Malaysiaminilover

Tag: Cars

Fourth Oldest Surviving Unrestored Mini
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 30^th 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 26^th August 1959. It is believed to be the eighth brother of the first Mini 621 AOK that badged a Morris.
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.

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 20^th century, behind the Ford Model T.

Images are taken from Car and Classic UK

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)
April 21, 2012
Money for car maintenance – Do you reserve it?
Imagine that an early morning you walk to your car park and start the car. You try to crank the car several times but it just doesn’t start. You make a call to the nearest mechanic and he comes over for $100 service charge. After half an hour checking, the mechanic tells you that the car must be towed to his workshop for further checking. You were told that he suspect some major parts is giving problems and that may cost at least $5000 to fix it. OMG! what are you going to do? You are forced to take a half-day emergency leave from your job on the day and it is headache to fork out an extra $5000 dollars to fix the car.

In Malaysiaminilover’s car buying guide, we always mentioned that do not purchase a car by looking at the monthly car payment but look at the car price. For example, a $40,000 car could have two payment methods:
1. Pay $40,000 cash and drive the car away from the showroom.
2. Go for a car loan and pay roughly $900 per month over four years or 48 months loan term.
Many consumers always look at the $900 per month but not the $40,000 car price. The real value of a car should be judged according to the performance, reliability, and second hand value (in the future). Most consumers always arrange 1/3 of their monthly salary to go for their desired car. However, they may forget about car maintenance which could burn their pocket a big hole after several years.

Take a look at the case above. A person with take home pay of $3,000 per month is paying $900 for the car every month. He or she must at least reserve some money for the maintenance of the car. Please read the basic car maintenance schedule. There are several things we need to do every 10,000 miles. Engine oil, washer drain, and oil filter are the most common things that cost us a little money to maintain a car. When the car grow older, we will have to pay for some other parts such as element filter (air filter), spark plug, coolant, brake fluid, clutch fluid (for manual transmission car), automatic fluid (for automatic transmission car), and others. However, there are some situations where we need to pay extra money if certain parts worn out or spoilt. These thing could cost more than usual maintenance including air-condition compressor, radiator, brake pump, suspension, or even hybrid battery. Therefore, it is a must to reserve an adequate amount of money every month in case something wrong with the car and it is no longer under warranty. What do you think then?
April 17, 2012
1989 Mini Thirty (Mini 30)

In 1989, Rover launched another limited edition Mini to celebrate the 30^th Anniversary of this little car on earth, the fabulously opulent Mini Thirty. The production of the Mini Thirty is limited to 3,000 units and only available in the United Kingdom. 2,000 units were made in Pearlescent Cherry Red (COG-BLVC843) and 1,000 in Black (PMA-BLVC90). Most of them were made in manual transmission and only 200 units were made in automatic transmission. (more…)

April 7, 2012
Volkswagen 1-litre: $600 dollars car for 258 mpg

The 42^nd Annual General Meeting of Volkswagen AG on April 2002 in Hamburg has brought the world a hope that world’s most economy car is about to born when Dr. Ferdinand Piech drove a concept car from Wolfsburg to Hamburg. The concept car is a two-seater rear-wheel-drive small car. The seat is designed in tandem like the Messerschmitt Kabinenroller from the ‘50s rather than side-by-side like ordinary car to keep its aerodynamic and also giving larger side crush zone. Everyone who has seen this car during Dr. Piech’s journey was shocked.

With the dimension of 144 inches in length x 49 inches in width x 44 inches in height, driver can easily have a glance by turning only the eyeball when sit in the car. As for the engine, it is powered by a singled-cylinder with three valves. The curb weight of the car is very light at 639 lbs. There are several strong men can perform bench press with this weight. With such light weight and simple engine, the average fuel consumption is 258 mpg or one liter for 109 km. It is even better than the best electric car mileage available in the market today.

