1976 Leyland Mini Clubman review from Australia and New Zealand

Cv joints rattle.

Constant brake trouble with adjustment etc.

Window winders

door hinges

door locks

door handles.

Windscreen wipers.

Various electrical problems.

Many interior rattles.

Heater tap rusted.

Leaks oil.

Rust in the usual areas.

My previous car, a morris mini deluxe had a lot of similar problems, especially the brakes.

The brakes on minis are horrible, even the disc brake equipped models. But, you learn to drive without them, keeping momentum and bleeding off speed by throwing the car sideways into corners and drifting to let all 3 wheels (the 4th one lifts on minis) increase grip.

Doesn't matter though because these minis once given some working over are an absolute bag of fun to drive. Very very quick in the right hands, and very capable of embarrassing modern cars!

I passed a lambourghini miura in my deluxe on a mountain road,

and sports cars couldnt keep up with me through the twisties, Mazda rx7's and nissan s13's to name a couple.

The 1098cc motor has a LOT of grunt, but it vibrates badly and is very rough.. and very noisy.

Horrible engines on the whole.. very antiquated!

Get hold of a 998cc engine because these are the smoothest and revviest of them all.

The rod gearbox and clutch operate nicely, but the rod change gearstick is sloppy in comparison to the remote style on the morris deluxe.

Interior comfort is very low.. the seats are reasonable, but don't support your back or head.

The heaters work great, and the ventilation is fantastic on hot days so long as you are moving.

Interior room is surprisingly good, and overall much better interior space than you would think. Better than volkswagen beetles for instance.

There is a lack of a radio on most models, and no hazard lights and no reversing lights.

The wiper/headlight controls are on the dash instead of being on a stalk, which is not good.

There is little or no defrosting also.