The Register

The E-Newsletter of The Mini Register

November 2008

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

As you can see, Max has a very impressive collection of Minis, two of the cars (the black one and the green one with orange stripes) have been sold to make room for the next Mini project

1972 Red Mini Cooper S Mk3 called Homer

Mods: 1293cc, 276 Kent Cams, Straight cut gears, complete headworks, full flow exhaust, suspension upgraded with hi-los and Gaz shocks. Corbeau low back buckets, Les Leston steering wheel.

1990 Blue Rover Mini called Bart

Mods: 1275 GT engine, 276 Kent Cam, headworks, full flow exhaust, MSD 6AL ignition. Hi-los.

1991 Whitehall Beige Rover Mini called Marge

Mods: Stock 1275 A+ engine,  Britax folding sunroof, hi-los with Spax dampers.

"I restore and collect Minis as a hobby. Minis are a passion and it seems that I just can't get enough of these icons."

Richard Mortlock, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK

1970 Black Cooper S mark 3

Richard's 'S' was prepared by Wood and Picket and includes their full length Webasto roof, steering wheel, centre console, front and back nudge bars, walnut dash, door strips and period spot lights. The body is de-seamed and is fitted with Mamba wheels.

It has been fully restored to its 1970's modifications and recently resprayed and was featured in Mini Magazine a few years ago.

Jeff Morris and Sharon  Harrison, Cromer, Norfolk, UK

1966 white Mini Cooper S called bugs for a very good reason as it is now a buggy with a Mini log book, it has a 1275 S engine code 9fsay35--- with 1800 thou on the clock.

Frank and Melissa Morelli, Manchester, New Jersey, USA

1962 Raspberry Mini pick-up called "Rancid rabbit" - must be a story there.

Frank and Melissa's Mini is a left hand drive pick-up exported to the USA. It sat in a junk yard from 1966 to 2001 and then underwent a 5 year restoration. It still has its 848 engine.

Johannes and Anesha Harrison, Pretoria, South Africa

We don't have any Mini details for Johannes and Anesha

Matt Wilson, Ballymena, Antrim, Northern Ireland

1989 British Racing Green Mayfair called "Crazy Frog"

Full webasto sunroof fitted. Custom leather interior. Cooper replica. Sportpack arches. 12 x 6 Revolutions. Custom exhaust. HIF38 carb and competition needle. Clear indicator lenses. Angel eyes. Quickshift. Full sound system.

"Hello, my name is Matt Wilson, I'm 18 and have owned my Mini for the past 2 years. My father bought it off ebay and brought it home as a present, and I had it in the garage for a full year after that working on it. Finally I have it out of the garage and enjoy it so much I use it everyday, rain, hail, snow or shine. My Mini is a 1989 Mini Mayfair and I have dressed it up as a Cooper replica. I have fitted angel eyes, custom exhaust and interior, sportspack arches and revolution wheels.

Carl Watson, Featherstone, West Yorkshire, UK

Carl has a 1991 Mini NEON in Yellow & Silver and although it has no modifications yet, it has earned the name "The Yellow Peril"

Theo Louw, Johanessburg, Guateng, South Africa

1983 Blue Mini 1275 called "Bitch"

"Hi guys I just sold  my Golf to buy myself a safer Car MINI 1275 But I'm a speed Freak.

I saw the Mini with the twin cam 16 Toyota engine

I have a Golf 2 twin cam 16v 2lt engine I want to fit in the car . . . . is there anyone that is able to help or give me tips . . . I don't know where the gearbox will fit, I'm willing to pay for help . . . . but please don't kill me with the price . . . as its going to be my first real car the Golf had more mechanics mugging me instead of fixing it

I don't even know what the Golf engine sounds like , but I know all the Mechanics"

Pru Whitwell, Hunters Hill NSW Australia

1971 Purple Mini K

The body is a Feb 1971 Mini K - only made in Australia with an 1100 engine - but the engine has been replaced with a 1978 Leyland engine and twin SUs have been fitted

"Bought in NSW in May 2007 this Mini K body is in fairly original condition. The original 1100cc engine has been replaced at some point with a 1978 Leyland 998cc engine and twin SUs fitted. The current colour is aubergine but according to the body plate it was originally Toga White."

