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PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 7:25 pm 
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Moke + Wife = out of the doghouse
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Spaceboy wrote:
yeah i would not spend money on a lemon mini, save up and get a good one or do the sensible thing and buy a corolla :?

There are good Minis out there for sale and most of us are honest and would not sell a heap of S... to some unsuspecting buyer.Look at this example...You could buy it and drive it to Sydney tomorrow :D
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 11:05 am 
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But they want $20,000. Thats alot in anyones budget......

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 1:18 pm 
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I agree with Mini Mad. At the end of the day lets compare apples with apples.

I had a 1995 commodore, it cost me $13,000 in 1999 when I bought it which was a big bargain as it stands. Since then it costs me well over $10,000 (a guess at best) to maintain and upkeep includng:

2 raditator replacements
6 sets of 4 tyres
2 sets of brakes (discs, pads and callipers)
1 gearbox replacement
2 water pumps
1 alternator
1 power steering pump
1 set of stocks
3 accidents
Countless number of services
Countless bottles of oil, fluid, filters

When i sold it It was 11yrs old, went for 200,000kms and it was a "reliable" car.

Now lets compare this to the humble mini where we expect to pay $1200 to $4000. They are at least 30 years old. Some of the serviceable parts in the car are fresh out of the factory from 1968. They were a humble, low-end of the market car that was not designed to last 100,000 miles or more than 10 years at best.

So we go and spend $4000? $5000? $6000? to fix our minis and we complain how expensive they are. Then we complain about their reliability and safety. Think logically, a 30yr old car no matter how you approach it is still a 30yr old car. They are novelties and unless you find that one of a kind gem (usually original stock clubmans from the 1970's) then they will give you grief. It's all part of classic car ownership.

If you want a reliable first car for your son or daughter or yourself, know nothing about cars, and can't/don't want to learn how to fix it yourself then don't! Times have changed! Minis are not fresh out of the factory anymore! they are old and some are falling apart! it's not the same as what you remembered them to be in 1970 or 1980. It's now 2007 and NONE have been made in Australia for nearly 30 years. Cars wear out like shoes. You can't expect to buy a 30yr old bargain shoe and jog around in it like they were a new pair of Nike's...

It's not just isolated to minis. Don't buy 30yr old anything for your son or daughter as their first car. (30yr old Coronas come to mind here *shiver*)

They are fantastic cars don't get me wrong, but they are not invincibly reliable after such a long time.

Go buy a modern car and realise how much they cost. $20,000 will not leave you much change for a new base model corolla. Even if you buy a $4000 corolla, I garantee that you will spend $3-5000 in the first 3 years of ownership. It's just the way things are with cars.

Bottom line: You can't get anything for free, not esp when it comes to cars. They are a money pit whichever way you look at it. Some more than others. Don't fool yourself into thinking that Minis are particulary reliable or cheap as you will be bitterly dissapointed. Minis and other classic cars of this type attract a premium because of the novelty.

eg. How much would you pay for a 1970 Corona (which were MUCH more expensie than minis were to start with)? I'd have to be paid to have one. But there are plenty of 1970 minis that are attracting $5000+. Apples with apples.

When I bought Lillee she was in a TERRIBLE state. Barely running, totally unsafe, falling apart is what I would call it. I have spent nearly $10,000 in 3 years on Lillee including buying spare extra parts and she broke down on Sunday (Yes the new 1330! but again it's a 30yr old starter motor that carked it, they only last 30 years :( :lol: ) I am not complaining one bit. In fact I was aware that it would, and it was only a matter of time...

I am sorry that some of you have had a bad experience with your mini ownership. It should be all rosy and happy joy joy. But we are talking about cars.

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 1:45 pm 
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I think I agree with just about every sentiment expressed in this thread. I bought my Mini when I was 16, it cost 3500. I reckon the bloke saw us coming a mile away. Yep, the metallic paint looked great and I was in love. It needed an afternoons work apparently. It was six months before it got registered, and it probably cost another 3500 :shock: . That wasn't part of the deal! The engine didn't last long (not my fault) and since in the last six years it has had five different engines.

In my case I bought a lemon. I should have taken along someone experienced with Minis to look at the car but I didn't. It has cost me a lot of money over the years, and has taught me a lot about mechanics - when I bought it I knew absolutely nothing. But it all comes with the territory doesn't it? These cars are 30 - 40 years old, and when they were new the term 'reliable' had a different meaning. They can be very good as daily drivers if you are a bit cluey and know how to look after them. But they're not modern cars. And they are also not cheap cars.

Nonetheless I wouldn't sell my Mini for anything.


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 2:15 pm 
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So why did it run out of oil?


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 2:55 pm 
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Blokeinamoke wrote:
So why did it run out of oil?


I didn't check it at the end of the day, I assumed after coming back form the mechanic on tuesday that everything would be ok, as I took it in to get running 100%, but apparently they don't check the oil. And friday i found out the hard way i had no oil :(

At the end of the day all I can do is live and learn, I am currently looking into options to get it all up and running again....

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 2:58 pm 
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ET 13.457 seconds , OH YEAH !!!!
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Well look into why it had no oil? Why didn't the mechanic check the oil? It might be worth putting the blame on them?

