Classic Austin Mini 30 Edition 15k mile one owner survivor - Will it start? Jonny Smith Carpervert
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
- Motoring journalist and TV presenter Jonny Smith buys a 1989 Mini 30 edition from its original owner as a 15,000 original mile garaged survivor. Sadly it's a non-runner. In this video he gets the car running for the first time in 5 years.
Be sure to watch part two - the Mini MoT journey. Part 3 will be the full drive review.
Subscribe to Carpervert and you can expect a broadchurch of Jonny's car projects, exploring other folk's interesting/mad machines, barn/field finds, drive-buy roulette roadtrips and tests of new cars... with a twist. Most of all thanks for watching.
Music: Roundabout by Karl Phillips and the Midnight Ramblers, on Medical Records
www.discogs.co...
The thing about the auto Mini is the engine and the subframe are completely unique as well as the gearbox. And for me as an ex engineer they are a really clever piece of design and actually brilliantly suited to what the Mini actually was designed for. A Town and occasional country car.
And this one is an absolute gem and in great condition... well done you Sir.
Dear god it's like watching the chuckle brothers !
I love my little Austin Mini. Proper RHD and everyone is so confused seeing me driving it in Germany. Brought it over from Coventry all the way to Frankfurt. Best years to come though...
Rare!rare!rare! Automatic minis are so rare value is going huge high 99% people that are in means they don't even know they exist automatics
My first car back in 1993, when I was 17 was a mini, and yes, I fitted nudge bars… Mine had cibie super Oscar spot lamps (bigger than the headlamps!) with some lovely white covers over them …… x
Finally the Mini video! Mine was a auto at 18,000 miles out of a olds boys garage. Totally original. It now it’s totally original but has a 1380 manual in it 😬
Jonny, did you not notice the interior light going on and off when you tried to start the car? It may have given you a clue.
My Dad had a Mini Automatic in the 70s and took it all over Europe (he lived in Portugal for a while). It's untimely demise was met just before I was born in 79 when he came to blows with a cement mixer. The cement mixer came out far better. He then had another (brand new one) just after I was born, that was a Motability lease. Reliable cars on both accounts according to my father.
Love these time-warp finds.
A lot of good mini survivors are auto because they were bought by people who just wanted a small easy to drive car for their later years. They were not thrashed or rallied and lived charmed lives going to church and down the shops. They had no appeal to the performance sector as changing to a manual is a lot of work and parts. That one you have looks really good.
Remarkable, as in Holland the Mini was very popular among young folk, who were prtetty rough drivers. Buying a second hand Mini was always a risk, when coming from an owner under 45!
Nice little car, and its rare one being an auto. It's worth keeping most definitely. As you said, replace the rotor arm, distributor cap, condenser, leads, and spark plus, replace that crappy old petrol ect and I think it will be a nice car.
That's a beauty. I have such a soft spot for Mini's, so many great memories from when I was young and my wife owned one. Would still love a nicely tuned 1275GT or Cooper.
That takes me back! I had a Black 30 manual in the 90s and loved it.
It would be great to see an update on this if you still have it?
The mini 30 was a new car when I owned my mk1! now its a classic!
That's scary. You have a battery issue but decided to change the starter motor.
When you described the ex owner I just knew it was going to be an automatic.
Nice little car Jonny. Thanks for your videos. Love watching from Australia
I'd buy it they are great cars, I sold mine 20 years ago and regretted it ever since, it would look great in my garage....
Shaun Patchett For sale now Shaun. £6k.
I like any videos of older Minis I started driving in the old MK 1 Austin ones
Just a quick one m8 every car I try starting that's been stood a year plus I remove all plugs squirt oil down all bores then spin over on the key for quite a while this gets oil around engine and allows u 2 c if u have oil pressure and also gets fuel around system making for an easier start up just saying! Loving channel Johnny ❤️
New convert to carpervert, that mini is beautiful! I have always wanted one of those, love the look
As cute a shopping cart as you're ever going to see.