Darren Johnson Larkhall, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK

1979 blue 1275 GT

"I have had this car since 1997, it has been in storage since 2000"

Hayley La Roche, Southend on Sea, Essex, UK

1992  grey/black Mini Cooper 1.3i called "Jeff"

"Myself and Jeff came together in March last year when I was taking driving lessons and needed a car for inspiration to pass. Mini's have always been in my blood so getting another one was a no-brainer. I used to own a Mini 25 years ago, the first time I took driving lessons, but lack of money meant I had to stop the lessons and sell the car :( As far as I was concerned there was not going to be a Mini to beat my 25, so when I first saw the Cooper 1.3i I wasn't hugely impressed, but the body work was good and it was mechanically sound so I got it. I tinkered with a few bits and mainly spent my driving time going to the local garage and back to get things fitted. From a Mini that my dad used to have that was called Mable, and my 25 being called Mable the 2nd, the Cooper was to be Mable the 3rd... However, after some driving, I decided that it was clearly a boy car (wanting to go everywhere at full pelt and not liking to be told what to do!!) so he was called Jeff. We've done the London 2 Brighton, my first, and I think Jeffs first, and had an awesome time. We'll be doing it again in future. I'm absolutely in love with my car, and I won't be without him. Even if I do get other Minis in the future I will always keep Jeff. I can't help but have a big smile on my face when I'm driving, and if I'm ever feeling cheesed off I'll go for a drive to cheer myself up!! I've still got some mods to do, with engine rebuilds and bodywork planned for the future, but for now I'm concentrating on getting the interior as I want it, and I'm pretty close to completion. That's about it really. LONG LIVE/LOVE THE MINI!!"

Jeff has Black/Grey Leather Upholstery, Newton Commercial Delux Grey Carpet, Custom Consoles Dash/Centre Console/Speakerboard in Grey/Black, 4 Piece Door Cards in Grey, Fletcher 2.5" Twin DTM exhaust with LCB manifold,  Full Alarm and Immobiliser system with Remote Central Locking and assorted Chrome Work.  With more to come!!

Gab Douillet, Paris, France

1999 grey Mini 40th anniversary

Dominic Dee, Hull, East Yorkshire, UK

1974 green Mini 1000 that is under-going restoration

"Bought for me as a 16th birthday present in March 2006 slow and steady low budget rebuild race/rally theme"

Maurice and Kathryn Owen, Newport, Wales, UK

1992 Mini British Open Classic

"Basic b.o.c but does not have the sunroof? everything else is as it should be log book old repair bills match reg engine and chassis numbers"

Robert and Dianne Walker, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK

1996 Tahiti Blue Mini Sprite

"We bought our Mini as a Birthday present for Dianne, who has previously owned Minis. Rob had never even driven a Mini before, and was gob-smacked at how much fun it really is to drive. The car has had 2 owners and covered 7,500 miles."

Michael Salter, Willowdale, Ontario, Canada

1968 green and white Morris Mini Cooper S

"My car is an Australian assembled Mk I Cooper S. Apparently the MkIs were assembled in Australia until 1968 and mine is a '68. I bought it in parts in Auckland, New Zealand in 2001, shipped it to Canada then assembled it to original condition."

Nick Radford, Bristol, Avon, UK

1987 White Mini City E called "Sam"

"Hi I am Nick I have had my Mini for about a month now. Just had it re-sprayed, it's the first Mini I have owned, I love it!"

Sam is fitted with Group 5 arches covering Supalite 13inch deep dish wheels.

Robert Blouin, Carignan, Quebec, Canada

1984 Black Austin Mini called "Little Black". Robert's Mini is fitted with a 1275 engine, and Yokohama A-008 tyres on 10 inch rims. The exterior has been treated to a new paint job and full chrome and a new interior completes the picture

Sasha Blackman, Barking, Essex, UK

1989 White Mini Mayfair called "Herbie"

"I love my Herbie bought him 3 days ago he's clunky and grumpy but he suits me just fine."

Christopher and Craig  King, Dover, Kent, UK

1990 Red Mini Mayfair

"I have had my Mini for 2 years, and I have been doing it up. I have spent a lot of money on it and I love it too much. I want to put a 1275 in soon, I have one out of an MG Metro. Me and my brother have always liked Mini's. It is a shame to see them on a banger track."

