Dilemma? Help please

[Audrey1955]

Hi guys,

right, the thing is my old car (not as old as my minor though) has basically had its day. Too much work now needed make it useless.

I have used this car in the winter, to protect the Minor from the winter, salt on the roads etc.

Now, should i spend the money on getting a new vehicle, (which Id rather not falk out) or would it be viable to use the minor as my only vehicle, including winter driving?
Shes pretty imacculate underneath, and i have had her waxoyled, but am still a bit concerned at salt eating her alive!

Itll be great to hear your opinions,

I just dont know what to do

[jagnut66]

Hi,
They can be used everyday, I do with mine. You will need to keep on top of the routine maintenance, grease points, oil changes, etc.
And obviously you will need to protect her with waxoil and underbody sealant. I use a combination of old engine oil, Dinitrol, and the black waxoil / underbody sealant.
However opinions (and prices) will vary, this has been covered many times on here before, look up everyday usage, give the others a read through and then decide......
But it can be done and I wouldn't want a euro-box unless I was doing high mileage and even then I'd just buy cheap secondhand ones and run them into the ground (sorry - no lover of moderns - souless).
Best wishes,
Mike.


http://www.frost.co.uk/dinitrol-ml-cavi ... 500ml.html
http://www.frost.co.uk/extension-hose-60cm.html
http://www.frost.co.uk/dinitrol-converust-rc800.html
http://www.frost.co.uk/dinitrol-converu ... rosol.html

[moggiethouable]

Own 2.
One for the winter and one for Sunday best.

[jagnut66]

Own 2.

Now there's an excellent idea. And looking at another post on here, if I'm short of storage I shall get a polly tunnel.

[ASL642]

bpr 81a (Webmaster of this site) uses his car every day to drive in and out of Birmingham - even in the snow!
Standard 1098 engine and brakes, but has the 185 alloy tyres fitted.

A well maintained Minor should be able to "commute" without any problem.

[Audrey1955]

Thanks guys.

I had the Minor sprayed in cavity etc with waxoyl done by somebody in the Autumn.

If I hose underneath the wheel arches after going on salty road, should I replenish the waxoyl in the aerosol can form? Doing this, should I let under the wheel arches dry first before replenishing the waxoyl, or is it ok to go on them wet?

Thanks

[neil4030]

I have recently (very recently) had the same dilemma so posted a little missive on this forum under general discussion titled 'How Safe Are We?' You should read all the marvelous responses; pages and pages from lots of our wonderful members! Having been suitably advised, I now use my 68 Traveller every day regardless of the weather. If the roads are salty, I spray underneath with hose and always dry off car with towel anyway, if car is wet. Iv'e got it down to five minutes tops! Like you, mine is A1 underneath and everywhere else so it wasn't an easy decision to use everyday but no regrets. Driving a Minor everyday is a rare privilege and the low cost is equally inspiring!
I use tins of Waxoyle and get stuck-in with a gloved hand; slapping/spreading it all over: using a brush in harder to reach areas. More cost effective than the sprays and yours sounds like it is already well protected. I shouldn't worry too much as long as you use the hose underneath and keep it cleaned and greased as previously mentioned, it will last you forever and a day!

[aran]

Hi guys (and any ladies) I'd just like to say that I admire you all SO much for driving your moggys everyday! I used them everyday for about six or seven years but then got in to (dare I say it) BMWs and left moggys alone for a while. Now I'm glad to say that I'm back in to the moggys in a bigger way than ever but can't seem to bring myself to driving one as a daily runner. I just feel that as they increase in value I don't want to abuse them so to speak so I use cheap and cheerful front wheel drive cars for tatting about in and work etc. They do have there advantages ie not worrying about salt, scratches etc. I don't even wash them and when they go wrong I just scrap them. Anyway that's my view but again, thumbs up to all you hardcore daily drivers

[Matt]

I used to use my (rough) traveller every day... but I am now doing 45,000+ miles a year so I have done this

I wouldn't want a euro-box unless I was doing high mileage and even then I'd just buy cheap secondhand ones and run them into the ground (sorry - no lover of moderns - souless).

sort of...

