Hey Mini fans, I am looking at purchasing a 1976 (gorgeous) Leyland Mini Cooper, brought up to 1999 specs. Fuel Injected 4 speed front wheel drive. This car looks to be in excellent condition with 35k miles. And the engine looks great. Leather Interior, no rust, and premium sound. With both excellent interior and exterior.

I took it to a mechanic to have it checked out and it needs new front breaks, and may have a problem with a rod in the engine. Almost telling the seller no, he promptly took it to his mechanic, Henry with
British and European Services in Salt Lake City, UT. Which the owner says he can get parts cheap, and puts a warranty on most of what he fixes. The owner also said in two years the only thing he has needed fixed is an oil leak.

It will be my one and only car, that means; To work and back (freeway)4-5 days a week 15 miles each way, and around town. So I am concerned when I read some reviews that say this car will break down on me and cost a fortune to fix. He says I can get parts pretty cheap at minimania.com, but I thought to ask in forums such as this if it would be worth it.

Ever since I was younger these minis have been a dream car. I want to get one now that I have the financial means, but don't want it to be a huge money pit.

Any advice would be hugely appreciated! Thanks!

 

A 1999 injected Mini with 35k miles on it should be fairly reliable, as much as any other 1999 car is. You can get most any parts you need through MiniMania, but they often aren't the cheapest. I buy most of my parts from 7 Enterprises www.7ent.com or Great British Parts www.gbcarparts.com both of whom I've had nothing but good experiences with.
Based on your description, I'd guess that it's actually a 1999 car re-vined for US import.

 

Yeah, there's really no such thing as "bringing a Mini up to modern specs" in my experience... Usually all that's done is that they start with a 1999 MPI (multi-point injection) model Mini then put a '76 VIN plate on it. If the car is already in the USA and has passed Customs then this should not be an issue, but I'd be careful if the car's still in the UK or someplace else - an injected car might catch the Customs inspector's eye and get impounded on the docks (NOT a good thing). Your car is obviously here since you took it to a mechanic, but it's worth letting anyone else know that stumbles across this thread:

"Re-VINning" a late-model car to get past emissions restrictions (25 years is the cut-off age in most states - California is more strict) is ILLEGAL and can result in your car being impounded on the docks. It still happens quite a bit, expecially on carbed Minis (I think they all tend to look like "classic" cars to the customs guys' eyes) buyt if you try importing a fuel-injected car with a stereo, air bags and all the modern conveniences you might get pinched - FAIR WARNING.

Now... in your case, since it's only about 8 years old, your odds are good that it will perform pretty well for years to come, although you really must look the car over VERY cafefully for corrosion - late-model Mini shells were infamous for not being properly undercoated prior to painting and can suffer bad rust even after just a few years. There's a great Buyer's Guide available on the UK MiniFinity site ( http://www.minifinity.com/index.php?...eq=getit&lid=6 ) - read it well and print out the handy checklist for when you inspect the car. As many old-skool Mini guys say: "a Mini with engine problems isn't generally too bad to fix, but a Mini with a rusted-out body is total HELL". Look the Guide over carefuly and don't hesitate to post pictures of any trouble spots in here - we can tell you how bad the issue is and what it should do to your final asking price.

As for relaibility... Well... An injected car WILL be more complex and harder to work on than a carbed car will. If you plan to do a lot of the work on it yourself, simplier really is better. There are mechanics scattered across the US that can do repairs on the car (people here can usually lead you to someone in your area) but again, the car really isn't that old, most likely, so it should run well (hopefully).

Good luck and I second Agro's commend about GBCarparts - I've also had nothing but good experiences with them. Generally I start there or at 7Enterprises, and only go to MiniMania if I can't find what I need elsewhere. MiniMania DOES have a good and active Forum though, where you can often get installation assistance - just FYI.

Good luck!!

 

I wouldn't only rely on Minimania. Like others have said there are seveal other parts suppliers out there. There are injected parts out there, but since the injected cars were never officially brought into the country they could end up being a bit more difficult to source. As for prices... I was seriously considering getting my pre '74 Porsche 911 finally and then started reading of the rebuild costs. You can rebuild several Mini engines for what one flat six would cost ya! (although someday I might still do it)

Minis are fun, but if you've never owned one before you might want to get a 2nd car for backup - something cheap and economical say... Toyota Tercel, Chevy / Geo Metro, that kinda thing - something small that local mechanics *can* fix should the Mini go down.

