pondering over a beer

[nige]

Hi all just sat here thinking about minis,my wife cant see the point allthough she has owned 3 in the past can you tell me what you love about the mini,and what you hate about your mini, and what do you think could have been done to make the mini a bit more refined ,and if given on open cheque what would you spend it on :)

[ROADRUNNER]

The Good is 1959 the year when perfection was made, the Bad is 2000 the year when perfection stopped and the Ugly is 2003 the birth of the Bini and the final nail in the coffin of pure perfection.
But most women wouldn't understand that and as regards the cheque I would of paid to have the German who invented the Bini shot

[moddinmad]

I would of paid to have the German who invented the Bini shot

sorry to spoil your fun but the guy who designed the new mini wasn't German. BMW s but the guy who designed it was American called Frank Stephenson, is drawing inspiration from the original Mini, which was manufactured by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 to 2000. The name of the car's brand, MINI, is all-capitalized to distinguish it from its predecessor.
A Typical Mini Dealership, this one in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada

The development of the first generation had been done between 1995 and 2001 by Rover Group in Gaydon, United Kingdom and BMW AG in Munich, Germany and was accompanied by continual contention between Rover and BMW. Especially the positioning of the car was contended. Rover wanted an economy car, whilst BMW supported a small sporting car and finally prevailed. In 1999 BMW assumed control over the whole project after BMW's CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder had left the company. When BMW divested itself of Rover in 2000, BMW decided to keep the Mini project and to build the car, which was originally to be built at Rover's Longbridge plant, the former production plant of the traditional Mini, at BMW's Oxford plant in Cowley, Oxford, United Kingdom, in what was historically the Pressed Steel Company body plant.

but thats just the facts.. the new mini is fantastic to drive. if i had alot more money id have one or two aswell as the classics, there alot comfier to drive and slightly more reliable:rolleyes:

[Deano]

If i had an open cheque book id have some power :) wouldnt be refined just raw power.

A series

1460cc Kad twincam with a Turbo fuel injected with a splash of laughing gas :) :) :)


I love just driving my mini love how small on the road they are now.

Hate fixing problems that dont seem to go away every mini seems to have one of them on mine itsa the brakes:(

[ROADRUNNER]

Everybody is entitled to their opinion as I am told and as far as I'm concerned it's still a heap of s---

[ROADRUNNER]

As you so rightly put it that BMW closed production of the mini costing thousands of British jobs for British workers and selling off the plant to oriental sources just to get hold of a name, I wonder how many cars they would have sold if they called it something else and as regards the so called designer, American or any other nationality, he is not much of one if all he can come up with is a car that looks like somebody has farted inside a classic mini and blown it up

[Deano]

as regards the so called designer, American or any other nationality, he is not much of one if all he can come up with is a car that looks like somebody has farted inside a classic mini and blown it up


Dont get me wrong I love both but thats Funny:)

[TONYELF]

At the Presentation of the Car it was shown the new model is almost proportional to the old coopers both sideways and front ways. They showed a slide show where they faded in and out from the old to the new and back again. Because of the new Crash/ crumple zones being neccessary to pass the stringent tests etc this was the nearest they could get to the original.
I like 'em both. By the way. all parts are sourced from the UK and the majority of the workers I saw at the factory were English. BMW are paying the British government a damn sight more tax than any "British"car manufacturer these days. Got to be something said for that?
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t45/TONYELF-2006/MMEandAmerica2008041.jpg

[TONYELF]

As you so rightly put it that BMW closed production of the mini costing thousands of British jobs for British workers and selling off the plant to oriental sources just to get hold of a name, I wonder how many cars they would have sold if they called it something else and as regards the so called designer, American or any other nationality, he is not much of one if all he can come up with is a car that looks like somebody has farted inside a classic mini and blown it up

That's right. It's called an Air bag set up LOL !:D

[ROADRUNNER]

Thats because all these bloody foreign companies have come in and destroyed the Great British Tradition of Quality Engineering and replaced it with a tradition of shopkeepers, God help us if we have another war and we have to rely on the likes of the Germans to bail us out, they don't even do their share in Afghanistan prefering to stay at home and see what piece of Britain and our traditions they can take over next, and I thought we won the war!

[ROADRUNNER]

It must be a German sticker or fitted by a German judging on the wrinkles in the sticker, one good fart should iron it out

[TONYELF]

It must be a German sticker or fitted by a German judging on the wrinkles in the sticker, one good fart should iron it out

Wrong again! photo was taken at Mini Meet East in the States last year so it's probably American!:D

So come on Neil ! We have six miniaddict members who have had or still have one or both makes of these lovely cars, we don't want to upset them and the club does not dis anybody else's mini !

