Should this be in technical? Hmmm.
Anyhow, My mother is getting rid of her Mini, a proper one on a "C" plate, I think it's the 1 litre. She's offered it to me for £0 so I'm going to have it as a toy.
Question is this:
The car has been driven probably 2/3 miles a day to and from her work and not much further. We live some 150miles away from where she does, so I'm a bit concerned about driving it all the way down here. Is there anything I can do to ensure it gets here OK as it will be a bit of a shock to its system to travel down the country?
-- Lee Having a Fabialous time.
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Lee,
C suffix or prefix....I have had both and they are a very different proposition.
850cc was very common but 1000cc was much better.
Stargazer
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It's of the format C123ABC if that helps!
-- Lee Having a Fabialous time.
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OK, Prefix....a recent one! No problems, check all fluids, check tyres (inc spare), check for oil /water leaks, check all lights and warning lights, check battery, check sills and subframes for terminal tin worm Give it a short run to get it up to temperature and check brakes etc then give it a short run at speed locally. If all ok drive home.
For reference (why I asked):
For a C suffix (<1970 ish) then I would be much more careful, might be hyroelastic suspension to check, check location of distributor...might be susceptible to damp/road spray.
StarGazer
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C suffix would have been 1965
C prefix is 1985/86, is 20 years old recent?
You are right about the rest though, check it over first then try it you have to give it a bit of a run sometime. Breakdown cover would be a useful thing for peace of mind.
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1985 = recent (tic) compared to 1965...the year I was born. I was working at a petrol station the august that the format changed...it caused great confusion as all the paperwork I had to complete for account customers assumed the old format registrations. Proud owners of new cars got rather miffed when I reversed their registrations in the paperwork!
I have driven pre 1963 minis, suffix and prefix letter versions, all great fun. Sliding windows, cables to open door.
StarGazer
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If its taxed, MOT'd and still being used - Drive it. If you are worried get breakdown cover first.
Its got to do some longer runs at some time, you might as well find ou tnow if there are any problems
Just do the regular fluids and visual checks before you go, probably leave it idling for 1/2 hour to see if it boils up.
Enjoy - "real" minis are fun!
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>>Enjoy - "real" minis are fun!
I agree with that - everytime I'm back up home I always borrow it, even if just to go to Asda!
Good point about the breakdown cover, I'll do that and thanks to daisy1, that's quite reassuring. I'm going to go cross country with it rather than the A1/M62 so hopefully the speeds will be a lot lower.
-- Lee Having a Fabialous time.
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No doubt someone here will say I am wrong but I would have thought as long as you give it a good check over (oil, water, tyres etc.) and dont do 70 all the way you should have no problems driving it 150 miles.
Thats all we did when we bought our last one. It had sat round for 2.5 years in the previous owners garage. It was driven around for a total of 15 miles to get it MOT'd and to go for a test drive, and we then drove it 180 miles home. He was 23 at the time and is still going strong 2 years later!!
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An original Mini is an appreciating asset in good nick. SWMBO had a C plate Mayfair. It was rusting when she had it (it was new) Otherwise it had the typical Mini virtues.
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Best of luck with it, you'll enjoy it!
The great thing about these is that literally everything is replacable.
The rear subframes can be had for reasonable money. I think some outlets do them all ready made up with the rubbers etc in place so you just have to bolt them on. They did a few years ago.
For the record, I owned one of the very first Pimlico's (no 3 IIRC) mini based kit cars that were produced by Domino Cars in around 86 to 87.
The fibreglass bodyshell looked like a mini with a T bar and high door sills (like a beach buggy), had no boot lid (boot accessable via rear seat and was simply bolted onto the front and rear subframes.
Mine had the 1275GT cc engine and other items from the 1275GT as well.
I sold it to a US serviceman from Banbury, who ended up exporting it back to the states.
H
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