Is It Actually Worth Buying a Classic Mini Cooper Or Are They Money Pits? 1.5 Year Owner Review!
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In this video we take a look at the classic Mini to see if it is worth buying!
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I’ve been a classic Mini owner here in the US for over 45 years (yes, I’m that old :) ) and my very first car was a ‘62 Austin Mini when I was 17 years old. I’ve always owned at least one Mini since then. I listened to everything Tommy said and his take on the classic Mini is spot on. They are very special cars and owning one is like having a pet. My only quibble is Tommy paying someone else big bucks to do maintenance and repair. Minis are simple cars, and I suggest he should get a Haynes manual and roll up his sleeves and dig in. There is great personal satisfaction to be had by doing your own work.
Easy to work on, parts from UK are fairly cheap. Put some low profile tires on it, mine are 165/55/12s, same overall diameter as the 10 inchers, and it's pretty quick!
Classic Mini owner here NYC 89 JDM Mini also it got a 998cc Cooper s block with some other goodies I’ve added, it’s the most fun going the speed limit. Carbs are easier to tune also. I’ve hit 92MPH top speed but it’s loud
I want to own a classic mini (im 19) as my first car. Highly likely the injection models bcs they have a higher topspeed and can go with the flow of the traffic more easily.
Ps im a dutchman so parts availability isnt an issue
Gave you any right hand drive one's for sale I love to import one to Ireland
Got my first one in 1967 a 63 Austin 850 have a 2000 cooper sport and 2002 Cooper S. Love them
I live about 120 miles to the NW of London and I can certainly say that the real McCoy, genuine article, Mini is very much loved and valued here in the UK. The market for them is very strong.
My best mate used to live in London before he came back to the states and helped form the band Fountains of Wayne. He had a Mini over there that was dead reliable and incredibly fun to drive . I think I remember the floor boards were so severely rusted you could see the road through the bottom, but it ran like a top.
I love the sound of that mini exhaust, brings back memories of our old 850
We love them in the UK. Everyone loves a good old mini.
Great review! Just got a 2004 and going through it now. Of course power steering pump broken. No other issues so far. Really enjoy your reviews, the younger guys are killing it!
That generation of Mini Coopers aren’t really Minis, they’re BMW’s economy car line. They have pretty much nothing to do mechanically with the original Morris Mini. Which also means, that you’ll have BMW mechanical/electric problems to deal with as the car ages.
I love that you left the driving review to Case since he was new to the car.
Great video! Love your Mini. I wish I could drive one someday. Now what happened to your glasses Tommy? I think glasses really suit you.
Either Tommy is wearing contacts, or he took off his glasses and was flying blind! Brilliant video, by the way! That is a dream car for me!
I have actually seen a few of them for sale. It has been years ago now,but I had found a guy who had imported a bunch of minis and he also had some tiny little Hondas. I knew that they were small cars,but they looked smaller in person.
I love the mini and loved the attempt at Case driving no offense intended. I've always considered 'em the miata across the pond, they are fun. Like the new look hope things continue to go your way.
I live in the south of France and have one... it is my favorite car... I don't really take the motorway too often but when I do I am flying down the fast lane...
i bought one October of last year. absolute blast to drive!
I've got a 76 rhd and I love the hell out of it.
In terms of driving comfort, 10" tires are the best, but they wear out quickly. 13" are just the opposite of 10". The compromise would be to put 12" rims.
I would love to see you get your hands on a Honda swapped Mini, I know it’s not authentic but they’re apparently extremely fun to drive, especially with a good Si or GSR B series swap
You should fix the rust holes even if you're keeping the flares!
