Common faults when using a Mini as a daily driver?
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I've owned my mini since June 30, 2015. Since then I've put 4,300 miles on her as a daily driver. My biggest issue is oil drips and drops. I've just had a new issue crop up. Feels like the motor shifts a little when I accelerate. I think the bushing on the top engine steady on the motor side is bad. Seems to be the most play there. has a poll ever been made from this post? Has anything ever been put together to help address these daily driver issues?
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Some may recall back in 2000 when I left my job to raise son Alex as an at home dad. With 2 hour naps and 8pm bed time I picked up a new body shell and with the help of my friend Billy back stay he posted pics and I posted text here. Everytime we'd have 100 replies and 1000 hits we'd start a new thread. As I wrapped the project up funds were low so I picked up a 998 power unit with 87,000 miles on it. A new timing chain and tensioner, diff. output seals, by pass hose, tappet cover seals and valve cover gasket. About that time Quick Silver showed up and decided to rip the board apart. I saw no reason to continue to share what I was doing with the board. I drove the car as the only car I had for 78,000 miles before the by pass hose failed and the engine over heated. A bad coil, one wheel bearing and three sets of tires, regular oil changes is all she needed. It never let me down and always brought me home even the over heat happened close to the shop. At that point I did all suspension, upgraded the brakes and installed my 1360 Cooper S. I drove it out to Mid Ohio without a thought. It is still my primary car, I do have a truck to pull the trailer when I need to pick up a customer car. Was at port of Baltimore this week. Like anythiing else you get back what you put in.
I did install a third brake light and a rear child seat. I painted the roof comp. yellow as on Vipers. Good mirrors and paying attention to what's going on seems to have worked so far. Steve (CTR)
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When I bought the Mini Window Van in Australia from home far across the 'Big Pond' after much help from a few in the Mini Owners Club Queensland, I was very fortunate to be dealing with a wonderful young man, who, as seller, recognized that I wanted to drive around the continent. He installed numerous new bits (rad, hoses, water pump, clutch, all engine seals, tranny output seals and so on) which I paid for (except clutch slave & drop gear bearing).
I had an automotive electrician (and Mini owner) inspect the electrics, service the alternator, starter, install an electronic pack in the dizzy and install relays for high/low beams.
Bought 6 new tires, had them fitted to rims, added an auxilary rad and went for a 3,000 mile test drive. The test drive revealed that the front suspension needed help (hi-los, Koni Sport adj dampers, trimmed bump stops, somewhat better used rubber doughnuts) and the Mini also needed a driver's door mirror, a muffler & tail pipe.
On checking the Mini over in Ipswich I asked Ken if he thought I was crazy to lap Australia. He smiled and said, "I wouldn't say that."
I took my Garmin loaded with OZ data, all the useful tools & likely spares, piled the wifey & gear into the Mini and set off with another couple who had prepped their Mini & trailer.
70 days later we 4 returned to the Sunshine Coast as planned with only a front bearing wheel bearing blowout on Day 68 to take any real time. But we had spare outer CV and bearings for the roadside install with a +200 pounder standing on a foot long wrench to apply torque to the castle nut.
Back in Ipswich, Ken said, "The test drive was brilliant." His wife said, "I wish we had a road Mini so we could have gone too." Instead they cope by racing his & her Classic Minis.
Prepare your Mini and go for a drive!
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** falls off chair **
Must buy lottery ticket today
"I'm Looking For A Small British Car Running Project"
Quicksilvercars.VillageHeadMaster.Com
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It's not often I'll agree with QS, but he's right !
Once you have got a car sorted, and sorted right, it will be reliable. Daily use only increases the reliability as you are more aware of how things should be.
It does help to occasionally jump into another Mini to compare how they feel.
I'm confident enough in Betty that I've offered to lend her to the organisers of the Italian Job to drive to Italy and back.
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That is why, the mini is not meant to be a daily driver, it is meant to be a show car and a weekend get away car.(to get away from a nagger wife, hahaha) if you make it as a daily driver just be ready to fix it every so often. there is always something to fix in a mini, something sh** always comes up, dont get me wrong, i love my mini to death thats why i dont abuse it. but if you are prepared to buy parts every week , then by all means make it a daily commute... but pls dont complain.
but nothing compares to the happines i feel when i drive my mini, it drives like an electric car, veeeeery quiet.