Trevor James, Harare, Zimbabwe

1977 silver Mini Cooper called Spetznez

Dale and Lisa Ficken, Madison, North Carolina, USA

1960 Red Morris 850 called Ivan

Ivan now has a 1098 engine with a 206 head and LCB header. A pair of Mk3 seats replace the old back breakers and the body is painted in Cooper colors. To continue the Cooper theme, a RH gas tank is fitted and the Mini runs on a set of MK1 Cosmic rims.

"I have owned Ivan the Mini (named after my dad who bought him for me and now passed away) for 36 years. Ivan has been in storage with limited work being done on him for the past 12 years. I woke him after this time to find that the Mini world/community here in the US has taken on a very disturbing trend, the REVIN/illegal Mini is rampant here making the identity and heritage of the greatest car ever almost impossible, and creating a situation that allows the UK to export stolen vehicles into this country almost completely unchecked. I consider this travesty to be a thread that will ultimately unravel itself as the imported Mini's here that are legal will ultimately make the Mini in the US worthless. When I speak of these things in the US I get brow beaten to keep quiet and to live and let live. I have painstakingly kept my 1960 in working order, back in the 70's that was not an easy task since US part houses were not yet established for this car and we had to sometimes make parts and use wire to hold things together, just to find 36 years later that not only are people cheating, they don't care if they break US federal laws to do it. Anyways, I have great stories that only a Mini can provide on my website along with videos found celebrating the Mini and its creator at www.minitopia.com would love any comments and stories anyone has to offer. Would also like to work with the UK to help stem the tide of illegal cars entering this country, either by changing the US laws and allowing newer cars in or making customs on both side of the pond more aware. The REVIN Minis in this country are all subject to repossession, exportation and sadly being crushed and I would hate to see anything happen to even one Mini. I would hope there would be others that would feel the same way, that the love of the Mini is greater than the stupidity of a few that jeopardize a way of life and a cultural icon for many! Minis are the greatest car on the planet and should be protected at all costs!"

Peter Rule, Bolton, Lancashire, UK

1982 Blue Mini City

Eddie Crook, East Malling, Kent, UK

1977 Red Austin Mini 1000

"My car has only covered 27,000 miles in it's 31 years. It had been owned by a lady who only used it occasionally but kept it serviced and MOT'd. When she had her garden landscaped she was not able to meet the bill and offered the car in part payment. The gardener did not use it but sold it on to reimburse his bill for the work on the garden. The next owner bought it for his son when he passed his driving test, but the son did not want a Mini. I then bought it for the same sum he paid the gardener for it. It has just passed its MOT and they said it was in very good condition. I intend to keep it in its original condition."

Terry and Tony Cleaver, Dover, Kent, UK

1986 Targa Red Austin Mini Chelsea

1974 White Austin British Leyland Morris Mini 850 called "Zippy" has the later controls for wipers etc on the steering wheel sleeve (like modern cars).

"1986 Mini Chelsea bought from Ashford, Kent. Owned by 2 previous owners, first registered in Deptford, Kent (UK) in March 1986. Original Condition, Targa red and original interior. Bought May 2008. Only about 36,000 miles on the clock. Rare edition of a Mini only made for one year.

1974 Mini 850, Glacier White with brown interior. Bought from Etchinghill, Kent in 2005. Original brown interior and 850cc engine. Converted to unleaded. First owned by Major Odo Russell in Folkestone, cousin of the Duke of Bedford. First registered in Folkestone in November 1974, and the number plate at the time was changed to a personalised one of 1 DKK. This was later removed and the original number plate put back. Only 74,000 approx miles on the mileage clock. Rare mini as not many 850's in original condition are left."

Charlie and David Hughes, Waterlooville, Hampshire, UK

1973 Green and White Mini 1000

Charlie's Mk 3 has the 1100cc engine and the centre binnacle for the speedo, temperature and oil pressure gauges. It is currently being restored to its original factory condition.

Nigel Drummond, Dubbo  N.S.W, Australia

1970 Yellow Mini K

Has twin fuel tanks, Cooper 'S' bumpers, twin SU's, extractor's, sport's steering wheel and mag wheel's

1976 Red Panel van

196-? Red Mini 850

Has wide chrome rim's, flares, and sport's steering wheel.

"I'm a 43 year old that owned a 1969 Mini Cooper "S" for my first car and have loved them ever since. I own 3 now and have a body shell as well."

