The Register

The E-Newsletter of The Mini Register

January 2007

Editorial

Happy New Year, let's hope 2007 brings you a happy and Mini fun filled year.

Traditionally a time for making New Years resolutions, I wonder how many were made but have not even made it to the end of the first month.

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, this is the time - despite the cold - to make sure our Minis are fit and ready for the competitions and outings that take place during the warmer months.

Have fun - that's what its all about

New Members

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

Dave Young, Springfield, Illinois, USA

Dave is a retired mechanic and has spent half his life working on Minis, it was obviously something he enjoyed as he is still doing it now. Dave's collection features a 1967 Estate called Ernie, which is finished in Orange with a checkerboard flag top. A set of GB Mag wheels sit under some wheelarch flairs and the rear bumper is from an MG Midget -which Dave reckons looks like it was made for it. Up front a one piece fiberglass flip up nose covers a 1991 engine and transmission fitted with a modified header. The custom interior includes a John Cooper signature steering wheel.

Dave also has a pickup waiting for restoration and a LANDAR R7, just to keep it in the family, his son also has a Cooper. As he says "Yeah I love Minis!"

Terry  Colley, Houston, Texas, USA

Terry believes that Minis are there to be used and his 1965 Cooper S called "The Flying Tomato" on account of is red paint and white stripes is certainly used.

The car has been campaigned in vintage racing for the past 11 years and won many SVRA and HSR races all over the Southeastern United States. It has been featured in Vintage Motorsports & Victory Lane Magazine articles. It even appeared on the cover in one issue of Vintage Motorsports. It has consistently been one of the fastest C Sedan Vintage Racing Minis.

This success has been achieved with a 1293 cc full competition engine complete with Accusump unit, JK close ratio gearbox and Quiaffe limited slip diff. On the safety side a Ultrashield competition seat holds Terry within the confines of a full roll cage and a fire system is fitted as required. On the outside a set 6 x 10 Minilite Aluminum wheels are fitted with 185 x 70 Hoosier TD racing tyres, the hood and boot lid are fibreglass and the windows are all plexiglass. The front fenders (wings) are steel but removable. The car has current SVRA, HSR and CVAR log books and is currently raced in the Texas & Oklahoma.

John Dunlap,  Greenville,  Missouri, USA

John is a Mini fan but without a Mini although he hopes to rectify that situation soon.

John & Maureen Wright, Fort Worth, Texas, USA

John says:

Nigle is an April 1960 build Mk I which sometime in his past, someone decided to do a partial deseam and give him a Cooper treatment. He was in pretty sad shape when I picked him up in Florida and after a complete work over he stands out with his Mint Green and White color. Interesting point - I purchased him from my brother in Florida who bought him as a parts car from another Floridian. When I got the "birth papers" from Hertiage, we discovered that Nigle was originally imported to the US in 1960 to a dealer in Fort Worth Texas (Overseas Motors) which is about 20 miles from where I live .... what's the chances!

And yes, Nigle is a "tag-along".  We found that the limited amount of shows that we go to that we cannot drive to doesn't lend itself to purchasing and storing a trailer much less purchasing a tow vehicle ..... I do not want to burst any bubbles about Texans, but not everyone owns a pickup truck.  My every day car is an 04 MINI Cooper and my wife's is an 02 Hyundai Elantra (the tow vehicle).

The 1974 Clubman Estate (Nellie) was assembled by British Leyland Belgium. We purchased it off Ebay from an individual who used it to advertise his restaurant (Brasseurs) in Antwerpen, Belgium. It still has all the restaurant advertising, which attracts all kinds of attention. She is pretty much in the same condition as when we purchased it. We had to replace the clutch, brakes and installed a Stage 1 kit for the 998. The owner told us that the car had no rust ... After we got it and did the once over, it was discovered that the car had double sills and they were rusting through. Rust was also bubbling up at the back, top of both wings and apparently quite a bit of filler was used on the back quarters. Nellie is slated for a complete going over to replace the rusted bits and what ever under the filler. We have a Metro 1275 that's going to replace the 998 to give her a little Varoom. For now we plan on reapplying the advertising because , well it goes with the car.

Bill & Rosa Barry, Dallas, Texas, USA

They obviously like their Mk I Minis in Texas, Bill and Rosa have two. The 1969 Mini Cooper S is blue with a white roof and is called Panama and the earlier 1967 Mini 850 is red and is called Surosa. Both cars are being restored

Paul McNaughton, Fort White, Florida, USA

As a new owner, Paul is very pleased with the performance of his yellow 2004 MINI Cooper S in standard form and is also pleased with the fuel consumption, provided he can restrain the right foot.

