Reporting bugs:

I last posted on here about two years ago. Well now she is done. Well, enough for now!
You cannot drive one without a smile on your face.

Looking at buying a mini. Im mainly interested in the 96-2000 jdm with a/c (i run super hot)

I have some questions

When did the change to twin port injection and the front mount radiator happen? I see 96, but i have looked at 96s and they arent.

For commuting by yourself, will a 96 and later mini run down the freeway ok?

For someone who isnt scared of mechanical work, is a mini a good daily run around rig?

Thanks!

Potentially the last drive of the year before hibernation! 😭

Roof was all shapes. Did my best panel beating, still not amazing but close enough for a thing skim of filler here and there and got rid of the oil canning. I think ill put on a vinyl roof topper. I like the look and it should mask the remaining imperfections in the panel. Paint would show it right up..

And the drivers wing that I couldn't help cutting and polishing whilst waiting filler to go off. This is only 2000 grit wet and a light application of t-cut. Quite happy with the results, should be lovely after a proper cut and polish session

When I turn the key to start the car, after a few cranks it makes this noise. The choke is pulled out, the fuel pump runs, and fuel is present in the filter housing. It sometimes takes several attempts to start, but here it started on the second try. Sounds like an ignition issue, but any expertise would be appreciated!

1972 Mini 998cc, points ignition, SU carb, electric fuel pump.

My first official L2B… I had tickets to the 2020 run but was cancelled due to the pandemic. I still managed to make the 2020 run unofficially after spending the year building my car.

And then finally made the last L2B in 2023 with my mini club.

Me and my dad are getting a 1987 Austin Mini Park Lane back on the road. Nothing fancy, just want it usable for weekend drives. He's the one who actually knows what he's doing, I'm learning as we go.

It sat under a tarp in a garage for about 20 years. We got it to fire up and run for a bit two years ago, but it hasn't moved since, tyres are flat and it's not been driven.

Odo says ~20,000 km but it's a 5-digit unit that rolls at 100k, so it could just as easily be 120k or 220k. No paperwork to say either way.

Stuff we've already clocked and plan to replace: fan belt (cracked to bits), all the coolant hoses, oil and filter, the whole brake and clutch hydraulic system including flexis, fuel lines, tank needs a look, tyres.

Rust-wise there's some surface stuff in the boot near the battery (but the metal's still holding fine) and on a few brackets in the bay. Outside looks alright but we haven't been underneath it yet. Getting it over a pit this weekend to check sills, floors and subframe mounts.

What I'm hoping for from these engine bay photo:

Anything obviously perished or corroded that I've missed. Also the block looks like it's been painted yellow at some point, does that usually mean someone's had it apart? And any advice on what to do before we try starting it properly again would be great.

I'm in Lithuania so if anyone's got tips on getting parts shipped within the EU, that'd help too.

Thanks for reading.

Stolen Mini returned after 7 years...

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to diagnose an issue with the gauges on my 1991 Mini Cooper RSP with the Nippon Seiki instrument cluster.

Both the fuel gauge and temperature gauge seem to be reading incorrectly/too low, and I'm trying to figure out whether this could be a voltage regulator or grounding issue.

For the fuel gauge, I've done a few tests:

With the tank about half full, the sender measured around 150 Ω.

With the tank full, the sender measured 34.6 Ω.

The resistance changes smoothly when I move the sender, so the sender itself seems to work.

The sender's ground wire measures around 1 Ω to battery negative, so the ground connection at the tank seems good.

If I disconnect the sender and connect the green signal wire directly to battery negative, the fuel gauge goes to FULL. So the gauge and signal wire seem to work.

However, with the sender connected normally and the tank actually full, the gauge only reads around ½.

The temperature gauge also seems to be consistently lower than it should be. It does move as the engine warms up, but it never really reaches the middle.

I've also measured the voltage on the green fuel-sender wire with the ignition on, and it seems to fluctuate between roughly 5–8 V.

The car has the Nippon Seiki RSP cluster, and as far as I understand, the fuel and temperature gauges have separate voltage regulators.

I haven't yet properly checked the instrument cluster's main/common ground.

I found this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f8Sw0fpZOs&t=1195s

So my questions are:

Could a bad instrument cluster ground cause both gauges to read low?

Could the voltage regulators in the Nippon Seiki cluster be faulty?

Is the fluctuating 5–8 V on the fuel sender wire normal for this system?

Is there anything specific to the RSP/Nippon Seiki cluster that I should check?

Any advice from someone familiar with the RSP cluster would be appreciated. I don't want to start replacing parts before I know what the actual fault is.

Thanks!

Still got the doors and boot lid to do.. but the shell is finally in its last coat of paint

Hopefully these will be uploaded okay.

I want the classic Minilite style wheels and there are tons of options out there. I find it a bit confusing at times with all the numbers. My 1988 Mini 1000 has an ET14 and 57,1mm bore diameter. I've read online that getting new wheels also requires getting new nuts and thats whats confusing me a bit, which nuts I need. I have found this set on minispares.com that just has the right nuts included and I am very inclined to buy that set, but since I'm not located in the UK, I'm a bit worried about high import fees since it'll be quite a heavy package. Also Minispares doesn't list the bore diameter, so I dont know if I also have to order center rings or not. The other option that I've found, is a set of Maxilite from SCWheels in Germany. I wont have to pay any import fees on that, since I live in the Netherlands. But the issue here is that I'm not sure which nuts I need to buy with it. I'm also not sure on the quality and look of the Minispares set, its very hard to find examples of Minis that have minispare wheels on them. Any help or insight would be highly appreciated!

Just had one of my pads come apart and trash my drum. Looking at replacement parts and the online pics show a flat faced drum, where mine seemed to have a cone at the hub.

Im fine buying all new hardware, just wanted a quick primer on options.

Hey guys, recently got myself a mini and have been browsing for parts and accessories. It seems as though minisport might be having some US supply issues as trying to find wheels, exhaust, seats etc are all out of stock and I’m having a hard time finding somewhere else to order from that isn’t extortionate for shipping to the states. Any info would be greatly appreciated!

I took these at one of the Rover sponsored race days.

Hi mini pals, question for anyone with some insight. I’ve noticed my 1996 1.3i has started to make pretty subtle thumps when I go up gears. If I pull off the clutch really gently I can get it not to thump but otherwise I hear it. Internet research suggests it’s the engine steady bushes or generally some engine movement when the torque is released. Anyone experience this and figure out specifically what it is? And if so, are these parts I can order and replace on my own easily? TIA.

Haven't got it recovered home yet to pull it apart...

Looking at buying a 1997 JDM Rover Mini Cooper 1.3i automatic with ~60k miles.

I found rust/bubbling in two places: the lower front wing just ahead of the front wheel, right around the panel seam, and along the bottom edge of one door.

For those familiar with Mini rust: do these locations usually stay relatively localized, or are they signs that I should expect/save for more extensive bodywork down the road?

What hidden areas would you specifically inspect based on these spots?

Mechanically, it’s an automatic with no maintenance records at ~60k miles. I’m planning a PPI, but would also appreciate thoughts on how much of a concern the AP automatic should be at this mileage without documented service history.

located in metro Atlanta