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HONDA VTEC CUSTOM CLUBBY
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VOLT-EV R R CAR HYPE ELECTRIC
POWER RY GA MPI PICKUP HAS THE LO T!
JUNE 2021
ISSUE 315
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TRAILER BLAZER UNIQUE COOPER COMBO
HEADING FOR THE HILLS STUNNING FIA SPEC RACER
ONE OF A KIND WOLSELEY 1000 REBORN
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@ 20%
Mini Spares keeps well over a MILLION parts in stock!!! Clubman Rear CZH605
24A2110
24A1750
White ‘69‐75
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17H5143 Chrome On Brass
DPB10166 Stainless Steel
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Performance Cone Spring
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MS25 DPB10165 with End Guards
500929MS Stainless Steel
14A7057 GENUINE
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WILL NOT SHRINK
(and that’s not counting the MOUNTAIN of nuts and bolts!) Diamond Cut
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Le
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GS25320
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GWW807
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14A9624
GWB219
C-21A1964
Right
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4.75" x 10"
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GS25319 Pair ‘80 on
GWW804
Push Fit
Estate/Traveller Rear Window Frame
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5 Speed
DAM7455
Pre A‐Plus 22G1053
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22G2033EVO Rover Spec.
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Pre 2000
Selector Fork Rod
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MSG04
22A1021 3 Synchro
C-22A1741 Compe on
DAM8890 A‐Plus
1st/2nd Gear TSP100390
C-AJJ3325
These parts are manufactured from our tooling or unique to Mini Spares Cast Caliper
Alloy Caliper
Sports Coil MSC105
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3Y EA R
GU AR AN TE E
MiniSpares 20/50 Oil GUL7005T & Filter
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GRILLE10 Mk1
C-AJJ4022
27H46565/7 Drivesha Couplings
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GWP134EVO
MSC110 Ballast Type
2Y EA R
GU AR AN GRH247KEVLAR TE E
Cooper S Top Hose
MSF166
14A7781RETRO
Interior Door Handle Mk1/2
GLZ119A
ALA6668 Mk2 Mini Cooper Grille
MSSK2103
QL5000 Roller Type
MSSK3008
GRH240KEVLAR Lowert Hose
Outer Door Weather Moulding with clips
Mk1 Aus n Mini Grille
24A88 Door Channel Lower Sliding Window Runner Mk1/2
14A7299 External Release
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14A6769/70
21A1684
velopment
for metal catches
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Simply the largest stocks of Mini parts in the world! C-AHT346 8 Port
C-STR687
NEW!
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Road/Rally Red Spot
C-AHT346RACE 8 Port
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YGA1105
ADU9102
C-STR688
CZH646/7 Mk3 Window Winder
Compe on Yellow Spot
5L877
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C-ARA4442
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ARP1106
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21A2183
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12A367
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C-ARA4444
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C-STN48
ARP2000
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ARA359 pre 1974
C-AEG454
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These parts are manufactured for us, or unique to Mini Spares RC40PACKAGE001 C-STN100-20
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C-AHT595 Road Rally
Check Arm Rubber
CZH4052
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21A1774
C-AHT446EVO
NEW!
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C-STR632
£62.70 Inc. VAT
C-AHT230
81.3 Stroke EN40B Steel "S" Crank
C-AEG479
Roller Tip Rockers Cradle Type
Tie Bar Bush Kit
C-STR627
ARP1110
MS45D Dry Susp. MS45LATE ‘91 on
All part numbers used are unique and intellectual property of either Mini Spares Centre Ltd or Rover / X parts licensees. Prices are correct at time of going to press, but are subject to change without notice. E&O.E. Export Tel: (+44) 1707 607702
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ISSUE: 315 Kelsey Media, 5 Yalding Hill, Downs Court, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL Q EMAIL: minimag.ed@kelsey.co.uk Q FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/minimagazine EDITORIAL Q EDITOR: Gerard Hughes Email: gerard.hughes@kelsey.co.uk Q DEPUTY EDITOR: Holly Winter-Hughes Q ART EDITOR: John McAllister Email: hijohnmac@yahoo.com
Luke Smith's beaut of a Pickup has got us thinking...
REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Matthew Barrington, Jon Betts, Jeroen Booij, Ade Brannan, Neil Burgess, Keith Calver, Willy Carson, Jon Cass, Stephen Colbran, Holly Winter-Hughes, Jason Dodd, Will Finn, Tim Harber, Joe Holloway, Cara Jackson, Alex Kinsman, Martyn Morgan-Jones, Jeff Ruggles, Marc Stretton, Richard Williamson, Matt Woods.
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MANAGEMENT Chief Operating Officer: Phil Weeden Chief Executive: Steve Wright Retail Director: Steve Brown Audience Development Manager: Andy Cotton Brand Marketing Managers: Debra Hagger & Nikolas Lovely Events Manager: Kat Chappel Print Production Manager: Georgina Harris Print Production Controller: Kelly Orriss Subscription Marketing Director: Gill Lambert Subscription Marketing Manager: Rochelle Gyer-Smith
SUBSCRIPTIONS 13 issues of Mini Magazine are published per annum UK annual subscription price: £62.40 Europe annual subscription price: £76.00 USA annual subscription price: £76.00 Rest of World annual subscription price: £82.00 UK subscription and back issue orderline: 01959 543747 Overseas subscription orderline: 0044 (0) 1959 543 747 Toll free USA subscription orderline: 1-888-777-0275 UK customer service team: 01959 543 747 Customer service email address: subs@kelsey.co.uk Customer service and subscription postal address: Mini Magazine Customer Service Team Kelsey Media, 5 Yalding Hill, Downs Court, Yalding ME18 6AL, United Kingdom Find current subscription offers via: shop.kelsey.co.uk/mmg Buy back issues via: shop.kelsey.co.uk/mmgback Already a subscriber? Manage your subscription online: shop.kelsey.co.uk/myaccount www.kelseyshop.co.uk
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PRINTING William Gibbons & Sons Ltd, Willenhall, West Midlands Kelsey Media 2021 © all rights reserved. Kelsey Media is a trading name of Kelsey Publishing Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with permission in writing from the publishers. Note to contributors: articles submitted for consideration by the editor must be the original work of the author and not previously published. Where photographs are included, which are not the property of the contributor, permission to reproduce them must have been obtained from the owner of the copyright. The editor cannot guarantee a personal response to all letters and emails received. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Publisher. Kelsey Publishing Ltd accepts no liability for products and services offered by third parties. Kelsey Publishing Ltd uses a multi-layered privacy notice, giving you brief details about how we would like to use your personal information. For full details, visit www.kelsey.co.uk , or call 01959 543524. If you have any questions, please ask as submitting your details indicates your consent, until you choose otherwise, that we and our partners may contact you about products and services that will be of relevance to you via direct mail, phone, email or SMS. You can opt out at ANY time via email: data.controller@ kelsey.co.uk or 01959 543524.
NEXT ISSUE ON SALE: 11 JUNE 2021
Part of the Classics World Family www.classicsworld.co.uk
W W W. K E L S E Y.C O. U K
F
or a car that now has over six decades under its belt, it sometimes feels like the Mini is always pushing towards the future. Things never stand still around the Mini... Going out to take a closer look at Luke Smith's brilliant Pickup really brought this home. Here's a Mini that was new in the 1970s, had clearly lived the life it was meant to and now, thanks to Luke and his Grandad, is ready to face many more decades. And not just in factory spec there's a fuel injected, electronically managed engine, wind up windows and even a full leather interior. It looks great see page 40 for the full story. And if you still feel fuel injection is too high tech for Mini, wait until you read the story behind the Volt EV R300. Space age tech while still staying true to the design principles of the earliest Minis. And its potential is mind blowing... see page 80. In the face of all this future shock, we'd still love to hear from you for our 25th Anniversary special, planned for later in the summer. The cars, the shows, the adventures you've seen or been a part of over the last two and a half decades. And back to the future, we still want to hear about everything Mini in your life now - the unfinished project in your
garage, or the Mini you've finished in anticipation of the about-to-restart show season... Please get in touch! And don't forget, if you want to keep up to date with MM, visit https://shop. kelsey.co.uk - subscribe or order single copies, delivered direct to your door, or for immediate download in digital form. Until next time. Stay well, and stay safe
Gerard Hughes Editor, Mini Magazine @geztheed
gerard.hughes@kelsey.co.uk
www.facebook.com/minimagazine
CONTENTS June 2021 ISSUE: 315
18
34
FEATURES 10 RECORD BREAKER
They don't come much rarer than Ben Thompson's freshly restored South African Wolseley 1000.
28 CLUBMANIA
40
Building it once wasn't enough - Les Leagas has rebuilt his Type R for the second time with a ton of new features.
36 ON THE JOB
Using the lockdown creatively, Matti White has made massive progress with this cracking street racer.
40 POWER PUP Staring with a rusty bare shell, Luke Smith and his grandad have created a limo with a load bed.
54 ON THE TRAIL What do you do when your beloved Cooper is written off? Convert it into a trailer to tow behind its replacement.
60 CIRCUIT BREAKER From the streets of the UK, to the tracks of Romania - Bogdan Barbatu has taken this Mayfair and transformed it.
MINI SCENE
28
18 NEWS
All the latest from the Mini scene.
34 YOUR MINIS
Our pick of your cars.
MINIS FOR SALE Find your perrfeecctt Mini at GE 96 SEE PA www.motorfreeads.co.uk.
Back Issues Missed a copy of Mini Magazine? See page 73.
Visit Mini Magazine online facebook.com/minimagazine
36
minimag.ed@kelsey.co.uk
facebook.com/minimagazine
MINI TECH
86
67 HOW TO
Get the very best from your heater, a vital piece of kit even in summer.
74 ASK THE EXPERT
Our tech experts answer all your Mini technical queries.
10
78 PRODUCTS
The latest selection of parts and goodies to lavish upon you and your Mini.
80 TECH
80
We get an exclsuive first look at the Volt EV R300, an electric hyper Mini.
86 OUR MINIS
The latest from our Mini fleet, featuring Jeff, Tim and Pete.
54
67
60
Subscribe to Mini Magazine Save money by selecting one of our subscription options. See page 92.
Classic Mini Styling
1st Class: Quality Mini Products Bumpers
Light Systems Since 1967
LHD Pair
£51
Cooper S 10" Wheels Old English White or Silver | 3.5" or 4.5" White From
£67
Alloy Wheels Ultralite 6 x 10 Deep dish - available in 6 colour options. ONLY
£59 Revolution 5" x 12" 6" x 12" Rose Petal 4.75" x 10" 5" x 12" 6" x 12"
From
£45
RHD Pair
£44
Quadoptic H4 Halogen Conversion
H4 Headlamp Assemblies, includes headlamp bowl plus inner bezel, suit LHD or RHD
Silver
£62
Pre '97 Mini From MPi Headlamp From Headlamp leveling motor '97 on Halogen crystal headlamp Angel eye Headlamp adjuster kit Headlamp rim - chrome Headlamp bowl - plastic
£51 £50 £46 £54 £4 £10 £13
Works Lamp Bar Kit
O.E. spec Overiders & Bars Stainless £76 Mk1 kit £154 Chrome From £45 Mk1 kit & bumpers £342 Stainless From £52 Mk2 overiders kit Black £51 From £59
Mirrors Stainless early Each Black early Each Black late Pair Bullet early chrome Each Bullet late chrome Each Downton style Each Cooper chrome Each Cooper white Pair Classic clip on Each Early wing mounted Pair From
Lamp Bar
£66
Full Kit
£175
Tyres
Pair ONLY
£39
Rally giant spot lamp kit Road runner H3 spot lamp kit
£46 £24
A008 165/70 R10 Asymmetric High Performance Road Tyre
£11 £12 £23 £27 £13 £8 £10 £6 £12 £6 £25 £15 £29 £19 £39
Steel Mini Sport £66 £53 Extension
£60
Early - push fit amber plastic lamp unit Early - push fit clear plastic lamp unit Mk3/4 - clear lamp unit (screw type) Mk5 - clear lamp '97-'01
£7 £7 £9 £12
Rear Lights & Lenses ONLY
£70 A539 165/60 R12 165/55/12 - A048 175/50/13 - A048
ONLY
ONLY
£67 AO32 165/70 R10 £88 £107
ONLY
£54
£43
FK07E 165/70 R10
SN807 145/60 R10
ONLY
£64 175/50 R13 175/50 R13 - AR1 145/70 R12 - Winter
Mk1 Rear lamp RH or LH Mk1 Rear indicator lens RH or LH MK1 Rear brake lens RH or LH Mk2/3 Rear lamp RH or LH Mk2/3 Rear lens RH or LH Mk2/3 Rubber seal RH or LH Mk4 Rear lamp RH or LH
Each Each Each Each Each Each Each
£50 £9 £8 £69 £20 £8 £45
Cooper int release £65 Cooper ext release £65 Cooper lamp holes £113 £95 Mk 5 wavy int £95 Mk 5 wavy ext £70 Mk3 chrome Mk1 Austin wavy £101 Mk1 Austin Cooper £102 Mk1 Morris Cooper £91 Mk1 mustache surr. £107 Mustache ends Each £12 Mk3 surrounds Each £13 Mk3 top surround £21 Grille buttons £11 chrome or black
Chrome
Stainless Steel Sump Guards Fletcher Stainless Sump Guard Stainless Sump Guard with holes Aluminium Sump Guards Fletcher Aluminium Sump Guard Aluminium Sump Guard with holes Mini Sport Aluminium Sump Guard Cooper Aluminium Sump Guard Paddy Hopkirk Aluminium Sump Guard
ONLY
£79 £79 £79 £79 £79 £81 £79
£113 ONLY
£101
£39 Genuine rear - Pair Mini logo £39 Cooper logo £39
Car Covers
Extensive range of Gauges available with Magnolia, White or Black faces.
Consoles Coloured Vinyl, Burr Walnut, Carbon Fibre look or Alloy. Radio slot Optional. Available in all colours. Consoles From £68 Armrest From £68 £88 Boot liner set £12 £12 £16 £24 £45
Alloy with gear shift pattern Alloy without gear shift pattern Cooper 500 style 4 speed Burr plain gear knob Cooper alloy gear knob
Carpet Sets
FROM
£65 FROM
£38
ONLY
£95
ONLY
£36
Indoor car cover £68 Outdoor car cover £65 Cooper indoor car cover From £270
Deluxe Carpets Standard Carpets Black, red, brown £49 Black, red, grey £38 Newton Com From £241 Insulation kit £48
FROM ONLY
Carpet Mat Sets
£270
FROM
Group 2 Rally
Group 2 Race
Group 5 Race
£24 Available with Red/Black Binding or Black Binding
£41 £121 £47
£55
Steel
ONLY
NA-1 145/70 R12
Style: 2 or 3 clock instrument facia Finish: Burr walnut, charcoal or alloy Options: Chrome ring inserts & extra guage holes
FROM
ONLY
Internal
Sportspack Fibreglass
Alloy
Gear Knobs
Bonnet Release Kit
Monte Carlo
3 Clock
£6
RAC dural £113 Monte Carlo £96
Wheel Arches (Set of 4) Special
2 Clock
Gauges
Mud Flaps
£65
ONLY
£9 £7 Washer Jets £7 £4 Twin £8 £6 Single
Sump Guards
ONLY
Indicators
Centre
Mk1 set £113 Mk2 set £171 Mk3 set, early £104 Mk3 set, late £70 Boot handles From £27 Door & boot handle fitting kit
Grilles
£4 £4
£161
£70
£20 £20 £37 £33 £36 £22 £36 £54 £22 £34
Classic Style: Available in Burr walnut or charcoal finish. From £161
FROM ONLY
Exterior Handles
Side Repeater Clear type Amber type
Dashboards
FROM
S/S Headlamp peaks S/S Headlamp stoneguards Mk3 chrome no. plate lamp S/S seam mouldings Pair Boot hinges - chrome Plain Door handle scoops Alloy dip stick: blue, red, silver Union Jack badge Cooper boot badge '96 on GB boot badge Cooper S Mk3 bonnet badge Standard locking fuel cap Monza style fuel cap Aston style fuel cap Cooper fuel cap
Spot Lights Ultralite 5.5" x 12" From £66 6" x 13" £75 7" x 13" From £79
Kit: - arms, blades, washer jets, bezel kit & blanking plugs ONLY £43 Stainless Steel Wiper arm Each Wiper blade Each Wiper plug Each Wiper bezel kit
Brightwork
Kit: Stainless lamp bar, wiring loom, 2 drive & 2 fog lamps
£73 £78
£100 £96 £100
Wipers
Quadoptic Headlamps
ONLY
£28
ONLY
£129
ONLY
£76
ONLY
£122
ONLY
£70
ONLY
£74
ONLY
£91
All season Mini Sport mat set Paddy Hopkirk luxury mat set Cooper luxury mat set From
Mini Sport Limited, Thompson Street, Padiham, Lancashire, BB12 7AP
£24 £47 £45
ORDERING IS EASY!
