Davidtav Posted January 3 Posted January 3 Would appreciate any views about what I realise is a first world problem. So I live in the Highlands of Scotland now. But have to still travel to Yorkshire quite frequently. I use the bike as much as I can. But I do need a decent car. So I have ordered a new car for March. But what to do with my current car? It is a Mini Cooper Convertible. 2012. I’ve had it ten years now. Has been a brilliant car. Put loads of miles on it. It’s over 100k now. It is basically worth very little. Was given a good discount on the new car not to trade it in. WBAC price is around £600. So nothing really. Car does need some attention. Timing chain needs replacement. Paintwork needs some attention due to vandalism over the years. … so my question is this. I’m thinking of SORN ing the Mini and sorting it out properly at my leisure. And running it a bit in the summer. It is fun with roof down in the summer. Not as much fun as the bike I know. But different. New car is not convertible. So am I just wasting my time to think of this? Or is it a decent idea? I know the Mini isn’t a classic. Appreciate thoughts. Quote
Simon Davey Posted January 3 Posted January 3 If you have the room to keep and maintain it, without it being a PITA, then keep it. You never know, you might need it. 4 Quote
Bender Posted January 3 Posted January 3 Sell it, insurance, repairs, tax bla bla bla spend the time on the bike..... 4 Quote
Shepherd Posted January 3 Posted January 3 Is the timing chain something you could do yourself? If sorn'd ( is that a word?), would it be safe/secure? If the answers are yes, then keep it for some different Summer fun. If you've got to pay for it to be done, probably not worth keeping. Unless you don't do any repairs and run it till it drops. Being in the Highlands might make that a problem 1 Quote
KiwiBob Posted January 3 Posted January 3 If you have the room then keep it and sort it at your leisure .. If its sorn and off road there's no need to insure it so it costs you nothing! Having lived in the wop wops in New Zealand I always liked to have a reserve form of transport available when the daily driver had a problem! 2 Quote
Mississippi Bullfrog Posted January 3 Posted January 3 The very fact you're asking the question suggests that for some strange reason you want to keep the Mini. In which case, if you have the space then as said, declare it sorn and cancel the insurance and it won't cost you anything. It can be fun to have an old car to mess about with. Just check how much it will cost you to insure / tax it when you do want to use it. Which is why I used to do up early 70's cars. No tax or MOT costs and cheap insurance. On the downside, cluttering up your life with unnecessary things can be habit forming. Sometimes simpler is better. 3 Quote
Davidtav Posted January 3 Author Posted January 3 Appreciate all of your thoughts. I’ve never done a timing chain but quite fancy the challenge. I’m definitely not a hoarder but do have the room here to keep it. MB is absolutely correct. I’ve become quite attached to this little car … fyi I’m buying a new Dacia. And I have a sneaking suspicion that in the future the Mini might be worth more than the Dacia. Who knows? This is the Mini 4 Quote
Mississippi Bullfrog Posted January 4 Posted January 4 I've done timing chains but not on a Mini. You need the right timing kit to set it up properly. So long as you're methodical it's fine. There's bound to be someone selling the timing kit second hand if you look around. 2 Quote
Bianco2564 Posted January 4 Posted January 4 Is it a petrol car or diesel? If it has the Prince petrol engine, they are renowned for timing chains & oil consumption problems. Both fixable but at what cost? If you can do it yourself on the cheap, it may be worth doing. Id do a bit of research on potential pitfalls before you get into it. If the N47 diesel, they too have timing chain problems, it’s an engine out to fix this as the chain is on the flywheel end of the engine. Ive a Mini one diesel, bought as a cheap winter car while the M3 is off the road ,Mini is great fun to drive and can see why you are reluctant to part with yours. 3 1 Quote
bud Posted January 4 Posted January 4 Worse case scenario of you decide to keep it. Then later on its not what you want. It's not depreciating anymore. It's not worth a lot, and will give you something to play with. 2 Quote
Davidtav Posted January 4 Author Posted January 4 2 hours ago, Bianco2564 said: Is it a petrol car or diesel? If it has the Prince petrol engine, they are renowned for timing chains & oil consumption problems. Both fixable but at what cost? If you can do it yourself on the cheap, it may be worth doing. Id do a bit of research on potential pitfalls before you get into it. If the N47 diesel, they too have timing chain problems, it’s an engine out to fix this as the chain is on the flywheel end of the engine. Ive a Mini one diesel, bought as a cheap winter car while the M3 is off the road ,Mini is great fun to drive and can see why you are reluctant to part with yours. Yes it is the petrol engine. And they are renowned for timing chain problems and oil consumption as you say. However mine hardly uses any oil. It didn’t use any oil between oil changes until it had done 90k miles … it has done 102k miles now and uses maybe half a pint between oil changes. The timing chain is noisy though. …I think it might be worth sorting properly for occasional use. I have plenty of time on my hands and could do with a project. 2 Quote
husoi Posted January 4 Posted January 4 If you're buying a Dacia then better keep it for the innumerous times you will be taking it to the garage. Keep in mind you still have insurance to pay if you want to have the tranquility of something happening while of the road. If you cancel the insurance while in sorn then you will have 2 years until you loose any NCD you accumulated. Quote
Bender Posted January 4 Posted January 4 If you don't have 2 separate car insurance policies with NCD on both your going to have to find a company that will grant you some free NCD or your starting another policy from scratch. If it's a car that your attached too that's fine but if your expecting the mini to appreciate in value you may have a long wait, it will fluctuate in summer being a convertible. If it's going to be a 2nd use car it's going to incur all of the costs another car comes with. 1 Quote
