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Commuting in a Mini?
https://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=42421		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  Sabreatche [ Mon May 26, 2008 9:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Commuting in a Mini?
I know I've posted a huge sweep of posts recently, so I promise this will be my last new topic for awhile.

Basically, the dilema I'm facing is this. In July I'll be moving to Canberra (Starting at Duntroon). I'll be aloud to commute back on weekends and during Holidays, and so thats exactly what I'll be doing.

Unfortunately my little 998cc Clubby lacks some oomph. She's a great little car, but one I head over 80kms an hour she starts to complain. Not overheating or anything, but revving like crazy in order to maintain speed... and don't get me started on hills.

So what I'm looking at doing is selling her and buying something with a 1275+, I'd swap out the engine myself, but for the money I was quoted to get a reco 1275 and disc brakes, It'd be cheaper to get a mini already worked :P.

Basically I'm after the opinions of those wise than me, is this a sensible solution? is there a cheaper way to make my mini more highway friendly? or with no 5th gear am I always going to have a little trouble and I should bite the bullet and move away from minis for now?
Author:  Hanra [ Mon May 26, 2008 9:52 pm ]
Post subject: 
I think Hyuundai Excel's are going pretty cheap at the moment. Keep the mini, and use the excel for the highway stuff.
Author:  CPOCSM [ Mon May 26, 2008 9:55 pm ]
Post subject: 
I wouldnt worry about the revving thing. I did the same thing for 2 years commuting to and from Sydney from Canberra and the mini never missed a beat. I was at HMAS Watson and at sea on Stuart but the mini got me home every time. The 998cc will sound like it is working hard but it loves the high revving stuff and will eat the Hume like theres no tomorrow. I sit on 110-120 kph and sits just above 4100rpm...sounds sweet as a nut.

You should hook up with some of the mini frat here in tha ACT while you are here - many hands make light work if there is a problem with your car.

Good luck at RMC - all fun there

Hooroo
Author:  CPOCSM [ Mon May 26, 2008 9:58 pm ]
Post subject: 
2 words will fix the struggling at 80kph:.....

Dellorto/Weber :twisted:

Hooroo
Author:  Mike_Byron [ Mon May 26, 2008 9:58 pm ]
Post subject: 
My Opinion
Put the mini in storage and buy a cheap jap car - get one for a grand somewhere and use that.

In any case duntroon is fairly intensive and you have to concentrate on that and their are NO excuses if you are late back from weekend leave.

The mini can wait and will be an asset then.

Another piece of advice - pay particular attention to map craft and compass work. My experience in the army taught me there is nothing more dangerous than a new sub luey with a compass and a map. :lol: :lol: Good luck

Mike
Author:  d1ck0 [ Mon May 26, 2008 9:59 pm ]
Post subject: 
So true. My 998 used to sit on 110 (ish) sweetly for hours on end. Yes they are a bit noisy, esp. with the twin SU's, but thats all part of owning a Mini :D

Dicko.
Author:  spraycanmansam [ Mon May 26, 2008 10:00 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hanra wrote:
I think Hyuundai Excel's are going pretty cheap at the moment. Keep the mini, and use the excel for the highway stuff.


It's a good idea. I've got one, better for longer trips and uses hardly any fuel, which gives me more money for the more important cars :wink:
Author:  Kennomini [ Mon May 26, 2008 10:02 pm ]
Post subject: 
If you can sell your current mini and find a good 1275 powered mini in sound condition it could be worth it.
IMO you should expect to pay between 4000-8000 for a good 1275 mini. depending on what you can get for your 998 mini and what you choose to buy it may not be that expensive.
When I went from my 998 to a 1275 I was over the moon it was sooo much fun :D so if you enjoy mining yes it's worth it.
998s will rev around 4000rpm and upwards at 100-110km/h and they don't like hills because they don't have the torque. I'm not experienced with 1100s yet but I'm led to believe they are much better than 998s and you don't need discs :wink: .
It may be worth looking at a std or even a worked 1100 engine swap if price is a major problem.
Author:  Hanra [ Mon May 26, 2008 10:03 pm ]
Post subject: 
spraycanmansam wrote:
Hanra wrote:
I think Hyuundai Excel's are going pretty cheap at the moment. Keep the mini, and use the excel for the highway stuff.