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Steering Wheels
Classic Interiors
FROM
£185
Complete seat cover sets, either match to original or choose your own design. Leather or vinyl, coloured piping, your choice. Designed to fit your original seats, full matched interiors also available.
Moto -Lita: Handcrafted wood or leather steering perfection Boss Kits to suit Mk1, to ‘76 or ‘76 on Black with cap or horn control From £68 Polished with cap or horn control From £99 Moto-Lita: Flat or dished spokes £185 13" Woodrim - polished spoke 12" Leather - polished or black spoke £185 13" Leather - polished or black spoke £185 Other Steering Wheels 12", 13" Black Vinyl 3 spoke From £47 12", 13" Black leather 3 spoke From £67 13.5" Woodrim 3 spoke From £89 13" Black vinyl, red stitching From £38 Boss fitting kit From £19
M Series Steering Wheels Black leather 'M' range 340mm 'M' range 320mm 'M' range 300mm
Seat Cover Kits Full kit From £753 Rear seats From £408 Front base From £103 Front squab From £117 Seat foams From £35 Rear squab frame £167 Interior Panel Kits Mk1 Saloon From £436 Mk2 Saloon From £436 Mk3 Saloon From £339 Van Pickup From £239 Estate From £775 Monte Carlo From £253 Headlining Kits Mk1/2 2-piece £128 Saloon '70-'01 £128 Estate From £146 MPi £128 Sun visors From £38
£45 £71 £71 £49
From From From From
Door and Rear Quarter Panels MK1/2 Door From £79 MK1/2 Rear qtr From £82 MK3 Door From £83 MK3 Rear qtr From £82 Parcel shelf From £42
Seats Classic Ranges available in finishes: Houndstooth, Basketweave and Vinyl.
Cooper 8.4" Vented Brake Kit From £750 Air Box Induction Pipe From £120 S Works Air Box Induction Pipe Kit From £174 Wooden ‘Monza’ steering wheel (1 of 50) £530 Leather ‘Silverstone’ steering wheel (1 of 50) £530 Quickshift gearlever kit - silver £89 Gear knob polish & anodised - black or silver £45 Interior furniture kit 2018 - black or silver £316 Door pulls - black or silver Pair From £80 Window winder - black or silver Pair From £100 Door opener - black or silver Pair From £75 Rocker cover buttons engraved logo - black or silver Pair £50 Rocker cover buttons badged logo - black or silver Pair £40
Dipstick engraved logo - black or silver £40 Dipstick badged logo - black or silver £35 Handbrake grip - silver £39 Grille buttons engraved logo - black or silver Pair £40 Grille buttons badged logo - black or silver Pair £30 Seat tilt knob engraved logo - black or silver Pair £40 Seat tilt knob badged logo - black or silver Pair £25 Red metal bonnet centre badge £30 Cooper bonnet stripes Pair £36 John Cooper signature decals Pair £43 Seat extension brackets Pair £22 Chrome fuel cap - left or right £39 Indoor car cover From £270 Cooper leather key fob £8 Stainless door sill edgings Pair £39
COOPER CAR COMPANY in association with Mini Sport Ltd.
Rocker Covers FROM
FROM ONLY
£204
Cobra seats - available with Mini fixings Classic Vinyl From £204 Classic RS From £305 Classic GT From £286 Classic RSR From £353 Classic RS 40 From £429 Le Mans From £569 Stuttgart From £525
Seatbelts Belts available in Black, Red, Blue, Beige or Grey
£38
37 ®
Polished alloy flat top Paddy Hopkirk Polished alloy flat top Blue or red flat top with polished fins Paddy Hopkirk blue or red flat top Metro style polished alloy with cap Oil filler cap - chrome Oil filler cap - red original Oil filler cap - black original Rocker cover T bars - chrome (Pair) Rocker cover T bar kit - blue or red T bar fitting kit - silver, red or blue Paddy Hopkirk Rocker cover T bar set
£38 £51 £49 £60 £54 £9 £9 £4 £9 £12 £4 £29
Dipsticks Inertia reel type Front - black £32 Rear - black From £33 Front - red £45 Rear - red From £45 Front - blue £55 Rear - blue From £45 Front - beige £50 Rear - beige From £52 Front - grey £55 Rear - grey From £52
Static type Front - black Rear - black Front - red Rear - red Front - blue Rear - blue Front - beige Rear - beige Front - grey Rear - grey
FROM
£28 £22 £40 £36 £45 £36 £40 £36 £40 £36
£10 Chrome - silver, red or blue top Paddy Hopkirk - black or red Cooper Dipsticks (5 designs) From
£10 £34 £35
Merchandise
Interior Handles
10 Piece polished alloy handle full set
£37
Mini Sport baseball cap Mini Sport beanie hat Mini Sport Mini 60 leather keyring Mini Sport .com leather keyring Mini Sport white vinyl screen visor
£15 £15 £6 £6 £7
Mini 8.4" alloy brake calipers From £419 8.4" Vented alloy caliper brake conversion kit £702 7.5" brake kit £634 8.4" Disc drive assembly £1129 12" to 10" 4 pot alloy caliper brake conversion kit £490 8.4" Vented disc drive assembly £1189 Aluminium door pulls - silver or black £73 Aluminium door window winders - silver or black £73 Aluminium door openers - silver or black £73 Aluminium door handle set - 8 piece - silver or black £220 Stainless steel door sill edgings (pair) £38 Alloy gearknob - silver or black £28 Super luxury floor mat set - black or black/red £47
+44 (0)1282 778731 | sales@minisport.com
Rocker cover - red, blue or polished Leather steering wheel - red or green stitching Steel jerry fuel can - red , silver or green Oil dipstick - red or black Rocker cover T-bar set - red or black Car Cover with or without mirror pockets Quickshift gearlever & alloy gearknob kit Monte-Carlo leather key ring Monte-Carlo winner baseball cap Monte-Carlo lapel badge Drive with Paddy Hopkirk book Paddy Hopkirk mugs Monte-Carlo victory 1964 print
From £51 From £382 £30 £34 £29 From £268 £69 £8 £15 £3 From £10 From £7 From £15
The Full Paddy Hopkirk Collection is available online at minisport.com
Friendly Service Helpful Advice Low Global Delivery Costs
All prices include VAT. Mini Sport disclaims any liability for errors & also reserves the right to modify all or any part of the product descriptions & prices.
WOLSELEY 1000
RECORD BREAKER Not only is this Wolseley 1000 ultra rare in the UK, owner Ben Thompson has just completed its resto in double quick time. Words and Photography Jon Cass
I
t was only recently we featured Ben Thompson’s ultra-rare Wolseley 1000 as one of our ‘On The Job’ feature cars. There seemed plenty of work left to be done on it back then. But when it comes to restorations, Ben doesn’t mess around, and the lockdown gave him the perfect opportunity to complete this unusual project. Ben has been a Mini fan since he was 15, when he bought a Mini automatic saloon with his Dad to rebuild. “I enjoyed working on the car, fixing the brakes, welding and getting it roadworthy again,” Ben remembers. “I’ve been hooked on Minis ever since.” “I’ve restored and rebuilt other types of classic cars too, I’m a real fan of anything that’s a bit different and stands out,” Ben admits. “When classic car values began to rise, I started to import a few cars from South Africa – some I keep, while others I sell on.” It’s not uncommon to see classics from SA on our shores, the warm and dry climate meaning their cars usually evade any major rust issues compared to their UK salt ridden counterparts and they come with the steering wheel on the correct side too. “Not every classic in South Africa is rust free and spotless,” Ben laughs. “You really need to know what you’re looking for and put trust in a skilled sourcer as there are plenty of badly repaired or bodged sheds out there.” Among the many cars Ben has imported, you won’t be surprised to hear there have been numerous classic
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WOLSELEY 1000
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WOLSELEY 1000
Period low back buckets have been fitted. Trim was unique to the South African cars.
Mota-Lita wheel adds the finishing touch to the sporty interior.
Minis – well, you can fit a lot more Minis in a container, can’t you? A bright yellow Mini 1275GTS and a few early Coopers had been the stand out cars up until recently, but when Ben heard about an unusual 1967 Wolseley 1000 that was possibly becoming available, he became very keen indeed! “This was back in September 2018, when my sourcer had tracked down a Mini Moke in Bloomfield for a friend, he mentioned the same vendor also had two Wolseley 1000s along with loads of other classic Minis in his yard,” Ben explains. “I nearly spat out my tea when I heard this!” At first the collector wasn’t keen to part with either of his rare Wolseleys and it took Ben another two years of persuasion to let one of them go. “I chose the better of the two cars, it had been laid up for a very long time and amazingly was almost complete and with very little rust.”
UP MARKET For anyone unfamiliar with this Mini variant, essentially the Wolseley 1000 is a Mini saloon with a Hornet front end and it was mainly due to the restricted
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“He mentioned the same vendor also had two Wolseley 1000s” availability of certain parts that the design ever came to fruition. The idea of combining the distinctive Wolseley regal grille with the more commonplace standard Mini bodyshell came from Ivor Dovey, the works manager of BMC’s South African Blackheath plant. He’d spotted a potential gap in the market to produce a slightly more upmarket version of the regular Mini, but BMC SA lacked the tooling to reproduce a genuine Wolseley Hornet with its larger boot. Instead, the decision was taken to attach available Hornet front ends on to standard short tailed Mini bodyshells and add a few creature comforts such as deep
pile carpets, extra sound deadening and a standard heater! Colours were limited and all came with a white roof or you could have your Wolseley 1000 in white with a white roof! Sadly, rationalisation of BMC SA in 1969 resulted in the demise of the Wolseley 1000 after just 456 models had been produced over the previous two years. Identification of a genuine Wolseley 1000 can be found as each car was individually hand stamped with a number on one of its two body plates. These numbers all began with WA2S7 (printed on the body plate) with the individual number hand stamped in the body number section.
After an unplanned rebuild, the Wolseley has the performance Ben wanted for the car.
The Mini features Australian-spec doors - wind down windows were a boon in hotter climates...
Ben would have to wait until July 2020 for his rare Wolseley to arrive in the UK and he was keen to see just exactly what he’d bought. “All the running gear was still intact, and the engine was free, though it was apparent it hadn’t been started up for many years,” Ben explains. “I was keen to see if the engine and gearbox were okay, so I cleaned out the fuel tank and carb, added fresh fuel and the A-series fired up.” The car arrived with a 1.25 inch carburettor and Ben decided to swap to SUs. “The exhaust was in a bad way, so I’ve replaced this with a Mini Spares system along with a three branch manifold. Fortunately, the manual fourspeed gearbox with three synchro wand change was in good order.”
“One of the hydrolastic suspension pipes was leaking and they were in generally poor condition so I’ve replaced them,” Ben points out. “While the car was on the ramp I also fitted gas shock absorbers at the front.” Meanwhile the brakes have been upgraded with 7.5 inch Cooper discs up front and Minifins on the rear. “I was aiming for a Cooper theme by now, so I’ve opted for trademark Dunlop LP918 reverse rims in white with chrome hub caps,” Ben adds. As expected for a car that had spent its life in SA, the shell remained largely devoid of rust. “I stripped it down anyway
and the only significant rust I could find was around the battery tray and one side of the lower front valance under the bumper,” Ben explains. “These were easy enough areas to repair.”
GETTING IN TRIM South African Minis of this era all came with Australian spec doors and their useful (for SA) wind up windows and Ben decided to swap the original doors for a better pair, sourced from a 1963 Pickup. “I decided to replace the bumpers with a fresh pair from Mini Spares as the originals weren’t the best and the
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WOLSELEY 1000 The Wolseley is still on hydrolastic, but dampers have been added to the front end.
Full Hornet front end was SA market only. Familiar badging - unfamiliar confirguration...
grille is a straight swap from a Wolseley Hornet,” Ben points out. All original lights were fortunately salvageable, and one single pane of glass had broken at the rear which had to be replaced.
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“Things got worse on my return as a knocking sound developed” Once all the bodywork had been sorted, Ben despatched the shell to his local friend Nick who happens to be a skilled painter and is equally passionate when it comes to classic Minis. “I had the car resprayed from a questionable dark blue into the original colours, Wedgewood Blue with a Protea White roof,” Ben explains. “All SA Wolseley 1000s came with a Protea White roof.” Obtaining the correct shade of blue came down to colour matching the seat boxes inside which had luckily escaped its previous respray in dark blue! When we last saw the car, the interior was in a poor state and the front seats were sadly missing. “I was struggling to
find a pair of front seats to match the rear bench as they’re very rare and probably explains why they’d been removed, so I’ve opted for period bucket seats which suit the Cooper look,” Ben tells us. “The door cards were in a bad way, so I had replacements made using new black vinyl at the top and bottom while retaining the original blue basketweave in the centres.” The result complete with the original dash, dials and Mota-Lita steering wheel provide an authentic retro look, just as Ben was aiming for.
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS All seemed to be going to plan and Ben booked the Wolseley in for an MoT to
Engine now features a +.100 overbore, Evo 2 cam and a Stage 3 12G202 head.
If you're taking Cooper as your inspiration, it would be rude not to add bonnet stripes.
ensure everything was working as it should. “The car was running well, but once it reached the MoT lane, the engine’s oil pressure dropped,” Ben laughs. “Things got worse on my return as a knocking sound developed.” We mentioned previously, Ben was toying with the idea of extracting a little more power from the 998cc A-series, he now had the perfect opportunity! “I’ve
Ben Thompson, master of the rapid resto.
kept the original block, but with +100 bore flat top pistons from Keith Claver and fitted a Keith Dodd 1.5 rocker shaft, Evo 2 camshaft and a 12G202 early Cooper head skimmed 55 thou,” Ben explains. “I’ve ported and polished the head to Stage 3 specification using David Vizard’s informative book as a guide.” The impressive rebuild also contains double valve springs, centre oil pick up, a
fresh oil pump along with an adjustable pressure relief valve and oil cooler. “I got a bit carried away and fitted a BMC inlet manifold for the Japanese Nikki twin carbs, a bespoke SU air box and fitted a straight cut gearbox with drop gears along with a Minispares lightened flywheel and clutch,” Ben smiles. Although this intensive rebuild wasn’t planned as such, Ben’s Wolseley now
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WOLSELEY 1000
Respray was carried out in the original Wedgewood Blue with Protea White roof.
Dunlop LP918s were perfect for the look. BODY 1967 Wolseley 1000 saloon. Paint: Wedgewood Blue and Protea White. ENGINE 998cc A-series with +.100 inch overbore. Keith Claver flat top pistons, 12G202 early Cooper head with .055 inch skim, ported and polished to Stage 3 spec. 35mm inlet, 29mm exhaust valves. Keith Dodd 1.5 rocker shaft. Evo 2 camshaft. Double valve springs. BMC inlet manifold. Nikki twin carbs with bespoke SU air box. Centre oil pick up. Oil pump with adjustable pressure relief valve. Oil cooler
Neat period heated rear screen is cool.
contains all the right components he was considering before the engine let go. “It created a few late nights, but the car feels much livelier now and if I hadn’t had to make these changes, I’d probably have regretted leaving the engine in its previous guise,” Ben tells us. It may have taken a long time from Ben first hearing about this car to it finally reaching the UK roads, but as far as the work undertaken is concerned, Ben hasn’t
hung around. “I’m hoping to take it to a few shows this summer and then we’ll see what happens next,” he smiles, “it’s one of the rarest Mini variants in the UK so it should attract some attention.” Saying that, this car won’t be quite as rare here soon as Ben has somehow managed to track down another Wolseley 1000, just four chassis numbers apart from this one, which is making its way to these shores as we speak.
SUSPENSION Standard hydrolastic suspension. Gas shocks at front. TRANSMISSION Straight cut gearbox with drop gears. Mini Spares lightened flywheel and clutch. BRAKES 7.5 inch Cooper front disks. Rear Minifins. WHEELS & TYRES Dunlop LP918 reverse wheels with chrome hub caps. Falken 165/70/10 tyres. INTERIOR Classic bucket seats. Basketweave and black vinyl door cards. Mota-Lita steering wheel on Tulip boss. Smiths Rev counter.
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Mini scene
HELLO HIMLEY HALL
Much Anticipated British Mini Day Returns
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ungry for the show season to start up again? Make a note in your diaries, because British Mini Day at Himley Hall is back on Sunday 1st August and it promises to be everything we’ve been longing for after a year of restrictions. The 29th British Mini Day will run from 10am-4pm, taking place in the impressive grounds of 18th century Himley Hall and Park. The show is open to all types of Minis and variants from 1959 to present day. You won’t want to hide your Mini away in the car park, show it off in the main show
arena either in the premier concours section or the BMC Show ‘n’ Shine decade display. Pre-booking is essential for both displays and you’ll need to be in place by 9.30am - worth the early start to be part of something magnificent. There are awards available for the best cars in both displays. If you’re sick of internet shopping for Mini parts then you’ll love the traders stalls and stands, where you’ll find a massive range of Mini products: parts and accessories, graphics, clothing, collectable models, cleaning products and specialised
insurance for your pride and joy. If you fancy taking something a little more substantial home, then it’s also the perfect place to buy or sell a Mini. Past years have attracted large numbers of top quality Minis For Sale. Tickets available in advance only with prices to be confirmed. Telephone 01384 897779 for more information or visit the website at www. britishminiclub.co.uk to find out more about British Mini Day or any other BMC events during the year.
