1969 Leyland Mini Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Mine is actually a 1973 Clubman but no option for that... performance wise it was an absolute rocket for short straights and nice twisty roads, build quality is pretty good for a 35 yr old car that had been sitting out in the weather it had little rust now its had a coat of Blackboard paint put on it so i can have even more fun. Are classic mini's fun... YEAH if you dont have one go and get one (or at least have a ride in one)Jan 03, 2009

This was probably the car that had the best road holding capabilities of all the cars I have owned. It wasn't all that fast (stock) but once it was bored from a 1000cc to a 1175cc it was potent. Add to that a 38/42 Weber carburettor, banana branches and free flow exhaust system and you had a mean combination for such a small lightweight car. Bigger 6 cylinder cars didn't have a patch on it in a street race when cornering and short straights were involved.Dec 29, 2008

Few cars evoke such emotions in people as the iconic Mini. For many people, the love affair with the Mini is a strong one. Unfortunately, it often ends in tears. I’ve had around 6 of them, in various states of repair - my first at 14 years of age. For a novice looking to tinker with a car, not much beats a Mini – they’re pretty easy to work on and parts are easily available and relatively cheap. They were built reasonably well in the 60’s, with early (pre-1967) Australian cars being finished by dipping the whole body in paint. Despite the factory never making a cent on the sale of any Mini (they lost money on every one they sold) by the 1970’s build quality was atrocious. This was largely down to British Leyland cutting the cost of production and increasing profits – a disastrous strategy that cost Britain her entire auto manufacturing industry. The car I owned, a 1972 Leyland Mini, had been modified several times across her life. Not built very well to begin with, it had been de-seemed (a popular Mini modification – as they were built with unsightly external seems to make production in overseas markets easier) and was on its um-teenth engine. It was resplendent in its white at the front fading-to blue at the back paint work. I spent a great deal of time and money playing with/repairing that car – and it all ended in tears. When it was working, it was a joy to drive – the Mini’s addictive combination of chuckable handling, spritely performance, and diminutive size making beating bigger cars a joy. I also remember it costing me about $2.50 to head from Geelong to Melbourne and back (in the year 2000). When it wasn’t working, it was a pig of a thing. Quite often, the cause of poor running or not-running was (eventually) traced back to faulty brand-new replacement parts – how can you win?! The carbies go out of tune rapidly, the timing seems to alter itself at whim, the electrics are not only plagued by gremlins – but made by them, and the bodywork dissolves like Asprin. Just for a joke, the factory put the gearbox in the sump of the engine, making oil changes a regular necessity (every 3-5000kms), and replaced the normal steel-springs for the suspension with taught rubber doughnuts. A clever idea, until you try to travel any further than 3 kilometres, when it shakes your fillings out and makes it economically sensible to move in with your chiropractor. The Cooper and Cooper S models are highly sought-after and make a great weekend fun-car (if you can tame torque steer that will often have you changing lanes). My Mini died an undignified death, being written off by a P-plater who smashed into her on the same week I’d put it up for sale. The insurance cheque was more than I’d advertised it for, and paid for a new transmission (another one!) in my Audi… Jun 19, 2008