I have a dilemma...

I have two cars, my 07 MINI daily driver, and my 76 teener.

I have two different projects I'd like to tackle:

MINI: a set of white 17'' rims and tires to replace the shitty runflats.
Cost: $750 for the rims, probably the same for some decent tires. Total: around $1200-$1600

914: Needs the rear calipers rebuild because they are sticking
Needs new tires
Needs to have the clutch adjusted (new cable just put in)
hook up the reverse switch(the bullet connectors broke on the switch, so I'll solder wires with spades on them.
need to straighten the steering out.
need to get the carbs tuned by a pro.
needs an inspection.
bad synchros in 1st and 2nd gear and leaking shifter console
total cost: between $800-? who knows how much a carb tuning is gonna cost.

I dont have the money for either right now, and the MINI would be finished after the rims are on it. The 914, of course, would never be finished(damn old cars). I would just need to figure out what I want to save for.

The MINI sounds nice because I can actually enjoy that car every day. the 914 rarely gets driven, and is really only driveable for weekend mornings before traffic gets too bad. It's a really cool car though. I'm losing motivation to keep after it though. for how much it cost, i could have a nice 1st gen miata that i dont have to constantly fix broken shit on.

Any thoughts?

I would take care of the 914, as there are safety related items (brakes) involved, unlike the Mini, which is just appearance.

Even though you don't use it as your daily driver, safety related items take priority.

Keep the 914 list as short as possible, it's always easy to add something else to it... rust repair... brake upgrades... rust repair... valve adjustement... rust repair...

on rust... luckily the car was undercoated and didnt rust at all!

It's had the hell hole work done by one of the previous owners, so that's good.

I've never done anything with brakes before so i'm weary...

Do the 914. It will go up in value. You'll never see that money again when you spend it on a late model car.

I rebuilt my rear calipers using Eric Shea's directions from the classics section of this website. Very straightforward...

I was going to just pull the calipers and send them to Eric for his rebuild. I dont have the tools or the space to work on them in my tiny garage.

I may need a MAP torch for this, wont I ?

I wasnt going to put it on the car to make money or see it back. It was just so it looks nice. I've done more time on the track with the mini than the 914. the teener I'd be afraid I wouldnt make it back if I actually pushed it

Also. Sure the 914 goes up in value when it's left stock and people actually have money.

Mine's been gutted of interior (P.O.) and had racing seats installed, FI removed, engine rebuilt, etc etc etc. It's nowhere NEAR stock. hell, it has a rhinoliner truck bedliner for the interior surfaces. It looks cool, but has limited marketability.

Now also is NOT the time to sell these cars. everyone's so afraid of a recession they are squeezing pennies till they bleed...

Can't go wrong by sending them to Eric... The caliper bolts were pretty tight, but I didn't have to heat them to remove the calipers. Just applied Liquid Wrench to them in advance.

From the wording of you post I get the feeling that you want to finish the MINI, but want people to convince you otherwise. Finish the MINI, and hope that you don't think of some other upgrade to do with it.

Regarding the 914, SHORTEN YOUR LIST! Not in the sense of don't do them. But just pick ONE project and focus on that. Only think about that item. I've found if I do that and spend money a little bit at a time, things start getting done. But if I plan the whole restoration and try to think of everything, then I'm overwhelmed and don't do anything.

If you're going to work on your brakes, then there are plenty of little bits you can buy for a cost that won't break the bank. For example, one week/month go pick up two or three cans of brake fluid and set it on the shelf. The next week/month get new brake lines. The next week/month get brake pads. And so on. The more little parts you get on your shelf the closer you'll feel to finishing, and the more motivated you'll be to get the next step done.

Good luck!

I'd agree with the sending them to Eric idea.

PB Blaster works, too. So does using the box end of the 19mm endwrench on the bolt, and doubling the length with another endwrench for more torque (if they aren't *too* stuck)

Or.... hop on a direct from Hobby to Providence and come build my farmers porch for me

Then again I'd rather be playing with a 914!

That's a good idea!

Sadly, that IS the short list. I left off the seatbelt anchor bolts and passenger side harness and drivers side anti-sub belt i need to put in. or the 6 holes in the butt of the car that need to be welded shut, or the entire car that needs repainting. or the oil pressure sender I need to hook up, etc.

it IS overwhelming to think of all that needs to be done on this car.

heheh, the mini needs a thicker rear swaybar too THEN it's done

oh, and some low-dust brake pads. jesus this thing has dusty brakes!

god, cars will break me...

I understand what you're going through purple- when I first started the resto of my 914, it was quite overwhelming to think about everything I knew was going to need to be done. And it's been a slow going process, namely because I'd start one thing and while I was doing it, find something else that needed to be repaired or replaced. From the git-go I've been convincing myself that there hasn't been a need for any major body repairs as its in real good shape, but just recently I finally got around and scraped out and cleaned a lot of the crud out of the engine compartment to find that there's some sheet metal repair to be done. It's nothing serious, but it's nothing that I want to let go either. The thing is, that's just how these types of projects can go; but for all my experience restoring old cars, I find that in the end, you're much happier with the end result if you take the time to do everything that needs done, whether you plan to sell it or not. IMO there's few things more satisfying than knowing you've completed everything; even if it does take you like a million years to get it all done.

A note about the carb tuning: you may or may not know, but Pelican Parts offers a carb synchronizer for like 50-60 bucks and while I'm not 100% sure (I haven't yet ordered mine) I'd bet that it comes with a manual for the first timer. If you're up to it I'm sure it's a lot cheaper than taking it to a shop. Just a thought.

Good luck.

I have the snail that pelican sells. It's a great tool for initial synching. my issue is that my engine pops and chuffs back up the carbs and it's really random whether it will do it or not. i really am out of my league with that stuff so i want to get it set by a pro and adjust it from a good baseline.