MOTORING ON
ritish Motor Museum reopens its doors to the public
■ The British Motor Museum is all set to reopen its doors on 17 May in line with Stage 3 of the Government’s roadmap. Having been awarded the ‘We’re Good to Go’ industry charter mark by VisitEngland, the Museum is confident that everything is in place to ensure a safe and enjoyable visit. The Museum will be open seven days a week from 10am – 5pm with limited numbers per day and pre-booking is essential for all visitors including those returning with an annual pass. There are 10am, 11am, 12noon and 1pm arrival slots available and once at the Museum visitors can stay as long as they wish until closing. The ‘Gaydon Gathering’, a free monthly evening gathering aimed at motoring
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enthusiasts is back. The first gathering took place last October and the Museum plans to fun this friendly event on the second Tuesday of every month until the autumn. Pre-booking is essential. The Museum is also gearing up to run a full schedule of motoring shows and events this summer, all in line with Government advice. Over 14 shows and rallies are being planned. 2021 admission prices remain the same as in 2020 and are: Adults £14.50, Concessions £12.50, Children £9 (5-16 years), under 5’s free, and a Family ticket £40 (2 adults and up to three children). If you Gift Aid or donate your entrance fee you receive an annual pass at no extra cost.
All visitors must pre-book tickets so the Museum can fulfil its NHS Test and Trace commitment. Visitors must adhere to the ‘Rule of 6’, wear a face covering at all times and observe social distancing. For more information on keeping visitors safe please visit www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/ news/welcome-back
News
GOING STRONG
20 Years Of The Modern Mini ■ The MINI brand and BMW Group’s UK manufacturing plants in Oxford and Swindon are celebrating twenty successful years of MINI production. In early 2001, production began for MINI body parts in Swindon and on the 26th April that same year, the first brand new MINI rolled off the line in Oxford. Over the past two decades MINI has built over 5 million cars in the UK. Plant Oxford (formerly Cowley) currently builds the MINI 3-Door Hatch, MINI 5-Door Hatch, MINI Clubman and the MINI Electric, all on the same production line. MINI Plants Oxford and Swindon employ over 4,500 highly-skilled employees, including 130 apprentices, who all keep
production moving to build 1000 MINI a day - one every 67 seconds. Peter Weber, the Managing Director of Plants Oxford and Swindon (2019 – present) said: “I am extremely proud of our teams at Oxford and Swindon and the incredible job they do. Their continued commitment and passion over the past 20 years has helped to strengthen MINI’s reputation around the world." Plants Oxford and Swindon have been at
the heart of their communities for a very long time – 108 and 65 years respectively. In recent years, Incredibly, Plant Oxford has become a must-see tourist destination with 26,000 MINI fans enjoying the awardwinning Plant Tours.
BLAST OFF!
New Vapour Blasting Business Launches ■ You’ll know the name Jon Betts, as he is one of our technical writers. Jon is the driving force behind a brand new company, JB Vapour Blasting which has recently set up in Lincoln. Familiar with all types of Mini components they are the perfect team to take care of your cleaning needs. Personal callers and mail order services are offered with prices starting at just £25 for something like the twin carburettor manifold shown here. Vapour Blasting is a metal cleaning process similar to sand blasting but it uses a mixture of water and blasting media to give a much less abrasive process. This makes it ideal for the full range of metals. By using a combination of glass bead and regular grit media a semi polished finish can be achieved on the soft metals which can then be painted, fully polished or left as is for a better than new appearance. For more information call 07810652929 or email JBVapourBlasting@gmail.com
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News
HANG ON A MINUTE, LADS! Yorkshire Prepares for Italian Job Rally ■ Registration is now open for a fun, family-orientated all-inclusive ‘Staycation’ Mini-break happening 14-17th October. Fans of the Italian Job are invited to join this post-lockdown family getaway set in the picturesque Yorkshire Countryside. The event will kick off on the Thursday with registration and lunch at the Mercure York Fairfield Manor before the 60-strong motorcade will start the drive through historic Yorkshire. Then, the 'Jobbers' will participate in a series of car-based sports activities at the Elvington Airfield. For the three days, participants will take in many of the hidden gems of Yorkshire from the soaring natural beauty of the Yorkshire Dales to the rugged sandy beaches of the Yorkshire Coast: to the stunning and breath-taking landscapes of the North Yorkshire Moors to Leeds's cosmopolitan charm and York's ancient, cobbled streets. Each day there will be plenty of 'selfie' opportunities including daily time trials, convoy processions, treasure hunt style
competitions and ample chances for ceremonial welcomes and socially distanced gatherings. There is a service vehicle and support crew on hand throughout the route, which is meticulously planned and executed. One of the highlights of the event will be The Celebrity Gala Dinner held on Saturday night. On the final day (Sunday) the Jobbers will get a chance to visit the famous Harewood Speed Hill Climb. The Italian Job's raison d'être is to raise money for children suffering in poverty in the UK. Each driver/adventurer is encouraged to raise money in advance of the trip through local fundraising activities and sponsorship of their car. Help and support for this will be given by the organisers throughout the summer. The Italian Job's current charity is Buttle UK, which provides direct financial support through their Chances for Children grants designed to meet needs where the safety, health or development of children and young people are at risk. The grants pay for
a range of items and costs, that all parents would want for their children, but some cannot afford. An endowment created by Buttle UK's founder, Frank Buttle, means that the charity can pay its administration costs. Therefore, 100 per cent of all monies raised on the IJ's Yorkshire Job will go directly to the children it helps. The cost of the Yorkshire Job adventure is from £519 pp. The main Italian Job event will return to Italy in May 2022 – full details will be published in due course. Registration for the IJ Yorkshire Job 21 is now open and is restricted to a maximum of 60 cars. Further details can be found at www.italianjob.com or by emailing the organiser gsg@italianjob.com.
A RUNNING MOKE
Order Books Open Ready For Summer
Y
ou may not be able to venture to the Riviera this summer, but you can bring that carefree spirit home by ordering an ultra fun modern MOKE from Hendy Group dealerships. The cars are available to order from today with prices starting from £23,950 inc. VAT. With deliveries in time for the start of the British summer, you won’t have chance to miss your holiday abroad. Since the official return of the MOKE in the last summer of 2020, fun-seekers from
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Holkham to Sandbanks have taken delivery of the ultimate beach house-to-waterfront, open-air vehicle. Indeed, when the MOKE returned to British shores in the late summer of 2020 it wrote a new chapter in one of Britain's best-loved automotive stories. From humble beginnings as a brief to car design legend Alec Issigonis, to create a utility vehicle robust enough to be deployed by aeroplane, the MOKE soon captivated the 1960’s glamour set. Since then defining cultural figures like Brigitte Bardot, The Beatles, The Beach Boys and latterly Kate Moss and Gwyneth Paltrow have lived the MOKE dream. The cars have even featured in four James Bond films. Today’s MOKEs remain true to the look and feel of the original, with a particular focus on maintaining the sense of fun and freedom that has endeared the car to so many for more than five decades. Updates
include a new four cylinder, fuel injection engine, uprated suspension, braking and the option for either automatic transmission or manual for the more engaged driver. Customers are able to specify individual shades for the car’s chassis, bumpers, central bars and front grille - affording a nearly limitless scope to create truly individual interpretations of the MOKE’s iconic design. The vehicle is also slightly larger to provide more cabin space. Features previously viewed as a luxury like power steering and heated windscreen now, of course, come fitted as standard. For more information visit https:// mokeinternational.com/customise
SMALL I N NAM E, NOT I N NATUR E
Call Adrian Flux on 0800 085 5000 to secure affordable and tailored insurance for your Mini. It’s an open secret that when you buy a Mini, you inherit a community. Attending car club events together, joining rallies, restoration projects – it’s all part and parcel of the incredible culture of the Mini. We just wouldn’t advise that you go full Italian Job and steal from the Mafia, but if you are looking for a steal, consider Adrian Flux for your insurance needs.
Benefits can include: Laid-up cover Club membership discounts Agreed valuations Limited mileage discounts Breakdown Cover
Get our best rates by calling
0800 085 5000 Authorised & regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
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Motorsport RACE RESULTS SILVERSTONE INT. 24-25 APRIL ROUND 1 – MIGLIA / LIBRE
1st 32 2nd 77 3rd 21 16th 219
E Owens A Jordan A Smith R Colburn
M M M L
ROUND 6 – SE7EN / S-CLASS
1st 2nd 3rd 11th
80 01 2 728
J Thompson J Smith S Wanstall M Winkworth
7 7 7 S
ROUND 2 – MIGLIA / LIBRE
1st 56 2nd 77 3rd 21 13th 219
N Padmore A Jordan A Smith R Colburn
M M M L
ROUND 2 – SE7EN / S-CLASS
1st 2nd 3rd 7th
Words Rich Williamson Photography Matt Barrington
BACK ON TRACK
80 01 99 728
J Thompson J Smith N Croydon Fowler M Winkworth
7 7 7 S
Full results can be viewed at www.tst-timing-com Provisional points will be posted on www.mini7.co.uk
Superb action marks successful start to M7RC season
B
rilliant Mini racing at Silverstone on 24-25 April proved a hit for ‘lockdown’ viewers tuning in to watch the action on live screening channels, with the combined winning margins of all four races totalling less than a second! Both Miglia encounters saw between six and eight car trains in contention throughout, with Endaf Owens holding off tremendous pressure to take the opening victory on Saturday. Nick Padmore came through to triumph in Sunday’s repeat, further lowering the lap record after Sam Summerhayes’ fine effort the day before. Former BTCC champion Andrew Jordan twice had to settle for second while reigning Miglia titleist Aaron Smith scored a brace of thirds. In the Libre category, Richard Colburn landed a double, despite a jump start in the first race. Jeff Smith and Spencer Wanstall looked to continue their Mini Se7en title battle from last season, but it was Joe Thompson returning from a year’s hiatus who came through brilliantly to claim both victories by a proverbial whisker from Smith, the latter also setting a new class lap record for the International
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circuit. Wanstall claimed a Race 1 podium but retired in the second as Nick CroydonFowler stormed up the order to third on the Sunday to pip Jonathan Lewis, the latter returning to the category 41 years after he won it in 1980! It was equally intense in the concurrent S-Class. Newcomer Michael Winkworth was ahead at the chequered flag both times, with Damien Harrington running him the closest of several challengers. The M7RC received amazingly positive feedback of the fabulously entertaining
action, with eyebrow-raising viewing figures, and perhaps it was best summed up by an incredulous driver at Silverstone from another race series who commented: “How do they race so close, nose-to-tail?!” “Oh it’s always like that…” came the reply. Despite the continuing spectator restrictions under COVID-19 conditions, it’s still ‘roll on’ Snetterton in Norfolk over the 8-9 May weekend for Rounds 3 & 4 in the Dunlop National Mini Challenges supported by Mini Spares.
Events KEEPING UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS ON THE SHOW SCENE
D
ue to the continuing uncertainty surrounding Covid, please be aware that all events are subject to change. Keep an eye on the organisers’ websites to stay up to date with any developments.
GET LISTED
Email minimag.ed@ke lsey.co.uk to let us know about any upcoming events.
in ticket price. Pre-booking essential. www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk
June 25-27th London Classic Car Show Multi marque event at Syon Park, London. www.theclassiccarshowuk.com
May 22nd Prescott Mini Festival Brand new event, celebrating 60 years of Mini Cooper at Prescott Speed Hillclimb. www.prescotthillclimb.co.uk
May 23rd Mile of Minis This charity Mini run starts at the Oxford plant and finishes at the British Motor Museum. Help create a mile of Minis while raising funds for the Italian Job’s children’s charities. www.italianjob.com
June 4-6th
July 1-4th International Mini Meeting, Italy This year’s IMM is hosted by Mini Owners Club, Italy. Taking place near Florence with day trips to Florence and Pisa on offer. Glamping is also available. www.imm2021.it
July 11th BMC & Leyland Show Popular event at British Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire. Displays, club stands, traders and free museum entry with your ticket. www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk
Mini Barn Bash Weekend Mini event with camping at Stonham Barns, Suffolk, plus display at Ipswich Quayside and Sunday show with trade stands. www.ismoc.co.uk
July 17-18th Coventry Italian Job Re-enactment of the infamous Italian Job sewer scene. Minis must be pre-registered. www.coventryitalianjob.com
August 14-15th June 6th
July 17-19th
National Metro & Mini Show
Mini Moke Club International
Annual event at Gaydon’s British Motor Museum. Displays, traders, club stands and free entry to the museum. www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk
A whole weekend devoted to the Moke, taking place in Shropshire. www.mokeclub.org
Mini Action Weekend Your chance to take your Mini out on Castle Combe’s legendary circuit. The event also features displays, club stands, autojumble and traders. www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk
30th July- 1st August June 13th National Mini Day Beaulieu The Mini Cooper Register presents this well-loved event at Beaulieu Museum, Hampshire. Free museum entry included
Silverstone Classic To celebrate 60 years of the Mini Cooper, there will be historic Mini racing on the iconic Silverstone circuit as well as displays, club stands and traders. www.silverstonelassic.com
September 19th Stanford Hall Mini Show Mini event in the grounds of Stanford Hall, Lutterworth, Leicestershire. Displays, concours, Show ‘n’ Shine, traders, food and drink available. www.britishminiclub.co.uk
August 1st Himley Hall Mini Show Calendar highlight in the grounds of Himley Hall, Dudley, West Midlands. Featuring concours, Show ‘n’ Shine, traders and club stands. 01384 897779 www.britishminiclub.co.uk
August 6-8th Cambridge Mini Chill Relaxed camping weekend, with music, for Mini fans at Marley Eternit Social Club near Royston, Herts. 1380knowles@gmail.com
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October 3rd Mini Day Mini event at Brooklands, Museum, Weybridge, Surrey with displays, club stands and traders. Free entry to the museum’s many attractions with your show ticket. www.brooklandsmuseum.com
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w w w. s e a l ey. c o . u k
TYPE R 1275GT
Words Martyn Morgan-Jones Photography Adrian Brannan
CLUBMANIA Building a VTEC powered Clubman that was good, but not quite show standard perfect, wasn’t good enough for Les Leagas.
H
aving long-coveted a VTECpowered Mini, Les Leagas scratched that particular itch back in 2016 when he built this Honda-powered Clubman. It even went on to grace the February 2017 edition of Mini Magazine, where readers could see what a fabulous job he’d done in integrating the B18 Honda Integra DC2 engine and matching gearbox into the Clubman 1275GT bodyshell; a bodyshell that he also had to completely renovate (apparently, it was a
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rust bucket). The result of his labours was one cracking Clubman. Quick too. There was, however, one downside. Namely, considering the punch it packed, it looked far too standard; the emphasis being firmly on the mild, not the wild. It was, very much, as the title of that 2017 feature implied, a sleeper. Consequently, at shows, Les found that people would meander past, barely acknowledging the gleaming Clubman. It was as if it was covered in a cloak of invisibility. However, when he opened the bonnet, thereby
revealing the VTEC in all of its glory, those people would suddenly, as if by magic, become aware of the Clubman and flock to it like flies to the proverbial. Which got him thinking.
SLEEPER AWAKENS
“After the first restoration it looked really nice,” says Les. “But, and this was my doing, it pretty much looked like a standard Clubman. It didn’t even have any of its 1275GT decals or detailing. So, at the tail end of 2019, I decided on giving it a
TYPE R 1275GT
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TYPE R 1275GT Interior has seen a massive amount of work, with a full retrim in leather. iPad gets people talking...
No forgetting what’s under the bonnet!
Even the S2000 cluster has been tweaked.
WiredByWilson credited for the electrickery.
“They are on for the duration as they’ve been clear coated over! ” Diamond stitching looks superb.
change of identity by improving the exterior aesthetics, and by incorporating some unique design touches. The original paintwork was decent enough, but I decided to have it done to show quality.” The Honda Pirates Black Pearl paint, beautifully applied by Panel ‘N’ Paint in Hythe, has a finish and lustre to die for. Then there are the racing side stripes. Designed by Les, and printed by Sticky Fingers, they are the perfect fusion of 1275GT and Type R graphics. Very clever. Very effective. And very durable. “The side stripes turned out very well, and make all the difference to how the car
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looks,” enthuses Les .”What’s more, unless I ever decide to have the car repainted, they are on for the duration as they’ve been clear coated over!” Also on for the duration, although able to be removed more easily if needs must are the grille badge, front spoiler, sun visor, wind deflectors and rear louvre. “The visor and rear louvre have been carried over from the previous restoration,” explains Les. “The louvre is a genuine period Autoplas that I obtained from an enthusiast in Belgium. The front visor came from Mini Spares. The wind deflectors I got from Smiffy’s Bits and the front spoiler is a Golf MkI item. This fits well, although I had to narrow it to suit.”
