Most liked posts in thread: OK, what are they REALLY like???

I'm sure there's folks who can answer this better than I, but a classic mini is never going to feel like you're holding up traffic. It's a bouncy,buzzy,darty,clattery, and thoroughly entertaining drive at normal street speeds. The power delivery of a classic mini is entirely different to a MINI. First gear is excellent for lighting the little tires, but in factory form it's a long throw to second, so you've lost momentum through each gear change. You don't want to risk slamming the gears, since they are spinning in the same oil as the engine. A stripped piece of gear tooth would get to circulate through the oil pump, the cylinder head, and the piston wiped rings if the oil filter doesn't catch it in time.
However, it feels alive and fun the whole time. There's only a single layer firewall between you and the engine, so you hear and feel everything that's happening under the bonnet. The sides of the car are the same single wall thickness, so you are also aware of your surroundings much more than in a modern ride. You become more aware, for better and worse of what's going on around you. On a fun blast through twisty mountain roads it's exhilarating. On a long freeway run it's exhausting.
You'll find excuses to take it out for a play every chance you get.

Around town, a mini is really at home, but if you have to make a 90 degree turn to enter a highway, you'll find yourself waiting for a longer gap in traffic.

 

:cornut: The person that comes to mind to answer your questions who has recent experience with 'Minis' and souping up the original engines/parts and knows what he's talking about is FireBro17. Send him a PM and ask him to come up on this forum to answer. He'll do it. He's one of the good guys.

Jason

 

In stock trim, a 998 engined mini runs about on a par with a gas engine non-gti rabbit. The 1275 adds a substantial amount more torque, and will probably compare to your memories of the Fiesta.
In my 998's, both stock internals but upgraded with stage one kits (air filter, alloy intake manifold, long centre-branch exhaust manifold and more free-flowing exhausts, plus a slightly thinner-richer needle in the carb), I can buzz around town with traffic. I'd lose a stoplight grand Prix to a moving truck if they were trying, but I can take a right angle turn at 30 without going out of my lane. There is little to no body roll, so direction changes take place as fast as the tires will let you.
Performance as always is limited by how fast you want to spend, but in almost any mini save an 850 cc engined station wagon, if granny is shaking her fist at you, it's for driving like a hooligan, not for holding her up.

 

Rawhyde, I sent you a message. I would first suggest that you consider reading the forums on Mini Mania's website, for starters. As is so with this great website, there are lots'a very knowledgable Classic owners there who are very willing to share their bits of info with anyone who asks.... By compiling from several sources, I'm sure you'll find the answers you are seeking.

Best of luck in your search and feel free to contact me anytime. :beer