The Register

The E-Newsletter of The Mini Register

July 2006

Editorial

It is Mini in the Park time again, that did come round quickly. Once again the Mini Register will have a stand. This year, to avoid the problems we had last year getting the second batch of passes, I have ordered our full allocation.

As usual these will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis so if you would like to join us on the stand with your Mini, please email us on theregister@miniregister.com as soon as possible.

We had a number of favourable comments about the workshop sections, so we will be covering more aspects of maintaining your Mini (or MINI), if you would like to contribute to this please do, it would be most appreciated.

To help out, Karen's Mini Vince has thoughtfully provided us with a couple of jobs to do, it is now ten years since the re-shell and the bushes in the front suspension have had enough, the diaphragm in the drivers seat has also failed, so there is enough material to get started with.

Don't delay - if you want to join us at Mini in the Park, email us now.

New Members

We would like to extend a very warm welcome to The Mini Register to:

Colin, Matthew & Karen Start, Swavesey, Cambs, UK

Colin is very proud of his 1993 Rover Cooper which he calls Bert. He had the bonnet resprayed as well as one front wing, and then added the wheel arches, wide wheels, check roof, front spots, checks on the bonnet, new dash and much more.

Bert has the company of a 1986 Tahiti Blue Mini Mayfair

Charlie Kotzur, Adelaide, South Australia

There must be something about 1966 Cooper S in Australia, in May Tony and Lorraine Clifford joined us with their BRG Morris, now it is Charlie's turn with his Marine Blue and Toga White example. This Mini has been well modified with too many mods to mention

Shane, Debra, Simon & Clare Hawkes, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Talking about the Cliffords and 1966 Australian Cooper S', we have another one, this time a friend of Tony and Lorraine.

Shane tells us that his Morris Cooper S in British Racing Green with a white roof was purchased about 18 months ago in a 90% restored condition following a bare shell rebuild. All bodyworks and mechanical jobs were completed. We are in the process of finalising the seat re-trimming and a few other interior jobs as well as the boot interior. A great little car that my son gets a real buzz out of.

The engine has been bored to 1310 cc and has flat top pistons and a mild camshaft

Shane and Tony live about 200 k's apart so they don't get the Minis together that often.  However, the Tasmania Mini Club  (www.minitas.org.au) has its biannual Mini fest in November which they both plan to attend, that should be quite a sight

There are apparently several very good and original Minis in Tasmania, with an untouched genuine black Mk 1 with red interior, one of the best.

Andrew Hunter, Carlingford, Australia

Andrew owns this very smart 1975 Clubman in a non-standard Maroon, he says "I feel a bit slack as I have not given it a name. I have called it a few things lately as despite 2 "new" heads and 3 gaskets it has blown again. The block me thinks is the drama!!"

Michael Smith, Brampton, Ontario, Canada

What is the very next best thing to a Mk I 'S' - the answer must be Michael's 1963 Austin Cooper in red with a white roof. And it is not just the exterior that has been converted to S spec.

Michael recently purchased the car in the United States and took it back home to Canada. The car has been converted to an S and includes: 130 MPH gauge cluster, 7.5 inch discs, S drums, oil cooler, right side gas tank, minilights, oil cooler, tach and S badges and 1071cc motor. The car is in very good condition with a small amount of rust on the doors only.

Michael has done a lot of research and is convinced that the car must have been stored for a very long time and that the upgrades to the car must have been made in the early sixties when the car was new.

The rims appear to be the original magnesium as they are incredibly light. He has taken them off but can't find any markings at all. He has sent this picture  to Minilte asking for confirmation and trying to find one lugnut. All but one of the lugnuts has very large heads and one is the size and shape of the nut available today.

