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Jan 29, 2023 22:44:20 GMT
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After several months without a car I decided I wanted one again, I don’t really need a car, I spend all week in my works vw caddy and I have my own camper van and use of my wife’s bmw. But as with a great many people I just wanted a car to drive and work on. I did own 3 classic minis many years ago, and at the time I really didn’t like the bmw minis when they came out. As time went on I got used to seeing them and slowly started to like them, plus everyone I talked to who had driven one said they were great fun. I had a budget of around £1500 ish. I was 50/50 between the r50 and the r53 supercharged but I figured I’d get a better r50 for my money. I spent a long time looking at cars online and got some good advice on buying them from here and on the r50 owners club. I found a 2002 in pure silver in Sheffield about 40 minutes from my home in Leeds. Lots of people said look at several and don’t buy the first one you see. I ended up buying the first one as it ticked all the boxes. On the test drive, everything was good, apart from a blow in the exhaust, not super loud, but certainly not small either, more on this in a bit. So here we are, my new mini, £1150, tidy condition and mot till October 2023.  |
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Jan 29, 2023 23:06:15 GMT
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I slowly started working through a few small niggles. First up, I opened the boot and it came straight back down and nearly hit my head, 2 boot struts were ordered, very cheap indeed, £21 a pair delivered next day by amazon, I remember Toyota quoting me £150 each many years ago for my supra bonnet struts ! Just 5 minutes work and they were changed, Next was to sort the exhaust blow. There was a a smell of fumes slowly coming up into the cabin after being driven for more than 10 minutes. Normally I’d jack the car up and crack on with this myself. But this was late December, bitterly cold outside, I was working weekends, also my day time hours and some evenings on call, it was dark every time I was home. I found a company called Mad4mini in Leeds and took the car to them. Before they looked and it, they said it could possibly be 2 different problems. The manifold having a leak, or the gasket at the joint where the manifold meets the exhaust going back, I have to say I was very impressed with them, most garages I find I have to ring mid afternoon and ask what’s going on. I dropped the car off at 8am and Mad4mini were on the phone at 9.30am, The flexi joint where the cat and manifold meet had failed. £370 for a new cat and manifold including vat and labour. The car was done for mid afternoon too. I had haggled the seller down to £1150 due to the exhaust blow, so with the £370 repair, I’m just a few pound over the £1500 I wanted to spend, so very happy with that. I plan to give it a full service over the next few weeks, and I did the air filter first. Just £35 got me a lifetime Pipercross panel filter. Next job on the list is to fix the glovebox. It has a large screw though the right hand side holding it shut. Also the 2 rear tyres have slow punctures. So far I’m absolutely loving this car, the interior is lovely, it’s a nice place to be. The car handles very well, like a little go cart. It’s not rocket ship fast, but fairly nippy when into the high revs.       |
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Great little cars. I actually preferred how my R50 drove over my R53, it just seemed more eager and fun.
Should do you well
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Jan 30, 2023 22:14:00 GMT
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I see a British Gas van on the drive.is that right..
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Mk5 Cortina 1982
Nissan Sunny 1987
Audi A6 black edition ultra
VW Transporter Kombi
Suzuki B King
Kawasaki ZX10R
Honda max 125
Suzuki SB200 (1979)
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bilkob
Part of things
Posts: 176
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Bought a 2005 Mini One a couple of years ago for our lad to learn, and then use. He’s off at Uni now, so it’s become our daily runaround. Absolutely brilliant little car and has that rare thing, character! Fantastic value too
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I see a British Gas van on the drive.is that right.. Well spotted, I work fitting gas and electric meters. |
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They are o.k. I paid £1000 for my Cooper(2003) with 12 months MOT, they are not as powerful as I thought they would be though  |
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So you’re a smart engineer.
I work in the S&R space. For 20yrs now lol
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Mk5 Cortina 1982
Nissan Sunny 1987
Audi A6 black edition ultra
VW Transporter Kombi
Suzuki B King
Kawasaki ZX10R
Honda max 125
Suzuki SB200 (1979)
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brachunky
Scotland
Posts: 1,314 
Club RR Member Number: 72
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2002 Mini Cooperbrachunky
@brachunky
Club Retro Rides Member 72
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My sister was in need of a small car so with me having great memories of my now gone 2010 1.6 Mini, I suggested she looks out for a good example. She found a cracking little 1.6 in great condition for £850 so well chuffed. 2 weeks later the power steering has had a major dummy throwing incident, Murphys Law  I'm not recommending any more cars  |
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My sister was in need of a small car so with me having great memories of my now gone 2010 1.6 Mini, I suggested she looks out for a good example. She found a cracking little 1.6 in great condition for £850 so well chuffed. 2 weeks later the power steering has had a major dummy throwing incident, Murphys Law I'm not recommending any more cars They did that when new, so she's getting the whole Mini adventure  |
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So you’re a smart engineer. I work in the S&R space. For 20yrs now lol I’ve been there about 13 years, half in new energy and then half in smart. |
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I'm not recommending any more cars 
