I spent a lot of time looking at minis before I got mine. I ended up with the first of the injection models (which is basically the Carb unit replaced with a single point injection, making very little difference), a 1992 Rover Cooper in BRG with white roof and stripes for £1700.
If you are willing to look to more recent models you are more likely to get a good price, in a lot of cases. The A Series engine had very very minor revisions in it's time so a 1990s Rover model will be essentially the same as a 1980s Austin one.
We had a couple of rust problems on the underside of the car and near a jacking point, but a quick bit of welding the underside is right as rain. Got some slight bubbling on drivers door now but it's not major at all, will be replaced one day.
The Zeemax kits are stupid imo, wouldn't ever touch one myself, if an owner molests the car like that I don't want any part of it.
I can't drive the car on the roads yet, but on the airfield days I've done it's been good fun, can't fault the car once we got a few engine niggles sorted (mainly a loose cable causing sudden power loss occasionally).
The 13" wheels on the two you are looking at, while looking very nice, make the steering rather heavy and somewhat ruin the handling. Plus to fit them to all cars apart from 1996+ MPI Sportspacks, some of the inner arch will have been removed.
The second one is somewhere in Norwich with me, never seen it about though, looks very good but due to the amount that has been done to it, the price will be high.
Any questions feel free to ask
