416 replies to this topic

[E.L.M.O]

All pick ups and vans have external hinges

[mini-man-dan]

All pick ups and vans have external hinges

All genuine ones that is!

[jayare]

Dan, the insurance thing is a right bummer - as a few others have said it looks like you have a couple of options:

Put the 850 in for a year - it will be perfectly quick enough round town where you will be doing most of your learning and will quite easily do 70mph on dual carriageways, etc. (My van did over 90 on its 850 on a private road nowhere near the queens highway ) or

Get a cheap runaround in as low an insurance group as you can get to build up your no claims. This also has the added advantage of not breaking your heart if you have a minor bump. It'll be no quicker than the 850 Mini though!

JR

[mini-man-dan]

The silly thing is, if I buy a Mini that is registered with a 1275 from new I can get insurance for a smidgen over £1k (and that was the first quote I tried!). So I'm hoping to find a decent shell with a not so brilliant engine (ie, get it at the right money) then literally drop the whole front subframe out of the Pickup and put it in the saloon. I believe i have found one such car, I just need to go and look at it asap.

I'll then hunt around for insurance and as soon as I can get it I'll drop the subframe back out and into the Pickup. This could be anywhere up to a year away though, hence why I don't mind putting in the work to swap things over.

Plus it then stop the engine that's just cost me 4 figures to get built just sitting there in the garage doing nothing.

Dan

Edited by mini-man-dan, 22 April 2010 - 07:02 AM.

[backstreetclassics]

why dont you insure it in yr dads name and get yr self put down as a named driver until you pass yr test that should be cheeper

[george91]

This is coming together lovely now Dan looks great, love the centre clock mod, shame about the insurance though. Just wack a 998 in there for now, although it cost a bomb to insure thats what every other 17 year old is paying so your better biting the bullet, i wouldn't learn to drive in the pickup though, just use the instructors car and save the mini until you pass.

[Teapot]

Been trying to think of something helpful but all I can say is what a bummer. Deffnitly keep the pick-up, maybe drive it with an affordable engine.
We're at opposite ends of the time scale, you trying to get on the road asap and me hoping to get Huey back so I can enjoy him for the summer before they ban me & him for being too old!

[mini-man-dan]

Oh dear 'pot!

The problem I have is they will not insure me on a '79 Pickup, whether the engine is a 1275 or 850 until I've passed my test. Most won't even quote!

The plan is to keep the Pickup, buy a reg'd from factory 1275 (like a Sprite or something) with a not so great engine but good bodywork, and swap the engines over to keep mine running and so that I can still enjoy it! Then keep trying on insurance, and as soon as I get the go-ahead (sometime after I've passed) swap the engine back over and sell on the Saloon. I have found 1 car that I'm going to look at tomorrow which looks pretty tidy but there's an engine issue, hence the price being less than it should for a car of that age/condition.

Oh, and insurance on a 1275 (standard) is just over £1k, so not so bad.

Dan

Edited by mini-man-dan, 22 April 2010 - 05:46 PM.

[Teapot]

Sounds like a plan. Got some places to go & people to see in Bristol this summer so when I get Huey back perhaps I could drop in?

[mini-man-dan]

Yeah definately! Just PM me, no guarantees on what state the Pickup will be in though! Think its 2 steps forward 10 steps back for the next month or two

[luiji89]

dan have you heard anymore about those, illuminating switches?
how to wire them, i saw them.. they are sexy

[mini-man-dan]

Nope, never did anything about it. Costs were spiralling for the Pickup with all these extra bits, so calmed down a little then the big bang about insurance!

[luiji89]

whats are the switches called again??

coming on msn?

[mini-man-dan]

Savage

[mini-man-dan]

Just purchased a 1994 Mini 35 1275 in Arizona Metallic Blue. Nice little motor, great front wings, floor, sills, boot floor etc. Engine runs well, but water pump has an issue, so I think I'm going to get that fixed then keep the engine in it. Will be a superb little car I hope! Is a very tidy car really, just needs a little love before it gets it's MOT (runs out at end of this month but an MOT tester came with me to look at it!)




Will be keeping both for now, get the Pickup finished then see if I can get insurance on it once I've passed.

Edited by mini-man-dan, 23 April 2010 - 08:36 PM.