I am currently in the search for a classic mini...

I have been trying to search if there is a specific year to look out for? A year that has parts that are easily accessible. I haven't found any information on the web.

Or are there years that I should stay away from because parts are impossible to find?

I really appreciate your help!

 

When you find one without rust, that is the best year to buy...


Parts are pretty interchangeable and easy to find in general. (If you don't mind them being shipped from California or the UK) My 71' has MK1, MK2, MK3, & MK4 parts on it.

This buyers guide that is located on the classic mini main forum is helpful.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-purchase.html

 

Only 1986 and older cars are legal to import (25 years old EPA and DOT rules apply), although you will find many cars described as 1971 brought up to 1995 standards. That's code for a 1995 car titled as a 1971. Let your conscience be your guide on those. You may never have an issue with one of them, but......they are not strictly legal.

That said, as teh nub said, no rust is the most important thing to look for. Next most important, do you do any of your own work? If not, do you intend to learn? Any classic car can be an absolute money pit, and they get worse fast if you have to pay someone else anytime you need any little thing done.

Also, do not anticipate using this as your only car and daily driver, again unless you have complete skills and/or bags of money.

Lastly, the nicest, newest, or most completely restored or cared for car you can buy will give you the best starting point.

 

Thank you!

Yeah I was looking at a 85 Mini 1000cc with some rust by the antenna
OR
a 75 mini 850cc with no rust at all.

If it breaks down or if it needs something, I plan on getting my hands dirty. I am a noob when it comes to the internals and such, but I really want to learn.

 

a 75 mini 850cc with no rust at all



found in the Chicago area no less



There's rust ... trust me, there's rust unless this car was completely stripped, dipped, repaired and repainted in the last 2 years ... and then there's probably still rust! I grew up in the western burbs .... a Mini from that neighborhood has been living in a rust rich environment ..

IF IT BREAKS DOWN

Not IF buckaroo ..... WHEN

When I bought my rust free mechanically perfect Mini I made it 35 minutes from the seller's house before it over heated. When I removed the undercoating I found rust free means you can't see it . . . A new owner I've been trying to help has found similar coating and his perfect engine .... well he knew how to swap a head out so no major loss - I've never seen such cracks b4.

Welcome to the club ... but be prepared to come back down to earth with a crash unless you found the bargain of the century - or are paying $30,000 for the car.

Just for kicks .... what ball park are you paying?

Under $3000
$3000 to $5000
$5000 to $9000
more?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not dissing ya ... I'm just trying to manage your expectations. 12 hours into my ownership I was seriously questioning my judgement; but I had a slot open in the garage, a big full tool box, and a checkbook with sufficient overflow to support a mistress; mine became named OC for Orange Crate.

IMO you need to be expecting to pay upwards of $7000 to buy a Mini that will be safe to drive on the road the day you buy it. That is, it will have brakes that kinda work, and it will hold oil and fuel for the most part and probably has working lights and turn signals.

Post some pictures .... we can help verify if what you are being told it is .... is what it is . . . .

Mini is a very easy car to work on and therefore a great 'learning car'. Parts are super easy to find and you could order everything you needed to build one in your garage from today's suppliers. If you are totally new to this game look at your local adult education offerings. Many western Chi-town high schools had auto-shop when I grew up there and those same places are great sources for adult nite classes in auto repair, both engine and body ... even painting.

DO NOT BUY any Mini that has an injected ingine. This is the same warning MINIDave gave .... the newer cars with Single Point Injection and Multi Point Injection (SPi MPi) have computer control units for which there are few US garages with the proper equipment to troubleshoot. Stick with a basic Mini with the SU carb.

welcome .. good luck ... and watch out!

 

^ Thanks for the advice. I really want to learn mechanics and I do not want to keep messing with my turbocharged car. I do not want the dealership to reject the repairs on my warranty.

The 75 Mini is in Colorado. I will post pictures when I get a chance. I am only 26 and my income is not able to support a mistress, so if it does break down it will take time to repair. I do have a spot and tools in my GFs father's heated shop where he keeps his farming machinery.

I will keep you posted.

Am I allowed to post pics or do I need a certain number of posts.

 

Best of luck with your search!
Fellow classic Mini Owners can be found here:
http://www.minimania.com/web/threadi.../msgthread.cfm
And
How to identify ID your Mini is a great starting point!:
http://www.minimania.com/matrix/

 

Very cool info! I really like MiniMania... I just need to learn how to use the website better.