Having completely dressed the exterior, neatly distancing the Clubman from its previous stock appearance in the process, Les set about the interior. It was nearly there... but not quite. “It just needed enhancing,” he admits. “The seats are exactly the same ones as before, but they are now retrimmed in red leather, with black bolsters and diamondpatterned stitching. They were done by Jim Cornish at Trimline Systems in Beckenham. Jim, who did a superb job and was really helpful, also made me new doorcards and fully retrimmed the boot, rear parcel shelf and dash.” “I made the dash using 10 mm MDF and the padded top is covered in faux suede.
It’s a real firebreather! Side stripes leave nothing to the imagination.
Les was looking for show car perfection with the revamp mission accomplished.
Another thing I’ve done is change the main instrument cluster for one from a Honda S2000. It’s a great looking cluster, but the standard illumination is a bit bland. Fortunately, I found a company in the USA that makes a circuit board that enables the cluster to be backlit blue, matching the other gauges and giving it a much nicer appearance. The iPad is a major talking point. Although it looks as if it’s a dedicated touchscreen, it’s only used as a SatNav.” “Dave Wilson, of ‘Wired by Wilson’, who happens to be a classic Mini enthusiast, did the wiring for the original
Even the boot has been retrimmed to the same high standards.
restoration and the upgrades too. I just gave him the cluster, gauges, switches, the Honda loom and an Integra Type R workshop manual, and he took everything away and worked his magic. He did a brilliant job.” “He’s since wired the electric windows to operate via dash-mounted switches... the switches were previously on the doors, a set-up I didn’t favour, and sorted the wiring for the Vauxhall Corsa electric power steering I recently installed. The other change is the LED headlights. These, which replaced the halogen ones, incorporate a halo ring for the sidelights.”
“Naturally, there’s plenty of wiring behind the dash, but a good percentage of the electrics including the battery is sited beneath the rear seat, with the loom having been extended to suit.”
SOUND To improve the Clubman to such a high standard, Les had to dig deep. Especially when it came to the matter of the ICE, which, he admits, was fiscally punishing. At the heart of this very punchy and fully active system is a Pioneer BEHP88 RS Reference Series CD Tuner. This competition-grade unit is hooked up
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TYPE R 1275GT to a brace of JL Audio HD6004 amps (mounted on the rear parcel shelf) and delivers the sonic goods via dash-mounted five inch mid-range speakers, eight inch mid/bass speakers, door-mounted Genesis Absolute tweeters, and a ten inch DLS subwoofer. Not that you can see the sizeable sub. This is because it resides in the space formerly occupied by the heater. “The heater never really worked that well,” mentions Les smiling. “This gave me the idea to remove it and use the space to house the subwoofer. The other
Les wanted the car to stand out at shows, so has carefully styled the Clubman.
BODY 1979 Clubman 1275GT. Removable flip front, LED headlights, Group 2 arches, race door mirrors, wind deflectors, sun visor, Autoplas rear window louvre, electric windows, central locking, RH fuel tank, towbar, rear foglamp. ENGINE Honda B18C 1797cc, 4-cylinder, DOHC, VTEC Type R. Skunk 2 inlet manifold, throttle body and fuel rail, Tegiwa stainless steel exhaust manifold, custom three inch exhaust, aluminium radiator, silicone hoses. Power: 187bhp. SUSPENSION Front: Allspeed Engineering Honda VTEC subframe, Minitastic coil springs, Hi-Los, Protech shock absorbers, adjustable tie rods, polybushed. Rear: Refurbished subframe, Protech shock absorbers, Minitastic coil springs, adjustable camber/ caster brackets, polybushed. TRANSMISSION Honda Integra Type R fivespeed. Close-ratio. LSD. BRAKES 8.4 inch vented discs front, fourpot Mini Sport alloy calipers, Minifin drums, braided lines. WHEELS AND TYRES 6.50 x 12in Force Racing three-piece alloys wheels with Yokohama A539 165/60R12 tyres. INTERIOR Electric power steering, Leathertrimmed Recaro recliners, retrimmed rear seats, colour-coded seatbelts, custom doorcards, dash panel and boot, Honda S2000 instrument cluster, wood-rimmed steering wheel, custom ICE system with Pioneer BEHP88 RS, two Audio HD6004 amplifiers, five inch mid-range speakers, eight inch mid/bass speakers, door mounted Genesis Absolute tweeters, ten inch DLS subwoofer, iPad used as SatNav.
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“Bury the throttle and it takes off like a scalded cat!” speakers have their outer rings made in ABS plastic. The grilles I made using a combination of brass rods and cup hooks bought at B&Q!” Not only does this ICE set-up look the business, it delivers... and then some. At the 2014 IMM meet in Kent, it blew the doors off rivals, on its way to taking the honours in the ‘Sound Off’ competition.
FACTORY Les has not only done a great job of the ICE install, he’s even worked wonders under the bonnet. Like the interior, it was nearly there, but not quite. “The under-bonnet area looked pretty good. Yet, I knew it could be smarter and also more in keeping with a show car
look,” he admits. “When I originally fitted the flip front I removed the inner wings. This time around I reinstated the inner wings and had the bodyshop carefully repaint the whole under-bonnet area. To complete the transformation, I boxed in the bulkhead to hide the wiring, fuses and relays. It looks so much better now they are out of sight.” “The engine’s also had some attention. It now has a Skunk 2 fuel rail, throttle body and inlet manifold, a Tegiwa exhaust manifold and a custom three inch bore exhaust system. The changes have raised the power considerably. Whereas, before, the engine produced 147 bhp at the wheels, it now has 187bhp. The new components look nicer too.” It looks like a concours winner, but it’s built to be driven hard.
Engine bay has received the makeover treatment plus a few choice mods have seen the power leap by 40 bhp to 187 bhp. Front spolier was originally intended for a MkI VW Golf. Narrowed, it looks right at home.
They do look nice. Very, very nice. Les has put an awful lot of thought into getting the under-bonnet spot-on. It has the appearance of being a factory install. It is that good. This is one exceptionally neat and cohesive engine bay, where form matches function in equal measures. “It performed faultlessly,” recalls Les. “It’s a dream to drive in fact, and cruises UPRATED very nicely in fifth, although you have to Understandably, because of the VTEC’s treat it sensibly, and feed in the power, potency, Les had previously uprated the especially in the lower gears. Bury the chassis. Even so, due to the recent increase throttle and it takes off like scalded cat in power – approximately 25 per cent – he DRIVEN and will drag you from one side of the felt it wise to tweak it a little further. Whilst this Clubman is most definitely a “The braking system still features the show car and makes a real statement, don’t road to the other!” Which, seeing that it now puts out 8.4 inch vented front discs and Minifins, run away with the idea that it’s a trailer around five times the power through its and is very effective, but I’ve fitted Protech queen. Les prides himself on the fact that front wheels as it did originally, is perhaps aluminium-bodied shock absorbers,” it’s never trailered and he always drives it to be expected! It’s a Clubman, but with explains Les. “And the Metro Challenge to shows – he even drove it to the IMM added class... and added clout. wheels have made way for ultralight Force meet in Ireland. Racing three-piece modular wheels and wider tyres. The extra width necessitated the fitment of Group 2 arches. These look good but are not too extreme.”
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Your Minis
Send ‘Your Minis’ pictures to minimag.ed@kelsey.co.uk
INDIE KID Name: Sarah Joy Car: ‘99 Cooper Sports Pack Location: Surrey
■ Sarah has owned her ‘99 Cooper
Sports Pack since 2016. It was love at first sight, but she soon realised that major bodywork was needed before her Mini was roadworthy! It drives like a dream now, but it took some serious surgery to get there including an extensive sill and floor renovation in 2016/2017. It was also away for most of 2020 during lockdown for roof and pillar work, new front and rear screens and headliner, a new bonnet and a respray. Countless other things under the bonnet needed attention, but Sarah is determined to keep her Cooper as close to original as possible.
MEMORY LANE Name: David and Peggy Hiscox Car: Mini Traveller Location: South Wales ■ David’s Mum, Peggy, bought this Mini
Traveller as her first car, back in 1965. The picture top far right shows her in 1969 in Rhodesia with David as a baby in arms, and his Dad who sadly died 15 years ago. Peggy was a nursery school teacher and had her own school, so the Mini Traveller was ideal for getting the supplies. David’s parents used to go away for weekends and sleep in the back of the Mini with the seats folded down - they had a small mattress and sleeping bag. The Traveller
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also went to Biera (Portuguese East Africa) many a time and even a trip to Zanzibar. David’s Mum is now 91 and is still enjoying the Traveller (as you can see from the other photos!). The Traveller has always been in the family and they love is evident in how well it’s been cared for, nothing more than taking it out on the it’s still running beautifully after all these open road. The love they have for the car years and still has plenty of life left in it.
BIRTHDAY GIRL
Duffy the 1965 Wolseley Hornet.
Name: Rhys Champkin Car: 1996 Sprite and Wolseley Hornet Location: Bedfordshire Q Rhys has had his 1996 Rover Mini Sprite
Automatic, called Nelly for 5 years now (the longest he’s ever owned a car!). As a child, Rhys and his Dad used to love watching the Italian Job which sparked his love of Minis from a young age - his favourite was the blue one. Sadly his Dad passed away in early 2016 but left him and his brother some money in his will, so Rhys knew exactly what to spend it on; a blue classic Mini! The fact that Nelly is automatic and was so low mileage (19,000 at the time) appealed to Rhys, so he couldn’t resist buying her and within days was on the London to Brighton Run. He’s added bonnet stripes, a Union Jack on the roof and a wavy front grille. On the 15th of April of this year it was Nelly’s 25th registration birthday. She’s looking good for it, but needs a little TLC but Rhys wants to settle down with his girlfriend before putting more money into the car. Rhys also owns 1965 Wolseley Hornet
Mk2, known as ‘Duffy’. He’s only the second owner from new. The previous owner owned her for 53 years. He first laid eyes on Duffy at the London to Brighton Mini Run in 2018. He couldn’t get the car off his mind. So, he contacted the seller and asked if I could come and see the car again. He bought it there and then. He’s planning to eventually get her professionally restored, but for now he’s
enjoying the patina. The previous owner had done all of the mechanical work to the car himself and had even given it a light restoration in the early 1990s. Thirty years on and the Hornet is looking a little tired again. He’s currently restoring the interior. Rhys tries to get to as many shows as possible and uses the car as often as he can. He plans on keeping Duffy for the rest of his life.
END OF AN ERA Name: Paul Walton Cars: 1969 MkII Morris Cooper S Location: Crawley, Sussex Q Paul has had one of the last MkII
Morris Cooper S’s (registered in September 1969) for the last 20 years or so. The engine is still totally standard, just as it was when it left the factory. Paul describes it as “scruffy but honest” which surely adds to the charm. The original shell is pretty tidy, but it has been patched up in places. It’s due for a bit of a refresh in September. Paul’s Cooper S has a few period extras and all the original glass, date stamped wiper motor, boot catch etc. It’s a great example of a MkII Morris Cooper S that has been well preserved and taken care of, staying true to its original state while still being enjoyed and taken out a lot.
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ON THE JOB
PROJECT PROFILE THE OWNER
NAME: Matti White AGE: 19 nic OCCUPATION: Truck mecha kshire Yor rth LOCATION: Malton, No
THE CAR:
ir 998cc CAR: 1987 Austin Mini Mayfa quarters complete, START CONDITION: Three us owner’s stood for two years on previo ce 2007. Didn’t sin d driveway, not been on roa d. ntle ma run, interior was all dis tored rust free, CONDITION NOW: Shell res engine in, painted in Old English White, rior installed inte e Som in. ss gla subframes in, pads) (headlining, carpet, dash rail nths TIME TAKEN SO FAR: 10 mo LETION: ESTIMATED TIME OF COMP Summer 2021
ON THE JOB Words and Photography Jon Cass
The white stuff Matti White took lockdown as an opportunity for extra garage time and got stuck into his Mayfair project.
I
t’s March 2021, the pubs and pretty much everything else are shut leaving people with a lot of spare time on their hands. But 19-year-old Matti White chose to use this unique opportunity productively and bought himself a 1987 Mini Mayfair to restore – a car that had languished in a Norfolk driveway since 2007! “My first goal was to get the 998cc A-series running and at least attempt to drive it down the road,” Matti recalls. “The previous owner had told me he’d
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fitted new third and fourth gears, so I was keen to check the gearbox worked too.” Once he’d connected an adequate fuel source, set the valve clearances, fitted a new distributor cap and added oil, the Mayfair fired into life. “I did manage to achieve a quick drive, using the handbrake to slow me down as the previous owner had removed the brake calipers,” Matti smiles. The car was soon in his garage jacked up on axle stands with the engine, glass, wiring loom, interior and subframes removed,
ready for the hard work to begin. Matti’s one and only previous project we’re told was a Westwood T1200 Lawnmower, so the full bare metal restoration of a classic Mini has proved to be something of a steep learning curve. A full strip down revealed rust in all of the usual suspect areas, but Matti has tackled any bodywork issues with ease, removing the rust, sourcing new panels and welding where required. “It’s all snowballed pretty quickly, I was originally intending to just spruce it up
ON THE JOB
GET FEATURED Want to get featured ? Send photos of your project to: minimag.ed@kelse y.co.uk
The parts collection keeps on growing...
and get it running ready to drive last summer,” Matti laughs. “It all soon got out of control and now there won’t be a single original nut or bolt going back on the car!” Matti is also keen to add his own twist, while still retaining the classic look complete with chrome and Old English White paintwork. “The interior will be strikingly different to a standard Mini and the engine bay will have a minimalist look,” he explains. “There should be a few other trick mods elsewhere too – you
soon get an idea of what looks right on a Mini and what doesn’t.” Matti admits to being a stickler for attention to detail, so expect this car to be well thought out, wherever you care to look. Despite a few small hiccups, the project appears to be running smoothly and to schedule and should be completed this summer. Matti certainly isn’t lacking in enthusiasm as he’s already talking about building a lightweight bike engine Mini for his next project! Everything has been detailed.
ON THE JOB
Body was in need of plenty of new panels.
How did you come across the car? I came across this car in February 2020, when my girlfriend’s dad saw it advertised on eBay. From the photos, the rust didn’t look too bad so I thought it would make an ideal project base. An hour later I’d won the auction and bought the car for £1200. The following week we went down to Wisbech and brought it back up to Yorkshire, which proved to be a very long day!
Superfins have been fitted to the rear.
Superlites the wheel of choice for Matti.
car. I think it was due to health reasons that he never got round to doing the work. The car was kept under a sheet, but still water was able to find its way in. Somebody had definitely tried to get it back on the road, after seeing the freshly painted engine and new RC40 system on, but I think they were blind to rust!
proved to be a similar process. I then made a start on the rear where I’ve opted for an M-Machine half boot floor. I’ve had to weld in a hinge repair panel along with lower corner repair panels and fitted new door skins with lower inner door repair panels too. I’ve used SilentCoat sound dampening on the inside and filled where necessary to make it ready for priming and paint.
Which engine did you go for? Being 19, why dismiss a Corsa VXR in The engine is a 998cc A-series. I had recent favour of an old Mini? It looks like you’ve been busy with the receipts from the previous owner of a I’m not too sure how I ever got into Minis in bodywork, what have you done so far? rebuild so I decided not to strip it down fully. particular, but I’ve always loved retro and I started at the driver’s side A-panel and I took a wire brush to it first then painted the classic cars. I had an Italian Job themed oversill. Once they’d been removed, it block green. I’ve fitted new core plugs and bedroom when I was 9-10 so maybe it revealed a whole nest of rust. The original refurbished or replaced all other sprung from there? outer sills and inner sills were cut out, and components. I found a 12G295 cylinder also the doorstep cut out. I then began by head on eBay which has been bead blasted, Have you attempted anything on this putting new inner sills in, welded in a fitted with unleaded valve seats, new valves, scale before? Magnum doorstep followed by the jacking new double valve springs, new bronze My first ‘restoration project’, if you want to point and finished off with a Heritage outer guides and valve seals, skimmed .040 inch call it that, was a Westwood T1200 sill. I then had to make my own panel for the and I’m using a composite head gasket. lawnmower. I cut the mower deck off, inner wing where it must have been It’ll be cooled by a Fletcher twin core alloy painted it blue and tried to make it look like a attacked by stones, salt, and other road radiator and the exhaust will be a side exit Fordson Dexta by painting the wheels white. grime from its past. stainless RC40 system with a Maniflow Then I found a length of stainless pipe with a I finished that side with a Heritage A-panel exhaust manifold. Fuelling will be by an SU 90-degree bend in and made an exhaust and moved onto the other side which HS4 carb, with an AAU Stage 1 needle onto stack for it. I don’t think the neighbours enjoyed it! The car originally came from Norfolk, was it a barn find? I found this Mini in Wisbech, where a man had been storing it on his driveway in the hope of restoring it as his grandson’s first
Level of finish just as good underneath...
