33 replies to this topic

[1984mini25]

I used mine as a daily for seven or so years. Going back and forth to work during the week, then loading it up and doing another 160 to 200 miles to various shows and stuff at the weekends. In all that time it only ever left me completely stuck once, the rest I could at least limp home or fix it myself.

 

Although for the last year or so it barely gets used, sometimes only once or twice a month, even then it's just local trips and just sits outside in all weathers. And it's now that I'm having all the issues, with the carb issues, dodgy electrics, flat batteries, sticking brakes, etc. In fact its now getting to the point where I've been stuck by the side of the road for around every 2 out of 3 trips, it's no longer any fun driving it and no longer feel confident driving any real distance like I used to.

[mab01uk]

Not been my daily for at least 10 years.......I now have a modern 2002 MINI R50 for my daily commute, etc which is quite fun to drive and an E90 BMW 320D for longer motorway drives and family trips including holidays to France, Italy, Spain, etc.

[finch661]

mine used to be untill i a) discovered the paint and mud was load bearing (hence a full rebuild) and b) now work in the centre of Edinburgh where parling is a joke

[EAVB]

_{Both my wife and I use our minis (hers is clubby estate with 1293 'S' engine and mine is a Phoenix - plastic estate) as daily drivers. She has used nothing but different minis for the last six years. They do need more maintenance than modern electronic crap but it's only common sense. At least everything is simple. I work as a mechanic but anybody with a reasonable amount of knowledge should find them manageable.}

 

_{I think the only reason that people slate them as being unreliable is because they expect not to have to touch them more than once or twice a year. If you follow the original service plans they won't let you down. We have made around ten trips from Cornwall to Sheffield over the last five years (six/seven hour trip) to visit the wife's relatives and whichever mini we have taken has been fine!}

[Bungle]

it used to be when i first bought it new back in 1990

 

then it was used as a works van for my electrician busness

 

after this it was used as a weekend / show car

 

but now sadly it's sitting in the garage waiting for the kids to grow up and not come out with us on weekends , we just find the VW bigger at this stage in life

[The Otter]

Mine was my daily driver (and first car) for three years and I did around 30,000 miles in it over that time. I looked after it as best I could and it never left me stranded anywhere, but I did have to be careful to listen out/feel for anything that was on it's way out so I could fix stuff before it got serious.

 

I had some other old cars for a couple of years afterwards, then switched to a modern daily when I finished uni and got a job, more for the mix of better power/better fuel economy than anything else, but I have since grown accustomed to all the usual modern creature comforts.

 

After over 2 years sitting in the garage doing nothing, I've been welding up the Mini over the past few months as those three years daily driving really accelerated the rust issues around the whole car. I can also now afford to do something nice with the engine! When it's done it'll be a fun toy, don't think I'm man enough to run it as a daily again, at least not when I'm doing 45 miles a day.

[wil7496]

Use mine weekly, probably 3 days out of 7; use my Focus ST on the other days. Although i love my ST, the mini is defo a bigger grin factor and more enjoyable drive to work and back.

[wil7496]

Use mine weekly, probably 3 days out of 7; use my Focus ST on the other days. Although i love my ST, the mini is defo a bigger grin factor and more enjoyable drive to work and back.

[wil7496]

I use my mini probably 3 days a week and use my Focus ST the rest of the time, but the mini is a much bigger grin factor and always gives a more fun drive to work and back.

[Dusky]

If you're not taking highways for 100km everyday I can't see any problem. Mini's have been used for ages as dailies..

[jaydee]

Had a lot of minis as a daily drive in the past

I first started working on minis trying to fix mine as i was a student

Now i have a modern bini as a daily, i'd love a classic as a daily drive but too many big cars driven by too small brains around, its scaring me off.

Edited by jaydee, 20 January 2016 - 01:29 PM.

[Zach P-D]

yup, daily driven for over a year now, nearly put 8K miles on her
but being 18, it's the only car i have so it explains why it's my daily..

[mister bridger]

I have a tatty old van for work, but use my mk1 Mini for pretty much all other journeys, though I might take the van if there's salt on the roads or it's bucketing down.

[James_eaton_thewholething]

When I've finished mine it will be my daily while I do some repairs on the 205 gti and then will choose between them each morning which will be a hard choice

[inim_repooc]

Mine goes where I go week in week out! Luckily she only has to take me short runs through the week to work / college and then every now and then a longer run comes up at the weekends.. Last weekend me and my dad went to Newark auto jumble in it (only about 80 miles there and back) but come summer in my first 'proper' year of driving (I'm currently 17) I plan to get to as many shows and meets as I can on the weekends, so the mini has some serious milage ahead! - whoever says they can't do the job they were designed for (commuting /daily run about) is talking rubbish! The plan in my head is to eventually retire the mini into the role of the sunny day classic that otherwise rests and gets polished every now and then! Should work nice along side the mgb :) but that's a while down the line I think!