Hi Paul,
Your dad is right that buying a car without an MOT isn't that smart, particularly if you need it for transport. However, if you have fallen in love with the Mk3 Coupe (and who blame you!) then like any love affair you have to be prepared to put a bit of work in.
The cars are mechanically quite simple and easy to maintain. The Mk3 is a bit easier to work on than the Mk2 as it has a bit more space in the engine bay, but the Mk2 has the benefit of being entirely Mini based so the parts are easy to get hold of. Having said that, just about all the Metro parts can be found on ebay if they are no longer stocked at the local motor factors.
I would suggest that you read through the buyers guide on the MOC website and then give the car a thorough inspection -
http://midasownersclub.co.uk/buying-and ... g-a-midas/Will the engine start, or has the car been totally neglected in the 6 years. The engine should at least turn over on a fresh battery. Will the car go into and out of each gear?
If the owner is asking 2500 Euro, you would expect that he has stored it carefully and that there shouldn't be any major problem. Then there are the minor issues from wear and tear of use. The rear trailing arms need to be kept well greased to avoid wear (the design comes from a time when servicing was done every 3000 miles or so) and things like worn ball joints and split gaiters are common failure points.
The three biggest issues of recommissioning a car that has been stood for a number of years are usually
1) Fuel system clogged up with deposits from old petrol - see my reports on D612PNT
viewtopic.php?f=91&t=2602 2) Brakes seized up with rust, or slave cylinders leaking. Rusted disks and drums can be rescued, as can the rear brake adjusters if you are careful with them. If the seals on the slave cylinders have gone then it is easier to replace the cylinder as they are only around £12 each.
3) Rubber seals cracking and splitting. Apart from the seals around the windows, the suspension bushes, the rubber covers of the ball-joints, UJ and steering rack gaitors seem to last longer when used than when stored up. These should all be checked as split gaitors will allow the grease to escape, etc.
Most of us Midas enthusiasts on the forum are fortunate enough to have second cars to use. In some cases the second car is also a Midas! However, a Midas can make an excellent daily driver and can return surprisingly good MPG figures. They are also great fun to drive as I'm sure many of the other forum members will confirm.