Simon Laurent,  Fontainebleau, IDF, France

1967 Mini 1000 Cooper

Simon's Mini is Old English White with a black roof and is being restored

Capt James O'Donnell, Manakau City, New Zealand

1977 Royal Blue Mini LE

"A Mini enthusiast since my first car, a Mini Deluxe, 998cc Australian issue 1966. Wind up windows. I then had a MkI Cooper S 1275, exactly like the one shown that is in South Australia. Strange, it sort of makes me think it is my car I am looking at. I blue printed the engine in my Cooper. My dad was the managing director of a large engine reconditioning shop in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. In order to get the workshop to use, I had to steam clean and paint all the machines to fine detail. Dad produced the go-no-go data from BMC Australia as used where the engines were built. Using this data I then 're-built' the 1275 to specification. A full re-balance and very careful reassembly resulted in such a smooth engine. On my return to Sydney, that car returned me 45MPG at 3010RPM = 75MPH. standard Cooper S diff .333 finial drive. Smooth power.

Now, I have a '77LE in the shop undergoing complete rebuild. I am replacing the 1000cc lump with a Lyn Rodgers 1080cc fully worked unit. Cross drilled crank, full balance, stage 2 head, Cooper 998 cam grind. twin row cam chain etc. I will fit a LCB exhaust with a Cooper S muffler fitted as it was.

As the car is a MkII, I would like to change the front to a MkI. Do you know of any issues here like the bonnet?. As I see it, the extra lip that is fitted there to support the chrome top trim can be removed, leaving the standard bonnet. I will source a Cooper S grill from Aust. I also have a set of Mini Lites from Australia as well. Will run with the front drums which are twin lead shoe type. I am looking for a PBR booster as fit to the Cooper S as well.

The car is an ugly Red colour at present and this will be removed and repainted inside and out in a royal blue, with white stripes. A favorite style as seen in many other Mini pages."

Conor Haughian, Aghagallon, Armagh, UK

1992 Red Mini City E called Rosie

"Just bought a wee red Mini City E months ago...many late nights adding bits and bobs to her. I'm from Northern Ireland, anyone wanna get in touch drop me a line"

Roger Foote and Joany  Hughson, Shetland Isles, Scotland

1998 Kingfisher Blue Cooper called Nimi

"No mods at the moment!! Its having a complete overhaul including a new front end, bored out to 1380cc 5 speed engine with all the trimmings, leather interior, big wheels, roll cage & volcano orange paint etc!!"  

Eben Frey,  Kraaifontein, South Africa

Eben's Mini is a 1969 Mk3 1000 (South African version) painted Baby blue with white roof. It has a branch manifold and free flow exhaust, lightened flywheel and modified cam yet to be done.

"I bought it when I was 17 and fell in love with it first time I saw it. Its my first car I've bought and I'm now 21 and still lovin it"

Michael Harvey, East Grinstead, West Sussex, UK

1992  Red and black Cooper called Eddie

"Re-sprayed during restoration this year(2008). Originally red but the white roof and white bonnet stripes are now black. Rear subframe replaced in early 2008. Bodywork restored after an incident with a Sainsbury's lorry.

Restoration should be complete in 2009. 99% done in 2008. Agreed valuation done in 09/08 (3500 pounds). Estimate that another year will see Eddie completely back to standard."

Jeremy, Kerstin and Samuel White, Bognor Regis, West Sussex, UK

1986 Targa Red Mini Chelsea called "Chelsea"

"My Mother bought Chelsea as her first new car in 1986 and owned her for Ten Years. My cousin then inherited her for about 18 Months, and I have had her for the last 10 years! She has achieved only 68000 miles in the last 22 years, but had an engine replacement when the by-pass hose disintegrated and cooked the original engine. I work as a Parts Manager in a Honda Franchised Garage which took over John Coopers."

Chelsea has an MG Metro 1275 block with a Cooper S head, LCB Exhaust and a K&N air filter on an HIF 44 carb. A pair of 4 Pot front calipers do the stopping and a pair of Cobra seats with black and red piped trim grace the interior.