Barry Bloomfield,  Staten Island, Richmond, USA

Barry's 2005 British racing Green and white MINI Cooper S on the other hand is not standard, he has fitted a Helix 17% pulley to the supercharger along with a Helix Cold Air Intake and a Miltek catback exhaust. The front suspension towers are braced with a M7 strut tower Plate and the rear suspension has a H-Sport 22mil rear sway bar

Denise Bradshaw, Liverpool, New York, USA

The Mini Register was formed in Liverpool back in 1969, but that was Liverpool in the UK. Denise drives her Astro black 2005 MINI Cooper around Liverpool on the other side of the Atlantic.

Kim Smith, San Jose, California, USA

An a further 300 odd miles west, Kim enjoys her Electric blue and white 2005 MINI Cooper S which she calls Skye. It is fitted with an iPod adaptor a European parcel shelf and a wind deflector for sunroof.

Bennett Cochran, Grayslake, Illinois, USA

Bennett's MINI wheels are in the form of a Yellow and black 2005 MINI Cooper S which he calls Buzz500

Bennet says: "Buzz500 is a childhood dream come true. He is fast, turns like it is on rails. My motto when driving is see the gap, fill the gap. After two years, I still stop as I approach the car in a parking lot to admire it! It never gets old, every drive is an adventure!"

Oliver South, Bristol, Avon, UK

Oli's Mini started life as a Mini 25 and like so many of that model can now be found in quite a different guise. It has been transformed into an Orange ERA Mini Turbo Replica. The transformation is however not just cosmetic and the engine also features a turbo

David Noone, Warrington, Cheshire, UK

David describes his Mini as a bit of a shed, I beg to differ, as it looks pretty smart.

That however is only part of the story, what started life as a 1989 Mini 1000 is being built as a track day and sprint car and the emphasis is therefore on performance and to reduce the weight Curley Carbon Fibre Panels have been employed. The Minilite wheels are attached to suspension that features Adjustarides and Spax shocks. However it is under the bonnet that things get interesting, David has fitted a Jenvey Throttle to the 1275 MG Metro engine and is controlling this set-up with an Emerald M3d ECU.

The car is still a work in progress hope and David hopes to get it up and running by Easter

David & Jack Titterington, Bangor, Northern Ireland, UK

David says: "My mini is a limited edition Cooper S Schnitzer (only 250 modified) £9000 of extras in a Cooper S. Out of the 250 mine is number 007 shown on Schnitzer sportscars plate on glovebox. I bought the car in May 2005 when it was a year and a half old and then discovered it had been featured in Dec 03 edition of Maxim magazine and was reviewed by comedian Al Murray. It is a car that definitely turns heads and out performs any other car in its price range. I intend to keep it long term as it is such a unique car. Year: 2003

Included in the Schnitzer modifications are a bodykit, lowered sports suspension, lightweight alloys, chrome interior package, twin rear silencer, supercharged performance package, onboard computer and satellite navigation.

Ruaraidh & Michael Stubbs, NAIRN, Morayshire, Scotland, UK

 The Stubbs family includes two classic Minis, a 1992 Rover Mayfair called Sid which is fitted with a Stage one kit, Recaro seats and a set of minilites.

And a black 1989 Designer called Marylou that is currently being rebuilt

Members update

Peter Delaney who joined last month has sent us these photos of his very neat 1998 Cooper MPi

Workshop - Idle speed

Rob Jackson writes

"One quick question -- the Mini seems to be taking a while to warm up and the weather hasn't really been too cold.  It has stalled on us a number of times even with the choke out.  It has a low idle setting, is there an easy way to set this?

Also, the odometer has seemed to stop working -- is this just a plug or something that could have come loose?"

The idle speed adjusting screw can be found on the side of the carb (A), as it is screwed in, it opens the throttle. In addition, there is a screw on the throttle lever (B) that rests on the choke lever, so that the throttle is opened as the choke is pulled out.

if the speedo is reading but the odometer is not recording the miles, there is a fault inside the speedo head. A small plastic gear wheel drives the odometer from the input spindle for the speedo.

Mini Club - Mini Owners of Texas

John Wright is a member of Mini Owners of Texas (www.miniownersoftexas.org) and has sent us these details.