The biggest challenge for Volkswagen’s Research and Development division is to create a reliable car with all the safety features that could achieve 100 km for 1 liter petrol. It took them three years to bring this little car on the road. “It really is a fascinating experience to drive through the night at 100 km/h with the fuel consumption indicator showing just 1.0 liter for 100 km, and nothing but the stars above your head”, said Dr. Thomas Gänsicke, Project manager. Lightweight body, aerodynamics design, newly invented starter-alternator, tires and other special components are what make this car a reality but not just a dream. The car body uses carbon fibre and remains unpainted. Subframe and wheels are built with magnesium-allow with the purpose to reduce the total car weight but not scarifying the safety.

Details of the car:
Make: Volkswagen
Model: 1-Litre
Displacement: 299 cc | 18.2 cu in. | 0.3 L.
Weight: 639 lbs | 289.9 kg
Fuel consumption: 258 mpg or 0.99 liter for 100 km.
Power: 8 bhp @ 4,000 rpm
Top Speed: 74.6 mph | 120 km/h

Last few years, rumors flying around saying this car will be released in China in 2010 for just $600 which is 4000 RMB. However, we believe the price tag will never happen. Volkswagen delayed the production until 2013 and we have never seen any more news regarding this little car with high fuel consumption. Whether it is truth or fiction, let’s hope this car will be on sale soon at reasonable price.

January 22, 2012
List of cars under $10000 dollars for 2012
Considering the average new car price has shot up to over $30,000 for 2012, many consumers had shifted their aim to buy used car instead of a new one. It is weary for many people to serve a car loan for couple years. It is also tired to tolerate the depreciation of a new car in the first two years of ownership. Therefore, here we did a research and come out the list of cars under $10,000 dollars or cars with the price close to $10,000 for 2012 base on the information from local newspaper classified, online used car portal including Edmunds, Kelly Blue Book, and Autotrader. Some of these cars are cheap to buy, give pretty good mileage, and easy to maintain.

2004 GMC Yukon

The 2004 GMC Yukon is best for people with large family who need a spacious car for up to nine passengers. It has large boot for luggage when the 8^th and 9^th seat is not in use. Powerful engine, strong body, and roomy are what best to describe it. The thing that is not so good about the car is the interior material and also fuel efficiency which could be better.
Market price: $8,500 to $9,000
Fuel economy: 14 city/18 highway mpg

2006 Honda Accord

The 2006 Honda Accord is a great sedan, solid interior, safe to drive as it achieves high scores for crash test, and the name “Accord” is reputable across the country. An Accord with hundred thousand miles put on the engine is nothing compared to other cars in the same category.
Market price: $8,500 to $9,000
Fuel economy: 23 city/31 highway mpg

2007 Ford Ranger SuperCab

Go go Power Ranger, go go Ford Ranger. Whether it is the XL, STX, XLT, or SPORT version, the Ranger never let you down with the 4-liter V6 engine either on-road or off-road.
Market price: $8,000 to $9,000
Fuel economy: 21 city/26 highway mpg

2006 Ford Mustang

Muscle car lovers will love Mustang. It is one good choice for people who want a cool retro V8 ride with the budget below $10,000.
Market price: $8,900 to $10,000
Fuel economy: 17 city/26 highway mpg

2006 Ford Explorer SUV

The truck-based 2006 Ford Explorer is an excellent SUV. Good handling, luxury and quiet interior with enough space for its passengers. With the new car price for 2012 model from $28,280, the 2006 is yet another choice for SUV lovers.
Market price: $9,100 to $10,000
Fuel economy: 14 city/19 highway mpg

2010 Kia Rio Sedan

Good fuel economy, attractive price tag, and near-to-new. The 2010 Kia Rio Sedan is definitely a great choice for consumer who prefers a close-to-new ride but wants to avoid the first two years depreciation. The only thing disappointment we have for this car is bad crash test result.
Market price: $9,500 to $10,000
Fuel economy: 28 city/34 highway mpg

