I literally “hop in and drove” this car 1300kms in a single day and that was BEFORE a lot of money was put into repairs. It’s a 25 year old Mini... it’s going to have quarks. Hell they had quarks off the factory floor. They are cars which require tinkering 

However this car gave us 0 issues. And was shifting like a dream after we changed out the syncros, gears and clutch. The car does have a genuine KAD quick shifter which could be some of your issue?

Starting wise we did tune the carb for are altitude of 3500ft after I DROVE it from sea level to 7000ft and down to 3500ft. It does like the choke when cold but every Mini does. I made you completely aware of this

For the washer there might be dirt in the bottle which clogged the line? Pop the line off and clear the line. 

The stalk switches never gave us any grief, but as mentioned check mounting maybe it came loose during transport. 

Which door doesn’t lock? 

Darren I can help you sort issues but you have to talk to me. I contacted you days ago and have had 0 communication from you.

I used to enjoy spending my summers finding non-running projects, turning them into running projects, and then getting bored and passing them on to new owners for them finish to suit their tastes. Sometimes the $ that would change hands offset the time and parts I invested in it before reselling it. More often my "profit" was some leftover parts and getting to see the new owner's face light up as they drove/hauled away their new hobby car. And yea, I made a few lucky bucks off of a car or three but the amount didn't begin to cover the losses or short-sales. I still have some great friends in my life that I met because I helped put a mini into their driveway.

I also used to work on cars for people who asked me for help. I then started to keep a stock of parts that people commonly needed so people in our club had what they needed when they needed them-- water pumps, brake parts, clutches, etc-- and they would take what they needed and had to replace it so it's available for the next person. (the ever-changing currency market made it tough to set a price for stuff the stuff.) I was kinda the go-to guy for our local club.

Then I became a father.

And after a few unnecessarily troublesome experiences, I learned how to say No to people who asked for my help. And I learned that selling cars stopped being enjoyable in part because project minis dried up or became so ridiculously expensive that I felt I could no longer add any worthwhile value to them. That, and there are just some people I should never help to own a mini.

It actually hurts to tell people No who ask me for help; there's no such pain involved with not selling a car to someone.

But boy was/is it painful to sell a car to the wrong person and no amount of $ can make it hurt any less.

derwood..  call me over the weekend.. 1.704.487.6797.. I will tell you  options OFF the board..since your seller is a LIC dealer in Canada.. buy from a personal seller or broker.. better BEND OVER.. later bc

I guess I'll reply to this.... First let me say I'm really sorry this didn't end up being what you expected. That being said, when I saw your first post about buying a Mini, I just had this bad feeling that it wasn't going to end well. I will say that owning a Mini isn't for the faint of heart. I don't care how mechanically incline you are, or what think you can or can't do, you haven't owned a Mini. I've owned three. The first one was just a rolling shell that I bought in San Leandro CA. It never progressed beyond that point. I gave it to Mini Mania after it sat in their back lot for way to long trying to be sold. They were still in Milpitas at that point by the San Jose airport. The second one I still have, a right hand driver 850 67 woody. I bought it at one of Mini Mania's swap meets in the same location. It was rusty, had good wood, and ran. I drove it to a buddies shop in Lodi to have him put rockers in it. I didn't have a welder at that point. He put the rockers in it, but did a S***ty job. He charged me enough that I could have bought a welder and did it myself for less, which I ended up doing. When I picked it up, it made it about 5 mile before breaking down and refusing to start. I ended up towing it with a rope all the way back to Hayward CA. That's a long ways. Talk about a butt puckering ride, being tied to a car with a tow rope doing 70 mph down an interstate. Oh to be that young and stupid again.... It took a week to get it running again, I want to say it was ignition, but that was a long time ago. That car still isn't finished, and has been sitting in my barn for 16 years since I was dumb enough to move to the midwest. I just keep saying it's going to be a retirement project, yea right. The third one is a 59 body with all 1275 Cooper S stuff, suspension, brakes, speedo, ect. It's a mismatch bunch of parts, and a bitchen little car that is the most undependable car I've ever had. When I bought it through world of mouth, out of Livermore CA. it was raining. It was in a guys big shop. I looked it over, liked what I saw, drove it around, and gave him the $1500.00 he wanted for it. A lot less than you paid, I know. I drove it to my buddies shop in Hayward, (he's the one that told me about it) in a heavy down pour, (it's never stayed running in the rain again, hell if it just smells water it shuts off now) It ran great that day, except for the exhaust falling off on the 580 freeway. I went and got the car the next day and drove it home. I checked all the fluids, checked the gas, and gave it a good going over. Drove it to work on Monday, about 6 miles, and coming home about a mile from work it ran out of gas on the 880 freeway. A CHP stopped to see what I needed, he stared at it and said "what is that?" I told him, he call a service truck that showed up in a matter of minutes, and he put a gallon of gas in it free of charge. I don't know what the seller was running for gas, but that car has never ran right since, I had to mix gas just to get it to run some what right again. The seller would never answer my calls after I bought it. I just wanted to know what he ran for gas, I even told him that on his message machine, I said I wasn't pissed. He moved out of the state shortly after selling me the car, like within a couple of weeks. Then all the brake fluid disappeared one day when I was driving it around, I had checked the brake fluid a few days before, and it was topped off. I was able to get it home with the "E" brake being the only brakes I had. I was blocks away from home so that wasn't a big deal. I added more brake fluid, bled the brakes, never found a leak, and that brake fluid is still in the car today. The same thing happened to the coolant, lost all coolant, put more in, it's still in the car. So this long winded post is more of an education I guess. Never once did I blame the seller for my problems. I think you just need to get familiar with the car. My car is loud, hot, and bumpy. You could never have a radio in it. It's a fun car to drive when it runs, but it's not a relaxing car to drive. I don't know Braden, the guy that you bought it from, and I give him much respect trying to sell these little cars, so if I was you I wouldn't get on the internet and start bad mouthing him. I don't think he sold you a bad car, he just sold you a Mini. Maybe if you don't figure this car out you can trade it for a Honda or Nissan or something. Not everybody should be a Mini owner. I wish you the best of luck with this ordeal, I really do. Dean Garlitz (PS) I didn't mention the time the hood blew up on the San Mateo bridge at midnight blocking all forward vision with nowhere to pull over or the.... Oh well never mind about the rest of the stupid events that have followed this car. I do believe it's possessed by evil spirits.

