Shwmae Fellas!

[demonbluedays]

Hey guys and girlie's!

My names Tom...or DemonBlueDays I'm from Cwmbran in South East Wales.

I found this forum after my parents suggested I swap my 1979 Scimitar GTE (A 3 litre V6 monster ;D) For a mini, my mum saw one advertised in Pontypool for what she thought was £300....yeah it was £3k for a modified L reg carb'd cooper. And to be honest, the allure of the cute lil mini appeals to me!

BUT

and theres a BIG but, minis cost to friggin much to buy!

everywhere I've turned I find mini projects, and I mean RUSTY ass mini's for over 2k....for that money I could get a really nice GTE

If I'm honest I'm tempted by the mark 4's, as growing up they are the ones I remember. I'm not fussed by what model I get neither as I know I have a wide choice, from the base model (City?) all the way through to the Special Editions such as the 25, the Piccadilly and so on. The only two things I need to be unmoving on, is that the car I find needs to a manual, because I hate auto gearboxes with a passion, not to mention some with their demented wailing making me want to take a hammer to it! And the second is that it would have to be a project...for money reasons, I got my scimitar for free and to be honest that really helped for keeping the costs down!

I remember the Usk Mini Centre, but have been told recently it's no longer there Is there anywhere across the south that still has a place such as UMC that still operates and would have knowledge of free/DIRT cheap (about 500 and under) cars that are around?

Anyway hope someone can help!

Cheers
DBD

[dai9fxey]

Welcome on board Tom.
In your quest to find a Mini the situation is getting tougher by the week. The minis are out there, but you sometimes need to be in the right place at the right time.
Rot free or relatively rot free shells are fairly thin on the ground and usually cost a bit more.
Ebay sometimes has something to offer, but the expense of delivery usually spoils the deal.
Keep your eyes peeled and something will turn up eventually, but as is always the case with classic Minis be prepared to get down and dirty with it.

[demonbluedays]

My scimitar was sat in grass nose up ass down for 6 years before i got her, so im not afraid to rip into the oily bits, and start a few fires.....*Ahem*, brakes, fuel lines and engines are a walk in the park after you've messed with a Ford Essex v6 lump trust me!

[Huntyfm]

The bargains are out there to be had, but theres plenty of lemons along the way. I bout an 84' Mayfair around 2 years back, all in all seemed a good car.. Cost me a grand turned out the bloody thing was rotten hidden by fibreglass and filler, but I did manage to recoup some of the cost by selling parts. About 2-3 months ago I bought a 87' Advantage off a boy in Swansea, and to say I had a bargain is an understatement, it cost me £700, the car is completely solid & unique.. and he also threw in a box of turbo bits too.. So best just keeping your eye out for them mate

[Huntyfm]

Tell a lie its exactly a year to the day I bought the blue Mini

[demonbluedays]

Theres only one thing I dont get...mini prices have exploded in less than a year....