First car

[Tobeman]

Got my eyes set on some classic Rover Minis as my first car, as I've always had a soft spot for them. My friend (19) owns an N-reg Cooper, garaged, the insurance is £590 for fully comp with elephant whicH I was also quite impressed about.

If there are any mini (previous) owners, is there anything you can tell me to check for? I'm aware rust is the worst problem with them, around the bottom of the doors especially.

I'm open to other suggestions also, I just love minis I'm really unsure of what my budget is, as I believe my lovely mummy is forking out for it, I spose I've got to put some towards, but I imagine £4-5k tops.

What d'ya think?

[5lab]

imo, as a £5k car, the mini is pretty far from the best car you could get from a logical point of view.. old design, fairly slow, not that practicle, etc.. but i understand why you'd want one.. if you get a newer one (say under 7 years old) you should (i think) have less problems with rust cos they started galvanising them at some point.. if you look after it it should hold its value well - but i'd suggest maybe picking up a banger of a mini with some mot on it for your first 6 months - so it doesnt matter so much when you drive it into something (which statistics say you will, however much you think you wont)

[unrealrocks]

There were several versions of the Mini, although generally newer is better (if you don't want to work on it) as when the MPi minis came in you tended to have less problems (Mk7). Although Mk5s are worth staying away from as they were genreally made from cheaper metal (a Rover decision).

Generally as standard they are quite slow - apart from the MPi ones, if you got a carbed 998 or 1275 you can very easily get the performance to a decent spec (50-60bhp) with only a little bit of work (generally a Stage 1 kit), and not a very big hit to your insurance.

Rust is bad on the doors, also under the headlights.

[Tobeman]

it should hold its value well

Why I wanted to go for one really.

However what else would you suggest for the money? If its a Honda, Mazda or Peugeot I can get a pretty sweet deal on it through my mum, working on behalf of them (now in corporate sales selling to masses of Mazda 6s to car hire firms and large businesses as company cars ) for over 13 years she gets good prices

There were several versions of the Mini, although generally newer is better (if you don't want to work on it) as when the MPi minis came in you tended to have less problems (Mk7). Although Mk5s are worth staying away from as they were genreally made from cheaper metal (a Rover decision).

Generally as standard they are quite slow - apart from the MPi ones, if you got a carbed 998 or 1275 you can very easily get the performance to a decent spec (50-60bhp) with only a little bit of work (generally a Stage 1 kit), and not a very big hit to your insurance.

Rust is bad on the doors, also under the headlights.

Thanks for the info, is there a list of definitive dates of the various mk minis? Atleast then I know what to steer clear of. Speed doesn't bother me, nor does size really, this is going to be a run-around for me taking me around the towns and off through the Hertfordshire countryside into the villages, not long-haul motorway journeys. But I would want something with a bit of get up and go about it, I notice alot of the minis sold on eBay tend to have a stage 1 kit fitted.

Thanks for the advice so far.. keep it coming!

[5lab]

at this money - pug 107.. its basically the car the mini would be if it were around now (the 'new' mini is not a car for the people or a well packaged car. its a bloated fashion icon that drives well). the 107 is small, holds 4 people, well built, probably more economical than a mini and definately a bit quicker. i would expect insurance to be as cheap too..

[Moby-Dick]

Much as I like minis , I'm not convinced they are an ideal first car.

The fact that they are not motorway mile munchers means that you are less likely to build up any motorway experiance , which could have a detrimental effect in the future.

That said , they do make you feel a little vulnerable , which imo is a good thing as it will help you become a good defensive driver.

The stage 1 kit isn't much of a change apart from the exhaust ( people tend to fit a performance exhaust as they are often cheaper than an OEM part , this is often the case with Minis )

Minis are quite nippy , but I dont think Get up and Go is the way to describe any of the standard ones

[hitman67]

I would agree with Moby there about the motorway bit, but then again if you plan to be doing many motorway miles you buy a Repmobile.

I would say you want a decent sized hatch, with a fairly small engine (Think Lupo 1.4?) or something similiar, or if you're an idiot do what I did, A3 1.8T with an S3 Bodykit (Insurance Nightmare).

If you really want a Mini though, don't let anyone get in your way. Just be aware of the other options and decide what is best for you.

[Moby-Dick]

I did own a mini for about a year - it was my Second car , a 1980 Clubman Estate in Pagent Blue , it ended up with a 1340 engine , full race suspension , front mount radiator , and all sorts of other fun things

It was horrible on the motorway , but fun on B roads !

[Tobeman]

at this money - pug 107.. its basically the car the mini would be if it were around now (the 'new' mini is not a car for the people or a well packaged car. its a bloated fashion icon that drives well). the 107 is small, holds 4 people, well built, probably more economical than a mini and definately a bit quicker. i would expect insurance to be as cheap too..

Yeah I had already considered one, thank god for being built in the Czech Republic They seem like decent cars that have good reviews and the brochure swung me a bit too, probably my favourite out of the Citroen, Toyota and Peugeot offerings. You seem to get the best deal with peugeot, plus I'd get a bit more off so may even be able to afford a brand new one No idea what depreciation is like on them though..

Minis are quite nippy , but I dont think Get up and Go is the way to describe any of the standard ones

Im prepared to pay a little more to restore it a bit, I wouldn't dream of fitting any myself though The 4 front lamps look soooo much better than the 2 imo too, so that would be the first purchase

I would agree with Moby there about the motorway bit, but then again if you plan to be doing many motorway miles you buy a Repmobile.

Thats what I was thinking, but point taken from Moby about the confidence thing.

I would say you want a decent sized hatch, with a fairly small engine (Think Lupo 1.4?) or something similiar, or if you're an idiot do what I did, A3 1.8T with an S3 Bodykit (Insurance Nightmare).

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VW-LUPO-S3-TUR...QQcmdZViewItem - mmm, chavtastic. I do like Lupo GTis though, think they are very pretty little cars

was that Audi your first car?!

If you really want a Mini though, don't let anyone get in your way. Just be aware of the other options and decide what is best for you.

Thats what I'm doing here

[hitman67]

was that Audi your first car?!

Yeah, Insurance Nightmare but in my opinon it was more than worth it, It was a stunning car to drive and left anything my mates had for dead. I guess I kind of did what you're doing lol, everyone said I was nuts for doing it, but kept at it and loved every minute. That car served me for 3 years. Possibly in a hedge somewhere now though as you had to be gentle with her, and if she didn't want to turn she didn't turn, leading me to a couple of nasty slides, one straight through an open gate hole!!

[Tobeman]

What was the insurance cost? How old were you when you got it?

[hitman67]

Insurance was just over £1900 in 1998. I bought it 3 weeks before my 17th birthday using money left to me by a realtive (I had to use it for something I'd enjoy, so I did ). It was expensive, but if you have a dream then it's a good idea to live it.

[Fox]

Expensive? Not arf - must have been at least £15,000 worth of car in 1998.

[Tobeman]

Ah I see, I think I'll leave any of my dream car choices till I've matured a bit though

[hitman67]

Expensive? Not arf - must have been at least £15,000 worth of car in 1998.

£16,200 if my memory serves me correctly, that was with the S3 Bodykit fitted.

Some might think it's nuts spending that much on a car, especially as 95% of people crash their first car. But I managed to avoid any scrapes and was rewarded nicely.

[Tobeman]

Lol cripes, is that the true statistic?