Many of us here have proven you wrong on here.
I've used both a Mini and a Moke as a daily here in SoCal and a Moke as daily in Texas.
But some of us have more chest hairs than others I suppose.
"I'm Looking For A Small British Car Running Project"
Quicksilvercars.VillageHeadMaster.Com
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That is why, the mini is not meant to be a daily driver, it is meant to be a show car and a weekend get away car.(to get away from a nagger wife, hahaha) if you make it as a daily driver just be ready to fix it every so often. there is always something to fix in a mini, something sh** always comes up, dont get me wrong, i love my mini to death thats why i dont abuse it. but if you are prepared to buy parts every week , then by all means make it a daily commute... but pls dont complain.
but nothing compares to the happines i feel when i drive my mini, it drives like an electric car, veeeeery quiet.
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The worst thing about using a mini as a daily driver is NOISE.
Unless owner installed, there is not enough acoustic insulation in a stock Mini.
The second worst thing is HEAT (either too much or not enough).
The red hot exhaust manifold, just inches from the firewall, and the exhaust pipe close to the floor will make a Mini toasty on a long or fast commute.
In winter, the heater helps only when the car is not moving.
The reason modern cars with A/C put out cold air when set to "defrost" is cold air is dryer than warm air.
"Defrost" is not designed to defrost the outside.
Russ
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Lack of knowledge, ability and desire to maintain their own car.
Expecting a 60-odd year old design to run faultlessly from service to service is just naïve at best, and downright dangerous at worst.
i dont get it, these minis runs reliably at 65 - 75 miles back in the days, WHY can't it run the same speed and reliability today????? considering that new parts are readily available from parts dealer etc, these cars runs on the same road as before, in same climate.. why cant it be reliable TODAY??????? tell me sir alex pls!!!!
Well Willie, the reason is that modern motorists expect to take their cars to the dealer every 12 months / 20,000 miles and not have to do diddly inbetween.
Mine will run at 75-80 all afternoon (where legal) but I'm always on top of any minor niggle before it turns into a major problem. Standard cars are also waaaaay more reliable, but show me a standard Mini and I'll see something in a museum.
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Lack of knowledge, ability and desire to maintain their own car.
Expecting a 60-odd year old design to run faultlessly from service to service is just naïve at best, and downright dangerous at worst.
i dont get it, these minis runs reliably at 65 - 75 miles back in the days, WHY can't it run the same speed and reliability today????? considering that new parts are readily available from parts dealer etc, these cars runs on the same road as before, in same climate.. why cant it be reliable TODAY??????? tell me sir alex pls!!!!
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Lack of knowledge, ability and desire to maintain their own car.
Expecting a 60-odd year old design to run faultlessly from service to service is just naïve at best, and downright dangerous at worst.
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Dissociative identity disorder multiple personality disorder
Please stop it. It's creepy and not funny. 'Just sayin.
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come on bobo...i'm try n to pass the olive branch here.... a fellow classic mini owner in my eyes ...???... yep.... this is a cult man...dig it ....we all are family....
hey look.... they all??? well...most of um have took me in.... so your gray matter works a bit diff... but i do enjon the banter with you you goofy sob....
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realllly?? you' do that for me??? oh damn lets do this deal..
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someone mentioned about accidentally leaving the headlights on, especially on a bright sunny day, that's probably one of the fault mini posses. i've done it several times., i never learn i knaw..
and a follow up question: had somebody tried figuring out how to install hazard light on minis? i mean 4 blinking lights front and back all at same time, which wires should i connect together?
but i so agree with what jemal said, feel what you mini feels, be sensitive with it's smell,vibrations,sound,noise,handling etc. that's how i am too with my mini. if i notice something different in handling,or squeeking sound etc, it ruins my day really.,my mini is an extension of me.
there ya go... ya damm right....yep...
when i come out to drop the lump off... i will make your 4 ways work 8 ways if ya wish....
cheers bro...
