I just started reading through the Mini Owners Survival Manual by Jim Tyler, and came across a paragraph that perfectly summed up something which i knew, but could never actually put into words.

"The more powerful and capable a car, the less effort it is to drive, the less rewarding it is to drive. Owning a Mini is not just about getting from point A to B in the shortest possible time; it's about having fun along the way, or can be, with the right frame of mind."

I've been asked/told many times why i drive such an old, underpowered car (with no radio). It just seems like alot of people don't understand the reason why driving an old car is so much fun having been raised on modern vehicles.

That about sums up many facets of life. Thank god I am not an accountant or a bank clerk.

hmm, my friends still complain i got no sound system.

soon fixed though got an amp for $80 on a supercrap clearance sale, saved $120.

gotta just hook it all up.

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Sunday Morning Mini Sprint http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtGuzqBQ32Q my "rendezvous"

Why do you need a sound system when you have an A-series? Nothing on the road sounds like a Mini, enjoy what you have!

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"In two years time your car will be like a lady's clothes, out of date, my car will still be in fashion when I am dead" - Sir Alec speaking to Pininfarina

My K never had a radio, but the S does. Thing is, i never even missed having a radio. Who can hear the thing anyway when you're screaming along

I put a cd/radio in the LS and never use it.. Love listening to the sound of the exhaust note when the revs start to climb...

You're lucky you can hear the exhaust note - I can't hear it over the induction and road noise!

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"In two years time your car will be like a lady's clothes, out of date, my car will still be in fashion when I am dead" - Sir Alec speaking to Pininfarina

I love my music almost as much as mini's so I have to have a stereo but I never listened to my stereo really loud anyways. I almost always had my windows down and the stereo was always at a volume so I could stil here the A-series and the SU sucking that air in lol. Arhh the memories.....

While i agree to some extent - it is no fun having to thrash a car just to keep up with traffic - especially in sydney where everyman and his dog in a commodore floors it from light to light and if your in their way watch out.

It's ALOT of fun to drive factory original cars - but on a day to day basis give me a modified mini with some balls any day. Save the classic for nice drives and weekend work.

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Starlet Conversion:
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15484

Driving my Mini interstate on regular occasions always makes me smile.

Yes, if I had a car that could comfortably sit on 110-120 on the freeway (the Mini will do it, but it screams along), I could save maybe two hours on my drive to Sydney. I would still have to allocate a day for the trip, so why not cruise along at a comfortable 90, take a few back roads, enjoy the scenery and the driving experience.

I do have a CD player, which always gets a good work-out. Yes, the sound of an A-series with fairly unristricted exhaust makes a lovely sound, but after a few hours of it, it can get very tedious.

Another good reason for having a decent sound system is that when you hear a noise that doesn't sound quite right, turn up the radio until you can't hear it anymore - problem solved.

I always get smiles from other drivers. Sometimes they are laughing with me, sometimes laughing at me, but who cares. Driving should be enjoyable - no point getting to your destication stressed - and with the Mini that is (nearly) always the case.

As the original writer in the first post eluded to, a car that requires more effort to drive is usually more enjoyable to drive. I find that any car is fun to drive when driven at close to its limit. Problem is that with most modern cars, driving them near their limit means if something goes wrong you are either dead or in jail. A Mini feels like it is always close to the limit (although it rarely is) and therfore becomes enjoyable to drive. You can fang along thinking you are king of the Monte, while still doing a moderatley sensible speed.

Cheers,
Watto.

That's how I'd sum it up! Plus, there are few cars out there which give such a "pure" driving experience. Most have everything refined out of them, and don't feel "alive" like a Mini does. They feel like they're an unwilling partner in your adventure, where Minis happily share everything with you. You have an idea of what every part of the car is doing, not just the steering wheel. Even cars only a few years newer are guilty of it... And therefore they aren't as entertaining as a Mini.

Its not only mini's of course. The cars clubs right across Australia have members who love their historic cars of all types for the simplistic pleasure of driving them.

Also you only have to check out collector cars in Ebay or Unique cars magazine to see the popularity of the historic car movement.

The choice of car is as varied as the origins of the present Australian population and not everyone wants a "buzz-box" and i can also say I am actively looking for a sporty two door LC LJ torana. Thats another car thats alive to drive.

Agree with you Mike, who could ever forget that Castrol ad featuring Colin Bond in his rally Torana ... Wide Wheels on a Country Road ...

Regards
Seahag

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On a mission for Mister Bridger

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Yeah, that feeling of connection's why I've also got a Minor ute which I'm supposed to be doing up... But I need more than 803cc... So it's gonna take a while.