We may have scared her off with the truth about the car. I just moved a mid 80s 998 Mayfair that has sat for a couple of years. Pumped tires to 30 rolled window down and steered with three fingers from out side the car as I pushed with left hand. 165/12 s. on 5 inch rims. It could be castor every one I check is different, may be a rack issue or ball joints. Might want to get that checked out. Steve (CTR) 

I was just going to ask the same thing - the standard car has no provision for caster adjustment, so the only way this could be is if someone has added adjustable control arms and tie bars. Deb, a pic of your front suspension would answer this. I have had cars come into my shop with absurd amounts of caster, once set right the car should be very easy to drive.

But do check your tire pressures.....I run about 28 in mine.

DONT LISTEN TO ME FULLY ON THIS,HOPEFULLY OTHERS WILL VOICE..

If it really is an issue (the hard steering) the castor angle on the front suspension alignment could possibly be positive a few degrees also making it even more difficult to turn ,correct guys?.Is the factory mini suspension able to adjust the angle much? (Being a vtec swapped guy,i added positive castor to help with straight line traction)

Could SHE maybe need an alignment or maybe adjust the castor to give her car a lighter wheel for easier turning etc? What else will it affect or drawbacks? This is where the pros come in lol

I added a few degrees positive castor and the wheel got very firm but the torque steer reduced greatly and the car went straighter rather then darting all over the road .

Deb, if it is a 93 body as you said, you can find a vin hidden under the scuttle - if you imagine standing under the car and looking straight up you'd see it under the lip where the back of the bonnet fits, about where the right side wiper is. About the only way to see it is with a mirror, or what my smart wife did - took her cell phone and took a pic!

I had to use a scotch pad on mine to make it easier to see, and it's imprinted with dots, sort of like braille.....with that bit of info you'll know exactly what you have so you can order the right parts. Also if you post up a good shot of the engine, we can give an idea of what motor it has (pre A or A+, small block or 1275 etc)

Enjoy the new ride, I envy you your roads and weather (except for humid summers!   )

Dave

Obviously your steering will be noticeably harder than a power steering car, but your 12's are relatively skinny and should turn fairly easily.
Of course, it's going to be more difficult if you're not moving. Steering should be effortless whilst driving on the hwy etc.

Probably around 30-32lb at front for pressure

Great car, great PO, but please be aware that the " it's a rebodied '65" line is total and utter tosh when ordering parts or conversing with fellow Mini enthusiats, but "utterly true officer" when dealing with the authorities.
As of next year you'll be able to register it under its real ID.

Welcome to the madhouse, you'll find it a fantastic source of knowledge and humour. 

Just ignore the presence of specialist, who is the mentally challenged alter-ego of one of the regulars.

Sorry...20 years ago since the body switch makes it 1996.  How long was that 1993 car in the US??? Couldn't get a 1993 car into the country without it being 25 years since it's production so 2018. If it's a 65 probably had to have been in the UK or the body was shipped over seperately w/o the chassis. You will also have to know what year it is before you start ordering parts...lots of part's differences between a 93 and 65. Maybe I'm wrong?? I have owned my 64 for 38 years...maybe we can take a look under the hood??

BTW, I took care of the paperwork today.  I already had the title and bill of sale mailed to me before the car arrived, and this state has no safety inspection/smog testing/VIN verification.  Other than paying the 6 1/2% sales tax (as expected), it was a totally painless day.  An antique plate costs $10.50, and is one-time, no further hassle or renewal.  If it's like my previous cars, the title will be here in 10 to 14 days.  Gotta love Arkansas!  We've got only 2.8 million people for the whole blessed state, and there's basically no traffic on the twisties, which start as soon as I leave the driveway.  (The guy on the 6:00 news looks at the worst interchange in Little Rock, with 6 or 7 cars in view, and says "traffic looks pretty good today."  Says that every night!)

Good to know, malsal.  It appears to be as represented, no more bumps or bruises than expected.  Besides the turn signal/fire alarm issue (which I'll tackle shortly), the biggest surprise is the heavy steering.  I haven't been pumping iron, but perhaps I should have been.  My F56 MINI is significantly lighter in steering, of course due to power steering.  Clutch and brake pedals feel pretty much as expected, but the steering is heavy.  Is that normal?  What tire pressures should I be running?  Anything to check?  Tires are 145/70/12.

A couple of photos in my driveway, and yes, I knew about the dent in the boot before purchase.  I've already made arrangements to fix.

BTW, just so you know, I'm not a "sir"--I'm a 65 year old woman!  The "deb" at the end of my screen name is short for Deborah.  I'm also a daffodil flower fanatic.  If I weren't driving the new baby, I'd be planting a new box of bulbs that arrived yesterday...

 

The cryptic message that the specialist is talking about is my signature line and i obviously did not sell you the car. If your car came from the Tampa area you have no worries it is a good car from an honest seller.
Specialist you are wrong again, imagine that folks.

Bingo, Dr Mini--is that known to be a good car or a bad car?  (A bit late now, of course.)

Rosebud--isn't that always the case with the internet?  I appreciate the support, though.  And this isn't my first go around with classic cars either (we have a '64 Porsche 356 SC as well), or with sports cars or sports sedans--I'm almost as old as the previous owner, and I've been driving all kinds of cars for way too many years.  As a matter of fact, I met my husband because of the aforementioned Porsche.  For a while it was my daily driver when he bought a nearly new BMW 2002 for commuting.

Cryptic you say? You ain't seen nothing yet! ?? 99% of the advice given here is excellent. It's the 1% you need to be wary of. Not to worry. No one here will let nutty advice get through w/o a thorough vetting.  You'll soon figure it out.

Is the car white with a red roof and red stripes?

Tothefloor:  Nope, the car's been in this country for many years.  Yes, a newer body on an older chassis, but it was already here, according to the mechanic.  

SXSMAN:  I know who owned the car--I've talked to him a number of times, as well as his mechanic.  I was just wondering if YOU knew who it was, after "specialist's" rather cryptic remarks.  I just wanted to know if it was considered a "bad" car or not.  

I have no idea who may have owned your mini, there may be a Florida member that can enlighten us. A photo would be of help. 
Congrats on the purchase. 

Please don't be too disappointed in my post.  You don't live in California do you?? That is the worse place. A 65 rebodieded into a 93 makes me think this is a re-vin, a car where the vin# has been switched.  65 vin in a 93 car, if it was done 20 years ago that would have gotten it past customs. (and maybe why you have a buzzer.) Sorry. Lots of info here on that.

Can you tell me the color of the car you think I have?  I'm curious if it's a good thing or a bad thing that I bought this one, LOL.

Ma'am you said your mini was owned by an "Old(er) man" from Florida?? Hmmm?? i think we know who he is.... I didn't know his mini was for sale??.. aanyway, Congratulation to your new ride and Welcome to the Forum...always remember, if you're in doubt, flat out! ps: nothing cryptic about my message...just read between lines, it's just a congratulatory remark. Your car is not considered a bad car in terms of it's condition, but as Tothefloor mentioned below, the re-vinned body makes it look bad in the eyes of the authorities. And a lot of people here avoid such kinds of deals.

Thanks, Michael.  I plan to take pics tomorrow.  Meanwhile, I'll tighten my seat belt so I won't jump so high when I signal... 

Your turn signal sound device is for sure an after-market add on—probably very easy to disconnect. I'm sure plenty of folks here can give you specific instructions on how to disable it. BTW: Welcome to the forum. Post some pictures of your "new" Mini when you have a chance.