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[Nick W]

Enginewise, as said, that A series is bombproof, with only pure engine issues being having to constantly check the oil in the carb, and the manifold gasket seems prone to failure (easy job, even in the confines of a mini engine bay).

They do have more serious common faults: burnt exhaust valve on #3 cylinder, stretched timing chains(the 'tensioner' is a joke) although they'll run for decades like that.


Ensure that any Mini you intend to actually drive has ALL of the available engine mounts(many never had the lower O/S one to the subframe) especially the aftermarket one from the thermostat housing to the bulkhead.

[Bigron]

Aw Nick, I hate to disagree with someone as illustrious as your goodself, but if the Mini's tensioner is the same as the one on my old Austin A30 (by Reynolds?), it is brilliant.....self-adjusting with a spiral-notched pin pressing on the slipper so it cannot run back after it had taken up a "notches-worth" of slack, and pumped engine oil through a hole the tensioning slipper to keep the chain well oiled.
I do agree that it ran forever and never failed, so class engineering. 

Ron.

[Nick W]

Aw Nick, I hate to disagree with someone as illustrious as your goodself, but if the Mini's tensioner is the same as the one on my old Austin A30 (by Reynolds?), it is brilliant.....self-adjusting with a spiral-notched pin pressing on the slipper so it cannot run back after it had taken up a "notches-worth" of slack, and pumped engine oil through a hole the tensioning slipper to keep the chain well oiled.
I do agree that it ran forever and never failed, so class engineering. 

Ron.

what you describe is the classic hydraulic tensioner that works well.
What the Mini engine has is a spring-loaded, rubber-coated flap that works properly for about 20minutes. It's shit - like THIS

[Bigron]

Wow, that IS a joke; are you sure it has 20 minutes in it?
I'm glad that you approve of the tensioner I had in mind - it certainly impressed me. 

Ron.

[dbug]

Anyone got some info on owning and running a mini , the older ones around about the 80s era . I know about rust and subframe rot but engine wise are they pretty robust . 

The older ones are from the 60s - very simple and very easy to work on.  Main issue as said is/was rust, particularly around rear end    The old A series engines are pretty bombproof, and highly tuneable.  Regular servicing is a must, but easy enough, and cheap.  HTH

[New POD]

My Dad bought a brand new morris mini 850 in 1959 (aged 21 - just out of university).  He had 3 gearboxes under warranty.  rain came in through the floor.
He views Alec Issigonis as a Maverick and a Bodger.
He has only owned Fords since then - all purchased new.

I owned a 1974 1000 in 1988 - It was rusty and the brakes were almost impossible to service or get right.
My wife owned a 1978 mini 850 from 1989 to 1992 and an 1100 clubman in 1992.
Both were very rusty, and the brakes were arbortions.
The 850 was given to a friend who scrapped it (despite agreement to give it back when she'd finished with it)  The clubman was restored by a work colleague, who later scrapped it after the door fell off in tescos car park  leaving his wife and baby somewhat stranded.
None of these peices of rust ever broke down although the 850 did require a head gasket and later a replacement head.
Then in 2010 when my son was 17 and just past his test, I bought a 1988 mayfair.
It was the most unreliable piece of junk ever.
Parts from so called specialists are rubbish. I replaced most of the front suspension twice, the condensor twice, the dizzy cap, arm and points, the cylinder head gasket.
I sold it after a year.

Then in 2013 I purchased a 2001 BINI cooper for my wife.
I think it's probably the spiritual successor of the Metro Turdo.
Anyway, apart from throwing money at the front suspension, it's been great.

My conclusion classic Mini's are overrated, rusty, unreliable, over priced lumps of dog mess.
I can think of better ways of getting involved in classic cars.

I'd rather poke my eyes out with a dirty stick than own another.

[minifreek]

LOL

As above, but not exactly unreliable if you know how to tinker ..

The oarts described above that have been replaced are service items so not meant to last...

What was wrong with the suspension....? Theres not much that can go wrong with suspension on Mini's...

Coopers ARE very overrated, and also the most expensive to buy - because they are overrated... At the end of the day, they are just a Mini....

Dont get me wrong though. The Classic Mini - for its time - was a revolution in design... But they are uncumfortable, noisy, smelly and slow by todays more modern cars, but that the fun aspect of them....