Davidtav Posted January 4 Author Posted January 4 1 hour ago, husoi said: If you're buying a Dacia then better keep it for the innumerous times you will be taking it to the garage. Keep in mind you still have insurance to pay if you want to have the tranquility of something happening while of the road. If you cancel the insurance while in sorn then you will have 2 years until you loose any NCD you accumulated. Yeah. You might be right. But it is basically a Renault. And looks just as well built as any car to me. They are great value and comes with an excellent warranty. 1 Quote
Bender Posted January 4 Posted January 4 4 hours ago, Davidtav said: Yeah. You might be right. But it is basically a Renault. And looks just as well built as any car to me. They are great value and comes with an excellent warranty. Been a few instances of odd things specific with dacia parts wise but for the value and what you get they are great, I know a few who have them and not heard a bad thing and they not Chinese so all good, I would certainly have a 4x4 one 2 Quote
Davidtav Posted January 5 Author Posted January 5 This is the thing. As I said in my first post these are first world problems lol … so I’m retired. As most probably realise. And a lot of my income is from rent on properties I own in Essex and Yorkshire. And my tenants drive great cars. BMWs. Not any issues with that … but contrary to popular ideas as the landlord I actually drive an old Mini and wondering about upgrading to a Dacia. Mainly because I’m ring fencing cash to upgrade the rental properties EPC … I’m expecting a shed load of incoming and no sympathy! 2 Quote
Bender Posted January 5 Posted January 5 14 minutes ago, Davidtav said: This is the thing. As I said in my first post these are first world problems lol … so I’m retired. As most probably realise. And a lot of my income is from rent on properties I own in Essex and Yorkshire. And my tenants drive great cars. BMWs. Not any issues with that … but contrary to popular ideas as the landlord I actually drive an old Mini and wondering about upgrading to a Dacia. Mainly because I’m ring fencing cash to upgrade the rental properties EPC … I’m expecting a shed load of incoming and no sympathy! Nothing wrong with any of those, as for landlord been there done that glad I'm not anymore and it's only getting worse. I know a couple who were almost wiped out by a tennant that went from fine to destroying the place, they got it back eventually but it needed gutting and cost them a fortune, land lord insurance turned out to be not worth the email it was attached to, took months to get eviction sorted, every excuse was used, from not safe to live on, mental health, pregnancy you name it, she had legal aid and of course it was dragged out as long as possible, the risks contrary to what most believe is substantial. 2 Quote
Davidtav Posted January 5 Author Posted January 5 4 minutes ago, Bender said: Nothing wrong with any of those, as for landlord been there done that glad I'm not anymore and it's only getting worse. I know a couple who were almost wiped out by a tennant that went from fine to destroying the place, they got it back eventually but it needed gutting and cost them a fortune, land lord insurance turned out to be not worth the email it was attached to, took months to get eviction sorted, every excuse was used, from not safe to live on, mental health, pregnancy you name it, she had legal aid and of course it was dragged out as long as possible, the risks contrary to what most believe is substantial. I know. Fortunately I’ve been relatively lucky. No major issues so far. 1 Quote
S-Westerly Posted January 5 Posted January 5 A friend of mine had 2 rental properties in Gguildford which he bought decades ago cheaply. He sold them last year due to the ever increasing burden placed on landlords. He was glad to get rid of them in the end. 4 Quote
Davidtav Posted January 5 Author Posted January 5 I’m in a strange situation I know. In 2012 I was suddenly widowed. I stopped working. Took my pension. Rented my house out and bought a bigger boat and went sailing. I have done some Homes Under the Hammer stuff since then and basically I’m still on my own. I still have my boat. I live in an amazing house. And just about pay the bills 4 Quote
S-Westerly Posted January 5 Posted January 5 Apart from the being widowed bit I quite envy you. Sold my boat when grandchildren meant we had insufficient time per year on it. 2 Quote
Terry Came Posted January 5 Posted January 5 As someone with four cars I'm probably not the best to offer advice, but, as it is a convertible, I would keep it and enjoy it with the top down in the summer months, when, for whatever reason you do not wish to take the bike. All my cars are end of life cheapies, so no finance or depreciation. Okay, tax and insurance will have to be paid, but as I imagine we are both of a similar age, then it will not be that expensive, less than a golf club or gym membership. We walk this way but once. Enjoy it while you can. 6 Quote
RideWithStyles Posted January 6 Posted January 6 One to remember, how often does the sun really shine in Scotland? . jokes aside. over the sentimental value id treat it bangeromics, you own it, it’s done its service and still has some life left in it, all it needs is a proper service which it’s due. do the fix and have many more miles of joy for less than a few months of payments to the Dacia that would still need many years of payment and services to come anyway… the only time id call it over is if the engine and gearbox completely destroyed themselves together and the used ones were very difficult to come by Or if the hood got trashed and the interior by vandalism. 1 Quote
bonio Posted January 6 Posted January 6 8 minutes ago, RideWithStyles said: Or if the hood got trashed and the interior by vandalism. This is an isolated village on the shored of a sea loch in the Highlands. I'm not sure that vandalism is even a word there. 3 Quote
Bender Posted January 6 Posted January 6 1 hour ago, bonio said: This is an isolated village on the shored of a sea loch in the Highlands. I'm not sure that vandalism is even a word there. Or sunshine 3 Quote
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