through the streets of Boston all the time. What I don't have in large-vehicle-intimidation value, i can make up for in speed and zippiness.

 

you are crazy.......classics are toys and not daily drivers unless you have some kind of road service membershilp.

 

I did it for 3 years & 30K miles. No breakdowns. Of course, I completely serviced the car before doing so replacing brakes, brake hydraulics, lots of PM, dumped the points for a Pertronix ignition, etc etc. Mainly it depends on your abilities mechanically. If you have fundamental skills it should be sufficient. A mini is prehistoric in its technology and most sound backyard mechanics can handle whatever goes wrong with a fundamental tool set (even on the side of the road).

But just in case, carry insurance with towing and a cell phone at all times. Also, add air horns and bright headlights and some LED high level brake lights for safety.

 

The best advice I recieved: Drive a Mini with the same caution and attention that you would use when riding a motorcycle. Assume that no sees you.

 

No crazier then driving any other 25+ yoa car as a daily driver.

I know some people who do it. I know some cars that will easily handle it - but I'd say they are the exception.

 

I disagree, classics are toys, but can be used as a daily driver. but I am good with my hands and can fix little things that come up.

 

Let's see, 5.4 million Minis made, millions of drivers around the world, used in every category of use including commercial delivery, and almost 50 years of of daily driving experience...I think we just may be able to qualify a Mini as more than a "toy"

Other than its diminuitive size, please explain how it is not as much a car like any other? Just because you may use it as a toy doesn't change its inherent characteristics.

 

I agree with MiniMad....although mine is now a weekend driver it was a daily driver for quite awhile. You just have to keep up with the maintenance like any other vehicle and it's good to go!

Shawn

 

Thanks everyone for all the great info. I did test drive a classic Mini in the summer and loved it. It was actually this car (see link) and it is still for sale.
When I got back in the Civic it felt like I was driving a limo, not to mention I couldn't hear the engine. Loved every minute of it. Once this snow stops falling....

link:

http://www.trader.ca/powerpage/detai...9&vlotid=29033

 

I could not have put it better.

 

I agree, i drive my '88 (1300 stage 1 kit) everyday to work and trips on the weekends, it has never failed me. Like everyone else has said, as long as you do the PM, any car will last.

 

Have you considered putting a Honda drivetrain into your Mini? That should reduce the maintenance quotient.

 

I'm an old-timer who owned 7 early Minis, some for street, some for racing. Good advise has been posted in this thread. I would like to add another point regarding the category, "classic Mini". When I was active in the Mini Owners of America, San Francisco chapter, the only Minis legally available were 1965 and earlier models. In my view, these are the only Minis that live up to the Mini legend. No smog, no roll-up windows, no comforts worth noting, they were just kick-in-the-*** drivers. Of course, we modified them with every go-fast available. They weren't very reliable and all of us had a garage full of spares to keep our toys running. I wouldn't want to count the number of times I had to get a tow home. Need to get someplace, on time, every day? Forget these Minis.

Then there are the newer classic Minis, more refined (although using refined to describe any Mini may be an oxymoron), probably more reliable, probably more suited as daily drivers. I have no experience with these versions, but from what others have said here, they have their advantages.
Perhaps the best advise to someone wanting any classic Mini as a daily driver is to invest in a good manual, appropriate tools, and start collecting spares.

 

You mean like mine? (No, it's not for sale. )

 

The first half of that quote leads to the second half. If you resist the temptation to over-modify a Mini you will find in stock (or stage 1) form they are reasonably reliable and easy to fix. The more you push the envelope with a motor that was designed back in the late forties the less reliability you'll find. [from another Mini "geezer"]