Got a 50hp version... slow, girly... BUT DAMN! It's a lot of fun to drive! 
lol I'll be getting a 1.3i KA2 soon, fun car to drive on the b-roads 
You mean the new one? Ohh... :/... i've read that it's not what it used to be. Still quiet good chassis, but eletronic steering assist ruined the feel.
Well according to some study, in the UK the cost of motoring is down ~15% since Labour came into power (even with all of their tax hikes), but the cost of public transport has gone up ~17% thanks to a string of above inflation price rises.
So it is somewhat cheaper to use your own vehicle. Unfortunately now the report was published, no doubt Labour will throw on more taxes to make up for the difference.
Nope not the new P.o.s.
The 1998 model, which iirc has a slightly bigger engine than the new one :PSomething like this would do me. Clicky
Change the suspension to a sports or race suspension, better carbs and full exhaust system including Manifold. Where the exhaust system is concerned, I want it to be a Milltek, so it actually makes a bit of a difference lol.
What other mods like that can I do which are pretty discrete and not really see able. Can't get a remap obviously, as they have no ECUs lol.
Change the suspension to a sports or race suspension, better carbs and full exhaust system including Manifold. Where the exhaust system is concerned, I want it to be a Milltek, so it actually makes a bit of a difference lol.
What other mods like that can I do which are pretty discrete and not really see able. Can't get a remap obviously, as they have no ECUs lol.
What do you mean discreet mods? Every mod has to be declared, otherwise your insurance is invalid.
With minis, your starting to be a little bit more realistic but there still expensive to insure as alot of boy racers have them, and they then crash them. To be honest though sam, you REALLY need to get the idea of modifying the car out of your head. For the insurance price your asking, your not gonna be able to get insurance cheap enough once you have modified the car.
With minis, your starting to be a little bit more realistic but there still expensive to insure as alot of boy racers have them, and they then crash them. To be honest though sam, you REALLY need to get the idea of modifying the car out of your head. For the insurance price your asking, your not gonna be able to get insurance cheap enough once you have modified the car.
Im praying someone from my family will put me on their trade insurance, dad already has my mum on his 
Might have to take another policy out 
Might have to take another policy out If there is someone in sams family that has a traders policy, then he could do that if the traders policy allows it. All of my cars are on a traders policy, and its alot cheaper to do that then insure them all individually.
I would of been on a traders policy but you have to have had your licence for more than 1 or 2 years, I don't know if their all like that but it will certainly bump up the price if a 17 year old driver is put on the policy.
Nice info Psycho, I knew that the cost of public transport was going up but I didn't realise it had went up by so much, though I didn't think that the cost of driving had gone down....
Nice info Psycho, I knew that the cost of public transport was going up but I didn't realise it had went up by so much, though I didn't think that the cost of driving had gone down....
The 1275cc engine and box would be a nice edition, plus if it was me, i would ditch the horrible SU carbureter they come with as well. Weber is the way to go!
My Dad has a traders policy. Only thing is though, if I went on it, the premium will go up extreme amount as I would be able to drive any car or they will just laugh if he asked if I could be added. I have already asked my Dad about it.
I know modifications will make my insurance high. Also, do you think everyone declares all the mods they have done to their insurance, I know its illegal but people do it. I wont do mods straight away, at least wait a year for it to go down a bit lol.
No 'boy racers' where I live own Mini's, they are all middle aged men who own them. £1,500 a year to insure makes me happy, obviously when I become 17 the price would have changed slightly.
1.3 engine would be pointless as I'm most likely going to strip a lot of the interior out, so that will make it a little quicker as there wont be as much weight, even though the minis weigh bugger all lol. I am also thinking about putting a nice set of webbers on there. Guy down here (Nolan Pitts) is a mini tuning specialist, so I'll see if he can set them up for me
I know modifications will make my insurance high. Also, do you think everyone declares all the mods they have done to their insurance, I know its illegal but people do it. I wont do mods straight away, at least wait a year for it to go down a bit lol.
No 'boy racers' where I live own Mini's, they are all middle aged men who own them. £1,500 a year to insure makes me happy, obviously when I become 17 the price would have changed slightly.
1.3 engine would be pointless as I'm most likely going to strip a lot of the interior out, so that will make it a little quicker as there wont be as much weight, even though the minis weigh bugger all lol. I am also thinking about putting a nice set of webbers on there. Guy down here (Nolan Pitts) is a mini tuning specialist, so I'll see if he can set them up for me
Ive not talked about it much but i think your right, i know someone at 18 whos on a traders but i don't think my dad's insurers would touch you until your atleast 21. I hope he has somthing up his sleeve hes not telling me or im possibly screwed
Im aware that not everyone declares all there mods, but to have insurance, you have to. That include giving the car a remap. When the insurance broker comes to view the car and he plugs in his box of wonders and it comes up the car has had a remap, then your buggered. Also accounts for "hidden" mods inside the engine. Once you have had a smash, if theres any reason they believe the engine is modified (going alot faster than the standard car could do, for example) then they are legally allowed to strip the engine and check around to see whether all the parts are the same as what it left with the factory. At the end of the day, no-one can force you to declare all your mods, but as soon as you have a smash (does'nt even have to be your fault) then your screwed, and if the person who you smash into (or smashes into you) dies, then you could possibly goto prison (i have no idea what the charge would be) as because your insurance is invalid, you should'nt have even been on the road at that time, as your not actually insured.
...confusing eh?
Edit: @ Pearcy, it varys between each company. For example, i am 17 and all mine are on a traders. It put the policy up alot, but its cheaper to do that then get them all insured seperately. Im insured for any other car i drive that is not in my name, providing the value of the car does not exceed £50k, and its not an "exotic" like ferrari for example. Then the more NCB i build up, the better cars i can drive. My dad for example has "unlimited" NCB (its when you have over 9 years NCB) and has been driving since 1986, and he can drive any car out there now.
