Can anyone help diagnose my car problem: gen1 bmw mini cooper S

gjonesy

@Rox Got an 83 mini sprite too dude. It's on the list to fix up but its a much bigger/longer project. Need to decide whether I should tune the original 998 or fit a 1293 plus loads of welding.

Rox

Shame on you prioritising a pale imitation.

SHAAAAAAAAME!!!!

A mini specialist looked at the engine in mine and said "it must be a good one" - I asked 'why?' waiting for a fascinating insight and he said, "looks like no one's had to take it apart yet". 

gjonesy

I'll need to get unleaded inserts for the cylinder head so I'm thinking a rebuild anyway. Probably won't happen for a year or so, so I've got plenty of time to plan/save up/change my mind. What are you running?

Rox

It's a pretty bog standard 1992 Mini (I think it was a City variant), 998cc but I changed the whole interior when I snagged a Mini 30 half leather interior from ebay for a bargain price; fitted an aftermarket dash, radio - it didn't have one!!  Biggest bargain was a pretty swish wooden steering wheel from a boot sale for a fiver! 

It's a runner, and not a show or concourse car! 

Mind you, he's had a few cosmetic additions:

Fretwired

@Rox .. I like that - I had four Mini's [pre-BMW] three 1960s and a 1970s 1275. My first was a 1966 850cc with sliding windows a starter switch and the headlamp high beam being a switch on the floor by the clutch pedal. I loved them as I was cash poor so I could easily maintain them including fixing rust holes .. :-)

Rox

Christ, if we keep talking about old Minis, I'll bore you about my dad's 1970's Mini Van that was a Demon!  Tuned 1298cc engine, it needed a spoiler at the back and a heavy towbar mount to keep the power on the road!

gjonesy

@Rox thats a nice looking mini. I'm going to leave the interior original on mine (as it's apparently Ltd ed). I'm a sucker for the little 10s rather than the 12 inch wheels personally but will need to upgrade to discs from drums I had a rather unpleasant experience with brake fade in the past that I never wish to relive (fast downhill approaching a roundabout)
I'd love a minivan or a pickup but they're crazy prices these days

Rox

When I got it, it had 13" Webber style wheels.  They rubbed against the bodywork when you turned the wheel, so got a set of Minilites off ebay with new tyres for £60!

Mind you, I did have a scare when both ball joints failed one side going round a roundabout!!   :-O  Very lucky it didn't happen going at speed in a straight line...!

My dad's old Mini Van:



It once burned a Porsche off a set of traffic lights!!

The next owner wrapped it round a lamp-post and wrote it off. 

Karlos

Ooh Minis... any excuse to post a pic of my last Cooper Sport. (yeah I know I've posted it before).

gjonesy

Ooh v nice what colour of you call that? Does it have the 5 spd box too?

Karlos

Its 60's 'Surf Blue' (colour code BU35). One of the rarest of colours of any classic Mini - the vintage colours like Almond Green from the MK1's are all pretty rare which is why a lot of people re-spray them in those colours.

It's just a standard CooperSport, 4 speed, I wish it had a 5 speed Jack Knight or a Kent box - damn expenive.

Mine came of the line like that. Rover through all the SportsPack styling at them cus sales had dropped off - these flew off the line until the demise 2000.

My mums mate reckons her fella has the last production Cooper sold to the public to roll off the line Longbridge. I ain't so sure but it looks right , I just haven't seen any paperwork to back it up.

There's an interesting vid (for geeks) on the last actual Cooper made that Lulu drove out off the line. Then there's the Clubman that they found in a tunnel inside the plant that staff used to drive around in. That was found in 2012. 

Yeah I am a massive Mini bore. sorry.

Deadman

Someone should start thinking about re-making the old mini. The new ones are a monstrosity!
Would probably be difficult to get it to meet modern regs is the only problem.
I hate the standard new ones badly enough but that 'Countryman' is even worse.

edit: no offence intended to the OP!

markslade07

I'm onto my 3rd 'new' Mini....2 Cooper S's and now a Clubman. Though I did have a modified 89 Red Hot which was great but my mechanical skills were...let's say....lacking!

gjonesy

Both nice, Ive always liked the deseamed look? Mustve had something hot if youve had to drill the bonnet, what did you have done? How are you finding the new one? Im warming to the looks of the new minis, even now I still think my R53 looks a bit thick

markslade07

It was more style over substance! It was running a fairly standard 1275 with a couple of tweaks (not the original engine, it should have been 998 I believe). Nice Maniflow exhaust too!

The Clubman is great, bigger than the normal one, but not huge. Only problem is having 2 S's before, the Cooper has a lack of power and torque but I'll struggle on!

gjonesy

So Im finally taking my car to 1320 for a major service and to fix the non firing xenon headlamp, upgrade the brakes and sort the iffy central locking. No doubt therell be a few surprises, anyone care to guess the final bill?

mike_l

Well, the Xenon H/L bits are (usually) pretty expensive.....

Central locking, depends on what it is, dodgy connection, not much, iffy latch/solenoid more

 

I'll go with £750 depending on what need to be done.

stickyfiddle

Deadman said:

Someone should start thinking about re-making the old mini. The new ones are a monstrosity!
Would probably be difficult to get it to meet modern regs is the only problem.
I hate the standard new ones badly enough but that 'Countryman' is even worse.

edit: no offence intended to the OP!

As iconic as they are, it'd be impossible to get one through the legislation now. If you've seen crash test pics you'd know why. Terrifying cars to have an accident in.

gjonesy

Just to give a bit more detail, Im getting new calipers, discs and pads, new lock assembly, replacing xenon ballast. Turn out that I also need a replacement sump

mike_l

gjonesy said:

Just to give a bit more detail, Im getting new calipers, discs and pads, new lock assembly, replacing xenon ballast. Turn out that I also need a replacement sump

I'll go with £1500 with that additional detail.