A couple of weeks ago I bought an immaculate Black Peugeot 207 CC (the one with the snazzy retracting roof) for £400 as a non-runner.
Replacement starter motor cost £60, couple of hours fitting it and sold it for £1,200.
Wish I'd been on here or I would've been happy to offer it to the OP for anything more than, say, £500.
Sorry.
Might as well just tell your missus to forget about the Mini.
They're expensive and, frankly, they're a bit nasty to live with.
Everything about them reminds you that they're "quirky" rather than properly good.
And, it might seem like a minor thing but, the wind-noise from the wing mirrors is seriously bloody irritating.
There are very few fundamentally bad cars still around these days.
Google stuff like "alternatives to mini" or "best cheap small car" and see what turns up, then have a look on Autotrader to see what's in your price range.
After that, google "[insert car model] problems" and see if there are any known-faults with that particular car.
At the risk of applying salt, if you're looking for a "cool" small car, maybe have a look at the 207 CC?
They aren't sporty so they don't usually get abused and tend to have been owned by people who look after them.
Alternatively, at the other extreme, if you fancy something a bit mental you can get a Mk1 AUDI TT for around a grand these days. [where is it]
Replacement starter motor cost £60, couple of hours fitting it and sold it for £1,200.
Wish I'd been on here or I would've been happy to offer it to the OP for anything more than, say, £500.
Sorry.
Might as well just tell your missus to forget about the Mini.
They're expensive and, frankly, they're a bit nasty to live with.
Everything about them reminds you that they're "quirky" rather than properly good.
And, it might seem like a minor thing but, the wind-noise from the wing mirrors is seriously bloody irritating.
There are very few fundamentally bad cars still around these days.
Google stuff like "alternatives to mini" or "best cheap small car" and see what turns up, then have a look on Autotrader to see what's in your price range.
After that, google "[insert car model] problems" and see if there are any known-faults with that particular car.
At the risk of applying salt, if you're looking for a "cool" small car, maybe have a look at the 207 CC?
They aren't sporty so they don't usually get abused and tend to have been owned by people who look after them.
Alternatively, at the other extreme, if you fancy something a bit mental you can get a Mk1 AUDI TT for around a grand these days. [where is it]