Love to see a Smith & Sniff in this like you did with the Fiat 126
Thank god for guys like you during lockdown..
You should rub the rotor arm on the tyre to discharge static build-up as well / and i also once found out that they can turn into whats called a " dry connection " Rotor Arm kinda forgets it has to conduct Lol
battery voltage is not a good indicator , you have to load-test the battery to learn about it's condition. This tests how many cold start Amps the battery can deliver.
Note for future V=IR ... you can have 12.8V but really low current, as the battery degrades it’s internal resistance increases, so you can charge it all you like but it won’t start a car.
To properly check the condition of a battery you need to do a ‘drop test’ which tests the battery under load. Google it.
I always think black is the best colour for a mini, with a thin red go faster strip. Love it
I had one of these in cherry red, twin carb cooper 30,really nice car, it done 65,000 when I bought it.
Can remember being very tempted by a maroon Mini 30. Then spotted a newly-restored '67 mk1 850 Morris Mini Minor. This was 18 years ago. Paid £1800 for it, got the same selling it when I lost my garage space. Mini prices are insane now for what was supposed to be a cheap runaround. I'd definately enjoy your 30 for a while.
Why Jonny was never asked to do top gear is beyond me
Me too ... he would be ideal
Had one of these 3 months old bought from a friend. They cost £5,500 new and I think 500 were made .I always knew they would be desirable, one of the most attractive ' limited editions' Minis .Sold it for £2,500 with 9.500 miles around 1995 !.See it's still on the road , G653 OVA.
Oh wow - the second car I ever owned was a black Mini Thirty! (the first one was a Mini too!) I'd love to own one again some day.
I used to have a red 30. G94TAS. Someone helped themselves to it! I loved it.
Love the horizontalitist infection on the mini roof. It 's the disease where any horizontal surface attracts objects that need placing somewhere.
Re-Watch Johnny's Videos #005 If his fans rewatching his videos and post new comments, Johnny can take another week's vacation later in the year.
I had no idea you did these vids!
I picked up an 89 City E with something like 56k and one owner about 15 years ago for 200 quid with 12 months MOT and it was totally unmolested and mint inside and out.
I was 17 at the time so it didn't take long before a Jonspeed built 1340 fast road lump went in it, and subsequently crashed it.
I don't think anyone can say they're a gearhead unless they've lived with a MINI for a bit!
Ive got a Reliant Robin LX with only 13,000 miles on with one owner, saved it from a mot station that wanted to scrap it for a trike, its like a brand new car
everyone over there in uk land needs a bigger shed.... greetings from oz
Amen! And thats a BIG one for here.
Check electrical parts for brand name...see the name Lucas well you have found the problem....some relays, new battery and electronic ignition would fix it right up nicely!
go jonny go.......what a sweet little mini....i owned one in the 80"s,the previous owner was one lady jane sarah armstrong,
another fun car to drive again drives like a little Go Kart and was a rediculous loads of fun back then the Rover Metro, for such a tiny car it had so much Character.. i am 80s Kid
Cracking find Jonny ... looking forward to the MOT journey.
Ohhhh cmooooon!!!! I wanted to see how the MOT went. Lovely video.
Used to work for an Austin Rover dealer back in the day and we had the perlecent red Mini 30 sold streight away.
I had a red Mini 30 which someone helped themselves to! 😔😢I loved it.
Will my own barn find Mini 30 with 9000 miles and one owner start first time? Dunno, haven’t tried for 13 years. Might put a video up when I get round to trying.
Do it. Or I will...
Didn't know you can bump start an automatic Mini. My sister had one (she does have a manual 'box licence) and it was an absolute hoot to drive.
a clue is to watch the interior light while cranking. love the car , takes me back
1992, before the internet was invented? The concept was thought of in the 1900s (four decades before the first computer was invented in the 1940s), packet switching was developed in the 1960s, the internet was prototyped as ARPANET in the 1970s and the first email sent, the TCP/IP protocol came into use in 1983, and then the WorldWideWeb followed with the first web page going online in 1991. Sorry, couldn't help it :-P
No Problem. It's good to have such informative comments here on YT, some people might just learn something new :) although I knew most of what you said already :)
RWL2012 How many people had internet in 1992? Almost nobody.
