Looking for opinions on a car

[senamic]

Fellow GTPers,

Apologies in advance if this has its own thread for posts like this. If it does, I will gladly have my thread merged into that. Now that that is done, my conundrum:

Recently I have been in the market for my first car, and was searching for an XG/XH falcon ute. However, today I was out cycling and I found a 1970 Mini Cooper S (mark II) parked outside a house with a for sale sign. The ask? $5000 (aus). I thought about it throughout my day, and on my way home, I had a closer look. Very little rust for its age, suspension seems fine, interior is a bit shabby, and a bit of the classic Mini driveway decoration (i.e. oil) on the driveway below it. The owner came out to water the garden and, noticing my interest, proceeded to fire it up. There was a bit of a tapping on the start, but it idled nicely, and when he upped the revs there was a fairly clean engine note. Engine does need a bit of work, as does interior (apart from the switchgear, which is as new).

Any advice, thoughts, or whatever? As I lack my liscence, I cannot test drive it, so will probably get the family mechanic to do so. The owner said there is another chap who is coming in on the weekend to look at it, but apart from that there seems to be little interest. I will try and post pics tomorrow, but hope that I can find some advice tonight.

 

[Vince_Fiero]

The owner said there is another chap who is coming in on the weekend to look at it

Don't believe half of what you see, none of what you hear. ("Last Great American Whale - Lou Reed")

1970 Mini Cooper S (mark II): seems like a car you could keep forever, putting the money in it.
1970 car as first car: are you certain you can take the issues that could come with it, for me this would be more a car as second car, where you have an alternative in case of...


Did you ask the owner why he is selling? (but read his facial expression as well as his voice tone, not only what he says)

 

[Paulie]

A Mini Cooper is probably better than a feral Ute. But hey, you know how I feel.

 

[senamic]

Well, developments have been fast and not so good unfortunately, but ahh well.

Don't believe half of what you see, none of what you hear. ("Last Great American Whale - Lou Reed")

1970 Mini Cooper S (mark II): seems like a car you could keep forever, putting the money in it.
1970 car as first car: are you certain you can take the issues that could come with it, for me this would be more a car as second car, where you have an alternative in case of...


Did you ask the owner why he is selling? (but read his facial expression as well as his voice tone, not only what he says)

Yes I did. When I was looking over the car, I noticed a Clubman in his garage and asked if he restores. He said he doesn't, but as he has a family on the way he is going to have to have at least one practical car. He was keeping the clubman as it was his first car, and he can't bear to part with it.

A Mini Cooper is probably better than a feral Ute. But hey, you know how I feel.

Yes, we know our little disagreement there, but ahh well.

Additional developments: Things are looking unlikely, as my family (who control the inheritance money to prevent me buying a motorbike - long story) had a bad experience with a mark I mini (which, I may note, all problems with it were the things that were sorted with the mark II such as the transmission). So probably unlikely, and by the time I have the cash for a second car they will be proper classics and I won't be able to afford them ... Ah well, fml I guess, but apparently a 52 year old mans experience with a Mark I mini van that he illegally modified is more sound than the experiences of every other mini owner I have spoken to personally.