2007 Chevrolet Impala

With 3.5L V6 flex-fuel engine, the 2007 Chevrolet Impala is a quiet and powerful six-seater car. Attractive outlook as well as stylish interior. With the budget under $10,000, LS and LT can be considered. LTZ and SS is with the market price from $12,300 to $13,500.
Market price: $9,600 to $9,900
Fuel economy: 18 city/28 highway mpg

2007 Ford Escape

For 2007 model year, only the XLS is below $10,000. It will be a good choice for those who prefer newer model year with basic performance. Otherwise, 2006 Ford Escape XLS, XLT, and XLT Sport are good powerful cars with V6 engine, large cargo capacity, and under $10,000 dollars.
Market price: $9,200 to $9,800
Fuel economy: 21 city/27 highway mpg

2007 Ford Taurus

The Ford Taurus is one of the cheap used cars in the market. The interior is roomy and can fit up to six persons although it is often called a midsize family car.
Market price: $7,500 to $8,500
Fuel economy: 18 city/25 highway mpg

2007 Honda Civic Sedan

Highly recommended based on the details inspection we did on a 2007 Honda Civic. Great mileage, comfortable interior, reliable engine, and most important, very low maintenance cost over the year. Definitely a 5-star sedan car!
Market price: From $8,500
Fuel economy: 26 city/34 highway mpg

2006 Toyota Camry Sedan

The Toyota Camry is a car aimed for the USmarket. It has all it takes for an American to enjoy the car. Roomy, strong reputation, good safety features, and high second-hand value. See the 2012 Toyota Camry.
Market price: From $8,800
Fuel economy: 21 city/30 highway mpg

2005 Volkswagen Jetta Diesel

What else can be happier when the car price is cheap and the fuel is even cheaper for a car? The 2005 Volkswagen Jetta Diesel it the one, yes it is! The car is powerful with TDI power plant although it is diesel-powered. The interior is made with high quality materials and not those cheap plastic materials.
Market price: From $9,400
Fuel economy: 31 city/39 highway mpg

That is the top 12 our editor picked. If that is not your flavor, the rest of the cars under $10,000 dollars in the list here may be suitable for you.
1. 2004 Cadillac CTS: from $8,900, 17 city/24 highway mpg
2. 2010 Chevrolet Aveo Sedan: from $9,000, 27 city/35 highway mpg
3. 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt LT: from $9,900, 25 city/37 highway mpg
4. 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab: from $9,200, 14 city/19 highway mpg
5. 2008 Dodge Caliber Wagon: from $7,900, 24 city/29 highway mpg
6. 2007 Dodge Caravan SE: from $7,700, 17 city/24 highway mpg
7. 2005 Ford Expedition XLS: from $9,000, 13 city/18 highway mpg
8. 2005 Ford F150 SuperCab: from $8,600, 13 city/18 highway mpg
9. 2005 Honda Odysse: from $8,600, 17 city/23 highway mpg
10. 2009 Hyundai Accent Hatchback: from $7,400, 27 city/33 highway mpg
11. 2008 Kia Optima: from $8,900, 21 city/31 highway mpg
12. 2009 Kia Spectra LX, EX, or SX: from $8,200, 24 city/32 highway mpg
13. 2008 Mazda MAZDA3: from $9,000, 24 city/32 highway mpg
14. 2005 Mercury Sable LS: from $6,200, 18 city/25 highway mpg
15. 2007 Nissan Sentra: from $8,200, 24 city/31 highway mpg
16. 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix Sedan: from $8,700, 18 city/28 highway mpg
17. 2008 Pontiac Vibe Wagon: from $9,900, 26 city/33 highway mpg
18. 2007 Scion tC Hatchback: from $8,700, 20 city/27 highway mpg
19. 2008 Toyota Corolla CE, S, LE: from $9,400, 28 city/37 highway mpg
January 14, 2012