hunter, really you did that on a mini 998??  i was there couple of weeks ago, cruising from Malibu all the way to Big sur and pebble beach area., i know how fun and dangerous the Twisties on that area, ahhh!!! i can't wait to drive my mini in big sur, ...and hey, my mini has sun roof,, it's double the fun!!!

im sure you have front disc brakes to do those twisties...

Image Gallery

Rolling north on California's Big Sur coast Highway 1, revs up, 998 humming on a beautiful day.  Come up on a new BMW sedan behind a new Mustang convert, top the rise, note no oncoming traffic...BEEP, BEEP and pass them both cleanly, rounding the corner below the cliff without touching the brake pedal.

When I stopped for coffee at Gorda a woman approached as I came out of the shop, "May I take a picture of my husband with your car?"  Me, "Of course."

They had seen the Mini parked in Santa Barbara early in the morning...then again as I slipped by with the 998 singing.

The couple had flown from Michigan to LA to pick up the new BMW and drive home across the USA to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary...on DAY 1, it was a dirt bag Mini 1000 that caught their imagination.

Build them and drive them.  No pain, no gain, no problem.

Pic 1 - Indiana, Pic 2 - Des Moines, Iowa, Pic 3 - Missouri River, South Dakota, Pic 4 - Ottawa, Canada's capital

Just buy a jap spec mini (JDM) model and you will get 2 out ot the 3 options you want BIG AL

Of course..what do you think they were designed to do?? AI always said he was designing a car for the "village nurse".  In those day the nurse visited her patients so spent many miles on the road...

If you Mini requires 'regular' tuning then there's something wrong (depending on your defintion of regular).  When I was running mine daily it would gets points and plugs every couple of years (I suppose that could be considered regularly.  Certainly oil and grease gets looked at more often but a weekly check and 6+ monthly changes would not seen too onerous.

As I've said before, if I spent as much on my Mini as I have on the dealer services for Wife's Honda/Subaru/VW it would be gold plated....

If you buy any car with 50 years of pervious owner neglect/playing about you might expect problems.  However, if you persevere, use the car and work your way through the issues that arise it won't take long to arrive at apoint where the car is reliable and useful...

Cheers, Ian

to use an aviation term, it is not a hangar queen

my mini is a daily driver, rain, snow or sun. it's being driven.

Absolutely they are/can/were daily drivers.  Proper routine maintenance etc., as with all cars, is required.
Some very rare or well restored classic MINIs may not want to be driven 60km a day...but that;s personal choice.
During the summer I don't put many miles on my VW Golf....I'm usually driving a classic MINI everwhere.

 having said that, the question arises, can a Mini be a daily driver? say 40 miles ride to work back and forth? or its just simply a collectors thing (with a Heritage license plate) and a weekend get around-er?  i mean i like my mini, but i wont put too much money into it because it really doesnt serve as a reliable daily  rider since it requires a regular tuning.  i dont care, i like how it looks

I think there's an expectation set by todays cars that you can just add gas and go and not do any regular maintenance, which is not going to work on a Mini. You need to spend some time with tuning, adjusting brakes, regular oil and lube etc.. ..   also people are used to a quieter and smoother ride, and get tired of the noise and the feel of the car.. things I think most of us hanging on to the cars expect and value due to the handling and the joy of working on our cars... in our club we are trying to help new owners with support for maitntenance activites and workshops on how to do basic repairs..  there's usually someone who has already done it before and can share the info or assist..

I like Robin's answer.  Things change in life and you move on.

Naah, a hundred HP in 700kg is .."adequate".

Mind you, I'd have nothing against 200hp..

Cheers, Ian

Because your wife says the right hand drive car is "just plain crazy" so for the sake of marital bliss you sell it and get a left drive mini instead

My Mother-In-Law's boyfriend is a Harley Dude. He recently told me he had $$ and wanted to buy my clubby. I told him to drive it for the day and then let me know.  By the end of the day he had changed his mind. He said his Harley road smoother. They look cool but if you are use to certain comforts you may want to get a Bini.

-Shawn

I sell stuff often usually to get off of it before I get too far into it or get attached...the mini is here to stay for a while now though.

Folks sell classic Minis, new MINIs, V-Tec Minis, Honda Civics, lawn mowers, kid's clothes when they outgrow 'em, and all sorts of crap when they're done with 'em.
Life is really pretty simple if you don't try to over think it.

probably the reason is comfort and convenience in driving, for me it'll be perfect if i can put a automatic transmission, airconditioning system and power windows on a mini, i mean i love the looks of the mini, but not too much of its driveability.,,but i like it ,generally speaking.

it's tiny, with a perfect symetry,and doesnt look awkward.

I was wondering that too, if there is a percentage of classic owners who are not classic car people - or mechanically inclined - and just think it's like a VW bug.  You'd be in a real world of hurt there.

Stir...JK

Is it because they never owned a mini and don't understand it short comings?

Is it because of the ride qualities?

Is it because of  buyers remorse?

Is it ...

.