Mini Owners of Texas is not really a club, instead it is a loosely-knit group of Mini/MINI owners and enthusiasts that started in 1998 in San Antonio, Texas with just a hand full of crazed Mini people.  Now we can boast over 100 members that stretch across Texas, mostly the Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio areas.  However we do not stop there, we also have members across the US, Europe, and even the UK.

Auto Solo

Its official, Auto Solo is making its way across the Atlantic. A few clubs have organised events over the past few years, but this branch of the sport hardly existed in the UK, the nearest equivalent being the autotest, which by contrast is very popular

That is now beginning to change, the motor clubs have recognised that the Auto Solo is a good way of introducing people to motor sport and the number of events is growing.

To further this, the British Trial and Rally Drivers Association (BTRDA), who organise one of the national autotest championships, have introduced their Newcomers AutoSOLO Challenge. This is aimed at club level motorsort meaning that a competition licence will not be required to compete, it will also include events around the country to reduce traveling, and will have a "Grand Final" in November.

To enter the Challenge, you must be either 21 or less on the 1st of January 2007 or not have held a competition licence for the last 10 years. You don't have to be registered for the Challenge to enter the events, provided you are a member of an invited motor club.

Also to keep costs down, the events are only opened to road going cars that are driven to the event, so no specialised machinery being trailered to events. There are 4 classes; A to C being for production cars and sports cars, split by the capacity breaks of 1400 and 1800 cc. Class D is for all other cars.

Like an autotest, tests are laid out around cones in a car park, unlike autotests, there is no reversing, the emphasis being on taking a smooth line through the gates.

Also unlike autotesting, the gates are numbered and the direction of travel is indicated by cones lying on their sides, so less of a memory challenge.

The first round of the Challenge was the Knutsford and District Motor Club event in the Demon Tweeks carpark at Wrexham. I was lucky to enter an Auto Solo in California a few years ago and did not take much persuasion to point the 'S' west and have a go, in fact it was a family affair as daughter Ruth shared the car for the day.

The first tests were wet and very slippery although the sun came out, drying the surface as the day progressed. There were three test layouts and we had three runs at each with an extra run at the last one, 10 runs for an entry fee of £15 is pretty good value in motorsport terms and some very enjoyable driving as well.

Another feature of Auto Solo that is different from autotesting is that the competitors also marshal which addresses one of the biggest headaches in autotests these days. To facilitate this, the competitors were split into three groups, one driving, the other marshalling and the third resting - a system that worked very well.

Richard and Pat Edgar entered the event in their Sportspack Mini.

For those who would like to give it a try, here are some dates:

* - rounds of the BTRDA AutoSOLO Challenge

Scalextric Book

If your first competitive experience with a Mini was behind the hand grip of a Scalextric set, then you may be interested in this book. Brought out to celebrate the 50th anniversary, it is described as "A true feast of nostalgia, this beautifully designed hardback is packed with fascinating illustrations that capture every facet of Scalextric over the years - not just the cars, track and accessories but also period artwork as seen on box sets and in catalogues"

The book, written by Roger Gillham has a forward by no less than Sir Frank Williams and is available from the Haynes web site for £14.99

Wirral to Llandudno Run

This event goes from strength to strength, well run as usual by the Wirral Mini Club, the maximum entry list of 200 was quickly filled and it is believed that the actual number who took part was even more, with groups of cars joining the convoy as it made its way from Bromborough on the Wirral, along the North Wales coast to the Great Orme and Llandudno.

This is an excellent way to start the Mini year, we used Karen's 25, Vince, Ruth and Mark Chadwick used their 1275 GT Cabriolet and Karen's sister Janice and family borrowed the MCS for the day. As we arrived at the start venue, the carpark was already pretty full and it was refreshing to see that the general trend of smarter and smarter Minis continues. There was the usual mix with some interesting custom jobs, plenty of personalised Minis and an increasing number of very smart absolutely standard cars including a number of Clubmans. There was also a larger number of MINIs than last year and once again, they ran at the back.

This year, there was a mayoral presence with the deputy Mayor of Wirral coming along for the ride, although it was in his chauffeur driven Jag, we suggested that next year he should do it properly in a Mini.