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Prepped and primed at home, shell was sent out for the top coats of Old English White.
ON THE JOB
Matti has made rapid progress with the Mini. Stage 1 equipped 998 will sit in a clutter free engine bay.
an alloy inlet manifold and converted to electronic ignition using the Accuspark kit. So what’s next? I’ll be fitting the carb then installing the piano black dash. Running all the cables from the cabin through into the engine bay. I plan to use a three plus three clock black dash, containing an oil pressure gauge, water temp gauge, and amp gauge. Has it all been straightforward so far or have there been any moments of pain and misery? There have been a few tricky moments but nothing major. Aged 19 and building a car that was already three quarters dismantled, there was always going to be the odd difficulty, but there’s been nothing that a Haynes manual, The Mini Forum and YouTube can’t help with!
Matti has plans for the interior - we look forward to seeing the end result.
Old English White livery, chrome bumpers, and other chrome trim, but adding a few modern twists such as the LED headlight Where does your inspiration come from? units and LED rear bulbs. The stance is I’d say the only place I get inspiration from is important so it will sit on Hi-Los with JBW Tom Shorrock’s’ Tartan Red Mayfair. That Superlites, and Group 7 arches sprayed thing is unreal, the attention to detail on that medium speckle black. I’m also fitting bullet car is unbelievable. cap wing mirrors and the engine bay will have a minimalist look. The paintwork looks a top job, was it As for the interior, I plan on fitting black tricky to reach that high standard? leather seats with cream single diamond I prepped and primed it myself ready for stitch and cream piping, black carpets, paint, it’s not 100 per cent perfect but handbrake and gear gaiters along with a personally I feel it’s a good job for my first black headlining. Then I’ll be fitting my attempt. It was just another part of the build chrome and wooden rivet steering wheel I wanted to do myself and proved to be a and KAD Quickshifter which will really make huge learning curve. The shell was then it stand out. professionally resprayed in Old English White and medium speckle black roof. It’s fair to say, not everyone likes working on Minis. How have you found We can see the direction you’re taking, the experience so far? but can you tell us more about how the The worst jobs I’ve encountered so far is car will look when it’s completed? brake and clutch clevis pin and split pin. I plan on keeping the classic look with the Fitting the offside brake hose with the clutch housing in the way, and fitting the headlining. Also getting the shims right after numerous attempts with the balljoints. Considering how little space there is to work with, I’ve found Minis are relatively easy to work on.
BODY: Old English White with black roof, Group 7 arches. ENGINE: 998cc with Stage One Kit, RC40, Accuspark electronic ignition. TRANSMISSION: Standard four speed manual with KAD Quickshift. SUSPENSION: Rubber cone. Hi-Los, GAZ dampers. BRAKES: 8.4 inch discs, drums. Braided hoses. WHEELS: JBW Superlites. INTERIOR: Watch this space…
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MPI PICKUP
POWER P P Words and Photography Gerard Hughes
I
t’s a tricky balancing act, getting a Mini to look ‘right’. It’s often a case of deciding when to stop, to avoid adding that extra dash of chrome, or those alloys that everyone else considers a must have. But get the formula right, and as we all know, the results can be stunning. To the point where further scrutiny is unnecessary. You don’t need to analyse the car, or the parts which go into making it. You just accept it for what it is. Luke Smith’s stunning 1976 Pickup is a perfect case in point. It’s easy to see it’s a beautifully finished example of the breed, but if you can stop being dazzled for a second, you begin to notice that this is far from standard. Luke (and his Grandad, but more on that later…) have made many choices which have shifted this Pickup a long way from its utilitarian roots. The chrome grille, alloy wheels and paint
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Bought as a down-at-heel unfinished project, Luke Smith’s Pickup now boasts a huge spec including an MPi conversion...
MPI PICKUP
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MPI PICKUP
THE BUILD
A 1991 John Cooper Works S was Luke’s first experience of Mini ownership. A world away from the Pickup when it first arrived as little more than a rusty bare shell and a collection of spares. The hard work began...
In the cab, it’s full MPi with everything from steering wheel to seats. Luxury.
High tech head unit clips phone in place.
Full retrim in Ferrari leather is stunning.
“I think circumstances changed and it was up for sale” colour give that away. But it’s when you notice the lack of external door hinges, you realise that this Pickup has a bigger story to tell… For Luke, classic cars were always part of the family thanks to his Grandad, Brian, who had had a variety of projects down the years. Luke had always said that he would love to learn how to build a car with his Grandad’s help. Luke’s first foray into Mini ownership came in 2019, when he managed to get hold of a 1991 John Cooper Works S. “I traded my modern day VW Polo for it, to use as my everyday runaround and I completely fell in love with it,” Luke says. “It had none of the creature comforts that you have in a
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modern car – no air conditioning, no sat nav screens, nothing – but I felt like it was man and machine in perfect synch. Any chance I could get to drive that car, I drove it. It was my pride and joy.”
GARAGE TIME Adam Parker, who owns the incredible red Turbo Mini that featured on our August 2019 cover, is a good friend of Luke’s and he was happy to encourage the habit in him. He also helped improve the Cooper as it had sat in storage for several years before it found its way into Luke’s hands. “Many a hour was spent with Adam down in his garage, helping me fit new bits and change things,” he explains.
Luke’s incredibly proud of the Pickup, a ‘built not bought’ project that he has shared with Grandad.
The Pickup looks so ‘right’ it takes a while to resgister the lack of door hinges and the wind up windows...
“One day, my Grandad rang me up out of the blue and said, ‘You wanted a project to learn on with me, I’ve bought us one – a Mini Pickup. We will have to buy loads of parts for it but we’ll do it all together and you’ll learn.’” So a new routine was established, and every Saturday and Wednesday Luke, his Grandad and his Grandad’s mate met up and worked on the Pickup. It wasn’t all good news though. “During that time, my Cooper S got stolen. But that fuelled the passion to
get this Mini finished, built properly and to the spec that I wanted,” he adds. The Pickup was bought as a part completed project. “The guy was going to restore it himself. But then, I think circumstances changed and it was up for sale. It was just a bare metal shell and it needed a lot of new panels. But it came with various bits and pieces, including the MPi engine which led us down that route – we thought it was something different, plus he’d already welded a
couple of the front panels on to fit the MPi engine in it.”
FACELIFT So the decision was made to use all of the front end panels from the MPi, which would make fitting the drivetrain and its associated paraphernalia much easier, but going a little further, it would also endow the Pickup with such creature comforts as wind up windows… Like most restorations, the list of
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MPI PICKUP The engine is a completely standard MPi unit which has been carefully renovated.
JBW Rally alloys are a great choice.
panels required to get the shell back to good health grew rapidly. The floors, heelboard, front wings, rear inner arches – “Completely ground up really, everything,” Luke laughs. “It had to have a complete custom fabricated cab rear panel (behind the seats) because we couldn’t get another panel like that. We cut it out, took it to a fabricator and got them to make it exactly the same. The
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“We cut it out, took it to a fabricator and got them to make it exactly the same” indentations and everything were exactly as the original panel. And all of the restoration of this was done on a driveway and in my Grandad’s garage…” “We still tried to keep everything as genuine as possible. The tailgate for instance, is a Heritage tailgate, because the one that was on there was battered – well, it had been used as a Pickup. But we went out of our way and made sure we
bought the right panels for the car. The front subframe was salvageable, so we had that sandblasted and then built it all up but the back one was too far gone, so we bought a new one. We salvaged what parts we could, and had the radius arms refurbished.” This approach was carried on through the suspension and brakes. There is no deviation from standard Rover spec, but everything – from rubber
Since a glitch with the fuel pump, the Pickup has performed faultlessly.
cones to discs – has either carefully been rebuilt or replaced with new. When it came to painting the finished shell, Brian had a suggestion. ”I’d said to my Grandad that I wanted it red and he agreed – he likes his red cars and he loves his Ford van that’s also red. And he thought, you know, that would make a really nice colour for the Pickup. So we went for the Ford red, inspired by his modern Ford van…”
MPi grille and overrider bumpers bring a bit of shine to the front end.
ASSEMBLY LINE Reassembly was to provide its own challenges. Even though the duo had no problem in tracking down the correct parts for the MPi, getting them all into the engine bay was tricky at times. “With the limited room you have in the engine bay everything has to go in in a certain way, in a certain order. There’s no way, for instance, of deciding you were putting the master cylinder in today, because three weeks down the line, you’d find something has to go underneath or somewhere else and you couldn’t get it in because of that part. So you’d have to rip it out again to put something else in… It was a struggle at some points. If you weren’t completely paying attention and you overlooked one part, you had to take
out three weeks worth of work.” “The engine was dirty and it didn’t look the greatest. But we stripped it all down, checked the components and there was no damage in the cylinders so it didn’t need reboring. I think the hardest part to track down was the engine breather. There were plenty of aftermarket ones out
there – the chrome ones – but I didn’t want those. We wanted something more original so it was tracking one down that hadn’t rotted through the top, where the water sits.” The one thing that the MPi cars have when compared to earlier cars is a lot more wiring and electrical
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MPI PICKUP Colour and quality of the paint really show the lines of the Pickup off.
BODY 1976 Mini Pickup with complete late (twin point injection) front end, including A-panels and A-posts. Internal door hinges. Late model doors. Group 2 arches. MPi internal release chrome grille, chrome bumpers with overriders. Paint: Ford Kapoor Red. ENGINE Multi Point Injection A-plus 1275cc. Custom made stainless steel exhaust with decat. SUSPENSION Standard rubber cone, all parts either refurbed to as new, or replaced. TRANSMISSION Standard four-speed manual. BRAKES 8.4 inch discs front, 7 inch drum rear. Servo assisted. WHEELS AND TYRES JBW Alley Cat 6x12 alloy wheels with Yokohama A539 165/60R12 tyres. INTERIOR Rover MPi dash, steering wheel and switchgear. Front seats recovered in Ferrari leather with red piping. Custom door cards. Pioneer’s SPH-20DAB head unit, Goodmans speakers.
components. Again, taking a methodical approach proved to be the solution for Luke. “The wiring harness had come with the car and was in really good condition. Again, it was dirty – it looked like it had been sat in a shed for a long time. But I cleaned it, sat there with a
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There are neat touches everywhere.
Smart load bed cover was custom made.
“A nice rumble while not being too over the top. It sounds phenomenal” bucket and making sure every single bit was fine, cleaning it all up, rewrapping it, checking every connector was working and in good condition.” There are a few touches that Luke couldn’t resist adding. “The exhaust is a custom one made by MIJ Performance – it’s got a straight pipe into a single back box with twin tips. I didn’t want the exhaust note to be too aggressive, too loud – I wanted it to fit the car’s looks perfectly. A nice rumble while not being too over the top. It sounds phenomenal.” And you can’t have failed to notice
those wheels. “They were actually inspired by Tom Shorrock. I saw his red Mini when he built that on the driveway, then with my red Mini being built on the driveway... I’ve not seen that many Minis at the moment running them, and I thought OK, so that’s just going to set that Pickup off really nice. And when I fitted them, I fell in love with them. They really did suit the car.” Inside the cab, you won’t be surprised to find the MPi dash, switchgear and steering wheel. What may cause a lot of people to do a double take is the MPi seats
trimmed in Ferrari leather… “That’s something my grandad chose – he decided on the interior. He’d got a plan and he said, ‘Trust me, it’ll look good.’ And I did, and it did, it looked really nice.” The doorcards have been trimmed to match but with the addition of carpeted strips at the bottom. “When you’re getting in and out of the car, if you knock it with your foot, we didn’t want to start marking the leather. And when we mocked it up and put it against the panels, it looked really good. And again, it was something I hadn’t seen done, so we went for that,” Luke adds.
FAULT ON THE WIRE The Pickup looked fabulous, but on its first trips out, Luke discovered things were quite as they should be. “It turned over and ran but as you drove it, it would start to cough, backfire and misfire and we couldn’t understand why.” It was a case of modern Mini, modern fault finding and the Pickup was plugged into a diagnostic reader. “It showed everything was running fine, there was nothing wrong with the car… So that
stumped us. I was at Adam’s, just after I’d had the exhaust fitted. We heard the fuel pump kick in. And as we listened, it sounded like it was struggling. We’d sent the tank off to be modified as we were using the original Pickup tank but it needed the MPi fuel pump.” Not sure what the problem was, Adam suggested that for the price of a fuel pump a swap was worth a try. “We dropped the tank – probably about 9 o’clock at night, Adam balancing the tank on his head in the pit in his garage. It turned out an SPi pump had been fitted by accident and it couldn’t cope with delivering the fuel the car needed. We took it out, put the MPi pump in and then prayed. And as soon as we turned the ignition on, it started up Custom exhaust squeezes in twin tailpipes.
lovely. I took it down the road and it drive like a dream. And since then, it’s had no issues – it runs perfect.” And perfect just about sums up the Pickup. “This one is pretty much done now. I plant to take it to as many shows as possible, get the car out there and show the work that’s been done,” he says. “I was planning on fitting a Mota-Lita steering wheel to it but I think it was £250 for just the boss, and it worked out at around £800/900 for the conversion. I’ll keep it with the MPi steering wheel for now.” “The car will never be sold and it will stay with me. I’ll pass it down if I have kids because it’s got too much sentimental value to me. It took two and a half years building that with my Grandad. So now it will be something I can always remember him by as it’s something great that we’ve done together. It’s genuinely been built not bought.”
THANKS TO: Big thanks for their help with the Pickup go out to Brian Smith and Adam Parker.
47
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Based on 7,455 reviews as of February 2021.
Luke Smith’s MPi Pickup featured in Mini Magazine June 2021
Les Leagas’ Type R 1275GT featured in Mini Magazine June 2021
Mike Brewer’s 1964 Cooper S ‘Project Frankie’ featured in Mini Magazine May 2021
COOPER COMBO
Words and Photography Jon Cass
ON THE
TRAIL
After a terrible traffic accident, Chris Moss turned a total loss into an extra half Mini for his fleet…
T
he name Chris Moss may well be familiar to regular readers by now. We’ve already seen his retro themed metallic brown Clubman Estate and his bizarre Minivan complete with its matching camping trailer, converted from a similar Minivan. Not content with 2.5 Minis, incredibly, Chris’s fleet also happens to contain another matching car and trailer combo. Welcome to his RAF themed saloon and mobile barbecue! Chris first joined the RAF some 22 years ago and currently trades as a Mechanical Technician. “I’ve worked on various aircraft in my time, both large and
54
small, serving in the UK and overseas,” Chris explains, “I was lucky enough to be part of a seven year tour with the Red Arrows based at Scampton near Lincoln.” This illustrious and eventful career goes some way to explain the RAF inspired livery of Chris’s saloon and trailer, though his passion for Minis began long before he joined the forces. “I started saving up for a car when I was 16, but with only a paper round supplying funds, I could only scrape £100 together for my first car,” Chris tells us. “As you’d expect for this price, the car was a bit of a wreck and I’m surprised it even drove home.” Luckily, Chris’s best mate, Mark
Blundell, happened to be an apprentice mechanic and the pair soon had the neglected Mini saloon back on the road just in time for Chris’s 17th birthday. “In reality it was still a wreck, but a little safer than it previously was – fancy paintwork can only hide so much,” he laughs. “Sadly that first car ended up on the scrapheap shortly after, but I went on to buy a further four Minis in quick succession.” Unfortunately, Chris’s patience soon began to wear thin and the thought of spending each and every weekend lying on his driveway covered in oil attempting to keep these cars running eventually reached breaking point. “I hadn’t fallen
COOPER COMBO
55
COOPER COMBO
THE BUILD
It’s really a tale of two cars - the current Cooper was bought to replace Shammy MkI, which was written off in a road accident. That car would go on to live again, in a new guise, and continues to be part of the Moss family...
The original cream leather Rover interior has made way for a much cleaner black leather and Alcantara retrim.
Union Jack design features on door cards.
Carbon fibre better suited to the new scheme.
Diamond stitching looks great.
“The hardest part is trying to recreate my old car” out with Minis, I just needed a break and moved on to MkI and MkII Escorts, Corsas – the usual cars most lads my age had in the 90s,” Chris smiles.
ON THE JOB As Chris’s career in the RAF evolved and his pay cheques grew, his return to classic Mini ownership was inevitable. He also discovered his passion was shared by quite a few fellow colleagues in the RAF. So much that they had not one owner’s club but two, Bomber County Minis and The RAF Mini Club. Without a second thought, Chris joined both clubs and spurred on by fellow club members, soon bought his first classic Mini in 20 years, a 1997 Rover Mini Cooper Sport in British Racing green. “That significant purchase happened in 2012, but five years later the
56
car was involved in a head on crash in Scotland,” Chris recalls. “Only the rear end was left intact, but that would come in useful later on!” The ’97 Cooper had become Chris’s pride and joy, affectionately named Shammy so its sudden demise was devastating to both Chris and his wife to be, Jada. “We were attempting the NC500 tour of Scotland, but suddenly a nose-tonose altercation with a delivery van soon changed our plans,” Chris remembers. “To say I was devastated is an understatement, but at least we walked or rather limped away from the crash.” Not expecting there to be a delay with the insurance settlement, Chris wasted no time in looking for a replacement for Shammy. “I soon spotted a very similar 1998 Cooper Sport on eBay, jumped in
It’s an eye catching combo that certainly turns heads when it’s out on the road.
