Classic Mini (Mini in general)

Member Name: channic

Product:	Mini in general
Date:	26/08/08 (477 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Timeless style, super fun drive!

Disadvantages: The design encourages rust.

The Classic Mini Cooper is part of British history and I am a big fan. That's probably why I didn't listen to all the advice I was given before buying one.
I decided to write this review to give anyone out there an idea of what you are letting your self in for.
Now I am not trying to dissuade anyone because there are many positives from owning your own Classic Mini but there are also some negatives, which must be addressed.
Firstly if you are planning on purchasing your first Mini you need to get your hands on a manual something like the Haynes or some sort of guide. This will give you an idea what you need to look for but I will point out a few things below

Firstly classic Minis with original parts have no underseal or protection so they are prone to rust especially when they are made up of several panels welded together.
If you plan on replacing any parts then you need to buy GENUINE BRITISH HERITAGE parts this is very important because if you don't the you will have a job getting them to fit together. Trust me it will make life simpler.

SILLS, these are located along each side of the car just under the door. They run the length between the two wheels and they are notorious rust zones. These may look ok at first glance but in my experience people use any old car filler and paint over the patch jobs. This will then allow the car to rot from the inside without you seeing a thing, so take a magnet with you and check over the sills. Don't be afraid to do this, you're paying the money.
If these were rusted then you need to take into account the replacements. Sills are not that expensive but the labour costs are you can be looking at £150-£300 per sill. So negotiate the price if you see rust.

A PANELS- are another spot that rust gets to but these shouldn't be too big a job. You do need to get them replaced by someone who has dealt with Mini's though as the A panels have to be welded and fitted on to the car securely. When taking A panels into account you must remember that they will need to be re-spayed to match the rest of the car.
Don't forget that If the car is several years old the paint work will have faded so new paint on new parts may show up. A professional can fade the paintwork together but this can be costly.

DOORS -If you notice rust on the bottom of the doors then it's a pretty bad sign because Mini's rust from the inside out, I know that sounds crazy but they are not put together like the modern cars today so water runs in behind panels and it stays there. So if theres rust on a door then you need to open it and look at the very bottom and see how far the rust has travelled. If it's not too bad then you may get away with a new door skin. This is a thin sheet of metal that is wrapped around the frame of the door from the bottom of the window to the bottom of the door. Again you will need this re-sprayed.

SCUTTLE -A major area to look at is the scuttle; this is the panel running along the bottom of the windscreen, joining the wings and bonnet. If you see any bubbling here then you run the risk of needing a new scuttle but in order to have a new scuttle you need to replace the wings as they are cot off in the process. The scuttle itself is expensive about £80 but along with two wings at around£50 each plus labour and paint it becomes very expensive. If the bubbling is minimal then you can treat it and filler. I have found out that filling any part of a mini will never last it always returns.

WINGS- The front large lights are located at the end of the wings and just under the lights is were water gathers causing this part of the wing to rot, so again if you see bubbling it will be all the way through the wing don't believe anyone who says its superficial because Mini's rust from the inside out.

BOOT- A major weakness is also the boot floor, (which is quite thin metal) on the mini so you need to check this out for rust. It can be replaced.

The one part of the car that you cannot do much about is the main shell so if you see rust at the back end of the car then you wont be able to but a panel to replace it as it is all in one.

Underseal comes in a drum that you can spray on the underneath of the chassis and in every available nook and cranny, this is highly advised as it will protect the car but it needs to be done yearly. Don't be mistaken if there is rust anywhere underseal will not stop it, you need to treat rust before applying.

Mini's are also very well known for oil leaks so check under the car. A mini oil seal kit can be fitted which usually helps it but doesn't guarantee to stop the leak.

As for the driving experience I found that-

When I first stepped into the mini I noticed how close to the ground I was, this was incredibly unusual for me but once it got going I could really see the advantages. As soon as you start up the engine you will notice an almost growling noise as though it's more of an animal than a car and putting it into first gear you can tell that this little car just wants to be driven. Obviously with a car like a mini there is no power assisted steering and honestly it wouldn't be the same if there were. You do have to get used to the heavy feeling of the car but as soon as you put your foot on the accelerator the fun takes over and you'll be bombing it down the road. As you are so close to the floor you tend to take on every dip in the road and your suspension doesn't do much to combat this, but that is all part of the fun. You really will be bouncing along. As soon as you get to a roundabout you will notice how well the car takes high speed turns, it really grips to the road and allows you to take sharp bends like never before.
The car only has 4 gears and your reverse gear, which you need to lift in order to engage. Having 4 gears is just fine and you will have no problem picking up great speeds on the motorway. I found that once I hit 70mph on the M4 I still had plenty of give in the accelerator and with just a little touch she would be away. I did notice however how noisy it is on the motorway it's much like being in the cockpit of a small plane. Also at high speeds you do tend to feel as though parts of the car are going to strip off due to the speed and noise.


I had a lot of fun in both my minis but I also spent hours and hours tidying it up, as rust seems to appear overnight. This also cost me a lot of money so be careful.

Don't leave simple jobs to the professionals, there is a lot you can learn and do yourself-so don't be afraid to give it a go.

The poor ratings below is due to what I have listed above but don't get me wrong I love these cars despite there design flaws.

Summary: This is a super car but if your looking to restore it then you'll need plenty of money.

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