After a short break at Rhos-on-Sea we traveled on again through Llandudno to the Great Orme for a fantastic spectacle, with blue skies and a blue sea and nothing but Minis as far as you could see in front and behind as we wound our way around this huge rocky promontory. Half way round the Orme the convoy via off to the summit, there is a nasty speed hump at the junction which caught out a couple of low exhausts, one enterprising group brought along some planks to easy the transit.

At the summit, careful parking was required as the assembled Minis filled the available space, it was windy up here but given the gales the week before, we were very lucky.

Then is was back down to sea level and a run to the promenade were all the Minis were parked as their occupants headed in to town for something to eat an a look around

.

Well done Wirral Minis, another great day out.

Freestyle build

At last, work has properly started on the build of the Freestyle and with any luck and the wind behind us, it should turn a wheel at an autotest during the summer. I have decided to do a "dirty build" first, it feels wrong bolting on parts in need of a refurbish, but the idea is to find out what fits and what doesn't, what extra brackets are required and what bits are missing.

 The Freestyle is designed to take standard Mini rear shock absorbers at the front with the upper arms modified to form rockers. With the standard spring platforms cut off, the Gaz coil-over shock-absorbers fit a treat. These are the off-set type that allow the coil springs to fit in a Minis rear wheel arch.

The rear suspension also has Gaz coil-overs, this time Mini front units, here though a problem arose, as can be seen below, the top mounts are further forward to make sure that the coil spring clears the sub-frame tower. This means that the standard pin in the upper arm is too short and will have to be replaced

Still at the rear, with the a front subframe and hubs but no steering rack, the hubs must be prevented from swinging around. The standard arrangement is for a rod that attaches to the sub-frame at one end with a bush and uses a standard track-rod end at the other. With the constant rapid switching from accelerating to braking in autotesting, the bush will be replaced with a rose joint so a couple of new rods are being turned up.

The lowered suspension arms both front and rear are also rose-jointed and fully adjustable.

After the suspension, attention turned to the petrol tank, as luck would have it, not long after seeing Dave Smart's tank made from an adapted fire extinguisher, I acquired a suitable unit that had been discharged and then thrown away. It will be mounted as low as possible at the back of the chassis.

The next area for attention will be the ergonomics, there are considerable forces involved as you hand-brake turn, reverse-flick and hit the brake and accelerator pedal in turn, it is vital that all the controls are easy to use and that the driver does not have to hang on to the steering wheel or gear lever to brace against the forces.

I once drove a Mini special in Dublin autotest and it was a revelation, the fit of the seat and the location of the controls were spot-on, making it much easier to control the car. The starting point will therefore be the seat, I have bought a Kart seat and the position of this will be established first with attention to the ease of looking forward and back. Next the new pedal box (along with balance bar brake pedal) will be made such that the pedals are in just the right place. After that, new brackets will be fabricated to position the steering wheel so that it can be turned from lock to lock as easily as possible without having to stretch - or risking contact between elbow and the chassis side rail. Finally the position of the gear lever and fiddle brakes will be determined.

MINI ONE and Cooper Diesels

The new MINI hatch line-up will soon be complete, when the new MINI One and MINI Cooper D models are unveiled to the public at the International Geneva Motor Show on 8 March 2007. The entry-level One features a perky 95hp 1.4-litre petrol engine, while the Cooper D boasts performance and fuel efficiency from an all-new 1.6-litre 110hp turbodiesel powerplant.

A Cooper-badged MINI diesel hints at the sporty nature of the new model. MINI fans will be equally excited at the prospect of the Cooper D promising to be the most fuel-efficient and cleanest MINI ever built. In comparison to the outgoing MINI One D’s combined fuel consumption of 58.9mpg, the Cooper D is capable of 64.2mpg.  A CO2 figure of just 118 g/km puts the car in tax band B.  

MINI One also benefits from a significant improvement in both fuel consumption and emissions over the outgoing model.  49.6mpg is achievable from the One’s new 1.4-litre unit, compared to 41.5mpg from its predecessor. CO2 emissions are now 138g/km, against 164g/km produced by the previous model.

*260 with Overboost
** VED Tax rating Band B = £50 per annum

In the UK, the MINI One will cost £11,595 on the road, and the MINI Cooper D will be £14,190. Both models will be on sale from April 2007.

Both models feature the new body shape already seen on the recently launched MINI Cooper and Cooper S models. Interior quality enhancements and unique design features remain key characteristics of the One and Cooper D. However, several individual highlights set the cars apart.

