Malaysiaminilover

Tag: buying

  • Fourth Oldest Surviving Unrestored Mini

    World's oldest surviving unrestored Austin Mini Seven De luxe saloon

    Will you buy a Austin Mini Se7en De Luxe Saloon and have it preserved until today if you have £497 in 1959? It is 53 years of preservation! 99.9% of people won’t do that but someone actually did that. Mr David Gallimore bought a 1959 Austin Mini Se7en De Luxe Saloon (MK1) in 1986 from a Gladys Hobro of Aldwick, Bognor Regis, West Sussex. Gallimore then kept the car in a Chichester barn until recently he is putting the car up for sales. This rusty Austin Mini is covered in dust and chicken feathers and will be auctioned on 30th April at The Royal Airforce Museum in London. It is expected to fetch up to £15,000 which is 30 times more than its original price in 1959.

    Details about the world’s oldest surviving unrestored Mini

    • Car Model: 1959 Austin Mini Se7en De Luxe Saloon
    • Chassis Number: AA2S7/108
    • Engine: A Series 848cc
    • Engine Number: 8AUH-908
    • Original registration plate: XLL 27
    • Body Color: Farina Grey. In 1959, exterior colors available for the Mini are Farina Grey, Tartan Red, and Speedwell Blue.
    • Mileage: 30,041 miles on the doesn’t-actually-work clock meter.
    • Features: MK1 grill, Austin badge, opening front door hinged, rear quarter windows, adjustable front passenger seat.
    • Interior: Original with a white color center speedometer.
    • Little History: The rusty car was the eighth Mini to roll off the production line at Longbridge in Birmingham in May 1959, three months before the car was officially launched on 26th August 1959. It is believed to be the eighth brother of the first Mini 621 AOK that badged a Morris.

    World's oldest surviving unrestored Austin Mini Seven De Luxe Saloon

    What is not original?

    From the pictures everything seems to be original including the glass washer bottle and the dynamo (instead of an alternator) that we seldom see on today’s classic Mini. The only big part that has been replaced is the driver’s door. It is in red color that does not match with the farina grey. Inside, the original carpets is not there. Well, carpet may not be able to survive more than 50 years.

    The engine has not been run for many years and it appeared to be original with rust. Sub-frame, steel hydraulic pipes, cable to open the passenger doors, two pieces windows, and many others are still in original condition.

    World's oldest surviving unrestored Austin Mini Seven De luxe saloon
    Interior of the fourth oldest unrestored Mini: Note that the driver’s door is in red.

    What Else?

    There are three Mini were born earlier than the XLL 27 and all of them have been restored over the years. One is 621 AOK that now lives in the British Heritage Motor Centre Meseum in Warwickshire, and the other two are living in private collectors’ house in Japan. In 1999, the Mini was voted the second most influential car of the 20th century, behind the Ford Model T.

    World's oldest surviving unrestored Austin Mini Seven De luxe saloon
    Images are taken from Car and Classic UK

    Austin Mini XLL 27

    What MalaysiaMiniLover Says?

    It has everything although the mechanism and instruments are simple. The simplest things are often the truest.

    You are buying a hero that save the world from Suez Crisis rather than just buying a small classic car.

    The condition of the car is not roadworthy, but you don’t find one car like this on the road.

    The interior do not carry any modern features such as air conditioning, power windows, or even a car stereo. That’s what we call “Classic”.

    With the budget around £15,000, there are many new cars available in the market such as Toyota Yaris Hybrid and Ford Focus, will you go for these cars rather than the one and only XLL 27? As a Mini lover, we will die for this fourth oldest surviving unrestored Mini.

    After more than half century, the Mini is still one of the most popular and successful British car ever built.

    What will you do if you stand a chance to own this car?

    1. Buy it, let it untouched and continue to keep it in garage.
    2. Buy it, clean it up, and continue to keep it in a better garage for another 50 years.
    3. Buy it and restore it to its former glory.
    4. Buy it, spend thousands of pounds to restore it into a new look to drive up its price.