The only problem Chris has now is deciding which of his fleet to drive.
It was never a factory option...
with both feet, bid and bought the car,” Chris tells us. “By total coincidence this car was located in Scotland, I just had to work out how to get it home.” A bizarre twist ensued when the recovery company transporting Chris’s crashed Cooper offered to call in to collect the second newly purchased Cooper on his long trip down to Moss HQ in Lincolnshire. “It made a surreal sight when both cars turned up on the back of the same truck,” Chris laughs. Immediate plans were to recreate the much-loved Shammy Chris had just lost. “Although the ’98 Cooper was roadworthy,
the paint wasn’t as good as it appeared in the online photos,” Chris explains. “I decided to carry out a bare metal strip down and replaced the door skins and front wings as these were badly fitted.” This time the remainder of the bodywork including a respray in British Racing Green would be carried out by Sleaford Mini Centre. The 98’s suspension now benefits from Hi-Los and the rubber cones replaced with springs. “I’ve fitted GAZ adjustable shocks and upgraded the brakes to Mini Sport four-pot callipers with grooved and vented disks,” Chris points out. “The A-series engine block itself
remains standard, but I have added a Specialist Components ECU and throttle body along with a Supersport cylinder head.” Chris’s favoured wheels are timeless 7x13 inch F1 style Superlites, the fitment of these were a no brainer. “It was all essentially straightforward, the hardest part was trying to recreate my old car,” Chris smiles. “It got to the point where you couldn’t tell them apart.”
GET IN TRIM We’d say that confirmed Chris’s latest project had been a success, but as soon as he took it for a test drive, things just didn’t feel right. “The original interior was letting the side down. I had to change it and decided to swap the cream with green piping in favour of black leather and Alcantara with custom one-off union jack door cards with poppies embroidered on them. “I’d been asked by the RAF Mini Club to take part in the 75th anniversary Battle of Britain Rally in 2015,” Chris
57
COOPER COMBO
THE BUILD CONTINUED...
“I knew he was beyond rescue as a car again, but there was still an option...” explains. “We’d be driving between various locations linked with the battle, so I made a decision to theme the livery in the style of a Spitfire as a tribute.” These fetching one off decals not only look the part and suit the Mini’s shape well, they also lend themselves to the British Racing Green paintwork beneath. Recreating a ‘Shammy 2’ proved to be a fairly straightforward process, but as the project progressed Chris couldn’t help but feel sorry for what remained of the original Shammy parked alongside in his garage. “I knew he was beyond rescue as a car again, but there was still the option of a trailer conversion,” Chris remembers, “I’d already had experience of building a trailer from a Minivan so why couldn’t I do the same with Shammy?”
58
It may look standard at a glance, but there’s an SC throttle body, ECU and Super Sports cylinder for extra urge.
With the help of a friend, Martin Batho, the unfortunate Cooper was cut in half and the central part of the roof also cut out. “I welded the front of the roof to the rear making it shorter, then built and modified the chassis to fit the body,” Chris points out. “The subframe had to be removed to save weight and in its place, I’ve welded in a T-section using two trailer suspension units.” Chris has also designed it so the towing arm is removable to assist with storage. “I couldn’t decide what to do with the opening at the front, would I use a normal boot panel?” Chris smiles. “I eventually opted for lightweight glassfibre Minivan doors which are more practical, though they proved hard work to blend it with the rest of the trailer.” The boot itself appears standard, but Chris
Livery was inspired by the 75th Anniversary of the Battle Of Britain.
BODY 1998 MPi Cooper. Halo headlights. Quad spotlights. Paint: British Racing green with Spitfire themed decals. ENGINE 1275cc MPi. Specialist Components ECU, throttle body and Supersport cylinder head. SUSPENSION Coil spring conversion. GAZ adjustable shocks. Hi-Los. TRANSMISSION Four speed manual. BRAKES Minisport four-pot calipers with grooved and vented disks. Drums at rear. WHEELS AND TYRES Anthracite 7x13 inch Superlite F1 style alloy wheels with Yokohama A539 175/50/13 tyres.
being the engineering genius he is, saw the potential to add a boot drawer which contains a pull-out barbecue, just perfect for days out and camping trips. “There’s just enough space for a fridge inside the trailer too,” he laughs.
ON THE ROAD As the trailer was to be towed by its now RAF themed successor, the Spitfire livery has been repeated on the trailer, be it on a smaller scale! “I’d become used to heads turning and people pointing when driving my van and trailer and this combination has the same effect,” Chris laughs. “They both received a fantastic reception at the 75th anniversary of the Dambusters raid
which was a memorable occasion.” We strongly suspect Chris is the only Mini owner in the country to possess such a random fleet of cars, all of which we should point out are driven and used regularly. “They’ve been built to be practical as well as for show,” Chris tells us. “I’ve put a lot of work into these cars and especially the trailers, so I always try to find time to gain enjoyment from them with my family.” Will he be taking a break and slowing down in the garage now? With two children both aged under two the answer is probably yes, but we suspect another mad Mini project will reappear in the Moss garage at some stage…
INTERIOR Black leather and Alcantara seats, one off Union Jack door cards. Carbon style dash surround. Aluminium door handles. Alloy gear knob. CD/ MP3 player. TRAILER 1997 Rover Mini Cooper. Front half removed. Boot drawer conversion with pull out barbecue / cooker. Internal fridge. Subframe replaced with T-section. Two trailer suspension units. Matching wheels and tyres. Removable towing arm. Glassfibre Minivan doors.
THANKS TO: Steve Olive at Sleaford Mini Centre for the Mini Work and Paint, Martin Batho for help with the Trailer metal work.
59
FIA HILLCLIMBER
60
FIA HILLCLIMBER
CIRCUIT BREAKER Words Gerard Hughes Photography Rares Davidescu
I
Starting life as a Mayfair in the UK, this racer has a new lease of life on the the far side of Europe…
t’s not unusual for a Mini to undergo a transformation at some point in its life. And these days, we’re always embarking on ‘a journey’ – usually more metaphorical than actual. But for Bogdan Barbatu and his FIA spec Hillclimb car, the story involves the most radical of transformations and an actual journey of over 1500 miles…
Although it’s now every inch the racer, Bogdan’s Mini lived most of its life on the streets of the UK. It left the factory in 1988 as a Mini Mayfair, but by 2018 when it was offered for sale on eBay, painted grey, fitted with Sport Pack style arches and 13 inch Minilite-style wheels, Recaro seats and overrider bumpers. Clearly someone’s much prized car, but a long
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FIA HILLCLIMBER BOGDAN’S SCRAPBOOK Dad crewed on this Abarth.
Actor, Mircea Breazu, was an inspiration.
Stripped out and totally buisness like. Six point cage is required by the regs.
Engine has been built within FIA regs.
1293cc has proved itself in competition but Bogdan plans to swap the Weber 40 for a 45DCOE this season.
Shell took some work.
As bought in the UK .
“First outing... and the silverware collection is already growing” way from what Bogdan had in mind. Bogdan lives in the city of Brasov, in the Transylvania region of Romania. Not only being famed as the home of Count Dracula, the area also has a long motorsport history. He grew up watching rallies and hillclimbs – his father was a co-driver and mechanic in the National Rally Championship between 1972 and 1986 with a Fiat 124 Abarth. His passion for historic cars in general and Minis in particular was cemented when he regularly spotted a competition prepared Mini Cooper owned by a local actor. It was almost inevitable that Bogdan would find himself in a competition car at some point and in recent years, had competed in the Romanian National
Hillclimb and Rally Championships in a range of contemporary cars including a Renault Clio RS, Renault Megane Coupe and Dacia Logan. The image of that locally owned Cooper was never far from his mind though…
BETTER TO TRAVEL At the beginning of 2018, Bogdan spotted this Mini up for grabs online, and a plan of action kicked into play. After winning the auction, the Mini was temporarily stored by a friend in Portsmouth. In May 2018, the car was transported across Europe to Bogdan’s workshop and the two year transformation began. The aim being that the finished car would comply with FIA historic race car regulations.
Mini now competes in the Historic Class of the Romanian National Hillclimb Championship.
By the end of the 2020 season, Bogdan had scooped first in the under 1300cc class and second overall.
Bogdan believes that a car should only be finished to the highest standards. So the Mini was stripped to bare shell and then sent off for sandblasting, leaving no place for rust to hide anywhere in the shell. In motorsport, two of the requirements go hand in hand – the need for rigidity and safety. Once the usual rusty panels had been replaced, key areas were seam welded to improve the strength in the shell. The Safety Devices six-point cage was fitted before it was dispatched to the paint shop. “After sending the body shell for a complete repaint, the really difficult part began – the mechanics,” he says. “The suspension, the drivetrain, the steering and the brakes were all improved.”
More power was also on the cards, although working within the regulations meant that massive overbores were out of the question. The block was taken out .020 inch, the maximum allowed, to give 1293cc. As the car was intended to run on both hillclimbs and road rallies, a Kent rally spec cam was fitted along with a big valve head and 1.5:1 ratio roller rockers.
The engine breathes in through a Weber 40DCOE and out through an LCB into a big bore exhaust system. The aim was tractable, useable power. The gearbox was rebuilt and now features a limited slip diff and a 3.76:1 final drive, giving a chance of both good acceleration and a decent top speed when it’s needed. Weight has been trimmed
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FIA HILLCLIMBER
First outing of the 2021 season has seen the Mini maintain its competitive edge. Image: Rally Focus Romania
BODY 1988 Mini Mayfair. Fully restored and seam welded. Fibreglass bonnet. Safety Devices six-point rollcage. All fuel/brake run through inside of car. ENGINE 1293cc A-plus. Kent MD276 camshaft kit. Big valve head. 1.5 alloy roller rockers. Weber 40DCOE carburettor. Lightened Vernier duplex timing chain set. Kent oil pump. High capacity water pump. Lightened flywheel. Big bore exhaust. Uprated alloy radiator. Oil cooler. Electric fuel pump. Evans Power Cool Waterless Coolant. Race battery. SUSPENSION Fully adjustable with heavy duty bottom arms. High ratio steering rack. Poly bushed throughout. TRANSMISSION Four-speed manual. Aluminium drive flanges. Heavy duty drive shafts. AP racing clutch. LSD differential. Final drive 3.76:1. Quickshift. BRAKES Front: 8.4 inch discs, drilled and grooved. Standard callipers. EBC brake pads. Rear: Superfin alloy drums. EBC shoes. AP Racing original double circuit brake master cylinder. Goodridge hoses throughout. Wilwood adjustable brake bias valves. No servo. WHEELS AND TYRES Revolution 5x12 inch alloy wheels with Yokohama A539 165/60R12 tyres. INTERIOR Sparco racing seats with Sabelt four-point harnesses. Full width alloy dashboard with 3+3 clock arrangement, Monte Carlo door panels. Alloy door furniture. 5kg automatic fire extinguisher.
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Mini competes on Yokohama road tyres.
Nothing to see... motorsport battery is tiny.
by using aluminium drive flanges, but for the sake of reliability, heavy duty driveshafts have been fitted.
2020 Romanian Hillclimb National Championship, competing in the ‘Historic cars’ category. Bogdan took second place in the general ranking and PUT IT DOWN 1st place in the under 1300cc class with But all the power in the world is no use if engines under 1300cc, a stunning result it can’t be transmitted down to the for the first season out. First outing in the tarmac. The suspension has been 2021 season, and the silverware collection completely rebuilt using adjustable, heavy is already growing with a first place in the duty bottom arms and tie rods, and poly up to 1600cc and third in the class for bushes have been fitted throughout to ‘Cars with FIA homologation until 1976’. keep movement to a minimum. The 8.4 The complete transformation from inch disc brakes have been upgraded with street to racer has been a huge success, drilled and grooved discs, fitted with and it looks like this Mini’s journey in the EBC pads. hands of its enthusiastic new owner is Inside, it’s as business like as possible only just beginning…. with Sparco seats and Sabelt harnesses. All brake and fuel lines run through the cabin to protect them from damage, and regulations require the 5kg automatic fire Big thanks go out to George Stanciu, extinguisher system. Marius Albu and Gabriel Gordea. The Mini was finished in time for the
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Tech T h
n
TOOLS REQUIRED Spanners, screwdrivers, sander, scraper, aerosol paint, hosepipe. TIME TAKEN 1-day DIFFICULTY
The essentials for keeping your Mini on the road. 74 ASK THE EXPERT
Our tech experts answer all your Mini technical queries.
78 PRODUCTS
The latest selection of parts and goodies to lavish upon your Mini.
80 WORKSHOP
We go behind the scenes with the new Volt EV R300 electric Mini.
84 OUR MINIS
BEFORE STARTING The first rule of working on cars and using tools of any kind is don’t be stupid. Make sure personal protective gear – goggles, gloves, ear defenders, masks and a set of overalls - are hanging on a hook in your garage and use them wisely. If you’re working with power tools, protective gear is essential. Never attempt to work under a car without supporting it securely using suitably strong axle stands. If you haven’t got a fire extinguisher, buy one and keep it near to hand. The bottom line? If you’re not completely confident of your own ability to complete any task safely, don’t even start it. Leave it to the experts.
Words and Photography Jon Betts
The latest from our Mini fleet, this time featuring the cars of Jeff, Tim and Pete.
FEELING THE HEAT Even with summer on the way, your heater’s a crucial piece of safety kit. We show you how to get the best from it.
K
eeping your Mini’s heater in first class condition is crucial, no matter the time of year. Without a doubt, you’ll miss it most on winter but keeping the screen demisted is crucial – whether the cause is winter storms or a summer shower.
that the matrix, which is where the hot water from the engine passes through the heater, has become blocked with sediment. This can be easily flushed out with a garden hose pipe and will do a great deal to improve the heat available in the car as
“Many people complain about the effectiveness of the standard Mini heater” Many people complain about the effectiveness of the standard Mini heater – especially the windscreen demisters – and while admittedly it’s not the best in the world there is quite a lot you can do to improve things. If your heater has never been out of the car and serviced then there is a good chance
there will me more hot water circulating through the heater itself.
HOT STUFF Ensuring the hot water is actually getting to the heater in the first place is also worth checking. The valve on the cylinder head, operated from inside the car can often
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Tech seize up so again this must be checked and if necessary changed to improve the flow. All but the later Rover Mini’s have a simple single speed fan to blow the air either into the car or up through the demisters to clear the screen. If you can locate a later twin speed unit then all the better. We’ve also heard of various other heater units that have been
grafted into the Mini, but with work you can make the single speed units very effective. One of the main problems is that of air leaks, the fan itself does move quite a lot of air, but sadly much of it escapes before it reaches the window vents. The idea is to block as many of the potential air leaks as possible so we will show you how to seal the blower unit
itself, seal the pipe work and also how to prevent the leaks in the window vents. Once all this is done you will be surprised at the difference in the output from your heater and while it may not match the multi speed versions of the modern cars, it will make your Mini driving much more enjoyable, and safer!
THE MINI HEATER: KEY AREAS TO CHECK
REMOVING YOUR HEATER FROM THE CAR
FLUSHING THE HEATER MATRIX THROUGH
CHECK THE CONDITION OF THE HEATER VALVE
To remove the heater you will first need to drain the cooling system by undoing the bottom radiator hose. Then working inside the car, undo the two heater pipes, there will probably still be water in them so have something ready to catch the water in. Undo the feed wire from the switch and then slacken off the two nuts at the back of the heater which secure it to the brackets on the heel board/ bulkhead area. With those slackened off, undo the screws at the front and then lift the unit out of the car, tilt the outlets upwards to prevent water spilling out into the car.
Once you have removed the heater matrix from the heater itself, you need to flush it through to remove any sludge or sediment that may have collected inside it. This would block the heater matrix and prevent the hot water from the engine flowing through the heater, reducing its effectiveness. To flush it out simply connect a hose pipe or similar to one of the outlets and flush through until the water runs clear. Check for leaks while doing this. The high pressure from the tap should clear all the sediment. If the matrix is found to leak then you will need to replace it with a new item.
Most Minis’ will be fitted with some sort of valve to turn the hot water supply off to the heater for summer use. There are a number of different types depending on the age of your Mini and these can become blocked or be badly adjusted restricting the flow of hot water to the heater. Ensure that the valve is fully open and then with the engine up to normal working temperature check that hot water is flowing through it. The pipes going in and out of the heater should be hot. If they are not and the valve is in the open position then it must be removed and cleaned out or replaced.
1 Having removed the heater from the car you can then begin the refurbishment. We decided on a standard satin black finish but you could always paint it to match the rest of your Mini.
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2 Having fully drained the water out of the heater begin to disassemble it by undoing the wire from the back of the switch and removing the front panel secured by three crosshead screws.