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 3:01 pm 
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SO what did the mechanics do to it to make it run better ? Not pointing the blame anywhere but just curious as to what you had done , would have thought that since it was low on oil it would have sounded horribly "tappetty" .

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 3:05 pm 
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some are good and some are bad, i've had next to no oil or water in my engine a few times and never had issues, hell i just changed my oil one month ago and whenever i do i write the date on the filter, and i must have forgotten to do it for a while because the last date it was done was 1 1/2 years ago.
i hope your not getting the wrong impression of what im saying. my mini k is a run-around. its also an experiment. im seeing how much punishment it can take, and it should have died ages ago. but it wont give up.
you dont have to pour money into your mini if you dont want to. personaly this is the main reason why i wouldnt buy a "restored" mini for less then 10k, however if i had a mechanic and panel beater to take along with me, and the seller would allow a full check over incl. removing the head for a engine inspection then maybe.
i'd rather buy a shell and spend 30k building a mini with all new and uprated parts, and then comment on how reliable it is.
the cars have been around longer then i have, have been with alot of differnt owners and have survived.
if you didnt do the work yourself you'll never know whats been done or when its been done.
sometimes stuff breaks...........eerrgghhhhhh either your a mini person or your not.
:lol:

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 3:34 pm 
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All info below is copied form invoice:
WORK PERFORMED
Rectify Noisy Timing chain
Remove radiator, timing cover etc
replace timing back plate, timing chain and gears
replace gaskets and seal
reassemble, pressure test cooling system
tune engine- replace plugs, points and condenser
repair dist base plate, compression test
test electrics, reset dwell, ignition timing, fuel
mixtures and idle
adjust and bleed clutch
tighten exhaust brackets, replace mid mount
compression test - 135,150,150,150 PSI
**REQUIRE ATTENTION** Carby disc & shaft
slight clutch bearing noise

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 3:38 pm 
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a friend of mine looks after his mini well, changes oil every 3000 ks, new coolant etc etc, he's up for a gearbox build now, my mini, well you know the story, never been reco'ed, hell its never been fitted with a fuel filter, i dont use any additives with my petrol etc, no probs.
maybe its "treat em mean to keep them keen"
who knows.
my next one will be driven daily, but i'll look after it. we'll see what happens

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 3:39 pm 
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None of which had to do with draining oil or checking it. Check it everytime before you go for a drive. Check it weekly minimum. Any car will die without oil period...

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 3:49 pm 
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i knew a girl with a suzuki swift, 2 years with no oil, another girl a old honda civic, she didnt know she had to put oil in it, asked her how long she'd had it, 5 years never serviced.
im not saying its a good thing, but some things defy logic.
this topic isnt just about oil.

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 4:35 pm 
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I'm surprised by the pessimistic (well, just a touch beyond realistic) approach of a few on here! I'm with Lillee - I had a Mini as my first car, I did as much work as I could myself (which I would've done with any car I bought - junior wages meant no money, plus it was fun and a good learning experience), and it was actually more reliable than my friends' cars. I had a friend with a starfire-powered Corona which wasn't powered all that often, and another friend with a Corolla (early 80's, can't remember the model - RWD). The clutch on the Corolla exploded (shattered the friction plate impressively - equalling the throw out bearing on mine dying when I went to sell it - mine was cheaper to fix). The Corona basically didn't go 90% of the time. My Mini, well, I had to replace an engine steady, watch the coolant temperature and replace the thermostat gasket weekly until I got the thermostat housing bolts "helicoiled" in the head (done in situ), can't remember much else... I did have discs on it, to reduce brake maintenance, and I did the suspension before I got it on the road. But nothing beyond that! And, although I did occasionally check the oil, I wasn't a fastidious owner. I was probably the "young leadfooted P plater" (though I was never booked for anything). I bought it unregistered for $1200, and sold it for $2900. It had an 1100 and ran about 5-6L/100km (I think - the odometer didn't work for a good while there) - my friends cars were more like 9-11L/100km. Including all the non-consumable parts I bought, some of which were sold separately, I lost about $600. Not bad for a first car. Especially considering the fun I had when I put A008's on it! :twisted:
I doubt there are heaps of people out there, who, like a girl I knew, think that you fill tyres with water. :shock: :lol: But it's not just people like that who can miss problems with their car. Everyone makes mistakes. And every car can go wrong. In fact, with some people, every car they own will go wrong. And it's not because they're hard on their cars or don't maintain them, it's just the way things go (my Corolla driving friend comes to mind). :(
A first car's always going to be a learning experience. Some, like mine, are good, some are bad. You just have to take it as it comes. And don't judge a brand by your first car.
Young Miniac, don't give up on Minis just because you've had some bad experiences. Every car has its negatives - just think about those poor Ferrari owners who have to remove the engines for a major service! Mr Clarkson did cause a Maserati to throw its internals at Mr May. Even Mr Brock wasn't immune to mechanical DNF's. Just use what you've learned to help you avoid the same problems next time - be that next week or next car, whether the car's a Mini, a Moke, or an Asian-sourced econobox. And learn a little more mechanical sympathy than Clarkson has! :wink:
All that said, we'll see how my car goes with the MiniMan over the next few days... :roll: :oops:


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 4:52 pm 
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well said

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