I've wanted a mini ever since I got a Hotwheels Mini in the 70's. I think it had a guy with a helmet and a radial engine popping out of it! (Now I need to look)  Then I saw the Italian JOb in our local theatre as a kid and went NUTS. Then again, at Road America in Wisconsin where a group of mini people had their minis with a teddybear on them wearing a helmet.  I was born a car nut, but mostly a European car nut. British being top of the heap. 

I know a lot of people who saw our Austin ADO16, and would either call it a Mini Cooper or knew exactly what it was because they were English or Irish r what have you.   Now I'm building my mini, and people come to the shop where I'm building it and are shocked to see a 63 and are astounded they came before the BMWs.  Almost like seeing the holy grail- and they all want to know where they can get one. (for cheap of course) I say next to the rocking horse poop next to the hens teeth.  I honestly try and point them in your direction. 

My main thing was it HAD to be a Morris, and if it was a Mini-minor all the better, (I have Morris Minors too) and I got it when a very good friend took me to look at one when he was looking. He passed on it, so I got dibs. He ended up with a very nice Innocenti Mini and I got mine so we all ended up happy. 

I'd say there are two types of people looking to buy a mini. People who have seen them around and want one for their own, and people who have found one but don't know fully what it is. Identifying what they want vs what they have found is the key.

I have people ask all the time where they can get one after they've seen mine. For those people I suggest they seek a mid 70s mini that is more run of the mill. They don't need a collectible classic, they just like the shape.

Then there's the people who have found one and think it's a deal. For those people I say BEWARE! The chance of finding a bargain is rare. The chance of getting someone's car they are fed up with and have botched it beyond repair are more likely.

Anyone else probably won't be asking as they are either 'mini educated' or at least a fairly knowledgeable collector.

For those who are seeking a car they need to look for a fair balance of mods and reliability. Just like the Hondas out there, if it's all tricked out, it's been beat. If it's been tastefully altered, it has a better chance of being a worthy buy.

For those who found one in the bargain corner of the local car mags they need to look for tips to what the car REALLY is, not what it says it is. The running joke is that of the 5500 Cooper S cars ever produced, only 10,000 are still on the road (or something like that). If it's too good to be true, it is. An early car that is drivable for under $5k is tough.

I hope my information is help to someone. It sounds more like a social observation applicable to ANY hobby out there.

Avoid rust. Mechanicals are easier to fix than rust. Decide for what the car will be used. Mine is a daily driver for my 17 year old boy (10 miles or so each way to school) Overall reliability isn't as good as newer Honda/Toyota. To be fair, we do really thrash the Mini. Parts availability isn't as good as with newer Jap or American car. Even if MiniMania overnights a part, still not as fast as local Autozone. Worth the hassles if you have alternate transportation. Learn as much as possible. Be wary of information from "experts". Do your own homework,

I don't know how to politely explain the revin subject (a car advertised as a certain vintage but is not due to registration shell games) .  A first time buyer should be asking this question.  Mini clubs and British car clubs are an asset before and after a classic car purchase. A rust free ( low rust- realistic ) body is cash well spent w/solid title.  There is abundant support for these cars that new mechanicals, etc can be sorted by a hobbyist if the body is intact.

This is true of any used car purchase, but is of even greater importance in a classic car purchase. I am sorry that your first foray into classic cars has started less than desirably. But I can speak from experience and will tell you that if you stick with it you will find no greater satisfaction than turning the key and hearing your hard earned, long hours of blood sweat and tears, roar to life. Hang in there Jackie it not only get easier but is a lot of fun too. You get to say "I did that!"

John

ps besides all the tools are really cool LOL

Depends on the mini you want.. i wanted a mini s, took me awhile but i found one.. worst thing is sometimes you need to import one if you want a certain model.. this can get pricy.. but if your not in a hurry look around at car shows and keep an eye on here.. always someone selling to upgrade.. Depends if you want to show or drive too.. i drive mine.. all orginal 1970 S (OZ) more fun than my motorcycle!!

