Hi Everyone,

I have dreamed of buying a mini since I was about 15, and now, 20 years later, I'm in a position to buy one and invest in it. Unfortunately, I I don't know what generates value in certain minis (aside from age and the amount of rust).

I apologise if this is blaphemous in these forums, but Ideally, I'd like to buy a mini, put a bigger engine/turbo in it, and turn it into a bit of a performance car, but I dont know what I should be looking for. Should I be buying one that is functional or just a shell? Should i be looking for a specific model?

I recently found this one https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/496503859261241/ but I have no idea if it's a good deal.

I would really appreciate it if someone could shed some light on what I should be looking for and maybe offer some suggestions, and if I should look to purchase one that is currently functional, then is the above fairly priced?

Thank you in advance!

Welcome.
It is not blasphemous see here. viewforum.php?f=23

I for one do not like engine conversions, the a series engine is a good unit but others do, its horses for courses.
Be careful about changing, modifying, customising etc as it is starting to need an engineers cert for lots of things.
, gone are the heady days of the 70's and 80's when you could do just about anything.
If you are going to customise etc then a standard everyday mini would be the choice. If you buy a special or limited edition then you owe it to the vehicle to keep it original.

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Cheers Dave.

Welcome to Ausmini and I'm sure you'll get lots of advice to consider.

Your example from FB looks very good to me - almost too cheap - might be worth a closer look, to see if there is anything obviously wrong. It is an english assembled car and not Australian, so some potential buyers might be put off. But it is still a nice looking mini.

Are you wanting an investment? Certain models are worth more and generally, future buyers tend to want a close-to-standard car. The more customised the car, the narrower the market, not to mention Steam's comments about certification. Cooper Ss were and are, the more valuable and expensive minis but more standard minis have become popular - mini K and De Luxe. The first 850s are now becoming popular too. As these cars get older, value is based more on the condition of the individual car.

Have you ever driven a mini? Not everyone can forgive the noise, harshness and directness when compared to modern cars. Most mini owners use them for weekend outings in the countryside now. You need to be honest with what you can tolerate.

If you have some mechanical skills, you can buy one that needs some work. If not, it would be far better to buy a complete and registered car. Buying someone else's unfinished restoration leads to frustration of not being able to drive your new purchase - considering how long you have waited already.

Good luck. And let us know how the hunt is going.

As others have said, this is an English car so there are some differances to the Aussie made car. Being English, at least all the parts should be available.
I would check it for rust - looks like rust in the boot lid, and mabe some on the lower door aperture. Could be signs of much larger issues, which are expensive to have fixed unless you do it yourself.

That car is probably full of rust - which is why it's cheap. I would be very very critical of it if I inspected it. The boot lid, rear roof gutter stick out, but the biggest issue I see is the bottom of the drivers door opening - a world of pain lies beneath that surface.

Assuming you're in Sydney (going by where the red car is), join the NSW Mini club, make some friends, drive some cars - many people (like me) enjoy letting other people "experience" their cars.

I occasionally do inspections of cars for buyers who can't get there themselves (PM me for the company name, they have people like me all over the country). Could be a good option for you if you find something you like the look of but aren't sure what to look for.

If you've never restored or owned an old car, then I recommend buying something that is already roadworthy and registered; something you can enjoy straight away and tinker with, rather than spend lots (LOTS!) of time and money on a project car.. unless long term projects are something you enjoy, which some people do (unlike me). Unfortunately it's a common story that people buy an old car to restore, pull it apart and then lose interest when reality sets in.

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

I second Bill B’s comments. If you haven’t already, go out and drive a couple. You will either be blown away by the experience of driving probably one of the most road-connected cars ever, or you’ll run away wondering how on earth anyone can put up one.