48 replies to this topic

[ShaunaFTW]

 

apart from that..............mini's......and all classic cars are much better than the crap that's available today, at least you can fix a classic car at home and you dont need a laptop to do it with either!!

 

This point of view is normally portrayed by people who don't move with the times. You can get a code reader or laptop software to diagnose a problem for as little as £30 now. More often than not, it will tell you exactly where the problem lies without second guessing symptoms. I'm not knocking simple, cheap(er) motoring, but modern cars are far far from "crap". 

 

 

Okay, in 20+ years time we shall see how many of todays everyday cars are still being saved :). From someone who enjoys fault finding and learning, which is part of the fun of motoring.. a new car is 'crap' for that. 

[jenbachertech]

Back when I was a teenager - around 20 years ago, I used to regularly pick up Minis for £25 upwards. At that time scrap metal was making about £30 a ton for mixed steel - A mini weighs roughly half a ton with its wheels and battery gone, so I was paying nearly double the scrap value.

 

Move onto the scrappage scheme - Scrap was up at £70 a ton, and I think any old wreck would knock £1000 off a new car.

 

That then set a minimum value for scrap cars.

 

Overnight any old nailer was worth around a grand, so the second hand car market got a good kick up the rear - anything that was worth below this sum was scrapped in huge numbers.

 

This decimated the quantity of available vehicles, and pushed the value of the remaining cars up.

 

With the scrappage scheme gone, the pool of remaining cars is much smaller, and prices are now high - £500 now buys something that 20 years ago would have been scrapped, £500-2000 buys what used to be an MOT failure, and anything above that buys something that will need some tidying, but will be basically soundonce you get to the £4k mark you start to get really good cars!

 

Sad, but true, if you want a classic mini, that if looked after will appreciate in value, you are going to spend a decent sized wedge.

 

Cheers

Sean

[Steely]

You've also got to remember that some people just think there Mini's are worth a lot more than they are and In most cases don't sell them and that's why they are forever for sale on the net. I would say its only really your mk1, 2 and 3's that have really gone up in value. Later Mini's don't seem to fetch that much unless there is something special about them, although that doesn't seem to make much difference. People seem to want ridiculous money for rust free examples.

[minifirstcar]

 

Edited by minifirstcar, 25 August 2013 - 04:08 PM.

[minifirstcar]

I don't understand the anti-mini comments on this forum. A mini is perfectly capable of national speed limits comfortably...  I took mine to over a tone once and didn't feel like it was about to explode. It is also not by any means, slow! Being young, I have friends with corsa's etc, and I can tell you that my mini will out accelerate a number of other 'small cars' and out-handle them too!

 

 

Yours a 1275 or stage 1?

[alicetheauto]

The whole "slow car" thing doesn't work. My 998 standard city has been clocked at 84mph on a GPS. Thats nearly 100 on the clock. Minis have character. They are easy to turn into whatever you want with the masses of after market parts. Which are very cheap compared to other cars' tuning parts. All of which make people want them so the price goes up. I would love a second mini as a project, but with basket cases running to £600+ now it's crazy!

[JustSteve]

 

I don't understand the anti-mini comments on this forum. A mini is perfectly capable of national speed limits comfortably...  I took mine to over a tone once and didn't feel like it was about to explode. It is also not by any means, slow! Being young, I have friends with corsa's etc, and I can tell you that my mini will out accelerate a number of other 'small cars' and out-handle them too!

 

 

Yours a 1275 or stage 1?

 

 

1275 with 266 cam. standard head and carb too, but with alloy manifold and a maniflow exhaust. 

 

It originally had a 998 in with stage 1, felt perfectly fine up to about 80, although anything above that I did feel it was really starting to feel stretched. Managed almost 90 real-speed. 

[blacktulip]

my mk3 has been for sale since april for £4000 and havent had any firm interest. cant understand it as all the hard work has been done and everywhere i go i get lots of admirers and people saying "wow" etc. i think the market for minis that need work is massive compared to the market who want one close to being all done.

[1984mini25]

my mk3 has been for sale since april for £4000 and havent had any firm interest. cant understand it as all the hard work has been done and everywhere i go i get lots of admirers and people saying "wow" etc. i think the market for minis that need work is massive compared to the market who want one close to being all done.

Most seam to assume you can buy a 'cheap' mini and 'do it up' cheaper than you can but one that's already been done.

[Jase]

Perhaps the fun of owning a Mini is doing it up yourself, the way you want it? I would think a £4K price tag is right in the middle of what people are prepared to pay. £2.5K is a good price as there is flexibility and £10K is a good price as you tend to be buying something historical.

 

It would be interesting to see how many people have actually sold a 76-92 car for between £4K-£8K recently?

[Cooperman]

I sold a 1973 Innocenti 1300 for over £10,000 recently.

 

I agree that a lot of the fun of owning a classic car can be in rebuilding it rather than just owning it. If after re-building it has cost more than it is worth, then that's not at all unusual. Personally I would rather do this, then I know it has been done properly, thoroughly and correctly to original specification with period modifications.

[Jase]

I sold a 1973 Innocenti 1300 for over £10,000 recently.

 

I agree that a lot of the fun of owning a classic car can be in rebuilding it rather than just owning it. If after re-building it has cost more than it is worth, then that's not at all unusual. Personally I would rather do this, then I know it has been done properly, thoroughly and correctly to original specification with period modifications.

 

 

My point, a specialised pre 76 Mini, worth every penny.

[Cooperman]

But are Minis expensive when compared to other classic cars of the same era. A Cortina Mk.1 is now very costly, as is an original condition VW Beetle, a good MGB, and so on.

When you buy a Mini you are a member of the classic car movement and, just like antiques, the value will rise; more so for the most desirable items, like the Mini.

It just shows how well regarded they are by classic enthusiasts. The later cars will increase in value as they become more rare with top quality as-original cars fetching big money in the years to come. So restore them and cherish them and you'll not be disappointed.  

Edited by Cooperman, 26 August 2013 - 03:12 PM.

[gazza01]

What you need to think is that buying a mini is an investment, as well as it being your best buddy and great fun to drive. The british public love them too. (apart from a few to~~ers) 

Your mates corsa will be scrap once the mot failure sheet shows it to be too expensive to fix.

[jonny d]

Talking about having a crystal ball and a big barn back when I was a lad of 17, minis of all genre's were scrapped just because the rear subframe was gone. Back then I couldnt weld or fix them like I can now. I used to go to our local scrapyards and there used to be a minimum of ten minis in each, pickups,vans,travellers,even coopers and S,s what a crying shame we used to keep going back and pick them clean for our daily runabouts sigh!!!