Omega Owners Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Please check the Forum Guidelines at the top of the Newbie section

Pages: [1] 2  All   Go Down

Author Topic: R50 Bini  (Read 4383 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Doctor Gollum

  • Get A Life!!
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • In a colds and darks puddleses
  • Posts: 28260
  • If you can't eat them, join them...
    • Feetses.
    • View Profile
R50 Bini
« on: 09 May 2024, 12:02:25 »
How easy are they to overheat and how is the cooling fan switched?

Looking at a potential temporary runabout and they seem to be a reasonable balance between affordable and available. :-X

Only looking at facelift cars because I like the idea of being able to drive to work and already have one knackered gearbox  ;D
Logged
Onanists always think outside the box.

countrywoman

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Female
  • worcestershire
  • Posts: 605
    • skoda yeti
    • View Profile
Re: R50 Bini
« Reply #1 on: 09 May 2024, 14:31:08 »
French engine ::)
Logged

biggriffin

  • Omega Lord
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • huntingdon, Hoof'land
  • Posts: 9765
    • Vectra in a posh frock.
    • View Profile
Re: R50 Bini
« Reply #2 on: 09 May 2024, 14:33:19 »
Notorious for water pump failure.
 If you remove the front to do work replace the water pump is the philosophy, from what I've heard.
Logged
Hoof'land storeman.

Doctor Gollum

  • Get A Life!!
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • In a colds and darks puddleses
  • Posts: 28260
  • If you can't eat them, join them...
    • Feetses.
    • View Profile
Re: R50 Bini
« Reply #3 on: 09 May 2024, 14:40:05 »
Quote from: countrywoman on 09 May 2024, 14:31:08
French engine ::)
Petrol? Thought that was just the Toybota diesel...
Logged
Onanists always think outside the box.

Andy B

  • Get A Life!!
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Bury Lancs
  • Posts: 39503
    • ML350 TDM SmartRoadster
    • View Profile
Re: R50 Bini
« Reply #4 on: 09 May 2024, 14:54:47 »
SWMBO has a 60 plate C3 Citroen 1600 petrol that has what I've been led to believe is a Mini engine. If it's the same, the water pump is only part time drive by the 'fan belt'. Never had any over heating issues though Citroen did a mod on the temp sensor because the car THOUGHT they were overheating & lit the dash up like a Christmas tree when it did. (doesn't have a temp gauge so who would know until it was too late?  ::))
Logged

Migv6 le Frog Fan

  • Omega Queen
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Webs End.
  • Posts: 11799
  • Nicole's Papa
    • 3.2 Elite. Boxster. C1.
    • View Profile
Re: R50 Bini
« Reply #5 on: 09 May 2024, 16:00:21 »
Dont know a lot about them but Ive read that one version has a chocolate gearbox and another (prince engine ?) has a chocolate engine.
Logged
Women are like an AR35. lovely things, but nobody really understands how they work.

Doctor Gollum

  • Get A Life!!
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • In a colds and darks puddleses
  • Posts: 28260
  • If you can't eat them, join them...
    • Feetses.
    • View Profile
Re: R50 Bini
« Reply #6 on: 09 May 2024, 16:32:54 »
The Prince engine is a PSA BMW blob.

The earlier petrols had a Tritec engine developed with Chrysler ;)
Logged
Onanists always think outside the box.

henryd

  • Omega Lord
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • west cornwall
  • Posts: 8766
  • VW Touareg R5 tdi Auto
    • View Profile
Re: R50 Bini
« Reply #7 on: 10 May 2024, 18:40:00 »
Quote from: Doctor Gollum on 09 May 2024, 16:32:54
The Prince engine is a PSA BMW blob.

The earlier petrols had a Tritec engine developed with Chrysler ;)

The early engine is rubbish and gearboxes made of cheese,believe it or not the French engine /box is better !!
Logged
other rides 
  mk3 Volvo v70 2.0 Diesel ,Citroen C2, Pug 306 cabriolet
  Sterling elite trekker pikey wagon

Nick W

  • Omega Queen
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Chatham, Kent
  • Posts: 10864
  • Rover Metro 1.8VVC
    • 3.0l Elite estate
    • View Profile
Re: R50 Bini
« Reply #8 on: 10 May 2024, 19:51:50 »
Quote from: henryd on 10 May 2024, 18:40:00
Quote from: Doctor Gollum link=topic=15 the0981.msg2041680#msg2041680 date=1715268774
The Prince engine is a PSA BMW blob.