The most I have spent on a "modern" is £700, I run them for up to 2 years, and when I get bored sell/scrap them. I have yet to lose money on the purchase price

[rayofleamington]

I wouldn't want a euro-box unless I was doing high mileage and even then I'd just buy cheap secondhand ones and run them into the ground (sorry - no lover of moderns - souless)

I run mine for 4 to 5 years by which time they are fit for scrap.
Doing 15k to 20k miles per year it pays for itself just on fuel cost compared to the Minor (my 1275 Minor does less than 30mpg)

I run a hateful 'modern' (mid 2001) diesel estate (Astra) which does average 47mpg and 50mpg+ on a long run, cost me £550 , annual tax £120 and came with a tow bar... It's been used as a van e.g. when I've been working away from home rebuilding a house and as a truck by carrying all sorts inside & on roof rack & on my flat bed trailer and it's useful to shift Morris Minors around on my A-frame too.

My previous identical eurobox only lasted 4 yrs (reached 170k miles) until needing an engine rebuild because of too many overheatings (caused by an ongoing problem of oil in the water that wrecked the coolant hoses) and is now a spares donor for it's replacement. This was also a 2001 astra diesel estate but as it was only 6.5 yrs old at the time that one cost me £1k.

Back in the good/bad old days I ran an everyday minor and did 20k miles per year - after less than 2 years doing that I couldn't face having to fix it all the time.

If you're using a car heavily (as per my case) it's a simple financial & time reason to run a modern
e.g. can buy a set of 4 matching name brand tyres and expect to run them down to limits within a couple of years.
Front brakes & disks needing replacing at ~50k miles (~3yrs) as opposed to minor brakes needing adjustment every 6 weeks..
Oil change at £15k miles (9-12 months) instead of every 12-15 weeks.

[neil4030]

That is a good point. I only need to do about 5k a year in my minor tops and if I was still commuting by car and so on, I doubt I would be able to run it as a daily. It would be a time and cost problem for me.

[aupickup]

i do on average 15k miles a year and i must admit the servicing is a downer
fuel is at such a price as well, and many small moderns doing really great miles per gallon, and also on some nil road tax
insurance may be higher and depreciation
and so many deals on moderns now makes the modern more appealing
i have seriously considered scrappage scheme ouch

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

i have seriously considered scrappage scheme ouch

I sincerely hope not!

[aupickup]

down my way a garage is offering £4000 scrappage against a new fiat

[jagnut66]

i have seriously considered scrappage scheme ouch

Sacralige!! Wash your mouth out with carbolic soap and say 300 hail Marys!!
Seriously though, quite a few good classics were lost that way. It's a shame that garages weren't allowed more flexibility on what they were able to do with 'classics' that were traded in under this scheme.

down my way a garage is offering £4000 scrappage against a new fiat

Can't they scrap new Fiats cheaper than that?.......................

[samuria]

down my way a garage is offering £4000 scrappage against a new fiat

the fiat was made from scrapped classics .... but how long will that last......

[aupickup]

i am also at an age where i realy dont want the maintenance, and in the winter no way
its a dilemma
i have had my car quite a few years now as well
been very reliable really

[PaulTubby]

FIAT, = fix it all tomorow!

[IaininTenbury]

Or you could just save £4000 and buy a 1 or 2 year old Fiat where some other mug has suffered the depreciation of a brand new car, and then sell whatever car you were thinkign of trading in....

Last year for the first time in my motoring hstory, I bought a modern cheapy for to hack about in over the winter, in thatcase a diesel 406 estate. It was desparately uninteresting but did its job until wierd electronic probs and a dead clutch last March meant it was too expensive to fix and I thankfully went back to Minoring.
This winter I tried again with a Renault Five bought for scrap value as it was about to be weighed in. After a couple of tiny bits of welding, two tyres and a service its been great. It even cost peanuts to insure as its old enough to go on my classic policy! Working on a 'miles covered' v 'cost and agro' formula, it slightly annoyingly works out as the best car I've ever owned.... The powerful heater makes it a bit more welcoming than a Minor on freezing mornings and I can waft along at nearly 50mpg. The Series 2 convertible has been tucked up inside away from the salt too which makes a nice change (usually have snow chains and a shovel in the boot at this time of year)and its lovely to come back to when I need an old car fix.

Havign said all that in a vote, and if I could only have one car It'd be a Minor for all year round use.[frame][/frame]

[samuria]

FIAT, = fix it all tomorow!

very good