It was invented, but not in use for public. - he meant. And you know that, you only play wiseass.
Brought back memories of my teenage years 👍
Great car. Mini autos are really good cars. Don't expect to drive it like a modern auto though, think more 2CV. That is, use ALL the throttle travel. These are great fun. I hope you enjoy it. Very cool to see an unmolested mini.
More videos please. . .
a friend of the family has a morris mini panel van woody with the dual doors at the back spent quite a few hours with dad working on brakes and lights and suspension the guy used to rub baby oil on it to polish it to a shine and eventually sold it to get a volvo
Uhh... test the starter OFF the motor? (The old one, in this case)
A good clean & grease does does job most times, otherwise new brushes.
A LOT cheaper than a new motor.
Good to see you on TH-cam Jonny and enjoying the vids. 👍
Great video Jonny don't sell it keep it your only regret it in the future , i did so twice
Quite funny always check battery voltage first which multi meter you could tell it was the battery buy the interior lights going every time.
sounds very sweet be great once got upto temp just really hope u tokk the thermostat out before the test drive that thing will be stuck
I thought it was a new video then saw it was two years old. Loved it still. My mrs has always wanted figaro and said to me today she wants an electric one. How's the conversion going?👍
enjoyed the video but struggled to hear most of it
Sorry - now have a mic for all future vids.
@@TheLateBrakeShow I listened on headphones and it was ok
sound is fine for me
ah my god, I'm having traumatic flashbacks - the sound of a starter motor on a cold morning when the engine wouldn't fire up to get me to uni. Then watching this I suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of my head that mini owners will know too well.
I was thinking this morning (Australian time)when you would post a new video and voila! Well done!
Excellent. What a lovely little car
Registered the day after mine ..... same colour too
Why wouldn't you keep this? It's Rare! It's sought after! It's cheap to repair! And doesn't need much space! It's value is only going one way! No brained tbh. Get her MOTd, get her out over the Summer, and wrap it back up come Winter. Win Win situation all round. Why don't I get offered these types of cars? Not 2002 Ford Focus types....:(
armadillo platypus - I have just turned 60 and Minis are no worst than any other cars from way back then for rust - if you let them. Most people just drove their cars and do NOT clean the underside or rustproof them. Modern cars have been well rustproofed and protected against rust - cars back then just weren't by the manufacturers. I always cleaned off the underside of my cars - including my Mini Mayfair, Allegro Equipe and Morris Marina 1.8 HL - and I painted them with rustproof primer and then painted them with hammerite and then underseal and had no problem with rust. Also got wax into all the cavities. Most people were just too lazy to even check their water and oil levels back then just like they are today never mind do anything like that to rustproof their cars and did not bother with the maintenance of their car only putting it into a garage when something went wrong with it as a result. Minis are a massive cult car all over the world because they are EXCELLENT cars and brilliant to drive - yes many things on them are a wee bit harder to do because the car is so small and everything is tight but if you are a good enough mechanic then you will have no problem working on them so do not blame the car for your own inadequacies.
armadillo platypus - You're not very good at working on cars then are you 👍
armadillo platypus sorry just had to violently resist the urge to kill myself laughing.
You’re blaming the mini for being a rot box and saying the P6 was better! Of course it’s better engineered you muppet, it cost more than twice as much!
Minis are brilliant and if you know your arse from your elbow easy to work on as well. I’ve never understood the argument that they’re too cramped. Yes it’s small but if you actually spend more than a few seconds thinking about it, they are astonishingly easy to work on. I’ve rebuilt 2 and worked on lots since, I do have some idea what I’m talking about.