Awesome I was so glad to see you made this video
Also these cute little things drive like a go cart. A classic mini was my first car (still have it but it's a weekender now) and it drives like its on rails
Im in the UK (mate LOL) and trust me, we care. You say they are rare in the US. Well try driving down any UK road these days and count how many you see. They used to ubiquitous. No street scene was complete without one, maybe two. Not now. They have all either been scrapped or the remaining ones are held by diehard enthusiasts who mollycoddle them like the babies they are. Most mini owners have more than one (I have 5). They are consistently one if the few classics that rises in value year in year out as they are classless and ageless so new buyers are interested even if they never knew them when they were new. Strangely BMWs (MINI, as opposed to the "Mini") has actually served to maintain the name and general awareness of the car. The mini is, as you say an icon.
Fun stuff. Did the TFL Tommy get Lasik? How long did it take to learn to shirt with your left hand?
Just watched your video I nearly 💩 my self when he went from 2nd to reverse and your face always priceless, how’s the car now
Don't get it twisted we love them in the UK too, its very rare you see them on the roads these days.
And they are starting to get expensive too
japanese markets for the USA tend to have air con. a UK spec one is VERY unlikely to have air con, if it was offered at all!
Is there a website you can recommend to find JDM Minis?
What is the website link for a trustworthy Japanese car importer?
Do you have many twisty roads where you live? They’re great fun in a mini
Thank goodness I manage a classic mini restoration shop in America.... makes building these super fun and available
Nice ride.
Where is the glasses ?
I'm a 1973 Mini built in Spain (not UK!)
It could really use a level 2 paint correction and then would look like a million bucks! that paint has an absurd amount of marring. One of my favorite cars. Drove one in London on vacation several years ago. $15k+ in today's market though is a bit too steep though :(
And I don't think the market is about to cool off sadly.
15 isn't alot for full resto . That's base price. I just finished a 28k resto for a customer. (I run a classic mini restoration shop) maybe cars aren't your thing. Niche markets become expensive. Find me a mini that's dead straight for a rebuild..... work isn't cheap , electrical work is a night mare , parts availability is at tine and shipping restraint ... oh u wanna put a mk1 grill on a mk3 ? Double carbs ? Why won't your brakes work ? Oh the brake switch isn't on the pedal? On this year .... oh what do you mean Monroe muffler can't tune my dual carbs?
ALL early Minis use an A series OHV/4 4spd g/box very few 5spds were made. Great on fuel for an older car, way better on fuel than most American cars!! These days a classic Mini especially Coopers are worth a fortune!!
I grew up in the UK. I owned a thirtieth anniversary edition and also a 1991 Mini Cooper S. I loved both. They are very fun to drive. Not sure I would want one in the US.
Why wouldn't u like it here ? You don't like the same fun you had then , here now ? Make it make sense bud. I ripped mine this weekend, it's 34 degrees, here today , yeah took 10 mins to warm up lol but hey worth it
@@homelesszaya.6548 Too much of a pain when they inevitably break. Parts not easy to get without having them shipped.
@davva360 ah. I see. I'm a bit biased because I stockpile parts. I understand that gets expensive, but hey you only die once , you live every day. (Spoiler alert , I restore classic minis for my job hahah) so I have a bit of a leg up on many here but there us plenty of hoarders here and it just is a finance situation I get it. If I didn't have the avenue I have I'd not have the stock I have
Hello, how can i contact you about the product review cooperation?
Looking good Tommy without the glasses
Thank you tommy for the no glasses look on this review I’m super happy you look phenomenal. Also only two hours in that with your height would be incredibly difficult for anyone So I get it Love you bro keep the good work
That thing is beautiful!
3:45 Dang I didn't know Tommy was that loaded.
there not that rare in ireland there not common either but there is always one around i have mechanical background so id love to get on of these as they are fairly simple
You had me at Mr. Bean!
If anyone takes one of these Colorado minis to sea-level they will get an instant power boost! Up at altitude even the 1275 must be wheezing away generating less power than my first car, a 75 850!
Only turbo or supercharging will solve the power loss at altitude, fuel injection or twin carbs can't do anything about thinner air.
You need some twisty roads to appreciate your mini
The car survived the money shift!
