dido  on Croc7 choice of mini from Cooper Tune..  I would buy.it if was in market for proper mini. well if I did NOT have 12 British cars in the garage..

nothing about that car adds up

"if it's too good to be true, then it probably is."

 

 

the fact that the listing starts off with a lie that anyone with even limited experience with classic minis can see through (the fact that it is not a 1968 car) it good enough reason to stay away as others have said. There are better cars out there that will give you less grief down the road.

That "68 car is an 89+ MINI..... I'd run away.  With some of the strict registration laws down there, I could see this MINI under a crusher.

Be wary of 'exotic' car dealers that sell a mini as an 'exotic' car.  Rather than the true mechanical condition, most of the time the emphasis is on the cuteness of the car or the appeal of owning a "true British icon from the 60's".  My advice would be to find a car in your price range and take someone along who is familiar with minis to help with the decision.  As an aside, my SAAB turbo runs about 8 lbs of boost and has 330,000 miles on it.  21 lbs of boost on an A series engine??  That's a hand grenade waiting to explode.  I'd go for the Inno that CooperTune referred to, looks like a nice car and in my opinion, the Italian made minis were more solidly built.  Having said all of that, a daily driver without air conditioning in South Florida?  No thanks.

Frank2198. this blue mini drag queen aka  1968 is also listed on www.ebay.com today.. I emailed the owner and questioned the year.. since it did NOT have external hinges.. his reply was.  well title say 1968.. then it is a 1968.. ebay @ 303425764416

I'll take that 65 Vette of your hands Kolsen! Haha! Pretty nice collection though, I do plan on doing prepurchase inspection no matter what car I end up getting. I don't mind doing repair work as long as it's nothing insanely complicated.

After retirement I looked for and found a classic Mini, something I've always wanted to join my 65 Vette and 72 911 in my garage.  I looked for and found one on Mini Mania's for sale listing.

It was supposed to be and early car, which it wasn't.  Checking the stamping under the rear trunk latch showed 1993, ok.  It had the 13" wheels which I like, good.  Low miles and clean frame with new seats.  The engine was supposed to be a 1380 with dual 1 1/4" carbs.  After I bought it I found it was at least a 1275.  The good thing was it had an oil cooler, which really helps when your stuck on the freeway on a 90 deg day.

I felt I got a pretty good deal, D***ering the private owner down to $16K.  When I got home to Oregon I found a local who is an expert on the classic Mini's.  He and I went over all the supposed components so I knew what I had.  With a few upgrades, much better ignition and new axles, it's a great driver.  Putting my own personality in the car, I'm not a stock guy with any of my cars.  I added a front spoiler and went to 13 X 7" wheels

A pre-purchase inspection by a knowledgable individual is well worth it.

An Inno is an Innocenti Mini, built in Italy. One of numerous variations on the Mini built in different countries under license. Some differences in internal and external trim, electrical parts and options, but still a Mini.
Read this>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini
And this>>> https://www.minimania.com/Mini_Identification_1807

Hey coopertune! Thanks for that feed back man, really appreciate the guidance as well as the 2 listing. I'll contact you later today via email. 

Excuse my ignorance, but what does "inno" mean? 

Jedduh01, thanks for this options brother! Really appreciate it. I'll get around to looking at those when I get home later today. To answer your question I have never driven a mini. The closest thing I had to a small car before was a Scion FRS, if that's even considered small, lol. I currently daily a C6 Corvette Z06 and wanted a daily with character, and what car has more character than a mini!? I've loved the heritage behind it and I love that it does nothing but put smile on peoples faces, both the owner's and the pedestrians. 


Yeah here in Florida people are madmen, which is why insurance reflects that insanity lol. As long as I can do 60 without straining the car, I'll feel fine. I get attached to cars, same goes for my Z06, and I don't want to feel like I'm making the mini work too hard.

Attaching Pictures of   Coopertune's Refrenced = Inno = he mentioned.

Yeah I don't think I'll keep the 13 inch wheels, that's a great point you mentioned about the additional stress it brings on the suspension, not many people think about that, including myself to be honest. In regards to the prices, yeah, it's up there right? But like, other places that are selling 998CC minis are up there as well. There's a nother mini for sale here in Florida by Primo Classic Cars in Lakeland! It's a 1961 Mini with a 998 and they also have it listed for about $19k. I've tried contacting some of the for sale by owners on this site and many others but have yet to hear a response. 

