TimC
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 08:24 AM |
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Classic Mini - Sensible Everyday Car?
Hello all
I've got a new job (Indy really needs to go now BTW) which means that I lose my company car.
I want something REALLY economical and cheap to run and was initially thinking about a Smart or a Ford KA.
However, I've always fancied a mini. Could I buy something for £3k that would:
1. Be very tidy?
2. Be very reliable?
Any help appreciated.
TC
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donut
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 08:29 AM |
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Yes but buy one from an enthusiast and if it were me i would get a pre 76 car cos the metal that the bodywork is made from is much better quality and
it doesn't rust so quickly. Inface if you can get a restored pre 73 car then you pay no road tax. Try and get a cooper s if poss.
Andy
When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andywest1/
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westf27
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 08:39 AM |
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Had a Smart for a year,fantastic in every way,drive one preferably a Passion I doubt you will be disappointed.Also had at least six Mini's over
the years but its always 40 years old technology..still like em though
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westf27
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 08:41 AM |
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just reread your post it has to be Smart
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Triton
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 08:44 AM |
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Mini, but don't think it will go for ever on a gallon of fuel because you will end up driving it quicker than you would normally....
My Daughter has taken over production of the damn fine Triton race seats and her contact email is emmatrs@live.co.uk.
www.tritonraceseats.com
www.hairyhedgehog.com
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 08:56 AM |
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In practical terms, just about any modern small car will go faster than the old mini, do more mpg, handle at least as well (or even better), will be
safer, and will be far more reliable.
Whether the modern car will be as much fun, or have as much character, is another issue...
David
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ayoungman
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 09:01 AM |
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Go for the Mini. You can get a surprising amount of stuff in a Mini. They are nippy around town and can be tuned to be economical if required. On
motorways, they can be uncomfortable to drive after an hour or so.
"just like that !"
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ned
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 09:06 AM |
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economical and cheap to run i'd go for a 2ltr hdi pug 306 personally. Will handle well, stop better than a mini, be more comfortable, quieter,
better on mpg and motorways, more mod cons and be a lot safer.
if you could afford more then i'd go for something with a vw td engine, but there are plenty of 306 hdis around for under £3k.
all imho
Ned.
beware, I've got yellow skin
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uklee70
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 09:07 AM |
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Get a future classic
I have heard a lot of good things about the BMW 318is E30
read PPC under your car picture
and £1000 for a good one
great handling practical and spares are cheap
Minis are great but not as an everyday car
Just my opinion
Lee
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Syd Bridge
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 09:11 AM |
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The Mini can be very economical, depending on your right foot!
My youngster runs up and down to uni, gets over 60mpg. 30+ round town. We put an auto final drive in, (2.9?), it's a bit sluggish if you
don't stir the gearstick, but otherwise a great car.
Only downside is the ride, reminds me of the old springcart on the property. Too hard for this old fella! 
A couple of good seats would probably solve the ride harshness thing though.
Syd.
Forgot to say, it's got a 1275 engine, out of a late Metro.
[Edited on 10/3/06 by Syd Bridge]
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DIY Si
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 09:51 AM |
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Mini's won't give the best fuel because you tend to start arseing about in them. And since tuning them is sooo cheap and simple,
it's very hard to resist doing something to them. The ride is very easy to improve and extra power can be had and is about as hard to gain as
looking at the car is. I started this game a couple of years ago and have since given up on fuel figures, but can now do 0-60 in about 6 secs! Only
thing is my car does 8mpg at full chat!! Very easy to make them handle like go karts and can be done by yourself with a hacksaw If you do get an old
one make sure it's got the 7.5" discs on it or you'll have a heart attack every time you try stopping form speed. All round drums
don't do much in the way of slowing you down.
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Mix
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 10:19 AM |
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Have you checked out the performance / economy / price of an Elise ??
Mick
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britishtrident
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 10:37 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by TimC
Hello all
I've got a new job (Indy really needs to go now BTW) which means that I lose my company car.
I want something REALLY economical and cheap to run and was initially thinking about a Smart or a Ford KA.
However, I've always fancied a mini. Could I buy something for £3k that would:
1. Be very tidy?
2. Be very reliable?
Any help appreciated.
TC
As a hobby they are great fun as an everyday car no, they are just not reliable enough by modern standards, rust protection is non-existant although
the 90s fuel injected cars should be better.
The classic SU carb version required constant tinkering and bi-annual rebuilds and the later "electronic" SU carb was a nightmare. The
injection system used on the fuel injected cars although MEMS was never as reliable in the mini as it was in the rest of the Rover range, and DIY
elctronic iagnostics with this system aren't catered for.
Really old 7" drum braked cars really don't stop well by modern standards, the later big disk/drum systems are better but still require
much more attention than modern cars.
On the classic models the front balljoints need rebuilt every couple of years unless greased very regularly, the later cars with sealed for life ball
joints are better.
If you want something reliable and cheap to run buy a Honda.
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donut
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 10:38 AM |
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.............and when you have finished with the mini you can pop a hyabusa engine in the back!!
Andy
When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andywest1/
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TimC
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 10:50 AM |
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Thanks for all the responses.
The plan is (once we've moved house) to go back to a Lo(W)cost type (as opposed to a chrome £10k+ in parts alone, N2O powered plaything.)