I would have a MINI if there was one heavy enough to tow my caravan. OMG You don't like them either!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D :D :D

[Gr4H4m]

I'm a fan of both. Not that its what Nige has asked.

I love the fun driving and the fact you have to drive my mini you are not insulated from everything.

I hate it when the maintenance fights back... and the lack of sapce under the bonnet...

I like Deano's idea of the engine but mine would be a supercharged 5 port 1430 no gas. in a plastic front end so you can get at everything... A supercharges 1071 would be cool but only when you talked about it a 1430 would pull like a train with FI..

[ROADRUNNER]

Nothing wrong witha caravan Tony

[milly]

The Good is 1959 the year when perfection was made, the Bad is 2000 the year when perfection stopped and the Ugly is 2003 the birth of the Bini and the final nail in the coffin of pure perfection.
But most women wouldn't understand that and as regards the cheque I would of paid to have the German who invented the Bini shot


Why do you feel the need to chop the roof off then?:confused:

[@lex]

Hi all just sat here thinking about minis,my wife cant see the point allthough she has owned 3 in the past can you tell me what you love about the mini,and what you hate about your mini, and what do you think could have been done to make the mini a bit more refined ,and if given on open cheque what would you spend it on :)

if you want refined, this thread would be titled.. pondering over a glass of wine and you wouldnt go for a mini... you would have to get a MINI for that.

i love the style and history you get with the classic mini.

i always feel like ive nicked a go-kart and am driving illegally on public roads. :rolleyes: not that i would ever do such a thing.

every one seems to like them and people come up and talk to you, about when they had a mini. instead of crossing over the road to avoid making eye contact.

nothing says best of british like a mini!!

I don’t like things ceasing or bursting into flames for no apparent reason. :confused:

and if given on open cheque, id have a pit crew made up of highly trained bunny girls, living in my garage. :D

cheers

[TONYELF]

if you want refined, this thread would be titled.. pondering over a glass of wine and you wouldnt go for a mini... you would have to get a MINI for that.

i love the style and history you get with the classic mini.

i always feel like ive nicked a go-kart and am driving illegally on public roads. :rolleyes: not that i would ever do such a thing.

every one seems to like them and people come up and talk to you, about when they had a mini. instead of crossing over the road to avoid making eye contact.

nothing says best of british like a mini!!

I don’t like things ceasing or bursting into flames for no apparent reason. :confused:

and if given on open cheque, id have a pit crew made up of highly trained bunny girls, living in my garage. :D

cheers
If you did, I doubt we'd ever see you again!:D

[ROADRUNNER]

I felt the need to make creative art, I am going to do the same with a MINI, oh hang on someone beat me to it, its bright yellow and has a badge on the side "Thorncliffe's Skip Hire"

[@lex]

If you did, I doubt we'd ever see you again!:D

ahh tony.... if i did, i would share my good fortune and if you ever needed a good service, on the elf ;) you would be welcome

cheers

[milly]

I felt the need to make creative art, I am going to do the same with a MINI, oh hang on someone beat me to it, its bright yellow and has a badge on the side "Thorncliffe's Skip Hire"

My new MINI's aren't skips and they don't cover your feet in an inch of water everytime they go out in the wet!

[nige]

Hi im pondering over another beer ( i dont drink wine gives me a mega hangover ) and my conclusion is they are both cracking minis my wife had a cooper s, but what BMW have done to those 850 workers is s**t .

[milly]

What would have happened if instead of forming BMC from various failing British car manufacturers the Government of the time had still formed BMC but without its upper middle class management. Instead appointing the same British Army Captain, who had been appointed in 1945 to rebuild the factory that produced the VW Beetle. Would we today have a British owned car Industry?

In the 70's the British working man was blamed for the decline in various manufacturing industries, strange that 30 odd years latter the same worker is one of the most efficient in the world, the only difference being his management, be it either German or Japanese and not as we were often told, our own self appointed public school educated masters. The British Establishment has failed us the working class and continues to. Witness the state protecting the last Great British bastion which is "our" financial institutions to the tune of trillions of pounds of our money. The result, each and everyone of us today owes £33,000 which the State over the next couple of decades will claw back through even higher taxes. Whatever happened to "prudence"? or that unknown British Army Captain; please step forward Sir, the premiership of your country awaits you.

Before the educated reading this rant start to point-out the errors in the above; please take into account that it was written by a member of the working masses, who was educated in one of Thatchers' failing comprehensives and has spent the last 18 years trailing around the world defending the "interests of the State".