Geoffrey Bowes, Driffield, East Yorkshire, UK

1991 Black Mini Studio 2

"I have owned my Mini for about 5 years, paid 50 quid for her and now she owes me about 2 and a half grand. I am 53 years of age and still enjoy driving and working on her .I am married and have 2 grown up daughters who drive but do not know how to drive my Mini.

Geoffrey's Mini has a 1275 engine and RC40 exhaust along with 6x12 deep dish alloys with black centres.

Chris King, Dover, Kent, UK

1990 red Mini Mayfair which is destined to receive a 1275 engine modified to 1380cc

I have spent too much on her but can't stop doing so, she's too nice to sell. All my m8's love her. I have had Poppy for 2 years and she is my beast lol. I work at B&Q and I like working at B&Q.

I will be doing the London to Brighton run and going to the Hop Farm Mini day. I'm also a good mountain biker, I have a Kona Stuff dirt jumper. I dont like putting my bike on top of my Mini but every body likes it lol"

Andy Hind, Billericay, Essex, UK

1967 Green Riley Elf called Kylie

"Sadly a previous owner has chopped her roof off, and installed a Zak? skirt kit. The reason I bought her was for the Mercedes front end conversion which I've always loved. She's rotten as a pear and held together with expanding foam and fiberglass that has been disguised with underseal presumably to get her through the MOT. I bought her off Ebay and hope to restore her to the period custom she once was although I hope my work will be done to a higher standard!"

Tom Breakwell, Ludlow, Shropshire, UK

1990 Mini City called "Pip"

"I'm 17 and now in my second year of training to be an overhead linesman on the electricity board. I purchased my Mini last Christmas and am now currently restoring it. So far I've completely striped it and put new front panel, a-panels, scuttle panel, bulkhead repair panels, door skins, sills, boot floor repair panel and rear valance. It is now ready to be prepared for painting."

Pip will have coil springs, spax shocks and will be painted Old English White with a black roof, all the rest will mostly be original

Gareth Jones, Wrexham, Wales, UK

1986 White and black Mini Picadilly called Alice that is fitted with Sports pack arches and 7x13 motorsport revolutions.

"Alice was my first car, my first love and the first girl to drive me round the bend..."

Phil Richards, Towcester, Northamptonshire, UK

1979 Orange Minivan that is standard at present, but Phil is rebuilding a Metro Turbo motor (subject to funds)...

Philip Caldwell, Widnes, Cheshire, UK

1989 Pearlescent Cherry Red Mini 30th anniversary called Inny

Philip's Mini has undergone a large restoration, but he has kept the car original as it is a special edition

Tom Wild, Arundel, West Sussex, UK

2003 Blue MINI Cooper fitted with a K&N filter, Superchips Bluefin, Irridium Plugs, Livewire Leads and Screamin Demon coil pack. The engine has also been treated to Active8 oil treatment. Oh and some sound proofing!

"I'm 35 and a mobile engineer for a truck mounted forklift company. I've been around engineering and farming as long as I can remember. Live in the shadow of the Sussex downs and often frequent The Sportsman Inn, a popular haunt of local mini fans. Caught the bug a few months back while looking for a car for a friend. WHOOPS! Well I drive a Transit all week so gotta get some fun in sometime! Love my Mini but not sure about the union jacks on the mirrors!!!? Any suggestions? Was a little dissappointed with the tight noisy engine to start. But a few old tricks I've learnt over the years have sorted that!"

Lauren Dugdale and Andy Jack Grace Robertson, Warrington, Cheshire, UK

1988 Blue and white Mini Mayfair called "Sapphire" that has had a number of modifications.

"Andy originally had a Mini when he was 8, and has wanted another one ever since. In August we were away in Devon and saw a Mini charity run, where our 2 young kids (Jack's 5 and Grace is 2), completely fell in love them. Since then we've been scraping the money together to buy our own. Last week, we bought a beautifully modified Mini Mayfair and hence are now signing up to meet other Mini enthusiasts. Lauren"

Angela and James Hunter, Airdrie, Northlanarkshire, Scotland, UK

1967 yellow Mini 1275 Saloon called "Bumblebee"

Bumblebee has had a convertible conversion done and has been fitted with a body kit and the car is currently being restored.

"Just a quick note to tell you about ( project bumblebee ) !. My wife Angela decided she wanted a Mini soft top and it had to be an old model, so along came a reshelled 1967 1275 Austin Mini, blue in colour which she wants to be yellow and black as the finished article.