0:35 Did he get contact lens?
Tommy, London is not England it’s a foreign country to anyone north of Oxford, no offence intended.
So true, I'm from the North East of England, been to London once in my life and hated it 🤣
Still want one but can’t see myself selling my bmw 2002 to afford one
All the weight from those lights on the front have to slow that car down.
Similar to below...you need some fake Drew Carey-esque glasses. Also, Case commenting on it being loud is hilarious coming from the Dodge.
Guess it would be fine in the US if it doesnt rain half as much
in japan heard they do not salt the roads, why you get 20 year old car almost rust free very good examples but buy same car in play what salt the roads they lot worse
Never leave rust, having seen "Just Rolled In" and "Customer States" I know americans have a thing for allowing there vehicals to rust out from under them.
LOOKING PRETTY CUTE WITH OUT YOUR GLASSES TODAY .. A FIRST FOR ME AFTER ALL THESE YEARS .. GREAT VIDEO TODAY ... 😍🙏💯
Checkout Moog’s JDM Mini on Might Car Mods channel!
What a cool presentation. I have a right hand drive '68 non-Cooper Minimatic, first 40 years spent in the London area. Since it's automatic, anyone can drive it without the gear grinding. I caught your cringe, but you were too classy to make a big stink about it on camera.
Taking a girl on a date in that car? If she didn't have a blast riding in the passenger seat, she's too uptight. My wife (girlfriend at the time) loved cruising around in my rabbit gti. Been together 14 years with a couple of kids now and she can't wait for me to finish rebuilding the rabbit
A significant percentage of the UK population were conceived on the back seat of Mini's🤣
Plus you can fit 15 clowns in one if you need to.
Is that you tommy?
“Whatever mate” 😂
Gonna take a while to get used to your new look Tom. Idk if its me but w/o glasses you look more pastey white and high lol
Rather have a Honda N600
You should switch the side of the steering wheel, I never done it but I heard it is very simple.
Who needs a lambo or a bugati or a tesla when ya got a mini
I remember buying running Minis with MOT'S for £150 when I was a lad!
That may not sound impressive to most, but he used to be a LASS!
How ever fast you go round a corner…she will always go faster.
1. How was registering it in CO?
2. Are you looking to sell? :-)
Now that most are 25 years old, it is actually easy to import one of the reliable ones to the States... You can get good LHD examples in mainland Europe!
I would only get the country man version with all wheel drive.
Classic Mini was only ever built as front wheel drive. The Countryman was basically just an estate (Station Wagon) version with the more squared off front from the Mini1275GT (The replacement for the 1960's cooper)
Countryman was actually the budget version of the Traveller, I.e. the woody estate mini but without the wood. My parents had a brand new Countryman in 1965, their first non-used car. As well as being cheaper, the wood was one less thing to rot on the car, though the rest of it probably rusted at the usual
The Clubman estate was called the Clubman Estate, it had real sticky back vinyl wood instead of the real ash applique of the 60s Travellers.
BMW have managed to confuse everyone with their misapplication of the old model names for today's cars!
Ha ha, dumbster. Old farts like me could strip down a mini transmission and rebuild it with both eyes closed. Ha ha. An absolute icon and revolutionary car.
There’s right hand drive and then there’s wrong hand drive 😂
these are becoming harder & harder to buy & will only get more expensive
Why not start the engine while the bonnet was up! I'm sure lot of us would of listen to it and anjoy it! Big mistake ,
B16 swap it
Whoever loves this car must love Mr bean
Not really lol
Mr bean came 30 years after the mini 😉
110 mph easy
00:42 no it wasn’t 😂
I’ll give you 18k for it
£45k for a classic mini? Where you shopping? Harrods.....
He's talking about early mini's, don't forget they are over 60 years old!
Original coopers are highly regarded
Bring a date you don't really want to talk to! HAHA
👍👌😯🙃😀
North Americans can’t drive stick 😂😂😂
Yeah ok