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someone mentioned about accidentally leaving the headlights on, especially on a bright sunny day, that's probably one of the fault mini posses. i've done it several times., i never learn i knaw..
and a follow up question: had somebody tried figuring out how to install hazard light on minis? i mean 4 blinking lights front and back all at same time, which wires should i connect together?
but i so agree with what jemal said, feel what you mini feels, be sensitive with it's smell,vibrations,sound,noise,handling etc. that's how i am too with my mini. if i notice something different in handling,or squeeking sound etc, it ruins my day really.,my mini is an extension of me.
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my hot blond friend, takes her top off when were on the e-way ....
it's a pair of beautiful distractions for me when doing triple digits as well as for the truckers and other motoriest...
shes over there drinking her sangria, giggling at it all. mind ya shes 5' 7' and i have the top off a lilripr.... damm...shes hot....
it's like this...ya own a mini...sort the whole car out... i mean everything... then your good ta go....
i ran lilripr when i first got er from washington state to detroit...no problems.... to every MME and MME meets W ...never 1 issue ...beat the hell out of her 40% of the time....
of course i don't use er as my daily all the time. ( winter salt and all ) plus the fact i ride my harley a lot more..
but to an event....??? oh hell yeah... i will never trailer any of my iron to and from an event...
that's bout it.... damm good lil beasty.. 1 fault is ... when ya have to put er up for the night but don't want to stop ....
The blonde or lilripr ? ;-)
Bahahaha.... lilripr... by now the sangria in her fuel tank is working ..she's walking with a bit of over-steer but her rear end is looking tight.....her top is already off..!!!! you can guess the rest.....
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my hot blond friend, takes her top off when were on the e-way ....
it's a pair of beautiful distractions for me when doing triple digits as well as for the truckers and other motoriest...
shes over there drinking her sangria, giggling at it all. mind ya shes 5' 7' and i have the top off a lilripr.... damm...shes hot....
it's like this...ya own a mini...sort the whole car out... i mean everything... then your good ta go....
i ran lilripr when i first got er from washington state to detroit...no problems.... to every MME and MME meets W ...never 1 issue ...beat the hell out of her 40% of the time....
of course i don't use er as my daily all the time. ( winter salt and all ) plus the fact i ride my harley a lot more..
but to an event....??? oh hell yeah... i will never trailer any of my iron to and from an event...
that's bout it.... damm good lil beasty.. 1 fault is ... when ya have to put er up for the night but don't want to stop ....
The blonde or lilripr ? ;-)
If in doubt, flat out. Colin Mc Rae MBE 1968-2007.
Give a car more power and it goes faster on the straights,
make a car lighter and it's faster everywhere. Colin Chapman.
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my hot blond friend, takes her top off when were on the e-way ....
it's a pair of beautiful distractions for me when doing triple digits as well as for the truckers and other motoriest...
shes over there drinking her sangria, giggling at it all. mind ya shes 5' 7' and i have the top off a lilripr.... damm...shes hot....
it's like this...ya own a mini...sort the whole car out... i mean everything... then your good ta go....
i ran lilripr when i first got er from washington state to detroit...no problems.... to every MME and MME meets W ...never 1 issue ...beat the hell out of her 40% of the time....
of course i don't use er as my daily all the time. ( winter salt and all ) plus the fact i ride my harley a lot more..
but to an event....??? oh hell yeah... i will never trailer any of my iron to and from an event...
that's bout it.... damm good lil beasty.. 1 fault is ... when ya have to put er up for the night but don't want to stop ....
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Actually I had more problems when I quit using mine as a daily driver and it sat.
I will tune in about other drivers; Seems they all expect to see a third brake light now adays and with our primary brake lights being so low and not the brightest, I would definitely suggest adding one to the top of the rear screen.
Bingo !!!! A Mini is like anything else that sits it just stops working and connections corrode etc. As long as you start with a well prepared car tune up of the electrics and cooling system brakes etc the rest is easy.
If in doubt, flat out. Colin Mc Rae MBE 1968-2007.
Give a car more power and it goes faster on the straights,
make a car lighter and it's faster everywhere. Colin Chapman.