For more details see Michaels members web page

Michael & Mary Williams-Kenny, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Michael and Mary are enthusiasts of both Mini and MINI, they have an absolutely standard 1989 Rover Mayfair in Henly Blue called Ol'Bettsy that judging by the plate was imported from the UK

They also have a 2003 MINI Cooper in BRG that Michael has rebuilt to the 2006 Checkmate specification

Michael says

"I am an ex British Leyland Mechanic from the UK now living in Ontario Canada I enjoy living in Canada and driving my Mini's. I bought a 2003 BMW MC from Kentucky (Salvage) and brought it back to Canada and spent 3 months rebuilding it. It only had 1200 miles on it when purchased in 2004. I drove it to Regina and back last year from Hamilton Ontario. $165 round trip.. I enjoy taking my Minis to cruise nites in Ontario and NY State. I have personal license plates GR8 Mini 1 GR8 Mini 2.

Adam Bentley, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

Also from Canada, Adam's name for his Black 2004 MINI Cooper is Manic Mini and that appears to be appropriate, it is fitted with a 1000 watt sound system, performance exhaust, 18" rims, ipod connection and red neon lights in trunk

Scott McKenzie, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Scott's Mini - Max - is a bit of a show-off, and why not. It started life as a 1984 Mini 1000, it still has the 998cc engine but as you can see from the photos, its Yellow & Blue paint job and Sportspack conversion is not quite as it left the factory

Scott says "Max the MBC (Maritime Business College) Mini was brought to Canada from Germany. Max was painted the official school colors, and prepped for street parades and special events. We have equipped him with an electric bubble machine (in the boot), controlled from inside the car--so that bubbles shoot out the back of the car when driving in parades. The kids love it!"

Garth Spain, Tauranga, Bay of plenty, New Zealand

Garth has a project on his hands and would like some help sourcing parts. The car's name of "Moked" gives the game away, it is a 1974 Mini Moke which he recently purchased as a Father and Son restoration project. At the moment it is unpainted and is fitted with a 1275 GT engine bored to 1310 which has done 1000klm since the rebuild.

If you can help Garth locate parts for his Moke, please let us know at theRegister@miniregister.com and we will pass on the details.

Paul Martin, Littlehampton, West Sussex, UK

Paul has called his Red 1976 Mini 1275 GT "Monze" but he has also created a web site for it. Check out www.mini1275gt.co.uk for some great shots of the restoration. It is now fitted with a 1330cc engine with Kent 286 cam, K&N, Aldon Distributor, MG Metro head, various MED parts and Servo Brakes.

Shane Gawne-Sheridan, Warrington, Cheshire, UK

Shane has just bought his 1990 Mayfair 1.3 spi which has been fitted with all the following bits: 12" Minilites,  57i induction kit Super flow Exhaust, Walnut Dash, Walnut Gear Knob, Alloy window winders, door handles and mirrors, 12" sports steering wheel and a Stainless Steel Wiper Blade Kit. The car has also been Cooperised with new John Coopers Stickers and a full re-spray in Targa red. Under the wings are a set of Metro Turbo 4 Pot brake calipers and Goodridge Steel Brake lines. Shane would like to return it to Mayfair spec and would like more details of what a 1990 Mayfair would should look like.

Alison & Andrew Winspur, Birmingham, West Midlands, UK

Alison and Andrew have both owned minis since they were able to drive, in addition to their 1998 Mini Cooper in Tahiti blue that they call bluenose,

they have also just taken on a Clubman in need of much restoration. This is a 1970 model that has been converted to run on 12 inch wheels.

Alastair Nicoll, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, UK

On the same day that Alison and Andrew joined the Mini Register, Alastair also registered a blue roundnose and a project clubman -what are the chances of that ?. In this case, the roundnose is a 1965 MK1 Austin Mini in Island blue that has a 1098cc balanced engine, lightened flywheel, vernier timing, unleaded head and stage 1 kit. Bringing it to rest are a set of Cooper S 7.5inch discs and spaced rear drums. A set of period Cooper type 5J reverse rims on Dunlop tyres sit under wheel arch extensions.