Thank you mur. I will. Much appreciated.
    Darren.

PS- nothing tougher the car from underneath while unloading it. But I’ve got start somewhere.
   Appreciated mur.

I am not Alex.

I don’t think replacing the drivetrain is a smart response to what is likely a smashed shift linkage. 

Tomorrow, in daylight, with the help of a friend, have a look at both the choke and the shift linkage/exhaust.

     It seems that some people don’t believe I bought a Mini. Is that what you are agreeing to ?
If I post in front of my Mini will you then believe me ? Will this help anyone to believe me, thus
help he fix my car ?

I don’t know what this means Mike ? Are you saying you don’t believe ? Please help me to understand your
post. Thank you.

Thank you malsal. 


      

So how go you feel about this Braden ? Are you willing to replace my engine ? 
    Darren.

I like that idea Bill. How do I go about it ? Please?
    Thank you Bill.

Here's my rant and experience;
I feel your pain because, Been there done this. I bought one site unseen on recommendations that the seller was a great guy "and was trust worthy" from a few forum members here. It was at best a sh*tbox at worst a danger to life and limb. What did I do, I fixed it, I drove it for 2 yrs and I sold it. It's an old car, as a few have said it isn't a Honda or Toyota, fix the car. Live and learn.

The second one I bought I went and looked at it with a jack, flashlight, a trailer, a magnet, nitrile gloves, and armed with knowledge the first one provided. I drove it and you know what? I missed a bunch of things that cost $$ to fix, the owner didn't sell me a problem car because he didn't know they were problems. I found them because I have a higher standard than him.

I also didn't flame the seller of the first or second car because neither one held a gun to my head to buy it and I paid plenty for both of them. Don't hate the car, make it your car the way you want, lay on your back and try and get the cotter pin in for the clutch pedal, replace the cones (after you've asked 3 or 4 thousand questions on how to do it), figure out why things don't work the way they should. Don't look at your purchase as bad look at it as "cool I have something to do in the garage or driveway" My Focus ST is a blast to drive, with mods it now makes almost 300hp has Bluetooth, Nav, Traction control, leather heated seats, bangin' stereo but I drive my mini more, Why? Because no one starts a conversation when I drive my ST. My, at the time, 10 yr old daughter helped me changed the stupic boy racer exhaust on my 3 day old mini in the driveway and you know what? We had fun we both got dirty and got to drive around town with a sense of accomplishment.

That's my .25 cents worth. 

Derwood.. I would MAKE the seller buy you used 998 cc and tranny.. I have them in stock for $750. .. that are bench tested.. I am sure Mini Mover. can find you one from Deb at Mainly Minis Montreal. also.. was same price  range... later bc

Mike i know of Derwood/Darren from BaT and he seems real to me. The way the shipper and seller responded seemed real to me also.

Now "specialist" that is another can of worms.

     Thank you all for your help. Mike, I assume Alex is Mur ? I feel like I should know this by now, but process
of elimination says it must be Mur.
     One thing is for sure, imo. That is that the clamp inside the steering column is loose. Easy fix, so thank 
you Alex. I will check the chock linkage...that is a good starting point. I should mention that the car is
fitted with a “quick shift “ kit. Could this be causing the very difficult shift ?
      Don , I’m going to send you a picture of the front exhaust clamp...please give me your opinion , and post it so others can also give their opinion ( it looked loose in the pictures, but I haven’t worked on a Mini in 38
years...
       so I’ll start with the basics ( choke , etc ) But if it turns out to be an engine and/or transmission 
problem, am I better off to buy a known rebuil one ( Mini Mani etc ) , or try to find a Mini mechanic ? I doubt
if I will find one one PEI. Any and all comments are welcome.
      Finally, how do I go about posting this, and where ( if I decide to ). I’m a pretty frail ( emotionally ) dude
right now ; the simple things I can handle...the transmission...I’ve only had a broken one apart to look
at it ( years ago ). Please stay with me on this post ( everyone ). I will be needing some serious advice in the
days and weeks ahead.
       One last note; the body I’d excellent. Is it worth putting rebuilt engine/ trans in ? Or a known good one ?
        Thank you all,
          Darren
pS- I’m not at all interested in a V-tech...they are great for some...but not me...