It doesn’t matter how much experience you have or how old you are, neither of these things cure lack of intelligence.
armadillo platypus - Deary Deary Me! The Mini was engineered to be a cheap runaround for the masses and to be cheap to run because of the fuel crisis back then where as the Rover P6 was engineered for a completely different segment altogether. I maintained the books and ran the offices of different garages for years and always maintained my own cars because most mechanics were either not very good or lazy and most problems with the cars were either them or the owners. Minis being very low to the ground the floors etc around the wheelarches etc was where they would rust out the most because these were the bits that were being hammered the most with stuff being thrown up from the road. As I have already said very easy to solve by rustproofing and undersealing but most people are too lazy to even check their water etc never mind do anything like that. Funny how Minis that have been Waxoiled and rustproofed and looked after managed to survive in good condition just like any other car from back then did when this was done. Like I said it was the minority of people that did this so the majority of cars from back then either got scrapped because of rust or the survivors needed a lot of restoring because of the rust. Funny how us non-mechanics manage to work on our Minis no problem with no moaning or saying the cars were crap and funny how guys like John Cooper worked on them and raced them and thought that they were brilliant little cars as well and had a thriving business all those decades around them and made his £millions from them unlike moaners like you. Funny how all of my British Leyland cars were very reliable and excellent cars - then again like I said I would not let a British mechanic near my cars because the majority of them are useless and lazy and it is hard to find a good one just like most British workers of today and is why people prefer getting a Polish worker to do the work for them because they work hard and do the work right. Hate to tell you but the only part of Leyland that went bust was MG Rover at Longbridge and that was because of bad management and because BMW sold off the Mini and Land rover parts of that which were the most profitable bits which didn't help MG Rover - all the other bits of British Leyland are still going but are all owned by foreign companies now including Leyland Trucks and Albion which are both owned by a US Company. MG and LDV Vans are both owned by the Chinese with MG Cars still being designed and engineered from Longbridge.
armadillo platypus lmfao! We've all worked with these people, and I regret not kicking every fuckin one in the bollocks!! Bet his staff made voodoo dolls of him...lol
I couldn't here most of what was going on but, as a general rule, if when you try and turn a car over the interior lights dim or go off, then the battery is shot.
You'd definitely regret selling it and seeing one later when you couldn't afford to buy one as good in years to come. We've all done it.
I'm well jealous at how well it runs having spent ages trying to make my low mileage cinquecento run properly
So why was there so much voltage loss between the battery and the starter?
Shagged battery. They can get in a state where they report a good voltage but won't deliver much current. I've been caught like that, convinced that the battery was ok and fiddling around with a starter. Now I check with another battery.
JEEZUZ- No pre prep of fuel tank flush, oil change, carb clean, distributor, etc, etc. Pretty hack.
pointless going through all that if theres a major flaw preventing it running. try it first THEN worry about getting it running perfectly. this is JUST to make sure it ACTUALLY runs.plus as the rotor arm etc were being cleaned, thats the distributor covered.
*Needed to turn up my speakers to 80% and forgot had done that, and my wife jumped out of bed and rushed downstairs to find me watching -*
fullychargedshow !!! What Happened Jonny ?
Just a nice little car that Jonny👍
A black Mini 30 Auto has to be very rare, most were cherry red. Is that a Chevy Volt pic on the wall? Just got rid of my Ampera. Did you check the earths and do a volt drop? If you had 13v at the battery and only 3v at the front when cranking there could be a 10v drop, might explain why the original starter was turning slowly. May have just been a corroded earth? I have a Mini Sprite auto, got bored and done an engine conversion. How about an electric conversion but a proper sleeper like Flux Capacitor :) I will come and help you build it :)
The Volt is my daily driver. I have always liked the Volt/Ampera since they were launched. How did you find yours?
My Ampera was great, done 100k miles in just over 3 years, drove it to Croatia and back from the UK. Amazing car, sad they never imported the Ampera B into the UK :( I now run a Ionic plug in which is proving to be pretty good but not quite as nice as the Ampera
Croatia? Wow. You must be a Fully Charged channel subscriber. I too like the Ampera/Volt a lot and rate it amongst the existing plug-ins. Vauxhall definitely dropped the ball when it came to bringing the next gen Ampera and also Chevy Bolt to the UK. Real shame. Why is the Ionic not as nice as your Ampera? Keen to know why.