    More Related Pictures (From eBay)

    1959 Austin Mini Se7en De Luxe Saloon

    1959 Austin Mini Se7en De Luxe Saloon

    1959 Austin Mini Se7en De Luxe Saloon

    1959 Austin Mini Se7en De Luxe Saloon Interior

    1959 Austin Mini Se7en De Luxe Saloon Engine

    1959 Austin Mini Se7en De Luxe Saloon Boot

  • Buy a Proton Saga with cash: Wise or not?

    2008 Proton Saga
    We received an email from Tracy who decided to buy a Proton saga but in dilemma either to pay it with cash or go for a short term loan. Here is her message to us.

    “Dear Angelina, I read two articles in Malaysiaminilover, one is regarding tips to buy a Proton Saga and another one is smart or stupid to buy car with cash in Malaysia. Both articles help me a lot but I am still in dilemma. I am about to buy a used Proton Saga with the price tag RM25,000. I enquire several banks and the best loan interest rates I can get is 3.8%. Can you please give me an advice is it wise to buy it with cash or loan it for a year?”

    In order to give you a better explanation, let us back up a little bit. Generally, there are only three situations: The loan rates are equal with the ROI (Return On Investment) rates on the cash you have, or the loan rates are higher than the ROI rates, or the ROI rates is higher than loan rates. The ROI rates here means the percentage of what you will earn if you put this money in either bank, stock market, or some other investment funds. Here we made several calculations to show the exact figure by estimating the car value will depreciates to RM22,000 after a year.

    If you pay the car with cash

    • Cash paid for car: RM25,000
    • Cost for car loan: RM0
    • Earning lost on cash: RM0
    • Monthly car payment: RM0
    • Cash on hand after a year: RM22,000

    If loan rates = ROI rates

    • Cash paid for car: RM0
    • Cost for car loan: RM25,000 * 4% * 1 year = RM1,000
    • Earning on cash: RM25,000 * 4% * 1 year = RM1,000
    • Monthly car payment: RM2166
    • Cash on hand after a year: RM22,000

    When both of the rates are equal, does it sounds like you are borrowing your own money through the bank? It is not recommended to take a loan in this case because the process to obtain a loan involves many other costs like processing fees, document fees, and stamp duty cost.

    If loan rates > ROI rates

    • Cash paid for car: RM0
    • Cost for car loan: RM25,000 * 4.5% * 1 year = RM1,125
    • Earning on cash: RM25,000 * 4% * 1 year = RM1,000
    • Monthly car payment: RM2177
    • Cash on hand after a year: RM22,000 + RM1,000 – RM1,125 = RM21,875

    If what you going to spend is more than what you can earn, it is not a wise decision too.

    If loan rates < ROI rates

    • Cash paid for car: RM0
    • Cost for car loan: RM25,000 * 3.8% * 1 year = RM950
    • Earning on cash: RM25,000 * 4% * 1 year = RM1,000
    • Monthly car payment: RM2162.50
    • Cash on hand after a year: RM22,000 + RM1,000 – RM950 = RM22,050

    Is it really worth to go through all the hassle processes and just save an extra RM50 in a year? The answer is no. However, if there is a higher return rate above 6% it may worth to consider. 6% ROI on RM25,000 is RM1,500 and the earning will be RM500 a year in this case.

    Think whether the cash will be needed in near future. If the cash is just small part of what you have, buying a car with cash will be wiser.

  • Steps to buy a used car

    There are steps to know when buying a used car either from private seller or direct owner. With the help of technology, many car owners can now direct upload their advertisement to the internet with little cost or totally free. This has bring a lots of freedom for shoppers to direct purchase a used car from owner without have to pay extra cost for used car dealer’s profit.

    However, when there is expediency, there is difficulty. Scams could be happened when an advertising company neglects to filter out the scams advertisement. Therefore, here are some steps to follow when buying a car either from private seller or used car dealer.

    Step 1 Get a vehicle report of the car

    Once you have known which car you would like to purchase, you can easily get a vehicle history reports from either CARFAX or Autocheck through internet. These reports are less than $30 dollars but it buys you a certainty. It tells you the title information of the car (normal, salvage, or junk), accident history, lemon history, number of owners, or any flood damage history. All these information are worth for just $30 dollars.