The Clubman dates from 1977 and is an Estate

Nicola Burgess, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, UK

Nicola has a 1965 yellow Grantura Yak to restore and by coincidence we recently learnt a bit about the history of Grantura Plastics, the company that built the Yak from the mid 60's to the early 70's. Grantura Plastics and sports car company TVR are very closely linked.  In the late 50's TVR changed its name to Layton Sports Cars and set up Grantura Engineering to produce the fibreglass bodyshells. Grantura later split from Layton who then changed back to TVR. Grantura, who are also based in Blackpool, went on to make the YAK which is a fibreglass Moke look-alike.

Let us know how you get on with the restoration Nicola

Peter Peeters, Bellevue, Switzerland

Peter is our first member from Switzerland, he owns a Black 1994 Cooper. 

Members Update

Jet Black Details - Help wanted

Hi can you help we are trying to find decals for our Jet Black Mini.

Regards Mike & Lee Starkey.

Thank you for continuously sending me the Register. I think it is the one thing that I do get periodically, and I look forward to it every time.  As promised, I will be sending you pictures of the old mini I was restoring to "Vanden Plas" status.  As mentioned, I did not get to the required goal, but I have pictures of her anyway.  She is now seen driving around Cape Town and Sea Point area with some rear end damage (enough to make me cry), but that is the way it goes I suppose.

Also as mentioned, I have finally received my New MINI Cooper, in Astro
Black, Chilli Pack, 16' Alloys, Half Leather, Panoramic Sunroof, Chrome Side Mirrors and sports steering Wheel. Loving every minute of her, so I will send those to you this month as well.

Thanks again for your faithful Register.Chat soon.

Ryan McCracken, Cape Town, South Africa.

Mini 40 Help

Thanks Maria, we obviously can't pass on the e-mail address of members without their approval, so we contacted Jack first and he is happy for Maria to contact him. Please let us know what you find out..

Where is it now ?

Hi

Just wondered if you can help. I am trying to locate my old Mini. a 1974 Clubman, SCD 40N. It is thought to be in Storrington West Sussex UK, and according to the DVLA it has been off the road since 2003.

I am desperate to find him.
thank you,
Michelle

Mini Fest X - Rawcliffe Hall

Our first impression on visiting the Mini Fest X at Rawcliffe Hall, not far from Blackpool, was "Where are all the Minis?", having parked, the first area you visit contains a display of classic cars including some amazing examples of 1950s American fins and chrome. The second impression is "What a very small Mini show in a very large field".

But first impressions can be deceptive, and although there were very few Minis, there were some very tidy ones on display, like this immaculate pickup.

And this Britax replica that had made its way across the Irish Sea for the event.

But the proximity of the show to Blackpool had obviously had an impact as the centre of the very large field was the venue for a surprising array of entertainments for such a small show. There was a Mini based stunt team, a pair of South African brothers with their "Wheel of Death", a clown and a Falconry display - very Mini meets Circus.

The organisers had laid on a Mini run on the Saturday and by all accounts it was very good, those that we spoke to about it were full of praise. Its 90 mile route took the 60+ Minis through the spectacular Lancashire countryside that included the Trough of Bowland.

The camping for the show was right next to the display area and the hot sunny weather made this an excellent venue for a club outing, the members of the Causeway Mini Club of Northern Ireland must have thought so as about 20 Minis from the club made the journey.

Despite initial impressions, we enjoyed out trip to Rawcliffe Hall, it would be nice to see a few more Minis there.

Avengers Mini for sale

Russ Swift is selling his Mini Cooper that featured in the Avengers film. The black Cooper was one of two driven by the baddies and still has the dashboard fitted for the film

Although never raced or rallied, it has featured in Russ' stunt show

Russ bought it from the Rover Group on 14/6/2005, they are the only previous keeper.  It has done 5700 miles from new.

"A bargain at £5950"       

Contact Russ at russ@russswift.com for more details

Which Wheels ?

We had a good response to the question of the Minilite style wheels fitted by the factory

Nick Williams says:

My TPI was originally fitted with the RSP alloys so its really a mixed thing., I will be sending you pictures of my car within the next week now that I have my refurbed alloys on the car

Re RSP wheels.  These were first fitted in 1989-1990  to second edition Flame, Racing Green and Checkmate LEs (the first ones didn't have alloys).  They were then used on the Mini 30 and RSP and subsequently changed during 1990 to the ones with the nuts between the spokes for the Mainstream Cooper.  They are often seen on other Minis simply because people are always changing their alloys, most people don't know the difference so you often see cars with non-matching sets!

