Hi all

I've been a motorbike guy all my life. Have commuted to work every day on one for the past 20 years, give or take. But a couple of /really/ close calls (the latest of which was last night) coupled with two young kids at home is forcing a rethink.

My wife has our family car as the daily drive (SV6 FWIW) so have been looking for something suitable as a second car / commuter. And for some reason have gotten absolutely fixated on the mid to late-60's Mini's...

Am I completely mad? Can I really expect a 40+ year old car to be up to this task?

I just can't bear the thought of a Mazda 3, a Golf or any of the other obligatory second cars...

I do it every day in Barney, but its a long process of improvement. Getting your hands on a well sorted example to begin with is the key. My car was once one of a very well regarded individual on this forum and it had a great start in terms of development and sorting. It had another owner in between us, but has since been developed and developed. My rule is, when it breaks, replace it with the best you can afford. This way, just about everything on Barney is either the best or is designed to be bulletproof.

Except the paint. Ahem.

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http://www.rylstoneclassic.com

I commute 60+km a day in my 76 clubman without a hiccup. Hasnt got the best of the best but regular preventative maintenence and servicing keeps it running in tip top shape.

Its a joy to get into every morning to drive too and from work.

Rodney

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The best part of fixing your mini is the test drive

Minis..

1976 van daily drive
1975 van
1968 deluxe in the shed
1967 deluxe high strung 1310
1959 austin healey sprite

Thanks guys, great to know... Good vote of confidence!! As a biker I'm very happy doing my own maintenance and simpler repairs as well, so that's gotta help...

How does this guy look?

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/lynbrook ... 1052975341

I commuted by Mini or Moke for many years, but now that I have less time I generally drive a boring, safe and reliable Japanese car of some kind (not that sure what sort, I don't really look at it).

Minis do need MUCH more maintenance than a boring modern car. If you're prepared for that, they can be reliable and way more fun. Its sometimes good to have a backup plan though. I've spent several late nights working in the cold and dark to get the car running again to be able to get to work in the morning.

Tim

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1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian

Proper servicing using the service checklist as per the manual or handbook is a key.

Many people consider a service as grease filter and oil change but there is a whole lot of visual checks that will often prevent unexpected issues such as checking condition of belts, hoses, brakes, fluid levels etc etc.

Meticulous maintenance is the key to a reliable daily driver.

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68 Morris Cooper S Mk1 (*ex 78 1275 LS 4th last built, 70 Morris 1500 OHC & 70 MiniMatic)

I also daily drive my mini, I think it's well worth it.

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Respect mine and I'll respect yours.

I don't know the car, but one things for certain about the DeLuxe you have linked, you could not build that spec for that money. So depending on the quality of everything it could be pretty good value.
By modern standards there's not much safety features in a Mini. It's a bit like going from a 2 wheeled motorbike to a 4 wheeled version. Great fun but you still need to be wary of other road users. Which really goes without saying.
If you were to drive it a reasonable distance to and from work, you'd get pretty friendly with your petrol station. The single tank and 1275, aided by spirited driving will empty it pretty quick.
Best you take it for a test to see whether it suits your needs. With small kids soon becoming big kids, best to think about them too.
Just make sure the body is solid. Gets expensive to pay someone to fix it.

I drive my clubby to work everyday. Have been for almost a year now

At first It was a bit hit and miss, but as I got problems sorted out it went futher between problems. Things have been pretty smooth recently.

Its fun to drive everyday... also can be scary. I tend to find some people speed up to over take you... or pull out in front when there isnt really room because they dont want to get stuck behind "an old car" even tho im always driving exactly speed as I would if I was driving my ford territory.

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1975 Hairy Lime/White Clubby
Build Thread: http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=80657

+1

I spent many years flying 40 year old piston engine aircraft that never missed a beat, good maintenance is more than just an oil change it's the greatest prevention to a breakdown.

what about a rover? may not have the same bragging rights of owning an Austin but you can pick up a fresh import for a little bit more money (don't get 1 from Edward Lee's)

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That doesn't look too bad and is certainly a reasonable price. Though you'd want to have a good look over the quality of all that work and particularly the panelwork.

I actually bought my Mini after selling a 650cc road bike that kept on trying to kill me. I can tell you that they're much, much safer than any bike though all of what is said above applies. I've never used it to commute, though, which is good as I managed to break almost everything on it over the course of about five years. After a complete rebuild similar to the one above it seems to be reliable again. Mind you, the average age of my 40 year old car is now somewhere around five years. It's not quite as much fun as a bike, but you do get a lot of the similar sensations, and it's the best way of having fun at or below the speed limit for the same price as a decent road bike.

How long is your commute? And is it in traffic/highway or twisty roads? That would decide it for me. Single tank and a 1275 will probably give you a 200-250km range which isn't too bad if you're used to a bike. A well sorted older Mini will be just as good, if not better, than a Rover (depending on the quality of the old guy who built it in a shed).

Thanks all. Some really interesting discussion...

I get about 200k from a tank on the bike (Z750) at the moment, so while not great, that fuel range won't bother me at all. I understand that adding a second tank is fairly common though? Commute is mainly 80km/h roads in traffic with a short stretch of 100km/h. No twisties unfortunately

Wasn't aware that some minis don't have a heater which a fairly odd omission for a British car!! But built to a budget and all that... Any pointers on which models / years have/don't have the heater? Is aftermarket an option?

Will see if I can tee up a look at this car this weekend - will go over it with a fine-tooth comb for sure... Any pointers as to 'gotchas' to look out for? He mentions that "all the rust has been cut out" - obviously par for the course with a car of this age, but where are the problem points?

Thanks all - still absolutely fixated a week or two later which is always a good sign!

Aidan

Rust wise, Check for bubbles around the seems and scuttle panel (where the wipers mount), around windows, boot floor, lift the carpets in the front, and had a good look at the sills.

Adding an extra tank is fairly straightforward in a saloon, I understand. I have a 20L tank in my van with a 1275 and Weber and the range isn't too bad. Your commute sounds fine for a Mini, they cruise well in an 80 zone, just make sure whatever you buy is happy to sit on 100km/hr for a short period!

Most have a heater, and aftermarket is an option as they're a fairly simple underdash mount. All of the seams and particularly the A pillar where the door hinges mount are issues. There will be rust in it somewhere, it's just a matter of how much and how urgently you'll need to fix it.