IMO you fellas are all the victim of a cruel jokester.
ie: you're wasting your time reading posts from 0 post count sellers, shippers, buyers, cheering squad, etc.
I think Alex was correct.

Shifting problems:
Mini shift linkage has always been vague at best. Remember the basic design is from the 50's when most transmissions had a floor mounted shift lever that was stuck right in the top of the gearbox. The original Mini magic wand gearshift is commonly described as a "pudding stirrer". The remote shifters were intended to be an improvement, but added 3 or 4 linkage joints which over time get looser and looser. The later "rod shift" type (probably what you have) are between the two others - a nice tight rod comes out of the back of the transmission (it actuates the shift forks), but it is connected to a long rod back to the shifter housing with a slightly flexible connection. There is fixed rod linking the shifter housing to the transmission case. If any of the connections of these two rods are loose, or the shifter housing is loose or worn, that adds more uncertainty.  If any of the engine mounts or steadies are not up to par, the movement of the engine under power also adds vagueness.
BUT! ( the big but!). Minis being typically vague is something you get used to. True story: when I got my Mini in Toronto and drove it back to Ottawa, I stopped to get gas. When I went to leave the gas bar, I could not for the life of me get it into reverse. I felt the way you do... "What? no reverse???". When I got home, my wife hopped in and casually backed it out of the driveway ( she had never driven a Mini before). My jaw dropped! The only problem was with me! My transmission is still fine.

Exhaust system:
From the photos you sent, the exhaust looks brand new. To me, it looks about the right size for a 998. It is a single box system, meaning it only has a muffler and no resonator.  It is a Mini, with no sound deadening in the floor or firewall to speak of, so it is going to be noisier than a modern car to begin with. Compared to a MG B or Midget, it will also be louder because the back of the engine is inches from the firewall, so you will hear engine noises such as tappets and timing chain through the firewall.
Some guys with Minis in higher tune use ear plugs or protectors on long drives. My Mini has a single box RC40 system in stainless steel (a material that transmits sound more than regular steel) - it is loud but not illegally loud. It sounds way better than the soup-can exhausts added to Honda Civic. I consider the exhaust sound a bit of a safety feature - other drivers hear me when they may not see me. (My Mini came with an undersized exhaust system that generated a lot of back-pressure AND it leaked, badly. I drove it from T.O. to Ottawa that way, about 5 hours... cough - cough.)

I know you are discouraged now, but I remember you saying you wanted a Mini to tinker with. Sounds like you have a list to get started on. You'll feel better once you get stuck in. We are here to help.

I probably shouldn't, but I'll chime in.

1.) To be taken seriously on the internet, type words correctly and write clearly.

2.) Never buy a car sight unseen unless you either plan to fully restore it, or it is such a deal you can't miss it.

3.) What is written on the internet stays there forever. This isn't the bar, or your friend's house, it's here for everyone to see.

4.) It's a mini. It's not a BMW or a Honda. These cars are nearly ALL works in progress. I hope you find great joy in tinkering with it and fixing what you can. Good luck and I wish you the best with your project.

Hey

First, I don’t know this fellow who sold you the car.  However, I have sold and serviced more than a few minis over the years, and I can probably explain your issues-with the car.

I suspect your turn signal issue is either: the switch is loose where it clamps to the column, or it was broken by either you or the fellow who loaded the car. 

A running 998 tends to stay as a running 998. I would suggest carefully checking the choke cable and the action of the choke quadrant. Perhaps something there is preventing the choke from first rotating through the fast idle cam and then enrichening the mixture by either pulling the jet down or doing whatever magic goes on with HIF carbs in the enrichment circuit. In any case, this all has to work and the choke has to be fully engaged to start cold.

As for the shifter, it also could have been damaged by someone between Alberta and PEI. Maybe. It caught on the trailer when the car was loaded or unloaded.

These doors do not lock unless they are closed and latched. This means a key has to lock them from the outside, or the lever can only move over on the inside if the door is closed. It is possible but unlikely that the outside handle’s connection from the key tumbler to the latch has come off. Again, easily damaged by careless people, easily corrected.

A pin can be used to re aim a washer squirter in a matter of seconds.

Is the car loud? Maybe someone smashed the exhaust AND the shifter loading the car.

But hey, your first move in addressing any of these issues should be to go on the internet and make a post as you have.