Anybody roll in a MINI Cooper?

[JFootin]

I'll tell ya' what seems to be hot around here, the Fiat 500, and at half the price of a Mini. Oh, and the new Beetle has really taken a turn for the worst insofar as retro styling.

I sold Fiats back in the mid-70s. Rust buckets! Every wiring harness wired differently even in the same models. Upholstery that discintegrated in less than a year. Ever wonder why you don't ever see a mid-70s Fiat on the road anymore? It's because none of them are still in one piece!

Fiat waited over 40 years for a new generation to come along before attempting to sell their junk here again. Don't buy one!

I see those commercials with all the little Fiats diving into the sea like lemmings and I say good riddance!

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Rode Tail of The Dragon a few times over the years on my bike. Aways see Mini Coopers. Mini owners have a BIG gathering there beginning of May....

 

[Lost Lake]

I told my daughter she could have any car she wanted if she kept straight A's until she turned 16. She missed and got a B and I ended up getting her a new Honda Fit.

She really wanted a Mini convertible turbo. The warden wants one too. Maybe we'll find a nice used one.

 

[JcMack]

When you go scraping in a mini where do you put the wash machines and stuff?

 

[feralmerril]

Great story did the vdub run again?
I guess so? Dad traded it in for a new one probley in those days for just a couple hundred bucks. I recall him being mad as he left the guys to put it in a milk truck while he took me to the doctor. He found the fenders crumbeled as the truck was too narrow for the bug. The wrecked one had the little rear window and the new one the bigger window and a few more HP.

 

[litauer]

My wife bought a red Clubman S yesterday. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. It's a cool ride.

 

[klondike]

I drove my daughter's 2012 Mini and I agree, it is a fun drive. I told her that I get first dibs on it when it comes time to trade it in....I will even clean the garage to get it in.

 

[labworm]

I've driven my niece's several times, quick moves and glued to the road. It is fun.

 

[hannstv]

If I ever managed to get into one it would take "the jaws of life" to get me out.

 

[rwsmith]

Friend has a 1958

He's kept it on the road for over 40 years, drives it all over and it looks great with the British flag painted on the roof.

 

[LVSteve]

I sold Fiats back in the mid-70s. Rust buckets! Every wiring harness wired differently even in the same models. Upholstery that discintegrated in less than a year. Ever wonder why you don't ever see a mid-70s Fiat on the road anymore? It's because none of them are still in one piece!

Fiat waited over 40 years for a new generation to come along before attempting to sell their junk here again. Don't buy one!

I see those commercials with all the little Fiats diving into the sea like lemmings and I say good riddance!

Which has the longer memory, the elephant or the cynical American car buyer. Essay style, please, no less than 300 words.

 

[Tex1001]

Window sticker seen on the rear window of a mini:

MAXIMUM CAPACITY- 19 CLOWNS (Rim shot)
_______________________
Boxers or briefs? At my age, Depends.

 

[JFootin]

Which has the longer memory, the elephant or the cynical American car buyer. Essay style, please, no less than 300 words.

I SOLD them and saw the problems coming back for service. I remember a 128 sedan that rusted and broke apart in the middle! Less than 5 years old! Made out of the most low quality steel on the planet. And the electrical problems, often causing fires. Every wiring harness a puzzle to the mechanics because it was wired different than the last one, and the next one, and the one after that. The vinyl/leatherette seats that disintegrated in months. I frankly think the Yugo or the Chevette were better cars. English translation for the word Fiat: JUNK!

 

[Rgoodwin]

The wife has a Cabrio same color as mine. Last minute Christmas shopping for Grandkids. 25 degrees out and had to lower the top to get it all home.

 

[Rintimtin]

I think they are probably the coolest and most roadworthy small cars on the road. Now, I'm all about putting as much tonnage around my body when it comes to vehicle size (LR Defender weighs in at 3200+ lbs), but I can see myself in one of those if I lived in an area where there was little, if any, truck traffic, or any kind of traffic.

Defender 90 or 110? what is it you say Pictures or it didn't happen. Really I just want to see pictures I believe you.

 

[LVSteve]

I SOLD them and saw the problems coming back for service. I remember a 128 sedan that rusted and broke apart in the middle! Less than 5 years old! Made out of the most low quality steel on the planet. And the electrical problems, often causing fires. Every wiring harness a puzzle to the mechanics because it was wired different than the last one, and the next one, and the one after that. The vinyl/leatherette seats that disintegrated in months. I frankly think the Yugo or the Chevette were better cars. English translation for the word Fiat: JUNK!

Sadly, Fiat were not the only car maker to suffer these issues in the mid/late 70s. My dad looked at a new Ford on the lot in England in 1975 and put his hand up under the wheelarch to find it rusting nicely. Everybody was using cheap, substandard steel from dodgy sources with next to no rust treatment. The only difference with US cars is they started with heavier metal and they took 7-8 years to rust away. Take a look around and see how many cars survived from that period. Even here in the desert they are hen's teeth.

 

[cooperjet]

I have a 2006 Cooper S Convertible. It's my second MINI. Looking forward to taking it on its second trip to MINIs on the Dragon here in a few weeks.

 

[Rgoodwin]

We went to Eureka Springs, Arkansas in Oct. there were 161 MINIs and minis there. Nice twisty roads and lots of nice folks. MITO/ Minis of the Ozarks. Nice event for 3 days!

 

[Road Rat]

My eldest daughter bought a fully loaded Mini S in 2007 and loved the heck out of it. Then last December a deer decided to stop in the road and say Howdy..............totaled the car...

Daughter is still broken hearted . . but life goes on!!

She decided to get a Toyota Prius C (for compact) and really loves the 50 MPG..........still misses the Turbo power of the Mini.