The earlier petrols had a Tritec engine developed with Chrysler ;)

The early engine is rubbish and gearboxes made of cheese,believe it or not the French engine /box is better !!


Add the common steering rack failures, BL quality trim and electrics, horrific ride quality and the verdict is simple: they're utter shite
Logged

Migv6 le Frog Fan

  • Omega Queen
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Webs End.
  • Posts: 11799
  • Nicole's Papa
    • 3.2 Elite. Boxster. C1.
    • View Profile
Re: R50 Bini
« Reply #9 on: 10 May 2024, 21:07:08 »
My MOT man, whose judgement I trust, says if someone gave him a brand new one he would pay someone to drive it to the nearest scrapyard to weigh it in for him. He hates them with a passion.  ;D
Logged
Women are like an AR35. lovely things, but nobody really understands how they work.

Doctor Gollum

  • Get A Life!!
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • In a colds and darks puddleses
  • Posts: 28260
  • If you can't eat them, join them...
    • Feetses.
    • View Profile
Re: R50 Bini
« Reply #10 on: 10 May 2024, 22:14:14 »
Well, considering the £400 entry price, first impressions are positive.

Actually as described, which itself is a bonus, and surprisingly tidy to drive. Obviously it weighs half as much as the S Class and has a third of the power >:D but at 45+mpg, it will pay for itself in about a  fortnight. Which is nice. :)
Logged
Onanists always think outside the box.

Sir Tigger KC

  • Get A Life!!
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • West Dorset
  • Posts: 23553
    • 2 Fords
    • View Profile
Re: R50 Bini
« Reply #11 on: 10 May 2024, 23:30:11 »
You didn't really expect any positive reviews from this lot did you Al?  ;D
Logged
RIP Paul 'Luvvie' Lovejoy

Politically homeless ......

Doctor Gollum

  • Get A Life!!
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • In a colds and darks puddleses
  • Posts: 28260
  • If you can't eat them, join them...
    • Feetses.
    • View Profile
Re: R50 Bini
« Reply #12 on: 11 May 2024, 01:13:39 »
Quote from: Sir Tigger KC on 10 May 2024, 23:30:11
You didn't really expect any positive reviews from this lot did you Al?  ;D
;D
Logged
Onanists always think outside the box.

JasonH

  • Omega Knight
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Bristol
  • Posts: 1079
    • View Profile
Re: R50 Bini
« Reply #13 on: 11 May 2024, 08:44:48 »
OK, I have two of these. The first I bought for £500 and fixed up.

The R50 is the one to buy. Cheap, easy to work on. The engine is sound. The Midland gearboxes before 2005 are pretty fragile. The Getrag 5 speed gearboxes from 2005 onwards are much better but can suffer problems.

You can buy them cheap because people think the head gasket has gone, it may have done if the car was seriously overheated. Generally it's a cooling system problem, most likely the electric fan which gives no warning that it has failed until the car overheats.

The car is easy work on and well engineered - with the Tritec engine. Parts are really cheap and easy to get.

You will need to fix lots of minor issues like CV boots, front top mounts. PAS pump. If you can do that yourself these are brilliant cars, 45mpg on a run, allowed in ULEZ zones, amazing handling. They are noisy on the motorway though.

DO NOT BUY the 2007 onwards, Gen 2, R55/R56 mini, it had huge engine problems. The engines almost always need a full rebuilt after 50k miles. They suffer from cracked valves and failed piston rings.

Logged

Doctor Gollum

  • Get A Life!!
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • In a colds and darks puddleses
  • Posts: 28260
  • If you can't eat them, join them...
    • Feetses.
    • View Profile
Re: R50 Bini
« Reply #14 on: 11 May 2024, 11:09:48 »
Phew, it's a '55 plate :D

MoT history suggests that CVs done, suspension feels fine, car tracks true.

Showed no sign of overheating on the way home although I bought it knowing the fans weren't working. It's had a thermostat, but I will start with the fans and give the cooling system a decent going through in due course.

WOut of curiosity, what coolant should it have in it?
Logged
Onanists always think outside the box.
Pages: [1] 2  All   Go Up
« previous next »
 

Page created in 0.013 seconds with 17 queries.