Freestyle chassis arrives

Back in February, we announced that the lightweight autotest Mini was moving on, Bob Budd tells me that he and Nigel Abdullah are making progress with Nigels 1380 being preped by Tony from Jonspeed.

To fill the gap, we have now taken delivery of our Freestyle. Many thanks to Dave Smart at Funbuggies for his patience, but the chassis now awaits the build.

Unlike the standard Freestyle, ours does not have roofbars, the rear hoop remains and some extra struts have been added. The front end has also been changed with an alternative way of supporting the steering column.

The Freestyle is normally used for off-roading and consequently is built with as much ground clearance as possible and it rides on anything up to 14 inch rims

.

In our case the objective will be minimum weight and as low a centre of gravity as possible.

The chassis takes a standard Mini subframe at the back with a pair of tie bars holding the rear wheels in line. At the front the suspension is basically Mini with Mini hubs, lower links and upper arm, however the upper arm is modified to form a rocker that acts on in-board coil-over shock absorbers.

When completed, the car will have the rebuilt 1380 from the lightweight, the box will also be checked and the 4 pin diff used again. The suspension will feature 'S' hubs and coil-overs on each corner. At the moment the steering and pedal configuration has yet to be decided on, probably a quick rack and the power steering unit from a Corsa that was going to be fitted to the lightweight, although I understand from Duncan Wild that the steering is quite light. The brakes will have separate circuits for front and rear and a balance bar between the two master cylinders. The rear circuit will also pass through the master cylinders for the two hydraulic handbrakes (fiddle brakes), one for each wheel.

I am working to a strict "finish one project before starting the next" principle - not easy - so as soon as the Frogeye is complete, work can start on the Freestyle.

John Cooper Works MINI GP

The keys to first of the GP MINIs have been handed to new owner Paul Baker, he was the first person in the UK to order a GP and collected the keys from Mike Cooper

His car is GP 0002, as GP 0001 is not for sale, after the British Motor Show, it be displayed at the MINI museum.

The full allocation of 460 MINI GP sold out long before anyone got to look at them, let alone test drive one. All models will have their model number on the roof and will all be painted Thunder Blue with a Pure Silver roof. The car is strictly a 2 seater and with the 40 Kg reduction in weight and the power boosted to 218bhp, it has a claimed 0-62 of 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 146mph.

MINI Run-flat tyres

A recent thread on the BMW-Mini-Cooper group reminded me of a trip to a tyre dealer.

A while back, in the middle of the night, the tyre warning light came on. the first reaction was "Oh dear" or something like that. The assumption being that the tyre had deflated and was now in run-flat mode. As it was over three years since I had read the handbook, I couldn't remember how to reset the light and thought that it was a matter of holding the button in while switching on the ignition. As warning light remained on, it was a case of a trip to the tyre dealer the following morning for a repair.

They would not repair the tyre pointing out that the manufactures specify - in very small print on the side of the tyre - that run-flats should not be repaired. They pointed out that if the car was involved in an accident and a repair was found, they could get sued. They also said that under these circumstances, the insurer may use this to avoid paying out.

Anyway the good news was that having removed the tyre to replace it, they could not find any evidence of a puncture and kindly put the tyre back on without a charge.

The correct way to reset the light is to switch on the ignition and then hold the button in for 10 seconds.

Events

Sunday 20th August, Mini in the Park, Cornbury Park

Excellent event, The Mini Register will have a stand there

Saturday & Sunday 9/10th September, Palo Alto British Car meet,
El Camino Park

That's it, please let us know what is going on in your part of the world.

Keep in touch

Mike Bennett
theregister@miniregister.co.uk

The opinions expressed in The Register are those of the members and not necessarily those of The Mini Register.

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