There's a nice blue one I found on the miniguy.com website for $11k, but again no response as of yet. 

I drove my 85 1000E over 100,000 miles as a daily driver. In fact it was my only transportation for 17 years.
It only need a trailer ride back to the shop once. Got a ticket for 69 in a 55 and that's about a 998 has. The
good part is it would run 69 all day long without any issue. Car is in SE VA.

I currently have a mid 80s ( titled as a 70s ) Mayfair to offer. Owned by a local Dr. and his lawyer wife. Due to
her health issues they no longer do British car days. She had concerns about selling the car due to condition.
I removed and rebuilt engine, tranny, suspension, brakes. I have all notes and part numbers from rebuild. Due
to a small rust area in the scuttle we have not offered it for sale. The interior needs a freshening up. If I recall
correctly we spent around $6,000 on the rebuild. I drove this car before the rebuild and it got high 40s MPG. LHD
nice dash fly in drive home or can be delivered at cost. Car has received no highway miles since work completed.
Yellow with a black roof, 12 inch alloy wheels. I'd want a new battery and tires. This one should go for $16,000.

I also have a lead on a MK3 Inno Cooper 1000 near perfect car fully restored. Located in NC looking for $20,000 for that one. 
I have no skin in either but can get you in touch with seller. Steve (CTR)

Find my number and text me for pictures.

Lol! I guess it must be a '68? (Just Kidding) I spoke to them about the issues that were brought up earlier in the thread regarding operating temperatures. The dealer told me that the car was a weekend driver so at least it's good to know that it hasn't just been sitting there. When I asked him about temperatures, he mentioned to me that he has driven it and the temperature were in check. His pushback was that he didn't recommend it as a daily because of the air conditioning and the fact that it's a "small car". 

Really all over the place for your search for a mini...

Just because it comes from a dealer... they're just that a dealer == they dont own these cars. they proably dont even drive them out of the parking lot.   They'll tell you they're great, its perfect!   BUY IT!


 Frank - Have you ever driven a mini?   A Normal 998 can do very well daily just depends on your expectations. round town - highways people DO travel all over = but a daily commute 70+ mph ( i know how they drive in florida) might wear a bit on daily driving.. / ownership.

I HIGHLY suggest trying a few cars out before committing to one from an online dealer.

Facebook marketplace SHOULD have some local cars for sale to go meet + try out.

 (Local to me)

998 - ( says automatick, but you can see the Clutch slave and 3 pedals in the pictures)

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/475940543333452/


https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/407038773497243/


Dont know the engine .. but it needs suspension work BADLY!

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/483636999022804/


I knew the previous owner of this car = he's done alot to get it in MORE roadworthy shape

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/525501011367307/


This looks Florida appopriate all day long!

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/719198555192714/



This car = Ive seen in person years ago = NICE BUILD.  And is currently in florida.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1962-Austin-Mini-Perfect-condition-great-deal/223829439363?hash=item341d463383:g:rW0AAOSwHnpd8-Mh

Sold on Bring a trailer - 2016
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1962-austin-mini-cooper-2/

well.. contacted the seller.  he said. well Fla title says it is a 1968.. it is a 1968.. ebay@ 303425764416

Ugh on the 13 inch wheels. Some think they look nice, but they drive like crap and put stress on suspension components etc.

Also that price for a 998. Wow.

Compare it to some on BringaTrailer for example. (I know this link is from the past, but look at actual selling prices over the last couple of years and you'll get an idea of what is reasonable. Don't try to compare the price of an 80's mini to a Mk1 or Mk2)

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1988-austin-mini-designer-edition-2/

Yeah i feel like 180 is a lok for a car that weighs 700kg. I am looking at another one thats pretty much 10k less which is why i was wondering if this car was worth the extra money, the general consensus is that its not. 

 

Here is the other mini that I am looking at

 

https://www.streetsideclassics.com/vehicles/1564-nsh/1984-austin-mini

Every time I read this post I have a quiet chortle.... 

We have a saying in Oz  "Tell 'im he's dreaming"....

Probably the most exciting part of the whole spec is the "High speed Cam drive"  WOW!!  "all- Synchro- straight cut drop gears" ?????

180 hp with rubber mounted subframe...Looking forward to the driving experience...

Cheers, Ian

Yes, at sea level and if it's not too hilly. Will be noisy though. Most people happier with a 1275 for daily use. 55-90 HP is nice to have. 180 not needed in my opinion.