The last straw?

[An old original]

GRRR!!!

I fear engine no.3 has clunked and ground its last rev, judging by the noises and smoke and I'm beginning to think this could be the end of an up & down, 20 year old relationship.

Three backbreaking days leaning over the front end and enthusiasm waning by the second (outside in December is not fun), it eventually got towed away Thursday to my trustworthy garage friends.

Along with other things that now probably could do with replacing, turbo, carb, dizzy, as these have all done 200k miles plus, I think this is going to get expensive and it's a toss up what's going to run out first my patience or bank balance. There is a good chance (80% at present but moving upwards) that once fixed R1051 will find it's way onto the open market -One owner from new!!!

[millermilla]

200,000 miles WOW impressive for a normal mini let alone an ERA

[An old original]

Yes but it's cost me over the years...
13/02/1991 VRS Body repairs £138.76
28/02/1992 WK 34872 36,000 service + rear exhaust £194.63
13/03/1992 WK 36581 fuses + electrical repair £9.11
20/10/1992 WK 48736 48,000 service £182.37
11/12/1992 WK 51498 Mot £28.13
16/06/1993 WK Plymouth 59822 60,000 service £177.43
18/06/1993 Hicks 59888 Manifold gasket £193.52
08/07/1993 Hicks 60131 New Engine £1,897.39
19/09/1993 Hicks new Battery, Earth lead + tune up £166.26
10/11/1993 Hicks 66178 Lub service + renew oil seals £84.93
16/12/1993 Hicks 68110 Replace front sub mounts £86.08
10/01/1994 Hicks Adjust exhaust alignment £51.88
15/01/1994 Tyrehouse 2 X Tyres £113.90
17/01/1994 Hicks 69287 Mot & track rod ends £99.01
18/02/1994 Hicks 70826 Replace worn clutch lever £90.65
25/03/1994 Hicks 72387 72,000 service £235.69
22/04/1994 Hicks Damage to underside £171.81
26/10/1994 Hicks 82906 Fit Front Suspension Joints £121.91
30/01/1995 Riders (Helston) 86637 Mot +welding £395.15
01/03/1995 Serck Marston Weld mounts on 2nd rad £42.28
08/03/1995 Globe Rear Sub Frame £130.43
15/03/1995 Dales 90558 Lub service £89.22
31/03/1995 Dales 90859 Rebuild Gearbox (no rev) + brakes & seat belt £921.79
13/04/1995 Globe 91547 New front spoiler £558.80
22/06/1995 Globe 96076 96,000 service £116.60
24/07/1995 Dales 90859 Fuel Pipe + Throttle Cable £136.28
23/08/1995 Globe Rear Exhaust £54.82
31/01/1996 Globe 4x valve guide seals £23.50
14/02/1996 Globe 105626 Mot + small bits £42.64
27/03/1996 Globe 106378 Check Front Suspension renew track end £68.99
03/09/1996 C&D Transmissions Gearbox Service £264.55
18/09/1996 County Garage Clutch Plate £42.22
24/09/1996 Idler Gear & Flywheel £160.13
05/11/1996 Battery & Oil Gauges £81.96
27/11/1996 New aux rad £129.25
16/12/1996 Globe 112803 New Battery Box & door mirror £113.98
08/07/1997 119099 Mot & wiper blade £27.58
22/09/1997 121833 Front end rust repairs Wings, A's, scuttle £995.17
25/06/1998 ATS 129904 2 x Tyres £124.41
30/06/1998 Globe Wheel Bearings & joints £162.20
06/07/1998 ATS 130035 Wheel Bearing £141.30
08/07/1998 Globe Brake Discs, Pads, Shoes £89.15
18/09/1998 Globe 130863 Mot & Front sub mounts £141.35
15/09/1999 Globe 137541 Mot & oil cap £30.25
22/09/1999 Globe 137661 Mot & welding £841.30
04/09/2000 Globe 143113 MOT Fail £25.00
15/09/2000 ATS 143184 4 X Tyres £209.35
20/09/2000 Globe 143275 renew Boot Floor, plugs, mounts,shocks (fit) £619.40
18/10/2002 Somerford Full Refurbishment £10,975.14
03/01/2003 Dales 153581 Tune & Plugs £195.78
18/06/2003 ATS 155673 2x Tyres £122.38
22/12/2003 Avonbar Carb £232.06
15/01/2004 Perranwell Fit new exhaust & Fuel Pump £200.57
15/04/2004 Somerford Rebuild Gearbox £565.00
15/04/2004 Vospers Van hire to move gearbox £100.00
30/04/2004 Perranwell 160706 Remove & refit Engine & 'box £643.44
27/07/2004 Somerford Grille & Headlight Trim, Carb gaskets £62.29
09/08/2004 Somerford Carb Spacer £62.29
13/08/2004 ATS 4 X Tyres £195.53
13/04/2005 Pryors Front Wheels Bearings & Track ends £158.63
15/04/2005 Perranwell 166123 Fit top & bottom ball joints + 1 W/bearing £220.06
22/07/2005 ATS 166636 2 X Tyres £122.07
27/01/2006 Pryors 168456 Check & Grease Front Suspension £37.60
25/07/2006 ATS 170239 2 X Tyres £113.26
11/10/2006 Derek Smith Re-Upholstery £420.00
16/10/2006 Pryors Front Stabiliser arms £77.39
30/10/2006 Pryors, Truro Starter Soleniod £28.00
31/10/2006 LSUK Starter Motor £88.44
16/11/2006 Pryors 170239 Fit Front Suspension Joints & Drives shafts £726.15
20/11/2006 ATS Battery £36.54
21/11/2006 Burlen Carb gasket Kit £22.75
22/12/2006 ATS 1 x tyre £48.98
25/01/2007 Pryors check Steering Column Bushes £39.95
31/01/2007 Pryors Steering Column Bushes £7.87
01/02/2007 LSUK Wiper Switch £39.43
16/05/2007 Perranwell Wheel bearings, CVs Knuckles £560.01
10/10/2007 Somerford Complete Wiper assembly inc motor £176.39
31/03/2008 Somerford Window Winder Regulator & Window channels £268.74
17/04/2008 Perranwell Check & Grease Front Suspension £86.52
17/04/2008 Somerford Steering Column Cowling £16.96
30/09/2008 Somerford Speedo Drive & Clutch Plate £89.16
01/10/2008 Somerford Speedo Drive £29.38
02/10/2008 Somerford REFUND on returns - Speedo Drive -£11.64
03/10/2008 Avonbar Parts for repairs to Turbo oil feed pipe leak £122.57
21/10/2008 Perranwell 171337 Repairs to Oil Leak in Turbo Oil Feed pipe (engine out) £1,200.74
22/10/2008 Somerford Speedo Drive £17.97
29/10/2008 Mini Sport Head Gasket Set £29.31
09/12/2008 Somerford Headlight switch & Heater Hose £19.37
07/05/2009 Perranwell 176227 Front brake pipes & washer motor £330.06
28/07/2009 Perranwell 178471 refit Turbo Oil Feed Pipe £107.87
17/08/2009 Autoglass Excess on new Windscreen £60.00
04/12/2009 Avonbar Head Gasket Set £43.13
07/12/2009 Mill Auto Plugs, Leads, Rotor £47.55
£29,558.20


