Since i've just about done everything i've wanted to do with the new mini.. i'm gettin that hankering to work on a car again... and since i still have the old mini sitting down the side basically out of rego.. im trying to decide that next and thought i might seek some opinions or advice on different routes i've bandied about over the few years its been out of action
first some pics of it starting from where i considered it "finished" at the age of about 21(6 years ago now *shudder*) and some more of it in its current state covered in dust down the side of my house.. oh and before someone asks why it has white wheels.. it used to have a white roof as well. until some poof decidd to dint it when i parked it one day.. i was young and not much spare money so i had the roof resprayed in the green i still have left over.. so mayb doing something to the wheels i would think about as well
Basically to give you a history of the car its was pretty much as "fully" restored as a 19 year olds income could manage at the time.. a rebuilt bored, (to what i cant remember) 1100 engine, cooper S discs and twin SU's.. a respray that has got alittle abused over the last 7 or so years while being my daily driver for 2 or 3.. interior was retrimmed but again showing the signs of being a daily driver for a few years... the suspension and gearbox is about the only thing i didnt have time / money to get to.. both are a little past their used by date being the original/ very old items i would assume or at least not touched in the 7 or 8 years i owned it
So as i'm at the point that im wondering.. which of the following paths i should take
1) strip it down again , respray it, fix up interior again, chuckk allt he old gear back in with new suspension and a new gearbox
2) Check out what it takes to get a swift gti or similar engine in the thing and do suspension and bigger brakes
or what im thinking about most of all
3) find myself a round nose shell .. mayb even a panel van or ute (if i can find one) get it resprayed transfer all my existing gear over to the new one with new suspension and gearbox and heres the clincher u guys might hate.. get it done in the same colour (dark silver , black roof) as my "Bini"
i know all will cost me a fair deal.. but i cant really decide and i have to start doing something sooner or later.. so if you have a preference.. any ideas or suggestions where i can go or talk to to get work done etc etc it would b most appreciated.. its been a good 5 years since i've done anything to a mini so the what to do where to go and how tto talk to are long forgotten so treat me like another potential n00b with a min on his hands he doesnt know what to do with