 

Could you guys please help me judge this car? This is another one that I am looking at.

http://www.minimania.com/web/id/9757...ale_Detail.cfm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riJDFejqabg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUuA2v-onNA

I really appreciate the help!

 

I don't think you can judge a car by looking at a couple of pics, you need to go there and see it yourself, drive it and so on. If you're not knowledgable enough to do a proper evaluation, then either have someone who is look it over for you or take someone with you when you go look at it who knows what to look for on these cars.

That said, from the pics I saw it was a good looking car.

 

It's hard when the car is in Kansas City.... How do people buy cars from other countries, other states etc?

The best I could do is ask my friend's dad who lives in KC and owns a classic Corvette.

 

Archi, you must be the archi on r3v This is boosted_e30

If the 78 you are talking about in Colorado is this one:



I could look at it for you if you are interested, I live close!

 

http://www.sunshineminis.org/forums/...p?f=85&t=22803

 

Hi Archi13
I bought a new 1972 Mini 1000 back in Sept 1971 for under $1,800 and have been an avid fan since. My current Mini is a '75 with modern upgrades (A+ 1275 engine, new hydraulics, etc ) that I have done a rotisserie restoration on. I saw and heard the you-tube video and here is what I picked out; (1) the engine is painted gold...the factory used to sell reconditioned engines under their "Gold Seal" program so I suspect this engine is a factory rebuilt one. That would be great if the engine actually sounded good, which it definitely does not. The timing could be off (no biggie), or there could be problems. My advice is to do a compression test (real easy on a Mini) and this will tell the condition of the engine. (2) There doesn't seem to be any rust issues...the trunk looks really rust free which is great. However, there is one spot that you should inspect very carefully and that is inside the car. Peel back the front carpet and you do not want to see much rust on the floor. Also, look at the very bottom of the "A" pillar (the part of the body adjacent to the lower front edge of the door. It's hollow inside and any moisture trapped inside likes to rot out this area of the car. Even if the outer rocker panels look fine, take a CLOSE look at the inner rockers and the sills...these do rot out and is a major pain ($$$$) to fix. (3) This car is a right hand drive which I would never buy because they're just too weird to drive. The proof is, why are there sooooo many RHD cars for sale and very few LHD cars on the market? My opinion is this car is OK for the money but for a few thousand more (which you will spend on good wheels and tires anyway), you can pick up a pristine, freshly restored, reliable Mini you can enjoy right away.
If you have money to spend, try to attend a large classic Mini meet where you can see tons of great (and not so great) Minis for sale. You can even talk your way into all kinds of test rides. Here's the Classic Minis United website; http://www.classicminis.org/ . Happy hunting

 

Hi! No I am not r3v. I am Archi13 on GenCoupe.com Thank you very much for your offer to go see the car. That is very awesome of you. If there is a car near you I will definitely ask you to give me a hand if you do not mind.

This is the Mini that is currently on my wish list:
http://www.minimania.com/web/id/9611...ale_Detail.cfm

I have a good quote of $700 to Illinois, but gentleman will not budge with the price of $8,500. I will post pics when I get a chance. I know this is only 850cc, how slow is it? Unsafe for the highway?

 

This mini is super awesome! You can really see that your friend took great care of the build. I am not a super fan of black Minis but this one is really taken care of. I would definitely powder coat the wheels back to silver or white.

I guess that is just a dream BC it is over my budget $7,000. Do you think I can I drive this car back to Illinois?

 

Thank you for the advice Fatboy!

I will stay away from this car for the time being... as Capt pointed out the videos and pics the seller has are from 2009. I have asked for current pics and I'm still waiting.

 

....

 

http://new.minimania.com/web/id/8501...ale_Detail.cfm

http://www.caroccio.com/mini/gallery/

What do you guys think of this ^?

How bad or good is it to have an automatic? If there are transmission issues are they worst to deal with than a manual?

 

If you have an automatic, don't expect to go fast and expect to pay a premium for parts. Because there were very few Automatics made, repairing the trans is going to be more expensive then a standard.

 

I don't think you want an automatic in this car, it's slow enough as it is.....this is a decent automatic since it's a four speed when most autos were two or maybe three speed, but it still really is a slow car....

I don't know how hard automatic parts are to get, but I think as long as the oil is changed frequently enough they're pretty reliable, and it seems like most of the cars sold to Japan were autos, since all the ones that come up for sale from there seem to be autos.

You need to take your time and find the right car, $7k is not going to buy you a rust free, trouble free car.

BTW, on older Minis, "rust free" just means you don't pay extra for it!