Here are a couple of pictures showing the progress to date, stripdown nearly complete and the removal of the dreaded  tinworm about to start. I will keep you all posted on the work being done"

Wiets and Anna Janse van Rensburg, Groblersdal, Limpopo,  South Africa

1974 green Mini Clubman called "Kaspaas"

"We bought the mini in 1974 and want to have the body fully restored. We are looking for someone who can do this for us."

Thanks to Francois for the translation

Members Updates

Noel Durdant-Hollamby informs us that the restoration of OKD 698F is finally complete, as can be seen from his photos. There are more details on his website www.policeminicooper.co.uk.

Growing up in Liverpool in the 60's, these white Mini Cooper S' where a common sight. My Dad was once woken in the middle of the night as his car had been found on the other side of town. He was then treated to a very high speed trip in the back of a Police Cooper S to recover it. He reckoned that it was the fastest journey he had ever made. It would be quite a coincidence if that car was Noel's.

Ron Jernigan from Deleware has kept us informed of his progress with the restoration of his 1966 Austin Cooper S, it was quite a challenge and the result is impressive. The full story is has now been recorded in the MiniWorld magazine.

Well done Ron

Steve and Rachel Taylor have sent in a picture of their 2000 Cooper Sports along with a copy of the original order form showing the standard features

Rob and Sharron Harrison, Leicester, UK

"After having a very enjoyable day at MITP, and having the pleasure of meeting you my wife Sharon, decided she wanted to sell her lovely Renault Megane Hardtop convertable and replace it with.......yes, you've guessed, a Mini! We also wanted to keep Lorna (our 68 auto) as standard so I needed a project.

After waving goodbye to my motorbike (boo hoo!) I had cash in my pocket burning a hole!

To cut a long story short we now have 3 Mini's in the household, Lorna ( '68 Auto), Sharon's '94 1275 Sprite, and I have acquired a 1962 Cooper ( in need of much work, more than I had bargained for!!!!)

In fact I MUST like Minis, as when I collected the cooper, during the return journey we broke down, on the M6 in an area with no hard shoulder at 6:30 in the evening ( yes it was dark and busy!) and I still love the car!

Anyway, after a long wait and a late night I was back home, the breakdown guy was great, another Mini fan,( they get everywhere.)

My joy was short lived though, as the next morning a bit of prodding with a screwdriver soon bought to light the size of the job I have given myself.

As they say a picture speaks a thousand words so here are some piccies:

Below: "Tommy" Cooper:

a complete new front end has been ordered and my welder will earn it's keep again!

Below:   Sharon's Sprite (In extremely good nick!)

Gordon Platelle, Cape Town, South Africa

"I've included some pics of my South African 1100 special that you mentioned in the newsletter last year. There is still much to be done, but as can be seen, at least it is drivable, although still needs to go for roadworthy certificate. (British =M.O.T.)

The engine has been completely overhauled also new clutch and master and slave cylinder kits, hoses; all brakes and master and wheel cylinders and hoses done; driver's side floor pan cut out and new manufactured section fitted; body rust removed, door cracks welded and  all resprayed.

We are going into our summer down here and looking forward to some Mini runs. I missed the last one in July as my "Bumble Bee" was not ready. This time, things look VERY good to be part of the next run! You northern hemisphere people are going into hibernation now, so all the best until next letter.  Stay well"

Liam Andrews, Doncaster, South Yorkshire

Liam continues to improve his Racing Green and has now added some original wheels (<anorak mode on>The Racing Green, like the RSP Cooper, had alloys with the wheel nuts in line with the spokes<anorak mode off>)

When the steam rises

The last thing you want to see when stuck in a traffic jam is the temperature needle heading towards red. But that is exactly what happened to Karen's Mini Vince.

The joint between the header tank and the radiator core failed causing the pressure to drop and the temperature to rise.

With the possibility of damage to the head gasket as well as a couple of oil leaks to fettle, the engine has been pulled.

The first thing of note was the presence of oil in the inlet ports, even though the inlet valves were fitted with seals, they were hard and therefore must be considered the most likely candidate.

With the head removed, it was obvious that the engine had been running with a very rich mixture, the nature of its use has been short local daily runs, so a higher than normal percentage of the running would have been with  the choke out. The head and piston tops were heavily caked in carbon, rather than use the usual scrapper and wire brush, Marine Clean was sprayed on and left to work, this turned the hard carbon into a soft goo that could be wiped off. After a few applications the carbon was gone.

