Hi,

After a Mini k, 2 Cooper S's & a Cooper in my youth I am looking at Mini's again as a pure weekend fun car that I hope to do some work on myself, club runs etc. I want the classic Mini shape but I have noticed there is now a lot of choice and a lot of $ now (I bought an immaculate fully restored mk2 S in mid 80's for $5,500!!).

Personal preference aside I am just wondering if the Rover is a good option? Classic looks bit more comfy bit more modern mechanical's but are they as much fun and tinker-able as the classic? It seems that there are reasonable choices around $8,000 to $10,000 that encompass both models.

Would appreciate your views and any traps with the Rover. Also are the Rover's imports and are there any rego hassles moving them from interstate?

cheers

Yes, Rovers are imports. Most come from Japan. Mine was 'complianced' in QLD and then registered here in WA with no real dramas - just a pit inspection and a bit more paperwork than usual. But obviously the best way to see if you're going to have issues would be to call your local registration authority and see what their requirements are for licensing an import (eg. any special piece(s) of paper you might need).

If you go SPI or MPI they are not as tinker-able from an engine point of view due to the Rover MEMS. And pre SPI is really not that different a beast from a Deluxe on rubber suspension with a set of 8.4" discs.

And I also noticed, when fixing up a few little bits of rust recently, the Rover body panels don't seem to be as thick as the earlier Austin/Morris/BL minis...

I take it that 1989 and earlier still had carbs?

For 8-10k Id not bother with a rover (as an owner or rover and aussie).
You'll get more bang for your buck with an aussie car.

1990 had carby.
If it was me I'd go for an Australian mini with a round nose on it wether it's pre 71 or a clubby with a nose job.
Keep in mind most ADR's came in around 1971 so if you get a car earlier than that you can do more mods to the car and still be "legal" .

Rovers are nice but they are heavier and don't make massive hp so may not be as "fast" as an early car to drive. But they are nice to drive in.
Depends on how much tinkering you want to do to the car and how you want to drive it.

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