The Mini I have at the moment is about the best Iv ever owned, its certainley the least rustiest Iv ever owned thats for sure. It will be coming off the road for a light restoration when the MoT runs out next year in March...

Sir Alec was ingenious in his design of the Mini and Morris Minor, and did a hell of a lot for the motor industry than people realise, whereas Henry Ford.... well once a Nazi always a Nazi I guess.....

[Bigron]

Ford was a Nazi? Was he? 

Ron.

[aaronjb]

I guess that relates to this:

By the 1930s, thanks to the wide circulation of his antisemitic literature, Ford was much admired by the Nazis. In 1938, Nazi Germany bestowed on Ford the highest honor they could award a foreigner. It’s no surprise that Ford wasn’t very enthusiastic about entering World War II. He did eventually start producing planes to aid in the war effort, but his plants in Germany were supplying the other side while Ford profited at home.

So in the end, not only profiting from war, but profiting from both sides of the war became Ford’s game. He chose not a political party nor even a country with which to be loyal; he chose only Ford Motor Company.

(Source: http://hollowverse.com/henry-ford/ found by a random google)

[Bigron]

Oh.

[tunnie]

Never knew that 

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Yeah the bypass pipes are a bugger to change, it was the main reason the A+ was designed, and doesn't have the bypass hose... Its the same basic engine but better...

The Minor came after the Mini, but does use the same engine..

The A series engines are a tad woeful on acceleration, especially in standard form, but plenty of tuning kits available.

The 1.3 (1275) is around 60BHP which doesn't sound a lot, but is plenty for a Mini (power to weight ratio)...

Theres lots and lots of spares readily available for Mini's so don't worry about getting parts...

You might be well to join an online forum like The Mini Forum or TMF. Lots of knowledgable people on there, and they really know their stuff too...

The 1275 Mini Cooper  S had 75 BHP. Why did they put a detuned lump in the later (and much slower) 1275 GT?

[EMD]

The newer shape bmw mini's are dirt cheap , ok they look fugly but decent enough for a runabout but why are they so cheap  Only guess is reliability 

[Varche]

My Dad bought a brand new morris mini 850 in 1959 (aged 21 - just out of university).  He had 3 gearboxes under warranty.  rain came in through the floor.
He views Alec Issigonis as a Maverick and a Bodger.
He has only owned Fords since then - all purchased new.

I owned a 1974 1000 in 1988 - It was rusty and the brakes were almost impossible to service or get right.
My wife owned a 1978 mini 850 from 1989 to 1992 and an 1100 clubman in 1992.
Both were very rusty, and the brakes were arbortions.
The 850 was given to a friend who scrapped it (despite agreement to give it back when she'd finished with it)  The clubman was restored by a work colleague, who later scrapped it after the door fell off in tescos car park  leaving his wife and baby somewhat stranded.
None of these peices of rust ever broke down although the 850 did require a head gasket and later a replacement head.
Then in 2010 when my son was 17 and just past his test, I bought a 1988 mayfair.
It was the most unreliable piece of junk ever.
Parts from so called specialists are rubbish. I replaced most of the front suspension twice, the condensor twice, the dizzy cap, arm and points, the cylinder head gasket.
I sold it after a year.

Then in 2013 I purchased a 2001 BINI cooper for my wife.
I think it's probably the spiritual successor of the Metro Turdo.
Anyway, apart from throwing money at the front suspension, it's been great.

My conclusion classic Mini's are overrated, rusty, unreliable, over priced lumps of dog mess.
I can think of better ways of getting involved in classic cars.

I'd rather poke my eyes out with a dirty stick than own another.

I seem to remember that the 1959 model had external seams spot welded. So the front wheels pumped water in through the "join" . I had one (it might have had reg no MHG 324) and my cure was to drill a few half inch holes under the seats and have duckboards under carpet for the front passengers.

[henryd]

The newer shape bmw mini's are dirt cheap , ok they look fugly but decent enough for a runabout but why are they so cheap  Only guess is reliability 

Early ones have a chrysler engine which is shit and the reworked gearbox from a Rover 25 which also wears prematurely(it was ok in the Rover),06 on goes Peugeot mechanicals which are better