As a precaution, the head was skimmed with the minimum being removed to ensure that the surface was flat. The valves and valve seats were in very good condition so a light lapping with the valve grinder was all that was required.

Before the engine is returned to the car, the front sub-frame has been dropped out for new mountings to be fitted, these could be replaced with the sub-frame in-situ but as it is just over 10 years since Vince was re-shelled, we are taking this opportunity to make sure that all the paint is sound. In the process the hubs were removed but not without some difficulty with the nearside one, a large application of copper mallet was required before the driveshaft could be persuaded to part company with the bearings

Looks like a new CV joint and some bearings are in order.

Spam, Spam, Spam

Not a scene from Monty Python's but a plague of the Internet. We at The Mini Register, like other Internet users, are bombarded with the junk mails which fill our in-tray. To counter this we have been using progressively more robust Spam Filters which has done a lot to cut down the problem. Unfortunately this means that occasionally, genuine messages get trapped as well.

If you don't get a reply to an email, please don't think that we are ignoring you, we are always interested to hear from Mini enthusiasts. To help your email get through, please put something Mini related in the subject, it makes it easier to wrestle it from the Spam filter's clutches.

Also, on the similar vein, we do get instances of new members registering with an invalid email address. If you don't hear from us after filling in the registration form, please try again and add a note to the fact that you have not had a reply.

New Mini club

Good news for UK Mini enthusiasts in the Wednesbury/West Bromwich area, John Chance tells us that a new classic Mini owners club has recently formed in Wednesbury. Their first meeting was at The Forge Tavern, Franchise Street ,Wednesbury, West Midlands WS10 9RG on 31st August, we look forward to the photos John.

Drag racing MINI

MINI USA AND ABF Performance have teamed up to create what they hope will be the world's fastest drag race MINI.

With 650bhp under the bonnet driving the front wheels, the MINI has posted a 10.48 elapsed time, crossing the line at 135.16 mph.

The ABF built car weighs in at just 1750 pounds, just over half the weight of a standard car.

AutoSolo

Kato got an outing again on an AutoSolo, this time the Knutsford and District Motor Club's event in their home town.

There was a very good entry and KDMC had split the event into 2 separate competitions, one for those with competition licences and the Clubmans event for those without.

John and David Robertson put on a very impressive display in their Rover Mini SPi taking first and second in class

In the Clubmans event, David Hunt in his beautifully original Mini Moke was in the same class as Steve Simpson and Mike Lawson in their MINI and they finished in that order.

An autotest was being run in parallel on the same site and it was good to catch up with Mini Register members Roy and David Higginson in their Mini Special. Roy and David have progressively developed the car and it is now fitted with electric power steering and a Quaife ATB diff. They have also moved the front bumpstop mounting up to enable the front suspension to be lowered even further.

MINI news

The car industry has been hit very hard by the current financial crisis and the MINI is no exception. The Christmas shut-down at the Oxford plant is being extended from two to four weeks. According to the BBC, UK MINI sales in October were 40% less than the same month last year. However it is not that long ago that the millionth MINI left the Oxford factory gates and there has been a sharp rise in MINI sales in the USA.

No doubt driven by the tight emission requirements of the State of California, BMW have developed an electric version to be called the MINI E and it will be displayed for the first time at the Los Angeles Motor Show later this month.

Unlike the independent PML built petrol/electric MINI that features an electric motor in each of the wheels, the MINI E has a single electric motor that drives the front wheels via a gearbox. Electric motors are good at producing torque and with 148 ft lb, the MINI E is propelled to 62 mph in 8.5 seconds with a top speed of 95mph. With the lithium-ion batteries located in the back where the rear seats would normally be, the MINI E is strictly a two seater. The battery consists of 5088 cells of the type normally found in mobile phones and has a maximum capacity of 35 kilowatt hours. It is expected that these batteries can be fully recharged in just two-and-a-half hours which should be good for about 150 miles, although as the transversely mounted electric motor switches to become a generator when not accelerating, this may be further.