...confusing eh?
Edit: @ Pearcy, it varys between each company. For example, i am 17 and all mine are on a traders. It put the policy up alot, but its cheaper to do that then get them all insured seperately. Im insured for any other car i drive that is not in my name, providing the value of the car does not exceed £50k, and its not an "exotic" like ferrari for example. Then the more NCB i build up, the better cars i can drive. My dad for example has "unlimited" NCB (its when you have over 9 years NCB) and has been driving since 1986, and he can drive any car out there now.
True, I know how insurance works lol. When you was on about the remap part on the insurance, if the insurer was to come around, surely he would have to know what the default settings in the ECU should be, else he wont be able to tell lol.
Deffently got to get myself a Mini. It's different and surely will be quicker then a 1.4 Saxo/Corsa/Clio/106 etc. Wont be on top end, but it should deffently be quicker on acceleration and through the twisties as it's so light lol. It's also cheaper to insure
The insurer's little machine would have all the details of pretty much everycar on the road. He just plugs it into where you would plug a data scanner. If anything is out of line with the standard car then he knows it has been altered. It also tells you if it has had one on there at any point. Lets say you got a car mapped, and you had a smash (but you did'nt declare the remap) and you got the remap removed, his machine would still tell him if it had one on there, and when it was changed/removed.
Many remaps aren't detectable by dealers diagnostics, it's impossible that an insurance company would know either.
Besides, you could just say "well i didn't put it in there" and unless they have otherwise proof, there's nothing they can do.
Besides, you could just say "well i didn't put it in there" and unless they have otherwise proof, there's nothing they can do.
Its not a dealers diagnostics scanner, its some other scanner. Ill try and find a link of it later. Its not immposible that the dealer would know either, he only has to compare the ECU settings to the stock model, simple as that. And saying "you did'nt put it there" does'nt work either. The broker would be able to get a date of when the ECU modifications took place. If they were done before you took the policy out, then of course, you did'nt know. If they were done anytime during your policy was active then you would know.
What if a relative had it done without you knowing. e.g you let them borrow the car.
Presumably also depends on the age of the car. The ECU on my car doesn't have any performance or mod-related data on it. That said, I understand that the Z5 can't really be remapped anyway so it'd be pointless. So I have to make do with my 88 horses of POWA
But a 30 year-old Mini won't have much in the way of silicon on there, so no machine in the world is going to be able to plug in and say "it's been changed". That said, an insurance company doesn't really need a good reason not to pay out - if there's even a question mark over it they won't do.
But a 30 year-old Mini won't have much in the way of silicon on there, so no machine in the world is going to be able to plug in and say "it's been changed". That said, an insurance company doesn't really need a good reason not to pay out - if there's even a question mark over it they won't do.
As long as the relative has declared the mod, you would be fine. If he did'nt, then the car should'nt legally be on the road. What would happen to you if you were driving the car, i do not know. I dont know whether they would look at it as if you had no insurance, or whether they would have some lee-way as you were'nt aware.
Standard ECUs are not normally re-mappable.
A Mini 1000 will be slow, you can only go so fast with 39bhp, the sense of speed in a Mini is on a different level though
I doubt it will be as slow as a 1.4 Corsa with about 75-85 bhp lol. Mini's are suppose to be really fun to drive, can't wait to get one lol.
Get something cheap, that is cheap to insure. It doesn't matter what it is. You will still love it, as it'll be wheels and freedom.
Use the money you save on tax and insurance to go on track days with rented cars on the day (like a driving experience sort of thing, but with a bit more track time - I'm sure they exist), go on a decent driver training scheme (pass plus is a waste of time, but might help the insurance for some reason, but I meant a track tuition thing or a day on a skidpan). Learn to use the car you've got (but not stupidly whilst on the public highway).
You will end up a better driver, and you'll be able to afford a decent car quicker than if you buy a van and pimp it so everyone laughs at you at a cost of £££££
Put it this way - would you rather have a shit, modded car for 5 years and no driving ability, or a shit, standard car for 2 years, some driving skill (the training) and then a car that might not get you laughed at.
Of course, if you are trying to pull 12 year old girls then a modded car is just what you need. Vans are probably good down to 10 years old.
A lot slower. A 1000 Mini is not a quick car. Sure, you'll never have to brake for corners, but it'll take a week to get up to speed. But it will be more fun than a Corsa ever would be, even if you spend £10k on the Corsa.
Use the money you save on tax and insurance to go on track days with rented cars on the day (like a driving experience sort of thing, but with a bit more track time - I'm sure they exist), go on a decent driver training scheme (pass plus is a waste of time, but might help the insurance for some reason, but I meant a track tuition thing or a day on a skidpan). Learn to use the car you've got (but not stupidly whilst on the public highway).
You will end up a better driver, and you'll be able to afford a decent car quicker than if you buy a van and pimp it so everyone laughs at you at a cost of £££££
Put it this way - would you rather have a shit, modded car for 5 years and no driving ability, or a shit, standard car for 2 years, some driving skill (the training) and then a car that might not get you laughed at.
Of course, if you are trying to pull 12 year old girls then a modded car is just what you need. Vans are probably good down to 10 years old.
A lot slower. A 1000 Mini is not a quick car. Sure, you'll never have to brake for corners, but it'll take a week to get up to speed. But it will be more fun than a Corsa ever would be, even if you spend £10k on the Corsa.
As AJP said, 1000's are slow.
That does'nt mean there not fun though, there brill around the corners, a place where you would definetely beat a 1.4 corsa. 30mph in a mini feels like 60mph.
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My first car - What's your recommendations?
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