    Step 2 Check out the car

    Three don’t, don’t have a hungry stomach when viewing the car, don’t view the car at night time, and don’t go with empty hands. Here are few things to check:

    Car body: Look carefully each of every part of the car body and see if there is any dented part. A car that had any accident before will not have smooth texture. This is because some car paint shops just restore the car with some cheap skills like knocking or using suction cups to restore dented area, and then paint the same color. You should also check the car color whether it is consistent. Inconsistent body color means some part has been fixed before. Alternatively, you can also use a small piece of magnet to see if the car body has a major repair before. If there is any part that the magnet doesn’t stick, it means that part has been repaired with non-magnetic material like filler.

    Car engine: Open the car hood, pull out the dipstick and see if the engine oil is at the right level. If it is not, it means the owner did not really maintain the car well. See also if there is any oil leaking around the engine. For example, transmission oil, engine oil, coolant, or brake oil. Not to forget to check the engine number, it must match with the document. Other than that, check if there are any broken parts like cracked hoses.

    Car body/chassis number: Check the VIN number. VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) must be match with the document, CARFAX report or grant.

    Windshield: Often windshield look like nothing wrong in a good tinted. Check properly to see if there is any cracked or small hole at every piece of glass on the car.

    Car wheels and tires: Common sense will tell you if it is a new tire. Check each wheel and see if there is any unbalance. If one tire looks newer than another, that literally means the alignment and balancing of the car is not in good condition. You can use a ruler or a coin to check the tire thread.

    Car interior: Bad car that always park under sunlight or under rain will not have a nice smooth dashboard. Check the dashboard color and also check if there is any fracture on it. Check also if all the lights and electronics are working in proper condition.

    Car carpet: Most of the people overlook this especially when buying an older car like 1999 or earlier car. Remove the carpet and see if there is any hole underneath, if there yes, give up the car. See also if the carpet is still in good form. A few pieces of car carpet or floor mat could cost up to 100 dollars.

    To get into more details, see what to check when buying used cars.

    Step 3 Time to test drive

    Do not feel pity to the car while you test drive. Try running it up to 80-100 km/h and feeling if there is any shaking or weird sound. See some of the symptoms of worn automatic transmission here. Do not give too much of love to the car by driving 20-30 km/h but we did not advice you to rape it over 100 km/h too. After been driving for a while, stop the car and open the car hood with the engine running. Don’t touch anything with your own hand and just try to smell if there is any burning or smoke or check for splattered oil.

    Step 4 Make a down payment or deposit

    Ask the same thing in three different shops will not waste your money. Try to look for other seller with the same model of car you want before making your decision. Once you have made your decision, you need car bill of sale. Write down all the promises clearly in the bill of sale and the selling amount. The down payment shouldn’t be too much and it should be around 1-3% of the car amount. This is because you will still have to bring the car for inspection. What if the inspection failed and the owner not willing to return the deposit to you?

    Step 5 Bringing the car for inspection

    This is depending on buyer and seller. Some buyer does not prefer to pay any deposit or down payment until they confirmed the car is clean and able to transfer the ownership. In this case, buyer and seller will have to bring the car go to inspection together. If the seller trusts the buyer, the buyer can bring the car for inspection alone. In Malaysia, it is a must to inspect the car at Puspakom before you can transfer the ownership of any vehicle.

    Step 6 Transfer of ownership

    Now the inspection is done and you have confirmed that the car is ready to transfer the ownership, you can pay the balance to the seller and transfer the ownership. If you are getting a car loan, you will have to wait until the loan is approved and the money is transferred to the owner, and then only transfer the ownership of the car. Happy dealing!

  • Car buying tips: Buy a Proton Saga

    This is a very good and useful car buying tips written by one of Malaysiaminilover’s editor about buying a Proton Saga. When a person plans to buy either a new car or a used car, many factors have to put into consideration. This article has almost all the factors you need to consider either buying a new car or used car. Hope it helps our readers here. The article starts here. (more…)

  • Buying car insurance: comprehensive or third party?

    Of all the financial products sold in the U.S, car insurance often is compulsory to have. But the question is, when should we buy a comprehensive car insurance and when should we go for cheaper car insurance like third party insurance, liability insurance, collision insurance, uninsured motorist protection, personal-injury or medical protection, no-fault insurance, and gap insurance. Here is the comparison and the differences between comprehensive car insurance and third party insurance. (more…)