[@lex]

power to the people.

any one remember citizen smith (wolfy) of the telly, back in the day.... i think he had a mini in one episode. :)

up the revolution.

cheers

[TONYELF]

"What would have happened if instead of forming BMC from various failing British car manufacturers the Government of the time had still formed BMC but without its upper middle class management. Instead appointing the same British Army Captain, who had been appointed in 1945 to rebuild the factory that produced the VW Beetle. Would we today have a British owned car Industry?

In the 70's the British working man was blamed for the decline in various manufacturing industries, strange that 30 odd years latter the same worker is one of the most efficient in the world, the only difference being his management, be it either German or Japanese and not as we were often told, our own self appointed public school educated masters. The British Establishment has failed us the working class and continues to. Witness the state protecting the last Great British bastion which is "our" financial institutions to the tune of trillions of pounds of our money. The result, each and everyone of us today owes £33,000 which the State over the next couple of decades will claw back through even higher taxes. Whatever happened to "prudence"? or that unknown British Army Captain; please step forward Sir, the premiership of your country awaits you.

Before the educated reading this rant start to point-out the errors in the above; please take into account that it was written by a member of the working masses, who was educated in one of Thatchers' failing comprehensives and has spent the last 18 years trailing around the world defending the "interests of the State".

At the danger of being berated by the masses! Can I just point out that all Labour MP.s have very "conservative" policy of their own and guess who put them in power?!!!!!!!!!!!

[milly]

The grey vote put them in power. It's sad when 40% of the population decide who rules.

Tony here's one for you, MP's £250 a Day expenses, no receipt needed,
serviceman all must be receipted.

[TONYELF]

I think you may have missed my point there. What I was getting at was the Labour candidates wear red ties until they are elected and then look after themselves but then don't they all?

I thought it was more than £250 a day?:D

[Deano]

I think im Missing the point to:confused: this is the Mini chatter section

[nitrodave]

what you love about the mini
Classic design,the attention it gets and the way it drives/handles
what you hate about your mini
The indicators still don't work!!!
what do you think could have been done to make the mini a bit more refined
Coilover suspension
given on open cheque what would you spend it on
A hyabusa conversion!!!

[Deano]

what you love about the mini
Classic design,the attention it gets and the way it drives/handles
what you hate about your mini
The indicators still don't work!!!
what do you think could have been done to make the mini a bit more refined
Coilover suspension
given on open cheque what would you spend it on
A hyabusa conversion!!!


Thats more like it :)

[milly]

I think you may have missed my point there. What I was getting at was the Labour candidates wear red ties until they are elected and then look after themselves but then don't they all?

I thought it was more than £250 a day?:D

I did state clearley too tacke it easi on mi as i'm a produckt of wone of Thacker's comphrensives :D

[TONYELF]

I did state clearley too tacke it easi on mi as i'm a produckt of wone of Thacker's comphrensives :D

10/10:D :D Managed to read that after a few pints!

[Steve]

Please keep your posts on the topic. ie Mini Chatter is for Minis.
Or your posts will be moved.

[moddinmad]

what you love about the mini

the best thing about owning a mini is being on a mini run and everyone stopping and smiling/waving.you dont get that with any other cars. the fantastic handeling too. (new and old have the same effect)

what you hate about your mini

bearing balljoints 13'wheels chewing them up, exploding diffs, blocked cats, wel just the constant mainanance, but ned pet hates are people that dont do a job properly. i.e welding :mad: :mad: people thinking that there mini's are superior to others and gettin an*l about them

given on open cheque what would you spend it on
nice 16v conversion for the van. alot of new pannels for both a super charger for the mpi whit mappable ecu, a house with massive garage to store them in, own petrol station with FREE petrol.

[TONYELF]

Don't want much then?:D You're easily pleased. (see PM)

[milly]

What I love is the wine of the drop gears, cirup of tyres fighting for grip on a warm summers night mixed in, with a slight smell of petrol and warm oil as I am flung around the a high back seat clutching a piece of cardboard masquerading as a map board; crashing and banging down a white in Wales in the early hours.
Also the wine of a supercharger as I pass Honda Civic R's

What I don't like, no back seat in my GP, why? Replacing that brake pipe that runs around the front of the front subframe, well anything to do with brakes really as brake fluid brings me out in a rash.

What I would like money no object, is a MK1 Cooper S rally car all period mods, Halda, ,Heuer stop watches, works dash, Limo, Sccr box 10 " Minilights on Dunlop Racers, either in green or red I'm not fussy.