As a result, I really don't want to get too involved with the daily driver - BUT as a petrolhead, I need something with character.....
Any more comments on the Smart?
Where's Smart51 when you need him??
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Aboardman
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 01:29 PM |
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here is a nice smart car
http://media.putfile.com/Diablo-19mb
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andyps
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 01:31 PM |
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A mini is great and as long as you aren't doing high mileage is fine as a daily driver. Last summer I used a 1977 mini as a daily driver for a
couple of months - absolutely standard 998cc, thorougly enjoyed it, and I considered buying a newer one as my main car even though I do 20k miles per
year. Didn't in the end as I thought the other person I share journeys to Manchester with on a regular basis may not appreciate the cosiness,
plus I occasionally need a bit more space.
I keep contemplating a Smart (we already have 3 minis at home so I don't really need another) too, mainly for the economy, to use for my
commuting whilst keeping my Fiat Coupe for special occasions. Would probably go for it but I have been banned from buying any more cars
Andy
An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less
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MikeR
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 01:31 PM |
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i've driven and been driven in a Ka. I really enjoyed it. Reminded me of my old mini 1000 (1973, still rusted but a day every 6 months sorting
out the rust kept it going.)
On the plus side, its reliable, nippy, goes, stops, doesn't rust and has airbags....
not quite got the character of an old mini though & the 1300 engine feels a little sluggish, get the 1400 or 1600 and it will be a flyer.
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 01:41 PM |
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I drove a hired 1300 Ka up to, and down from, the GrossGlockner glacier in Austria, including about 100km each way on a mixture of twisty roads and
autobahns. 2 of us in the car.
Whizzed around with no great difficulty - the only problem I had was smoking brake pads caused by driving too fast down from the glacier! It's a
bit worrying when you see whisps of smoke coming out from the wheel arches when you stop for coffee...
Mind you, the brakes worked REALLY well when they'd cooled down again...
The Ka is a really good little car - and it's powered by Ford's latest incarnation of the Kent crossflow engine! I'd guess that
spares will be cheap, being a Ford.
David
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iank
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 01:42 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Aboardman
here is a nice smart car
http://media.putfile.com/Diablo-19mb
hahahahahahaha brilliant, want one!!!
Hmm donors still a tad expensive 
[Edited on 10/3/06 by iank]
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TimC
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 02:50 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
I drove a hired 1300 Ka up to, and down from, the GrossGlockner glacier in Austria, including about 100km each way on a mixture of twisty roads and
autobahns. 2 of us in the car.
Whizzed around with no great difficulty - the only problem I had was smoking brake pads caused by driving too fast down from the glacier! It's a
bit worrying when you see whisps of smoke coming out from the wheel arches when you stop for coffee...
Mind you, the brakes worked REALLY well when they'd cooled down again...
The Ka is a really good little car - and it's powered by Ford's latest incarnation of the Kent crossflow engine! I'd guess that
spares will be cheap, being a Ford.
David
I've still never told my mother that I actually set fire to the brakes on her Seat Ibiza!
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steve_gus
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 11:22 PM |
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Minis are fun, but from a past age. They dont have the comfort of a modern car. But if you like to sit in a cramped position, have really bad neck
injuries in a rear ender cos the seats are bad with minimal headrests, and drive the 2nd most unsafe car on the road according to govt ratings (2cv
was worst) then its the way to go.
Ive had minis before, might do again, but it would be for sunday fun and not the 100 miles I do each day
atb
steve
ps - ive driven a couple of Ka's - great fun.
[Edited on 10/3/06 by steve_gus]
http://www.locostbuilder.co.uk
Just knock off the 's'!
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MikeR
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 11:48 PM |
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i know people complain about the seating but ........
i'm 6'2" and people use to laugh when they saw me climb into the '73 mini but it was damned comfortable. The modern mini seats
on the other hand are, errrm, well i wasn't comfy!
of course the old tild forward seat had no head rest, in fact nothing to hold the seat in place apart from the 2 tilting bolts...
great car though )
keep looking at a landy series 2a i drive past for sale every day wondering how that would be for a toy car!
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MikeRJ
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| posted on 11/3/06 at 09:33 AM |
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Having had the experience of driving a Smart recently (a Pulse I think), and I would personaly rather have a mini having owned 5 of them in past
(though a Z-Cars Smart might be ok!). In standard form they feel sooo guttless, though to be fair that's not helped by the frankly appalling
gearbox that needs 2 week written notice to change gear. This can be improved by some tweaks to the ECU I've been told, and you can certainly
extract a bit more power from the engine.
Handling is not bad, much less roll than I was expecting, but you get the impression that hitting a bump whilst cornering hard is likely to make it
fall over rather induce a slide (I'm sure they are fine, but that's the impression I got from driving it).
Space wise, the mini wins hands down, you can get a frankly incredible amount of stuff into a mini if you are carefull with packing.
If pushed I could probably live with everything bar the gearbox, it's totaly spoils the driving pleasure IMO.
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 11/3/06 at 12:40 PM |
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The Smart won the "worst handling car" award in a recent test... tried to go through Hammerhead fast, and it failed to make the first
left-hander - just went straight on and nearly wiped out the camera crew.
DJ
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