It's a good idea. I've got one, better for longer trips and uses hardly any fuel, which gives me more money for the more important cars :wink:


spraycanmansam wrote:
Are you always such a smart-arse? :roll:


See, not always mate. Just to a select few though ill admit.
Author:  brett [ Mon May 26, 2008 10:05 pm ]
Post subject: 
put a shorter diff in it. cheapest option
Author:  WantOne [ Mon May 26, 2008 10:13 pm ]
Post subject: 
Remember it gets FREAKING cold in Canberra too. Can even snow in winter. So you want a good heater, and probably a good battery too. There are no garages in Duntroon for your car. All the bums use ADFA and Duntroon as easy targets for stealing cars and smashing windows and stealing the contents of cars. As well everyone knows that minis can be DH magnets, drunk people like to tip them over. Especially young people like the 18-20 year olds that would see your car everyday. So I agree with everyone else get a piece of poo to drive around Canberra and leave the mini at your olds or something. Then in 18 months time when you post to Darwin you can spend your pay doing it up.

EDIT - Sorry if this appears to be having a go at young people, I'm trying not to generalise too much
Author:  sports850 [ Mon May 26, 2008 10:16 pm ]
Post subject: 
I agree , get something cheap and nasty to do the run with and park the mini up . Mine have been locked in sheds a few times now for similar reasons , if you sell it you'll probably regret it later at some stage .
Author:  mickmini [ Tue May 27, 2008 6:08 am ]
Post subject: 
i used to commute with 850cc to Narooma and back about once a month from Sydney. After about a year i upped to a new 998. It was great on the old princes highway before they straightened most of it out. my brother borried it a few times to commute to Golbourn as well.

If yours is well maintained it will do it no problem. How quickly you lose your high frequency hearing capability is another matter. nothing you won't be able to blame on the army and those dreadfully noisey guns.

In 5 years i had one wheel nut fail at Nowra, one generator fail at Gerringon and one at Cronulla. Otherwise the thing just kept on keeping on on my meagure uni student maintenance budget.

good luck with it
michael
Author:  CPOCSM [ Tue May 27, 2008 8:18 am ]
Post subject: 
WantOne wrote:
Remember it gets FREAKING cold in Canberra too. Can even snow in winter. So you want a good heater, and probably a good battery too. There are no garages in Duntroon for your car. All the bums use ADFA and Duntroon as easy targets for stealing cars and smashing windows and stealing the contents of cars.
EDIT - Sorry if this appears to be having a go at young people, I'm trying not to generalise too much


Hmmmm well I know that the break-ins at ADFA/RMC are a bit of the cadets fault too in that they tend to leave the derelict bombs they drove whilst in the ACT in the carparks when they are deployed or put in their primary roles. The commandant now has the power to have them removed and either disposed of/sold at his discretion.

The big problem with both ADFA and RMC is there is no positive control of the access(whick I think is positively wrong!!) and therefore anyone can drive through the establishment...

Back to the 998. They may not have the torque of a 1275 however the trick is to keep the revs up and you will be fine. The trips to and from Sydney were a pleasure for me and I really enjoyed the going tone deaf and listening to the Dellorto doing its thing.

The 3.44:1 diff I think gives you the best of both worlds and would be my pick(but dont think of it being the best for you...). As for the heater...my car had a tap in it but as they cost a fortune to replace, I just plumbed the heater hoses directly into the core. Great in winter as you are toasty warm, but summer can get a little warm :lol:

My 2 bobs worth

Hooroo
Author:  Blokeinamoke [ Tue May 27, 2008 8:22 am ]
Post subject: 
I would stick with the 998 until get a couple of years under belt at Duntroon. If you make it through your exams treat yourself - then you have something to work towards -

other than the bars and the women and then their is the bars and the women - did I mention the bars and women. You will be too busy or tired to care
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