3 With the three screws removed you will need a ¼ inch AF spanner or socket to undo the clamp which secures the lever to the flap inside the heater box which directs the air around the heater.
Tech
4 The two sides of the heater are fixed to the main section by a series of crosshead screws around the edge and a couple on the side itself so undo all these.
5 With the screws removed you can then prize off first one side and then the other. There are some small cutouts to help you lever it with a screwdriver or similar.
7 With both sides now off you should be able to withdraw the heater matrix taking care to not damage the fins. Again, it’s worth making a note of which side the outlets are on and how it is positioned.
10 Here you can see all the components laid out and ready to be cleaned up. The panels are all quite rusty on the inside and outside so it will take a little work to get it looking good again.
6 With the first side off you will be able to extract the flap from inside the heater, make a note (draw a sketch or take some pictures) to remind you how it all goes back together.
8 The blower motor itself is secured with just three screws so remove these and then withdraw the motor. There is just one dividing piece to remove then which is held in by four screws.
11 To start with I attacked all the flaky paint and rust with a wire brush attachment mounted in a drill. A standard wire brush will do the job just as well or if you have access to a sandblast cabinet, use that!
9 One of the end pieces has a small flap of material on to allow air to enter the heater, remove this by undoing the two small screws. Place all the screws and small components in a pot to avoid losing them.
12 Using some coarse sanding pads, I then went all over the heater casing panels, trying to get them as smooth as possible. The longer you spend on this stage the better the end result will be.
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Tech
13 The heater had obviously leaked at sometime and the inside was quite rusty, after cleaning it all off I gave it a good coat of black Hammerite as this was easier than trying to spray the inside.
16 Once dry, I sprayed the satin back directly onto the panels again using several light coats to avoid any runs. We chose satin black for a factory type finish but you could always colour code to match the car.
14 Before spraying the outside of the panels I gave them one final sand (once the Hammerite was dry) with a fine sanding pad in the DA to give a nice smooth finish for the paint to be applied on.
17 Allow everything to dry thoroughly and then start the re-assembly. We began by installing the motor and the fixed central divider. If you’re not sure, refer to your notes to ensure they are fitted correctly.
15 A couple of cans of paint were purchased including some red oxide primer to provide a base for the top coat. This was sprayed in several light coats over all the panels and then left to dry.
18 The heater matrix is wrapped in foam to seal it in the heater to direct the airflow through the vanes rather than around it. Ours had disintegrated and as we couldn’t find any thin foam we used draught excluder.
19 Wrap the foam excluder all around the matrix a number of times and then slide the matrix into position. You may need to loosen the fixed plate slightly to get it in, ensure the outlets are on the correct side.
20 Air can also escape from the gap between the main body and the end pieces so use some household silicone sealer to seal the gap. Place a bead around the perimeter of the end pieces.
21 Fit the end with the water outlet pipes on first, ensuring the lip sits on the outside of the main body all the way around and then secure with the crosshead screws.
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Tech
22 Before the other end is fitted make sure the wire for the motor is installed and where it passes through the heater body you must use a suitable grommet, if these are damaged or missing replace with new items.
25 With the flap in place the second end piece was sealed with silicone and then fitted to the heater and secured with the old screws. Make sure the flap is located properly on its pin and can move freely.
23 On the opposite end of the matrix where the tubes are visible, we sealed any remaining gaps we found with some masking tape and added some more of the draught excluder to make it airtight.
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And there you have it, one refurbished heater unit ready to be re-installed into your Mini. The longer you spend on the preparation the better the end result.
30 The vents are made in two halves and simply stapled together. Air can easily leak out of the gap so again they need to be sealed. A thin bead of silicone can be added and then covered with tape.
Before the flap is fitted we replaced the worn out foam on the flap with some more of the draught excluder, sadly we couldn’t find black but it’s unlikely you will be able to see into the heater!
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The last part of the heater to be refitted is the switch panel, first attach the rod to the clamp with the ¼ inch AF spanner then fix the panel on with the three screws. Make sure the lever can open and close the flap.
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We could have replaced all the screws but we gave them a quick clean before they were fitted then once in final position, used a small paint brush to dab a bit of black paint on them.
29 When fitting the tubes to the window vents you need to seal them to prevent any air leaks. First inspect the tubes for any splits and if they are OK install them on the heater and seal with electrical tape.
31 When installing the pipes to the vents, follow the same principle and use electrical tape to seal the gap. Black would be better but we have used red to show you how it’s done.
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Tech
ASK THE EXPERT
Ask the ex
Your Mini questions answered by our experts.
LOW INJECTION My Mini is a 1999 MPi Cooper Sportpack. When I bought the car, it had been modified by a previous owner and came with all the receipts for the work that had been carried out on the car. According to the paperwork, the engine has a Stage 3 cylinder head, 1.5 roller rockers, K&N filter, an LCB manifold and a full stainless steel exhaust system. The inlet manifold has been matched to the cylinder head ports. I was told that the car had also been fitted with a Unichip, but we can’t find any information about this on the internet and even though I’m not sure what I’m looking for, I couldn’t find any sign of anything on the car. The car drives really well, and the fact that it had been tuned was a major part of the reason for buying it. The person who I bought the car from said that it produced 90 bhp and I had no reason to doubt it. Last week, we took the car along to a rolling road for a checkover and found that the engine was in fact producing just 75 bhp. The rolling road operator said that
Our experts can help. Just email minimag.ed@kelsey.co.uk with ‘Ask The Experts’ as the subject.
“The fact is, even the best would have struggled to make more than 80 bhp” the car was running perfectly, and that’s the kind of figure he would expect on an MPi with this spec. Has the car lost power since it was built, and if so, is there anything I can do to get it to get it back? Dean
tuning companies offered conversions for them and claimed a range of outputs, but the fact is that even the best would have struggled to make more than 80 bhp. You don’t say who supplied or fitted the kit on your Mini, but we’d guess that even on the day When the injection cars it was fitted, it’s unlikely that it appeared in the 90s, a few ever produced 90 bhp. The
you will at least know that the speedo drive was the matched one for your speedometer. But even this won’t guarantee you’ll get an accurate speed measurement. The reading can be affected OFF THE CLOCK by the final drive fitted in the I’ve fitted a 1340 engine into my 1988 There are a lot of factors car and even the diameter of to consider here. If your the wheels. Perhaps the Mayfair. I’ve been comparing new engine has been fitted on easiest thing to do, especially the speeds shown on both as you want to preserve the top of your original gearbox, my sat nav and the speedo, and they’re really different. Do I need a new speedo? I was trying to keep the interior and dash as standard original and don’t really want to start messing it about. Terrence
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ASK THE EXPERT
reason for this is very simple — apart from the engine is still at its standard capacity and the factory fit camshaft simply isn’t there as far as performance of that kind is concerned — the standard ECU can’t provide sufficient fuel to make 90 bhp. In the early days, there were attempts to get around the ECU’s shortcomings such as
interior of your Mini, is to have your speedo recalibrated. Speedy Cables are the people to contact. If you visit https:// speedycables.com and follow their speedometer calibration guide, it will give you the information they need to do the job. Simply send the data with your speedo to them.
ASK THE EXPERT
RUST TRAP
If you’re a regular reader of Mini Magazine, you I’m hoping to buy a will no doubt notice that in Mini. I’d like to find most features, the owner will something that is MoT’d and tell of the considerable ready to drive, but with my number of body panels that budget, I think I may end up needed to be replaced in the buying a project car. I’m course of the restoration or aware of the rust problems build. Simply put, Minis rust, some Minis have and I know things like the rear subframe and in some cases, virtually and sills need to be inspected every panel can have some rust in it. Whatever age or type carefully. But the cars I see advertised that fall within my of Mini you’re going to buy, examine it very carefully from budget have rusty seams under the headlamps. Is this a top to bottom for signs of corrosion. serious problem? Is this a As for the front panel, water good indication of how rusty either runs around the it might be in other areas…? headlamp and down, or gets Shaun fitting a higher pressure fuel regulator, but all this tended to was to make the engine run poorly everywhere except at high rpm because it over-fuels everywhere else. The Unichip, as far as we remember, only dealt with ignition. When the Rover Coopers were new on the market, several tuning companies offered ‘piggy back’ style chips with varying success. If it’s still there, it will be close to the ECU, maybe even slotted between the unit itself and the standard cable. It’s not all bad news. The modifications you have on your Cooper produce a much better driving car since the torque is improved enormously. If you want even more from the engine, a cam change is vital – and it would be worth talking to someone like Swiftune or MED. As for the ECU, things have moved on and there are a couple of routes to explore. We’ve recently come across James Portman’s work with Rover MEMS ECU – visit https:// rovermems.com for more info. He’s been working on a remappable version of the MPi ECU, and this might help you untap a little more from your Cooper. Alternatively, if ultimate power is your game, some
thrown up from behind from the front wheels. It then gets trapped in the seam and causes rust. Owners go to some lengths to get rid of corrosion in this area, and after removing it, further considerable lengths to make sure it doesn’t come back. If it’s few small rust bubbles, you may get away with rubbing them back thoroughly, stabilising them and then filling and repainting. But if it’s well advanced, the only real solution is to replace the panels, which will inevitably mean both the front wings and the front panel. At
T h Tech
least with the Mini, all body panels are readily available new off the shelf from all good specialists. Just make sure that after fitting, the new panels are properly painted (both front and back) and then you keep of top of any anti-rust wax/ treatments you apply.
“It’s less important to have the camber the same on both sides, as it doesn’t affect how the car tracks” owners now discard the Rover system altogether and replace the injection system and management with aftermarket kit – see David Stuart’s supercharged Cooper 500 in the last issue if you’re looking for some inspiration.
use no more than three degrees caster, and then make sure the caster is exactly the same both sides otherwise the car is liable to pull to one side when in motion. It’s less important to have the camber the same on both sides, as this doesn’t affect how the car tracks. TYRING There are a whole host of I have had my 1992 Mini reasons why you are having this for two years, and ever problem — the tyre rubbing, since I’ve had it the offside front twanging the plastic arch off, or wheel keeps hitting the fouling the arch to the point of wheelarch when on full lock. bending it. Even if genuine, The nearside is fine and is original fitment Cooper alloy 12 nowhere near hitting the arch. I inch rims are used with the have fitted negative camber 165/60R12 tyres these problems lower arms, new track rod ends, can still occur. It’s all a question bearings and adjustable tie rods of alignment — either the but they have made no subframe to body or the difference. I have also fitted suspension to subframe. adjustable suspension, but I First, check the tie-rods — the can’t lower the front of my Mini components that go from the because then I can’t put the car outer end of the bottom arm on full lock. Any ideas? forwards to the front of the front Ian subframe. These are easily bent, and they’re supposed to be The first thing to do is straight. A bent tie-rod pulls the check that the suspension wheel/tyre forwards, increasing geometry has been correctly set the caster angle and causing it after fitting all the new to hit the arch. The general suspension components. Too cause of this is the car being much caster angle will cause the jacked up on the tie-rod bracket tyre to hit the arch. For the road, where it bolts to the subframe.
They can be straightened, but they cost little, so fit new ones along with new bushes. Having assessed and sorted any problems with the tie-rods get the suspension geometry checked. The manufacturers’ tolerances are quite wide, but shouldn’t cause the fouling problem. I have, however, come across a few cars where the geometry is outside the standard tolerances. Again it’s the caster angle causing the problem. Somehow those cars ended up with an extra degree of caster on one wheel. Fix it by using one of the aftermarket harder tie-rod bushes fitted to the wheel side of the tie-rod where it fits to the front subframe. This pushes the wheel back, getting the caster angle back within the specified limits, and stopping the fouling problem. If you’re happy the tierods and caster angles are
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ASK THE
NO LO
First thing to point out here is that Hi-Lo is a I have just installed a trademark, and it’s the original new set of Hi-Los, height adjustable suspension rubber cones and knuckles trumpet now sold by Mini on my 1980 Mini. With the Spares. Many specialists wheels back on and the car produce their own versions of on the ground, I found that the ride height was exactly as this type of unit with differing design features, etc – for it was before. Even with the instance, Mini Sport’s adjusting screws wound all the way in, at the rear of the adjustable ride height trumpet is the Adjusta Ride. car, there’s still about four Hi-Lo has become inches between the tyre and something of a generic term the wheelarch. What have I for ride height adjusters for done wrong? the Mini, but there are a lot of Jamie
copies out there, and we suspect some of them are not made to the same high standards as the ones you’ll buy from Mini specialists. Some very early Hi-Los (originally made and marketed by Ripspeed) were designed for rally cars, and were intended to lift the suspension for better ground clearance, but we doubt you’ve happened across a set of these. If yours are copies, it might be possible to remove material from either the nose
of the trumpet, or on the rear, the connecting rod, but this seems like a lot of hassle to achieve the desired result. We’d recommend buying a set of good quality trumpets from a reputable Mini specialist. They’re really not that expensive for what you get, and considering how vital they are to the handling and safety of your Mini, it seems crazy to cut corners.
“When you hit the starter button, a massive drop in available current to the coil occurs”
discovering which your car has is by testing the voltage at the coil lead feed with the ignition on. 12 volt says it’s the old sorted, consider the panel work. drain caused by the starter consequently the engine won’t system; 9 volt identifies it as You may discover shim plates motor functioning, the ballastrun too well. Running a 6 or 9 ballast resisted, 6 volt as the have been used between the resisted system was designed. volt coil on a 12 volt system will older ‘cold start’ set-up. front panel to subframe teardrop When you hit the starter button/ produce a much healthier spark Fitting the right coil for your mounting and the subframe. key, a massive drop in available but will also burn the coil out system is no more difficult than The shims are actually a Rover current to the coil occurs as the really quickly. unplugging the terminals part, fitted at the factory to push starter motor does its thing. All Minis from 1984 onwards attached to the standard unit, the front panel forwards to give The colder the weather or the were fitted with ballast-resisted fitting the new coil, then clearance to the tyres. Should more worn the starter motor, ignition systems. Identifying if pushing the terminals back on. you need more, Mini Spares list the more current it draws, the it’s ballast resisted became Tag the connectors you take off them as part no 2A4292. less there is passed to the coil to much easier on later, post-1990 with which side of the coil they instigate ignition. The ballastcars, as the system used a were fixed to, just to make sure TAKING ON BALLAST resisted system utilises a 6 volt resisted wire rather than an you get them back the right way My 1989 Racing Flame (commonly called the ‘cold start’ actual resistor electronic round on refitting. has ballast ignition. I system) or 9 volt coil instead of component. The ballast resisted If you’re running or intending would like to modify the Mini in the older style 12 volt item. wire is coloured pink with a to fit an electronic ignition kit, future for better performance When you hit the starter button/ green tracer in it and is then a sports coil is unnecessary but for now, I’d just like to make key, the coil is still seeing connected to the coil in place of as the electronic kits sure it’s running as well as it maximum current so produces a the old, original white wire. automatically boost the fire possibly can. I want to fit a high- nice, big, fat 12 volt induced However, the ballast-resistor power of the ignition system. performance coil and I’ve spark to start the engine. Kind of component equipped models And you must use the correct noticed that Mini Spares do list ‘supercharging’ the coil by still used the white ignition feed electronic ignition system to suit one for ballast ignition. Do I increasing the voltage by around wire to the coil that actually ran your wiring system — otherwise have to modify the wiring to fit 30 per cent. When the key is the 6 volt coil system with the it’ll get really expensive to keep it? And if it needs major released, the ballast resister resistor fitted to the bulkhead, replacing blown electronic rewiring, is there any easy way ensures the voltage passed to usually over near the radiator/ ignition kits! to change to a non-ballast the coil stays at 6 or 9 volt. It wiper motor. To change from a ballastignition without affecting the also significantly increases The only truly definite way of resisted to non-ballast-resisted car’s performance? points life by massively reducing system you simply feed Martin the EMF contained in the system the non-ballast-resisted when the points trigger the coil direct from an The ballast-resisted ignition system (the spark you ignition controlled power ignition system was see at the points when they source (fuse box is usually developed by one of the big open) and therefore the intensity a good place) that will manufacturers when they were of the ‘arc’ across the points. power up the coil with experiencing poor starting on a Running a 12 volt coil on a the ignition in the start certain engine. To get round the ballast-resisted system will and run key positions, issue of the massive current produce a very weak spark — and away you go.