I am a subscriber. Lots of toys on the Ionic which is nice and for longer journeys +100 miles or so it has better fuel economy by quite a long shot. 75mpg just on petrol is normal whereas the Ampera was about 50mpg on petrol only. The Ionic does not handle as well, is slower on the traffic light grand prix, noisier in the cabin and not as smooth a ride and transmission (DSG box). The Ampera also felt a bit more premium, and the sound system was much better (Bose). The Ampera would also do 0-106 mph full throttle on just electric (On the Autobhan of course) If you full throttle the Ionic it needs assistance from the ICE regardless of battery charge. The Ampera must surely be a rare future classic!
So painful just put battery on it first
Batteries need to be tested under load. Use a CCA tester. Open circuit voltage tells you nothing. Lovely car!!
Even though its an automatic a Mini in that condition and mileage would be worth quite a bit.
Park was not a thing back then. What do you think the handbrakes are made for?
I found one of these abandoned on an estate near me, i think you commented on a repost of it about 2 years ago on instagram
Superb! Keep it up Jonny!!
Looks like a replacement ' Gold Seal' engine by colour of block and 'tested' sticker on cover, but at 15,000 miles I must be mistaken.
The colour of the block denotes a 998cc engine. A red block would denote a 1275cc engine on the A plus motor (same as the Metros). The tested sticker on the rocker cover I believe would have been fitted after initial testing at the Longbridge factory.
@@nicholaskennedy1748 ah. Thank you for clearing that up.
No worries. You are right about gold seal engines; they were indeed gold! There used to be Blue Riband replacements too, which were blue. As for the A series before the A plus designation, there were lots of different colours, not just regarding capacity, but model year, what car they were fitted to, home markets etc. So I'm not as clued up about these.
Nice find there, mot should be a breeze.
That is beautiful. If you've still got it and want to donate it to a very loving home, I would love that as my daily!! 🤔🙄😂😂😂
Right everyone on eBay that's what a 15,000 mile engine bay looks like! Be lucky folks.
Lovely number plates!
And Johnny im still waiting for the w123 video😁
More cake would have got it running quicker😜....great find....I don't care it being a automatic it's still a original mini 😎
I had a Mini Cooper with a groundhog front, hahaha.
Somebody tell me why the one and only @carpervert has so few followers on here? Madness for such great content. Keep up the good work Johnny. Loving it.
You are too kind John. Thanks mate. More to come...
Hey Jonny, watch your audio EQ, this vid is at least 10dB lower than the fully charged one I just watched ;0)
[ makes sure the 'bell' is on ]
This channel should have way more subscribers - Keep up the good work Johnny, did you get a chance to upload the Supercars of London Morgan chip shop run yet?? Regards, a new subscriber - I used to watch you on fifth gear, the best one of the bunch imo!!
My computer had brain failure during the night mid-upload so I am trying to get it on there for this arvo. Thanks for the sub!
Thanks Jonny
A real classic😁😁
Great videos but sort your mic levels please!
I hope you did an oil change before you tried to start it! :)
Yes
Awesome :D I didn't think you would be so silly!
You can tell the battery is no good by the interior light dimming out on crank!!
Definitely wise for your camera battery battery to die before you go for a drive without an MOT 😂
I really like the original Mini, loads of character, charm and fun.
The newer BMW mini is more reliable but not as characterful and too much electronics.
Lucky so-and-so. I love proper Minis (the thing that BMW make is a blasphemy against the Mini name) and wish I could find one like that.
Is the mini 30 up for sale
Never really did any of fettling, and had a company car at 19, so all this lying on cold concrete, getting oily and dropping nuts into the engine bay passed me by.
Figaro Figaro Fiiiigarooo!!!!!
I like the video, but please normalize your audio!
Why does it say TESTED on the rocker cover. . Being gold are you sure it isn't a replacement Gold Seal engine Jonny ?
Absolutely no idea man. I don't know much about A series.