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mini commuters?

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huck6

huck6

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Any one out there commuting in their classic mini? I am looking at a job that will be about a 55 mile round trip commute and was considering using a mini for fair weather driving. It will be mostly rural backroads in OH and I have a Jeep for foul weather (and some fair weather since it is a convertible). I considered the MINI, but I'd really like to go with a classic.

Thanks.
 
Milage doesn't seem like much.... I wish I could take mine.... PA law for Antiques doesn't allow for regular use to and from work. Just watch out for the back roads in Ohio. Folks never seem to stop at the signs...and the drive like crazy.

Besides ...what's a guy from AZ doing in OH ??

RCL
 
"Besides ...what's a guy from AZ doing in OH ??"


We are moving back to be closer to family. Not my preference, but it will make a lot of other people happy.

Skipping stop signs? I'm used to that. We say a lot of it in SC. Must be a rural thing. But at least the drivers aren't as aggressive as they are out here. Seems to get worse as you move Westwards.

Do you have to register an older car as an antique in PA? I guess you get a break on taxes and insurance, but not driving your mini as much as you want? That's quite a trade-off!
shocked.gif
 
Not sure we save on insurance...since we're insuring for the value of the car...not the car. But we don't have to get it inspected every year...

Yea... a buddy of mine moved to Toledo....outskirts actually...and you really had to be careful....all these perfectly straight roads.... and all the intersections ar at 90 degress to one another.....and folks just run em'.

Becareful now heaya!
 
Original topic... classic Mini as a daily driver?

I don't see why not, I know some people who do. But if you're going to do that I would suggest that you buy a car that's not TOO mint (ie. one that you won't be afraid of messing up - the daily drive takes its toll on all commuter vehicles).

If you find a basic "driver" (maybe paint not perfect, etc...) it should make a good daily driver - but not in winter! They put lots of road salt down during winters in the eastern portion of the continent and you would possibly risk rotten frame syndrome (it's not unknown for an engine to outlive the car out here, because of frame rot from road salt)
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Huck6 said: Yeah, I was planning on a "learner", a driver with OK paint and no rust. In the future, I might invest in a Cooper, but for now I just want a usable mini.

I plan to use my Jeep for sloppy weather. I hate to subject her to the road salt, but she is easier to clean underneath.<hr></blockquote>

Road salt...

If you want your Jeep to last out here (and keep it for many more years) do rust protection to the max before every winter - and park the Mini for the winter!

Up in Ontario they offer services to oil your car before winter - they basically coat most of the external areas of the car with oil to help repel road salt over the winter. It costs around $100 and it's well worth the investment. For a prairie boy moving out to Ontario it was a new thing to me, and hopefully my 15-year-old prairie car has survived two eastern winters OK without the frame rusting away.
 
Just a fun plug. ClassicCore.com has a classic mini for $4k listed as a nice daily driver. I've emailed back and forth with them a bit and they've always been prompt and helpful. I don't know your budget or anything, but if you wanna buy from a mini dealer, you may wanna check them out.
 
Yeah, I was planning on a "learner", a driver with OK paint and no rust. In the future, I might invest in a Cooper, but for now I just want a usable mini.

I plan to use my Jeep for sloppy weather. I hate to subject her to the road salt, but she is easier to clean underneath.

Thanks. I can't wait to mini!
 
Thanks BuddyJ. I have been scoping out the various dealers and there seem to be several drivers out there for @ $4-$5 large. My plan is to pick-up one of these and put @$2K into a savings account for repairs and mods.
 
Mini as a daily driver? Absolutely!
I drove a Mini day in, day out, 100 km+ commute,
all seasons in Sweden for many years.
Never had a problem in the snow/ice, and in Sweden
we get plenty! Granted, they don't salt the roads
as brutally as here in Ontario...
Minis make for some of the most usable 'classic'
cars I can think of, so enjoy those 90 degree
turns!
 
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