 

Sirjord,

Do lots of homework, but first, check the location of the radiator. If the radiator is up front (NOT sideways facing the left fender) then it is the late model MPI car. I've read that the MPI models have complicated ECU's that will be difficult (in the US) to service and diagnose should anything ever go wrong--which at some point, is inevitible. The previous generation of fuel injected minis, called SPI, apparently can be serviced and the spi engines can be modified to accept the "old school" carb(s) which some folks prefer. Personally, an MPI engine would scare me away.

 

I thought the same, but it was either here or on Minimania where someone told me they've got an MPi car running on carbs. It is possible. Worst case scenario you've got to learn some wiring and you yank the fancy MPi stuff for a carb'd motor.

 

I'd bet you lunch for a week that that Mini is a re-vined 99. No one would do all the things necessary to make a 76 into a 99. Nothing wrong with a 99, but I'm make sure that the numbers are correct for the 76 title. Be careful.

 

But I think I read that the MPI's ECU controls LOTS of functions, there's no distributor, etc.--which seems like it would be a pretty sophisticated conversion with lots of potential for electronic glitches further down the line.

Truthfully, as a daily driver, I'd recommend to the original poster a MINI. It's in the spirit of the classic, but with some practical updates/upgrades for today's US highways. But I'd get a classic, too. Just wouldn't brave it as my only car.

 

I'm only passing on what was told to me. I know the MPi cars have a coil pack instead of a distributor. I guess it's feasable, but I don't know how much trouble it'd be.

I have a friend with an MPi car and so far he hasn't had any problems. I think it's just the fact that we have close to zero support here for the Rover MEMS that makes it kinda scary.

If you want a classic, get one - just understand that it's not a truly modern car - but, for me at least that's part of the fun. If I want a big ride with antarctica-like A/C I'll drive our Nissan Titan.

 

I don't know that I could have a Classic Mini as my ONLY car. While I can haul a weeks worth of groceries in it, don't count on much more than that. Also, a big concern for me is safety. The Classic Mini is not much more than a tin can. I wouldn't want to be in an accident in it, especially if you are doing a lot of freeway driving. Also, I was once caught in a strong storm once, and the little car was all over the place. On the freeway I was hydroplaning all over the place. It is a great car and a ton of fun to drive, but I would have serious concerns about it being my only car.

 

All valid points and well worth considering. Obviously I LOVE MINIS and classic Minis (my 1992 is an "updated" '76 as well) and I drive my single-carbed 1275 Mini any day that it's not actively raining, but I'm glad I have a second car just in case it decides to be uppity.

 

Growing up I owned several Minis, each of them was my only car at the time. I've been in an accident in one (got rear ended by a cab driver in his personal car) and had no major issues. Remember, active safety means avoiding accidents, and there's few cars on the road as good as avoiding accidents as a Mini.

 

I don't agree with your concerns. Any car is safe as long as you don't get hit in it. You can be driving a volvo station wagon - a very safe car - and still get cleaned out by a cement truck. I want to vomit every time one of my many friends with kids says "Oh, but I could never put my children in X,Y,Z car... it's just not safe!". You want safe? Don't leave the house. Ever. Not getting hit is a matter of paying attention to what's going on. Situational awareness!

As far as hydroplaning, I'd be that was tires more than anything. If you were "Hydroplaning all over the place" then you were driving too fast for conditions. The best way to get out of a situation like that is to take your foot off the gas.

I guess it's a personal choice. I'm not tryin' to be harsh on 'ya or come across with a tone like an ogre or anything. A classic Mini *can* be used as a daily driver, and many people do just that. However, if you do decided to do that you might want to carry a few spares with you in the car, have a good tow plan with AAA or someone just as backup. As with any car, preventive maintenence is the key! Depending on which tire size you choose the ride can be firm to bouncy. If you're ok with that and putting up with 400 stories about how, "Oh my roommate in college used to race these!" then yes, a Mini can be driven every day.

(If it were me I'd probably get a Mini van, estate, or Elf/Hornet. More space for stuff!)

 

I have to echo the other's suggestion, for similar money you can buy a nice new gen Cooper. A classic Mini as my only car would only be viable if I were able to competently work on it myself. I also would not consider a car with an engine knock at 35k as a good candidate, unless I bought it with the price and intention of doing a total rebuild on the motor.

Good luck, and let us know what you do. One thing's for sure, you'll never find a more helpful and knowledgable group than the Mini community!