What bluebox said, + new potential buyer MUST define their budget first. This would include initial price and upgrade budget. As we all know, it really is cheaper to buy a finished car than it is to build one from scratch!

Joe

 

#1 you need to know what you want the car to be. #2 the best body you can find. #3 keep making the car better.     The rest is personal chioce!!!!

What should I look for?

RUST, RUST, RUST... did I say RUST.  Most Classic Minis will have rust. It is a fact.  Get the best body you can afford.  Check out the common areas for rust, sills, water chanels, rear valance, under wheelwells, etc.  Look for bad repair jobs, bondo over rust holes, and other signs of bad repair. Bring a magnet.

How do I know what I am looking at?

If this is your first Mini you won't know what you are looking at. Ask for help. There are tons of local Mini clubs everywhere.  Almost everybody involved in the club would be happy to look at the Mini and tell you what they think.  If there really isnt a club near you read like crazy and ask this message board. If the Mini isn't a local purchase, ask this board and somebody probally will be able to check it out for you. I know that purchasing a Mini is fun and exciting but know what you are looking at before you purchase it.

How do I find a dependable Mini?

How much are you spending?    The major issue is price, the more you spend the fewer repairs. The Classic Mini is a 52 year old car design. They were built during the height of the British car industry through out the lowest (BL years) and beyond.  The A series engine is fairly simple most honest car repair shops can work on them.

These are my personal thoughts, not necessarily factual and of course you should come to your own conclusion. Just because it's written on the internet doesn't mean it's right, including what I'm about to write.

I'll append to it as time permits.

"What should I look for'? 

Minis, speaking solely about the common hatchbacks and not the derivatives like Moke, Elf, etc that I will touch on later) are primarily broken into three species.

Early versions. The most common and that were only imported into the US legally. That will be the 60 something Mini (I will place the correct year here later). They are most easily identifiable by the moustache grill (more on that later), small tailights, and sliding windows.

I personally prefer these ones as they are more spartan and I believe captured the essence of what Mr. Issigonis (more on him later) sketched on the famous napkin.

Later versions. This will include all the roll up windows Mini except for the injected models.

Airbag, Injected, Etc.   

"How do I know what I am lookng at?"

"How do I find a dependable Mini?"

You can join my BargainMini email list in my signature (limited to $5k Minis and below though adn will eb linked later), look on here at the For Sale section (will be linked later), and hang out with your local Mini club (my least prefered method as a skinflint sicne you can't normally score a deal from an enthusiast). This however may serve you well if you're looking for a well sorted specimen, that is well known by others and have good reputation. Some people will pay extra for that knowledge, not important to me personally. But there you go.

A caution on dependability. A Mini, any Mini, even a newly reconstructed one, will mostly be a cacophony of 40 year engineering and thus will require frequent sorting, but up to a point. That is actually what piques my interest in older cars, teh ability to keep stuff working.

If you want dead on reliability then perhaps a preowned Kia or Honda may be best suited for you. Some of us judge our success by how much of a strandings we've had with our wea beasties.

I don't mean to scare or dissuade anyone, I got to a point with my 1967 Austin Mini Moke (a derivate of the Austin Mini Moke, link to be provided later) that I was making frequent long distance travels. I drove from Los Angeles to Reno and back, from Celina, Texas to Austin, Texas. This was also my daily drive in busy Southern California for many years. Many have done more but those are my own personal certifiable experiences.

 

Edit: I will continue as time permits.

hi.. i just bought a mini last friday.. my best advice is take a mechanic with you to inspect the car.. when i bought one i was by myself and i don't know much about mini's or cars in general.. now i'm having problems with the car.. also make sure all the paperworks are legit.. good luck on your search!!

First time buyers often ask:
"What should I look for'?
"How do I know what I am lookng at?"
"How do I find a dependable Mini?"

Your constructive thoughts would be very much appreciated. (If this thread builds as hoped- we will be sure to pin it to the top of the list or build a article around it)!