# Mini



## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

Does anyone like the new mini?

To me it is a German BMW that attempted to capture the old mini, but has failed totally to reinstate what the old mini was about, i.e. character, and charisma.

This brutish looking and far too big new mini is typical IMO of a German overkill as to what the old mini was about. I utterly hate this new mini!!









The worst thing they ever did was stop making the old mini. BMW has totally missed what the old mini was about, and what made it so special in the hearts of all those of us that admired it so much.

I cringe every time I see this new monstrosity, and it makes me long to see the charm of the old one.

Why doesn't someone remake the old one as it was!!?










The one and only real mini


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## Nin (Jul 16, 2004)

Woof!

My second car. (First was a Ford Anglia). I still read David Vizard's " how to tune BL's A series engine" with fondness. When I get my garage back and I'm too knackered to ride rally bikes I'm going to start hill climbing real minis.

My neighbour builds them, and he's the first to admit they're not what they used to be. But then I guess the old mini would have a tough time in today's market.

My current car is an Audi A2 sport - now that's a good modern equivalent. Unconventional design, tiny with loads of space and goes round corners like you wouldn't believe.


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

> and goes round corners like you wouldn't believe










Is this the same Nin who says that car drivers need 'Big Brothering??'

I hope you only drive like that on a track,or where you can see round corners to avoid the lemming pedestrians, I had you down as a bycicle rider...

Just kidding, glad to hear you enjoy driving


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

BL's wonderful mini isn't so enduring at half 11 on a sunday night when it's p***ing down and all the dodgy wiring connections are playing up believe me.

Mind you the BMW version hasn't been problem free!

Griff have you driven the BMW version? try and get a test drive in one if you can, I was very sceptical of them until I had a go in one. Very nice to drive.

I had a clubman estate uprated to 1275 GT spec once, did most of the work myself. I kept the body work that horrible s***y brown colour bl used on purpose, you should have seen peoples faces at the lights when I left them for dead!


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

Let's go back to steam trains, coal fires and clogs while we are at it ..... modern equivalents of course .... don't look back .... its like sleeping with an ex .... it isn't as good as you remember









The new BMW Mini (now they have the teething problems sorted out), is a great little car ..... I also think they have captured the essence of the original Minis.

I doubt if a replica or "homage" to the original would pass modern EU and US safety regulations .... the shape would probably have to be changed


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## Guest (Jan 26, 2005)

I had a Mini Cooper S with the 1275cc and my wife was really enamoured with them and had three, one after the other.

They were certainly not trouble free, like all cars of that era.

I seem to remember electrics conking out and of course the horror of the rotten rear sub frames.







I had to put in a new one in one of my wifes cars.









Hydrolastic suspension pump ups anyone?

They were a good fun car at the time but would not match a modern car.

I actually think the new one is a nice nod to the old that captures the style of the original in of course a more butch modern way.


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## pauluspaolo (Feb 24, 2003)

Having run a Mini based kit car (a Midas Bronze for those interested) as my only car for 9 years (used everyday come rain or shine) I feel qualified to comment on this.

The new Mini is just that - a new car. I personally like the way it looks and it's modern - so it's streets ahead of the old Mini in terms of strength, build quality, interior space, comfort, performance, safety, handling, reliability, etc etc etc.

The old Mini's a great car too but it's an ancient design (albeit very advanced when it came out) using an even older engine. I don't deny that it's great fun to drive but I don't think you can compare one car with the other. The only thing they have in common is the name (and Cooper Garages). The "A" series engine was reliable and simple to fix if anything went wrong but it was based on a design that was old back in the 60's & it only had 4 gears which made motorway driving something of an ordeal. The gears were in the sump sharing the same oil as the engine so if the oil got contaminated then both the engine and the gearbox were damaged, if anything went wrong with the gearbox then the engine had to come out to look at it. Safety was a joke (in my car the steering column was lowered so it was a solid steel bar aimed at your chest!), the seats were fine for city driving but weren't comfortable for longer journeys (though they were hugely improved in later cars and alternative seats could be, and often were, fitted) and eventually oil leaked from every seal in the great British tradition. And don't get me started on the way they rusted! Add to this suspension that used numerous grease nipples that needed topping up with grease every few hundred miles and ball joints that needed shimming every 1,000 miles (no matter what the weather was doing outside) and you've got a labour intensive little car. It's an old design that needs looking after (like most old cars do) and I don't think that people are inclined to do that in this day and age - most just want a "fit and forget" car. I don't think the old Mini will ever entirely go away - not that I want it to - if you want an old Mini then you can buy a brand new bodyshell. The last time I went to Mini Spares (in Harrogate) they had a bodyshell on display in their showroom.

I do like the old Mini a lot, and I'd love to own one of the glassfibre ones made by Domino cars (http://www.domino-cars.co.uk/index2.htm) but I really don't think they'd sell well today unless they had a awful lot of development work put into them to make them faster, safer and more reliable, then it becomes bigger & heavier - just like the new Mini really.


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## Nin (Jul 16, 2004)

> Is this the same Nin who says that car drivers need 'Big Brothering??'


Jase you got me rumbled - why do you think I'm so worried? I know how I drive!
















I agree with Paulus - fit and forget is the way to go . I don't know how to get at the engine on my A2 - there's just a wee hatch at the front for putting oil, water & screenwash in. It'll tell me when it needs a service - but I've done 13k miles and it doesn't want one yet.

But I'd love to have a mini as a fun car. Split twin choke weber 45's on Oselli intake manifold, race head bolted to big bore 1275. Vroom!


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

> I don't know how to get at the engine on my A2 - there's just a wee hatch at the front for putting oil, water & screenwash in. It'll tell me when it needs a service


one day all cars will be like this.


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## Fred (Feb 23, 2003)

I think the new Mini looks a smashing little car,and they are holding there price pretty well compared to a lot, i had the original Mini [Austin Seven] back in 1963 that was a good little car but as said before with a few small problems, ball joints were a pain and the hand brake cable used to seeze up often. i took the grill off mine and made a plywood one all nice paint etc, because the distributer pointed forward, in heavy rain or a large splash of water she could miss fire, all in all i loved that little car and at that time was my pride and joy, happy days, at least when you opened the bonnet you could mend it. fred.


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## Guest (Jan 27, 2005)

Fred said:


> I think the new Mini looks a smashing little car,and they are holding there price pretty well compared to a lot, i had the original Mini [Austin Seven] back in 1963 that was a good little car but as said before with a few small problems, ball joints were a pain and the hand brake cable used to seeze up often. i took the grill off mine and made a plywood one all nice paint etc, because the distributer pointed forward, in heavy rain or a large splash of water she could miss fire, all in all i loved that little car and at that time was my pride and joy, happy days, at least when you opened the bonnet you could mend it. fred.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'd forgotten about that Fred!









Firms like Paddy Hopkirk etc used to do a roaring trade selling rubber boots to go over the distributor, coil and plugs.

In fact the Mini must be the car with the most aftermarket parts made for it IMO.

Used to get the chrome trim to fit over the welded edges, quick release grille fittings for when you needed to adjust the points, small leather steering wheels to replace the gigantic lorry type standard wheel







and those kits to convert the great long gear lever to remote control.

Happy days.


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