You do have a point there, I couldnt handle drivin my Mini everday! But yeah, you do need to have some mechanical skills and knowledge, or at least know some1 who does, to own a Mini. They can become a money pit if you cant do any work on it yourself. You will end up hating the car!! You would assume that a late model Rover Mini, though still being basically the same car, maybe a little more reliable than and oldy. But still if it breaks down your still in trouble if you cant do work on it yourself.

I stil come across mechanics who cringe at the thought of workin on a Mini, yet they would be happy workin on a old Holden any day, try changin spark plugs on a bloody 327 HT Monaro with huge extractors. I know Id rather be changin plugs on a Mini!!

Basically, old cars will always need work done on them, ESPECIALLY if there driven every day, regardless if its a Mini or not.

the jap rover are pretty "reliable" i reckon....

good luck in finding one tho....right now they are in high demand but not allowed for import...

_________________
98 brg rover

when i got my mini
mum and dad dont work during the day, they had little playing with cars, not for about 7ish years, had one mechanic friend who once had a mini

day one: the minis great it drove me 30minutes away and back
day two: forgot to turn off the battery. flat. couldnt start. very sad. but i still love it
day three: mechanic friend comes over. he says lets change the electrics.
that means EVERYTHING electrical in the bloody car
he lay there for about 3 weeks doing nothing

and then until about 7 months later, my mini drove very well, until
the PCV (breathing thing, just needed $7 rubber piece)
we had to drive in traffic, and he turned off at lights

i actually told my mum: mum im sick of old cars, but i love the mini. i dont want any old cars anymore

perhaps i was in a sad mood, and yes it does get depressing sometimes if you cant drive your gem
but im over it now. i love old cars

_________________
Inconspicuously Conspicuous
Appreciation without Depreciation
forever chasing clearer skies...

I think most mini people have gone through the stage where they get upset with there car, it always seems to go away though.

Mechanics can be funny about classics, especially minis I've found. We sold my g/fs festiva to a mechanic's son and he said he refuses to work on them. He was a brit too, said he got one in his workshop in the UK every other day of the week and was sick of skinned knuckles.

All this talk of matics, i really want to get this one on the road now, can anyone who has one or driven one comment on the "manual" (i use that term loosley) component of the gear lever system?. Im guessing its very clunky and unresponsive? (on the matic you can select any of the 4 gears manually as well as use Drive).

_________________
'68 Morris Mini Matic (GF's)- complete!
'68 Morris Mini Deluxe - deciding on specs..
'63 Morris 850 - On the Shelf
Other various mini parts cars

I got my first Mini at 16, just after I got my L plates. It was a tidy 1968 deliuxe 998 with just 80,000 miles on it. I learnt to drive on it and drove it to school after I got my license. It was reliable - until the gearbox let go and jammed in third gear on the way home one day. Next the hydro collapsed. Being 17 I knew stuff-all about cars, so it was cost me (read: my parents!) money all the time. So my parents bought me a Gemini and I sold the Mini.

Years later I got my van and did it up over several years. By then I knew what I was doing. Now the van is my daily driver, but like others have said, I spend a fair bit of time maintaining it. But hey, I love working on it!

Be careful of "little old lady" cars that have not been driven for years. The brake and clutch hydraulics will probably need work, as well as such things as radiator and heater hoses replaced. Budget for this accordingly. You need to keep about $1,000 in reserve to cover the inevitable problems that will crop up in the first twelve months.

Whatever you do, always get a Mini inspected by someone who knows them (if you are not familiar with them yourself). Even an RACV/NRMA inspection is pointless because they generally miss problems on Minis that someone who has worked on them will spot.

Cheers.

_________________
Brett Nicholson
Greendale (near Ballan) VIC.
1971 Morris Mini Moke
1966 Austin Mini
1965 Morris Mini Traveller
1973 LR Series 3 88
2007 LR Freelander 2

yeh mate very.. hmmm. you can just say: yep there is it.

it clunky, i dont know whether i should take my foot off the accelerator whilst changing, so im not very sure how to use it
a good thing is that if you dont want clunking down while slowing down
i put it in 4th, so theres not mor gear wear.
but theres more brake wear


as with buying a matic, yes, reserve $1000 for repairs/electrics, initial problems

_________________
Inconspicuously Conspicuous
Appreciation without Depreciation
forever chasing clearer skies...

after spending $1000 for initial repairs approx. how long will it take for another problem to arise? i know this depends on the car's condition, but i'd like to know if i can afford to get a mini at this stage.

are there any reliable/ reasonably priced mini garages around syd? preferably around the east

something like this might be okay for the price? i dont like the colour choices, but its not too expensive..

http://www.j-spec.com.au/list/index.php?ID=1369

only a 998 though..

_________________
'68 Morris Mini Matic (GF's)- complete!
'68 Morris Mini Deluxe - deciding on specs..
'63 Morris 850 - On the Shelf
Other various mini parts cars

YUK thats one ugly paint scheme.....

Price is OK though.