Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

Sparky, it's common knowledge the newer the Mini, the more likely it is to fall apart. The Sportspacks were the worst out of all of them! The good thing is when they've been refurbed, they've usually been rustproofed much better than when out of the factory. You will probably still need to do minor things every 15 years, but then that's classic cars...

That's not too bad. I was sort of fearing that it would cost thousands a year in welding. I'll (hopefully) have a well-ventilated underground car parking space soon, so that should help, right?

Not very practical or reliable, being small and slow, designed to use the cheapest possible parts, thrown together by militant BL employees in between strikes, and then ragged to within an inch of its life for several decades.

However, what it would be is fun, fun, fun, and fucking awesome.

This is my thinking. Once (if) my flat purchase goes OK, then I'll be able to start saving for something fun. I rented a Morris Minor last year for a trip to the Isle of Wight and I was surprised at how much fun 30mph can be.

I made the mistake of thinking that if I got a "refurbed" 1993 Mini, it would be totally reliable. Make no mistake, it's still a near enough 60 year old design. Shit will happen when you least expect it, the only way it won't is if you buy a completely restored car. They start at £20k+ because they really are like new cars.

Simple things like driving in the rain become cumbersome, frustrating activities due to classic ignition not liking the damp, and archaic windscreen wipers that require gravity to return to the "down" position.

Windscreens that freeze on the inside.

Heaters that provide heat everywhere you don't want, and nowhere that you do want.

Your carbs will need tuning every 6 months just to keep the engine running smoothly, not to mention the almost random fuel consumption, and the requirement for leaded additive unless the engine has been updated.

THINGS WILL BREAK. The parts are old, they're weak. You could do a 500 mile journey and nothing breaks, you could do a 2 mile journey and snap a wheel stud. Bushes, bearings, suspension components, everything.

It's easy to think your love for the car will overcome anything, but when it's 22:00, you're on your way back from Wales after a long weekend of mountain biking, you're tired, it's pissing it down with rain, and it conks out on the side of the M4, 100 miles from London, it's really easy to start rueing the day you ever bought a Mini.

I don't really need a car. So there won't be mornings where I absolutely, positively must have it start... and then it won't. It'd be more for fun, and cruising back to Norfolk for weekends when nothing's particularly rushed. I guess you just always carry tools, start learning how to fix stuff and also join the AA?

I'll just butt in with the buying an old mini, remember it will have had lots of owners and those owners would have little clue of what they are doing. New cills welled over rusty sills, subframes welded to the body. Mini's rust, the days of blowing up your mini engine and going to a scrappy on a saturday and buying another cheap engine to replace it are long gone. They are fun little cars and I liked mine as they were cheap and kept me from walking. Was at the point I could replace a pair of cills an repair the inner cill and floor over a weekend. A respray from poo brown to red upped the value and the sellability.

Still prefered fiat 500, 600, 850 and 126's cos they had the engine in the back and were cheaper than the mini as MOT failures.

I know what you mean. In a way, part of the appeal would be to improve the car over time, keep it running, preserve it for the future. It'd be something that I'd like to keep forever, really.

Well speaking of minis breaking down - I've done over 1000 miles since owning it and it never has broken down so to speak. Never needed a breakdown truck and has always started first time (rain or not)
I made a new circuit board for the gauges so they work and have repaired quite a lot of things myself but as said before, I've spent around 2k now repairing the mistakes of years gone by of clueless owners and a lack of regular maintenance with professionals.
Tomorrow its back in the garage to have both brake servo and master cylinder replaced (found brake fluid inside when I took the servo out)
The brakes had been the last thing annoying me - the pedal would not fully return immediately. This is the last part of the brakes now that hasnt been changed and if the problem remains I will be very very confused indeed!
Gonna be pricey though - £200 in parts alone then a couple hours labour its gonna be around 300 before VAT %$£&!!!
But the drive home from the garage makes it all worth it and the car acts as a motivation for me to work harder and subsequently keep it on the road longer :)
p.s. literally cannot wait for cadwell park!

It's partly pics of yours that has reignited my desire for a Mini. Partly also Goodwood, seeing all the lovely old classics, and hearing tales from my dad of his old cars.

Like I said, I don't really need a car, but will have space for one and - over a long time - will be able to save a bit of cash to buy myself something. We'll see. It's all a bit pie-in-the-sky at the moment.

Having mentioned the idea to my dad, he's now well behind it. I've had about a dozen classified ad links emailed to me this morning. I think he imagines me buying one and him getting to go on trips in it or borrow it.... :)

Which, thinking about it, sounds awesome.

Basically, anything penned by this dude:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3260/2711223359_4e54a1a8be_o.jpg
http://www.projectm71.com/GiugiaroDesign1.jpg
http://www.virtualcar.it/public/media0a/golf_giugiaro_sketch.jpg
http://iedei.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/giugiaro_lotus_esprit_renders.jpg?w=580&h=846

and of course:
http://www.lamborghinimiura.com/PAGE1/DESIGN_MIURA1_fichiers/image003.jpg

and while searching, this popped up: Great image but may be risky for some people at work (slight nudity, but artsy type)

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/72324_4314367629104_610676319_n.jpg

think there are three people to make a claim to the muira design: gandini, giugaro and a no-name youngster at bertone

The gif is awesome.

think there are three people to make a claim to the muira design: gandini, giugaro and a no-name youngster at bertone

Gandini is the Godfather.

When I win Euro Millions on Friday I wil be placing my order for one of these!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJQ4hQSusjE

http://www.6speedonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Singer-Porsche-911-NY-4.jpg

http://saskatoonautomall.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/01-singer-911-reimagined.jpg

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/01/21-singer-911-reimagined.jpg

http://stupiddope.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Retro-Styled-2011-Singer-Porsche-911-11.jpg

http://img.netcarshow.com/Singer-911_2011_1600x1200_wallpaper_48.jpg

I rented a Morris Minor last year for a trip to the Isle of Wight and I was surprised at how much fun 30mph can be.

There is no greater guarantee of female attention than driving one of those.

Want a Singer 911 too.

If we get a few of us maybe we can get a bulk discount?

There is no greater guarantee of female attention than driving one of those.

Get a bulldog puppy* in the passenger seat!

*not a euphemism.

A certain Radio 2 DJ said that he got more offers of action as a result of his Morris Minor cabrio than any amount of cash he could potentially throw at them.

Someone didn't use ellipse guides.

*jealous that he's a better designer than I will ever be

My brother's just acquired an original Golf GTI.

The (entire) interior is currently sitting in his dining room.

Serious question, Mk1 Golf GTI or 205 GTI (1.9)?

mmm

Mk1 GTI. The 1.9 205 was a terrible car.

My brother in law owns a singer I think, old school 911 - he lives in cal