This is not a complete list but only from the receipts I've kept. It also doesn't include all the sundries, i.e. insurance, tax, petrol oil changes etc. Oh and buying it in the first place!!!

[Ian Wheelwright]

Keep the faith you do it for the love it's like a wife you do it because you love the car otherwise you would have sold it many years ago. I have been using my car recently and in the two weeks I have used it the steering rack need attention and my speedo cable has broken. But it will get done eventually. Keep the faith.

[paul]

Interesting read, there seems to be a good number of repeat work for same issues and some of the prices are fooking scary... Somerford what did they do for the 10K ?

sounds loads of money, but for 20 years running say a medium fordfor ease on contract hire and a couple of services a year would be.

300x12= 3600 x 20 years = 72000 contract hire
300x2= 600 x 20 years = 12000 service

running a escort/focus would have cost you 84000 so ERA sounds cheap in comparison....keep the faith...

Paul

[An old original]

Thanks for your support people...but I'm still wavering, l think I'll make a decision after the job's done. I can then see how good (and reliable)a motor I end up with (and how much money!!)

Back in 2002 Somerford did an excellent job. Bodyworks wise they replaced everything forward of the windscreen, including some parts of the bulkhead, half the floor of the passenger cabin, all the boot floor, both rear quarters, wheel arches, both doors, part of the rear window rail and some roof edging. All the wheels were blasted and re-laquered and the engine & gearbox rebuilt. Finished off with possibly the best paint job I've seen.
Bearing in mind the car hasn't been garaged for the last three years I only have to get the polish out about twice a year otherwise just a bucket of water is good enough.

[An old original]

The engine's in Cambridgeshire, turbo in Falmouth, the rest of it in my friendly garage near Truro, enthusiasm some where near Jupiter...

[An old original]

me again...
The engine's apparently been on a tour of our green and pleasant land trying to find someone who will do the work required. Allegedly the original people got it and then changed their minds as it was a turbo, then new, correct, pistons weren't available so new ones are being ground. The original turbo is completely u/s, not even refurbishable....

One moral is don't have a fairly unique car and live in a remote place...

The funny thing is that after six weeks without, I don't miss it...Even if I did have to walk 6 miles through snow to get to work a couple of times

[An old original]

latest....

60 thou oversize omega pistons being delivered in the next day or two, i suppose that makes it a 13something cc, and I've actually touched my brand new turbo....ooooohhhhh

[CampFreddie]

I've actually touched my brand new turbo....ooooohhhhh

How did it feel?