Although 500 cars will be produced, they will not be for sale, instead they are to be leased to US customers in California, New York and New Jersey for evaluation. At the end of the 12 to 18 month lease, they will be returned to BMW for testing. BMW Group aims to begin series production in the medium term of all-electric vehicles as part of the company's Number ONE strategy.

Every MINI E produced for this pilot project will have the same paintwork and bear a serial number on their front bumpers.

The MINI E has already gone through the major phases of product development for mass-produced vehicles and passed numerous crash tests on the way. The MINI E's energy storage unit emerged completely unscathed from all of the crash tests mandated by US standards, which are especially high.

The 500 cars will be built on the standard production line in Oxford and transferred to Munich for the electric motor, battery units, performance electronics and transmission to be fitted

Back in 1965, graphic designer Alan Aldridge painted a classic Mini in the pyschadelic style of the times. The car was featured on the front cover of the Sunday Times.

Now 23 years later, as part of an exhibition of his work at the Design Museum in London called "The Man with Kaleidoscope Eyes" he has done it again, this time with a MINI One

Alan Aldridge illustrated lyric books for the Beatles, album covers for The Rolling Stones, The Who and Elton John, was Art Director for Penguin Books and illustrated much-loved children’s books such as "The Butterfly Ball".

"The Man with Kaleidoscope Eyes" exhibition runs until 25 January 2009. The MINI Aldridge Special will also be on display at MINI United next year at Silverstone on 22-24 May 2009.

Last month saw the debut of the MINI Crossover concept car at the Paris Motor Show

Conventionally a manufacturer displays a concept car at one of the premier motor shows and them a year or so later a production car is announced that implements some of the ideas.

However in this case, we heard of the planned 4 wheel drive MINI Crossman a while ago and the Automedia photo below shows it in its development stage.

As a concept car, the Crossover has a number of novel features, including a patented rear door arrangement that swings round to the side of the car. It looks like the Crossman will have the same split rear doors as the Clubman. Although unlike the Clubman it has a pair of conventional doors for the rear passengers making this a 6 door car.

Tech Tip

It seems obvious really but it took the opportunity of the filter wrench being to hand when the engine needed turning over.

Wrapped around the crankshaft pulley, this makes a very easy way of rotating the crank.

 Don't try this at home

At various points on the route out of the centre of Turin, the three Italian Job Cooper S' negotiate a flight of stairs they do however travel downwards.

A student at Bristol University attempted the stunt in his new MINI but from the bottom up!. Attacking the stairs at 30mph he damaged the radiator, burst the two front tyres and set off the air-bags.

After being charged with drink-driving, he spent the night in a police cell before facing his parents who had given him the car the day before.

Freestyle Build

The power unit has now been built and installed. A pair of solid engine mounts have been used for two reasons, the first being that with the engine at the rear, the gear linkage follows a tortuous route and any engine movement will affect the gearchange.

The second reason is more of a hunch, with rubber engine mounts there is always going to be a small amount of movement before the rubber tightens up and stops the movement. With the constant changes between first and reverse in autotesting, this movement results in the engine banging between the two extremes of movement, causing shocks to be fed into the subframe and from there to the chassis.

On the subject of the gear change, this guide from MiniSpares has been pushed into the diff housing before the change rod oil seal, hopefully it will stop the tendency for this seal to weep

With the engine solidly tethered to the chassis, the Mk I rubber cross-joints have been retained for the driveshafts to damp out shocks from the drivetrain.

A frame has been fabricated to support the weight of the silencer and the exhaust pipes cut to length and tack-welded

The stop-start nature of this project continues as Karen's Mini, Vince, has taken precedence after overheating with a radiator failure

Bits for sale

Peter Riley from Liverpool has the following for sale all for an Austin Mini Mk2

2nd hand parts

2 doors (1 N/S and 1 O/S)
1 rear side window (N/S)
1 Radiator
1 Austin Seven Workshop manual (ADO 15)
Lots of other odds and sods
Rear view mirror. door mounted mirror, distributor clamp plate, light rim, horns, etc

New parts

Oil filter
Engine tie bar kits (2 off)

Let me know if you are interested and I will pass your message on

Events

Sunday 23rd November - Malvern Mini Show - Malvern, Worcestershire, UK - indoor show.

Sunday 11th January - Wirral to LLandudno run - This is a "Not to miss" event, great way to start the year but you will have to register soon as places are limited - see

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

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