MINI One: Technology highlights
The 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine in the MINI One is derived from the 1.6-litre unit that features in the current Cooper model. Smooth power delivery and maximum efficiency are achieved using fully variable valve control, through a system based on BMW Group’s unique VALVETRONIC technology.

Maximum output of 95hp at 6,000rpm is produced by the compact engine, which is constructed from lightweight aluminium. The 5hp power increase on its predecessor leads to a peak torque figure of 140Nm at 4,000rpm.

The innovative powertrain is key to the MINI One’s ability to ensure a grin-inducing driving experience, yet offers the driver outstanding fuel economy and low emissions.  A 0-62mph time of 10.9 seconds and top speed of 115mph are complemented by an average fuel consumption figure of 49.6mpg – an efficiency increase of 15 per cent compared to the outgoing model.  

MINI Cooper D: Technology highlights
The MINI Cooper D’s brand new turbocharged diesel engine develops 110hp at 4,000rpm. Under normal conditions peak torque of 240Nm is achieved between 1,750 and 2,000rpm.  Deploying the engine’s Overboost function gives the Cooper D an additional 20Nm of torque, meaning the driver will experience 260Nm at 2,000rpm.  MINI enthusiasts will recognise this torque figure is identical to that produced by the new MINI Cooper S.

The turbocharger system features variable turbine geometry, ensuring optimum smoothness, efficiency and response even at low engine speeds.

Second-generation common rail diesel technology operating at a maximum pressure of 1,600 bar is key to the new diesel engine’s combustion process. Additionally, refinement is achieved using a precise multiple-injection process for each operating cycle.  The combustion chambers have been optimised in their shape and dimensions to prevent unwanted turbulence and maintain a smooth and consistent combustion process at all times.

A diesel particulate filter almost eliminates diesel exhaust emissions and helps to make the MINI diesel engine one of the most environmentally friendly engines in its class.

Six-speed gearbox as standard
The new MINI One and new MINI Cooper D both come as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox.  Dynamic acceleration is a result of the precise shift control provided by carbon friction plates and helical gears operating within an optimised syncromesh.  With its long transmission ratio, the sixth gear allows optimum fuel economy, even at high speeds.

The MINI One will be available to customers with the option of a six-speed automatic transmission.  A key feature is the Steptronic function, which allows the driver to shift gears in sequence using the gear lever or the standard-fit paddles on the steering wheel.  For keener drivers, a Sports Button is available as an option for even shorter gearshift times and faster throttle response.

Design highlights
Features including a black finish to the car’s radiator grille bars, door mirrors and tailgate handle are exclusive to the MINI One. The new MINI Cooper D’s sporting prowess is underlined by the addition of a pronounced power dome on the car’s bonnet. A discernibly larger air intake than on other MINI models features on the Cooper D, as does a crossbar in body colour on the lower intake.

Chassis and suspension
The go-kart driving experience is enhanced in the new MINI One and Cooper D through a new suspension set-up, as introduced on the MINI Cooper and Cooper S. MINI is the only car in its segment to be fitted with a central-arm rear axle featuring elaborate kinematics for optimum tyre-to-road contact.

Electrical Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) incorporating modern mechanical control gives the driver increased precision feedback. Variable power assistance dependent on speed ensures MINI drivers are guaranteed an involving drive every time they step into the car.

The new MINI Cooper and Cooper S went on sale in the UK on 18 November 2006.  By the end of the year, close to 7,000 orders were taken for the new models.  With sales looking strong into the New Year and the launch of the new MINI Convertible Sidewalk taking place in the spring, MINI is set for another great year at home on British roads.

Minis for sale

Malcolm informs me that the time has come to part company with the Mini so it is up for sale, it is taxed and tested and Malcolm is looking for offers over £3000.

If you are interested, drop us a line at theregister@miniregister.com and we will pass it on.

Events

Mini Owners of Southern Africa dates:

  Sunday 4 March 2007 - The annual East Rand Run.

  Sunday 1 April 2007 - The annual Angela’s Picnic at Delta Park!

  Saturday 20 January - Zwartkops Driver Training

  Saturday 14 April 2007 - Parys Wings and Wheels

Saturday, April 21, 2007 - 27TH Annual Southwest Unique Little Car Show - Holiday Inn, West Covina, Los Angeles, California

Sunday 4th March - kevin Sweeney will be racing his Mini in the Super Mini Challenge at the Pukekohe race track near Auckland, New Zealand

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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