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Tech
PRODUCTS
Products The latest Mini products
MINI SPORT
HEAVY DUTY LCB MANIFOLD
£71.40 An essential piece of equipment for getting more power from your Mini engine, this high performance long centre branch manifold includes Y piece and clamps and fits with any 1.75 inch performance exhaust system. O 01282 778731 O www.minisport.com
MINI SPARES
LED SIDE REPEATER LAMP
£7.20 LED lights are becoming more and more popular on classic cars thanks to their increased brilliance, low current consumption and longevity. Mini Spares now has LED side repeater lamps for all post-1986 Minis and they are equally suitable for upgrading any other classic or kit car. They can be connected into the indicator circuit without a resistor being required. O 01707 607700 O www.minispares.com
SEALEY
ULTRASONIC PARTS CLEANING TANK
From £189.95 The 3 and 27 litre Ultrasonic Parts Cleaning Tanks are both currently on offer in Sealey’s Spring 2021 Promotion which is running until 31st May 2021 (at £189.95 for the 3 litre and £739.95 for the 27 litre). The timer setting is fully adjustable from 1–99 minutes, with flexible 0–80°C temperature control. The tanks also feature clear LED display, memory function and easy to clean stainless steel tank, mesh basket and drainage tap. They also feature a soft cleaning mode which enables you to clean your more fragile items. O 01284 757500 O www.sealey.co.uk
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PRODUCTS
Tech
MINI SPORT
KELSEY
FLETCHER LCB MANIFOLD
MINI MAG SUBSCRIPTION
From £7.99 Enjoy the great indoors! Don’t miss an issue of Mini Magazine. We have several special post-lockdown offers for you… • Buy a single issue at the normal cover price with FREE delivery to your door (UK only; £1 additional charge for international postage) • Buy 3 issues for £9.99. (No ongoing commitment necessary). • Buy 3 issues of the digital edition for only £7.99 ($9.99 in the United States) • Subscribe to never miss an issue and have direct delivery to your door – and during the coronavirus period, get FREE access to the digital edition too. Payment by simple continuous credit card payment which can be cancelled at any time. Missed a copy of Mini Magazine? Never fear, our back issues service is here! (But you’ll want to be quick, they don’t hang around for long...) O https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/promotion/cb20
£84.60 This top quality long centre branch manifold includes Y piece and clamps and is designed to provide the most efficient flow of exhaust gases from the engine. It fits with any 1.75 inch performance exhaust system. O 01282 778731 O www.minisport.com
CLARKE
JETSTAR 1950 1600W PRESSURE WASHER £113.99 Designed for home and light professional use, the JETSTAR 1950 is a lightweight and compact pressure washer that’s ideal for many outdoor cleaning jobs such as patios, garden furniture, bins, bikes and cars, it’s simple to use and is easy to manoeuvre and store away on its two wheels. O 0115 956 5555 O www.machinemart.co.uk
MINI SPARES
FORGED CON RODS
£964.80 Minispares steel connecting rods are machined by Arrow Precision Engineering from double-air re-melted 817M40 forgings. They weigh just 445g per rod. The new X rod design maintains stiffness whilst reducing weight where it is not required. Naturally, ARP 2000 5/16” bolts are included, as are Colsibro small end bushes. O 01707 607700 O www.minispares.com
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Tech
MINI WORKSHOP
The colour, the wheels and the trim are highly evocative of the golden age of coachbuilt cars.
MINI MAG EXCLUSIVE
LIGHTNING STRIKES
Words Gerard Hughes Photography courtesy Volt EV/Specialist Components
Specialist Components have built a reputation for groundbreaking innovation, they’ve now turned their talents to electrical vehicles – Mini Magazine gets an exclusive preview of the giant killing Volt EV R300. lectric Minis are not new, but it’s only been in recent years that the technology has truly leapt forward, making these vehicles not only viable in terms of usability and reliability, but also for the first time, to be seen as potentially great drivers’ cars. If you’re regularly on social media, you won’t have failed to notice the teasers from Volt EV, the latest venture from Specialist Components. SC has a solid reputation for engineering excellence, innovation and building some of the wildest, groundbreaking cars and engines we’ve seen. So when they announced the R300, we knew it would be something special. “The electric Mini is always something we’ve wanted to do, ever
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since we started Specialist Components,” says John Kimmins, SC’s main man. “But only when the technology, the batteries and the support for a small business to do it was available did it make sense – and that was two years ago. I always felt that if you’re going to have an electric vehicle, it has to do everything. The R300 is the car– it’s no compromise. EV performance with comfort and style all wrapped up in the most bespoke and technological classic Mini ever, yet retaining the simplicity and cabin space of the early cars – all contradicting terms that needed immense designing and innovation to fulfil.” “We always make it really hard for ourselves,” John laughs. “This thing had
Packaging is a triumph with drivetrain accommodated within the boot area.
MINI WORKSHOP
Rear wishbones are long to ensure stability and safe handling.
Tech
To ensure the perfect setup, the R300 has Protech coilovers all round.
Bespoke CNC machined alloy parts have been utilised through the car.
to do what the original Mini did back in the 60s, as in outperform everything ten times the price, be enormous fun, and fit four people in but in a way that is redefined. It’s not a race car and it’s much more than what Radford, or Hoopers, or anyone like that did in the 60s with the interior. It’s coachbuilt beyond belief but it’s also going to be a giant killer.”
SHOCK OF THE NEW It’s a massively tall order, so only the very best has been used for the car. The heart of the drivetrain is a small Tesla motor. “They warrant that power train for 400k miles in a two and a half ton vehicle, so for a car that weighs 800kg, it’s ridiculously over specced,” John explains. “Tesla put so much money into the development of their power train, it’s insane. Even the best aftermarket motor you could get your hands on just physically couldn’t do what you need it
Tarox six-piston callipers on 9.25 inch discs are tucked behind the front wheels.
“The electric Mini is always something we’ve wanted to do” to do – their breadth and range of power was tiny and they would have to have a gearbox to allow hill starts and a reasonable top speed. Whereas the Tesla small motor will rev to 13,500rpm but it’ll do 300 hp and 220 lbf.ft of torque at zero rpm and at 13,500 rpm, so it’s just insanely linear.” The company determined that R300 would not use gears, so the set up was perfect for their needs. The performance that it delivers is just as space age as the rest of the car. “There’s a reduction gearbox in the Tesla unit, and this one has a Quaiffe limited slip differentialS. But with the 13 inch wheels fitted, the top speed will be 135 mph but I don’t think it will take much than a quarter of a mile to get there,” he adds.
Rear callipers feature an electric handbrake - no cables run under the car.
The R300 will feature an ‘on board’ 7kw charger. “The battery pack is 35 kwH so charging quickly isn’t an issue, and with very steady driving, we calculate 130-150 mile range. Spirited driving would see that down to around 80 miles – that would be some very very fast mile coverage!” A key difference of the R300 will be that the power will be transmitted via the rear wheels. This was a choice of John’s having owned his own mega power front wheel drive Minis. “I could have designed it to be FWD but having created 300 bhp/200+ lbf.ft torque Minis, I wouldn’t let such a machine into the public’s hands – no traction at all until 70 mph isn’t a safe proposition. So R300 had to be RWD to allow us to design the suspension systems/weight distribution (yet to be confirmed but it will be very close to 50:50) that will allow, where appropriate, the deployment of the full performance potential by an average driver – like me!” As such, the suspension is an engineering tour de force. The front suspension is predominantly conventional Mini, but with stainless steel lower adjustable arms, billet ‘coilover’ top arms and Protech coil overs all round. The rear suspension is all bespoke, with billet lower/upper double wishbone suspension with adjustable points for both camber and toe. The wishbones are physically ‘long’ and mounted quite close together beside
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Tech
MINI WORKSHOP
SPECIALIST COMPONENTS 160R CLUBSPORT If petrol power is your thing, you’ll be excited to hear that the R300 isn’t the only new project we can expect from SC. They’re soon to launch the 160R Clubsport, which John Kimmins describes as “the Porsche GT3RS of the classic Mini world. A modern day café racer that will be as happy trundling along on the commute, as it will be hassling sports cars on track.” At its heart, it will feature the SC S-Pack Rotrex 1293cc engine with a bespoke titanium exhaust system. It will produce 160 hp and 135 lbf.ft torque. Transmission features a MiniSpares wide helical gearkit and a Quaife LSD with 3.1 FD. Performance predictions are for a 5 secs 0-60mph and 135mph top speed. It will share components like the
carbon door card with the R300, but the ClubSport one will make greater use of carbon fibre throughout the car. A conventional rear subframe will have billet non-coilover rear arms. The Body Centre in Norwich will be taking care of the paintwork (as they did with the R300) with designs that show a little of the carbon hiding underneath the paintwork – a la GT3RS. The first car will be in a Porsche PTS colour. Electrics will be wireless/PDM controlled as well – for the light weight in this instance and reliability. Prices are yet to be released, but SC are forecasting around 30 per cent less than other big name bespoke builds. Sounds like a case of chequebooks at the ready and form an orderly queue…
The level of innovation in the R300 is mindblowing, even in a simple seat tilt...
...which allows the bespoke seats to lift vertically before tilting forward. Even in the seats and wheels, the nod to Porsche is obvious...
the Quaife LSD diff – this is due to the fact that the longer and the lower the wishbones, the more control of the ‘camber gain’ on wheel bump you have. “On a RWD car, having the ability to tune the camber/camber gain and toe is paramount to easy handling and secure traction. We’ve also kept the track width of the car low to minimise the effects of wide track on narrow wheelbase cars. It’s also to keep the car as aero efficient as possible,” John explains. “The wishbones use ‘interleaf ’ bushes rather than solid mounting or using poly bushes – to allow the NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) to be kept to a minimum but wheel control to a maximum. No compromise but maximum performance/quality is a common R300 theme!” With such potentially ferocious acceleration and high top speeds, braking has also been carefully
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considered. Fronts are Tarox six-piston callipers on vented 9.25 inch discs, while at the rear are solid discs running hydraulic single piston, electronic handbrake callipers. “We didn’t want cables under the car for the handbrake and we’ve incorporated the control of the handbrake into the driving experience, whereby you can’t drive off with the handbrake enabled. Electric cars don’t stall, pulling away with the handbrake on would result in it tearing the handbrake off! So we’ve designed this to be part of the operating system,” he says. With a car of this type, owners will demand the highest levels of technology, and this is something which runs through the R300. The electrics are PDM (Power Distribution Module, for those of us still in the world of Lucas electrics…) driven and feature CANbus communication. This means no
conventional fuses, relays or switches – it’s all completely digital. This saves space, the need for masses of wiring and as a result, weight whilst adding functionality, reliability and ease of use. This tech is most apparent in the interior, which thanks to neat packing of the powertrain, charger, 12v electrics and the suspension within the boot, is a true four seater. From the driver’s seat, you will be confronted with a completely smooth dash – the speakers sit in bespoke 3D printed enclosures with air vents to the sides. All driving information is presented on the AIM dash on the steering column. The floating centre display is a high quality touch screen sound system and sat nav, all within bespoke machined enclosures. Between the seats is a switch panel for the motor control, handbrake and light functions. Two buttons on the rear of the console are for the two stage heating of the front seats. All of the usual steering column switches have been replaced by wireless controls behind the steering wheel.
Space age interior pays homage to the earliest Minis with it’s airiness and ultra efficient use of space.
“The front seats are bespoke to R300 and we will have the option of carbon versions with exposed carbon backs soon. Rear seats are trimmed to match the fronts, the leather choice was made early on in 2020 to match the body colour and set the tone for the build,” John says. “The cloth is brand new to the market and the stitching is green to match the paintwork. The seats are tip seats but on completely over designed and engineered seat brackets which allow a lift and tip action to clear the crossmember and allow access to the rear seats – all machined and tube work fabricated in-house.” The doors feature sliding windows and door pockets. This gives the airiness of the early cars, but required tooling to be made to manufacture the door cards, which also have to accommodate the side intrusion bars in the doors. Mesh pockets and Porsche GT3 style leather
to be the engine bay apart from three inlets – two inlets for the air vents and one vent for the sealed and ducted INSPIRATION radiator, so the air going through the Externally, the R300 takes its inspiration radiator can only go through the from coach built cars of all brands but radiator and out the inner wing. “The with a major nod Aston Martin – the front is blanked for aero reasons (as colour of the first car is inspired by a much as is possible on a classic Mini) – specific DB4 Zagato from the 60s. Based having the grille functional would create on late MPI Heritage shell, it has a a parachute in the engine bay – creating bespoke alloy bonnet, boot and rear drag and reducing battery/mileage life,” valance, which is removable for easy he says. suspension adjustment. Alloy door skins We’re following the final stages of the are also used. “A small touch, but again R300 with enormous interest and hope emphasising the ethos, there are no self to bring you a full report on the car as tappers securing parts on R300. soon as it’s finished. The car is truly Everything is by Rivnut or bespoke bespoke, and the company plans to tailor machined in-house weld-on parts – on a each one built to the customer’s car of this level having the potential for requirements, including paint colour, rust through self tappers was not going trim levels, even the style of the wheels. to happen,” John says. Prices are yet to be announced, but from Behind the bespoke front grille is a what we’ve seen already, the R300 looks closure panel which blocks off what used set to be a game changer… pulls for closing and unlatching are a neat contemporary touch.
All of the trim is finished to the highest coachbuilding standards.
Even the door buttons are machined from billet...
Interior fittings have been 3D printed in a resin material.
Rear bin liners are MPi but retrimmed to match.
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Our Minis Uncovered, washed and collected after three years on a driveway.
Jeff Ruggles Contributor MINI LIFE I’ll run out of
fingers and toes if I try and count all the Minis I’ve had. I love to spend all my spare time working on them, although progress can be tricky as I have far too many.
MINI SPEC I currently
own seven Minis in various states of repair. Currently only a couple are road legal, although I’m working hard to change all that!
MINIS OWNED 1971 Mini 850 1972 Mini 1275 GT 1972 Innocenti Mini 1001 1991 Mini Mayfair 1994 Mini Mayfair
Stripped Bare Jeff’s Innocenti goes in and out of lockdown...
W
To do list 1. Sort the sump plug out properly... 2. Fix all the other leaks we’ve found.
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hile many of us took advantage of lockdown to attend to longforgotten projects, I’m rather ashamed to admit that the most unusual and almost certainly the most interesting car in my fleet was not a beneficiary. Instead, my Italian-market Innocenti Mini spent another year in its own lockdown, languishing under a flimsy cover some 250 miles away on my Mum’s drive. But with her putting the house up for sale and lockdown easing, it was finally time to do something about it. For those without long memories, I bought the car from Pisa in 2011, funded by Performance Direct’s Non-Standard Awards (now MotorVision Awards). The plan was to buy a Mini built at Innocenti’s Lambrate factory in Milan, then drive to Turin and replicate scenes from The Italian Job before driving back to the UK over the Alps. A 1972 preExport 1001 model was procured in fetching brown for the task. Not a Cooper, but a step up from the basic 1000 and features plenty of cool
domestic market touches. I made it home in one piece too, despite the car barely having been serviced in 40 years, only three working drum brakes and an exhaust that fell off on the French autoroute. It still terrifies me now to think how unhinged it all was, but the memories will last a lifetime. Anyway, the car was extensively recommissioned on my return, but had been passed between various garages until it ended up on Mum’s driveway for a two-week stay. That was in 2018, and it was still there. Thankfully my pal Matt Pink of new business GB Retro was able to head up to Suffolk with his trailer The sills initially looked as if they were hiding horrors.
and bring it to Somerset so that I could begin its resurrection. Surprisingly, the cover had done quite a good job. The car was littered with tiny rust spiders, but these were present in 2011 and hadn’t really got any worse. Underneath though, the sills looked decidedly suspect and it wouldn’t run either. Attacking the sills was the first job. Armed with a knotted wheel on an angle grinder and a sense of bravery, I set about cleaning them up. On a UK car, this would inevitably end up in turmoil, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover everything was solid and even the factory spot welds were still evident.
Our Minis Knuckle joints had seen better days.
Setting about the flaky paint with the grinder.
All coated in red oxide primer before topcoat.
“The car was littered with tiny rust spiders” It was merely a case of applying some Bilt Hamber Hydrate 80 as a rust convertor, then adding some red oxide primer just as the Lambrate factory did when the car was new. As for topcoat, the helpful folk at AutoPaint St. Helens were able to match its original shade of Castoro (which translates as beaver, in case you wondered). Not a welding torch in sight. The next job on the list was to convert the front drums to Cooper S 7.5-inch disc assemblies. Now, I know this deviates from the factory spec on what is still a very original car, but for me it makes sense to boost the car’s usability and safety. That, and I hate adjusting drums. To do the job I’d need disc-type hubs with new bearings and CV joints, plus the appropriate discs, drive flanges, fittings and callipers. Fortunately I’d already sourced some hubs that were already built up ready to go, while the rest has been ordered from Mini Spares and Mini Sport. Sadly, I noticed while
stripping the old parts off that the knuckle joint rubbers were shot, so I bought some new ones and a new cone compressor (my tool only catered for the later, coarse thread cones and this car has the earlier fine thread ones). I went for the Mini Spares Evolution knuckle joints with polyurethane boots - not original, but should last longer. It was all going so well, so I also decided on a simple oil change that turned out to be anything but. The sump plug has always been a little suspect, but I was unaware just how suspect. It wouldn’t unscrew but you could wiggle it up and down, which explains why there was so much oil over the bottom of casing. To cut a long story short, that simple oil change quickly escalated into hauling the engine and ‘box out to properly sort the sump plug and numerous other leaks. Sadly though, that means that the car’s time in lockdown is set to carry on for a little bit longer yet.
New knuckles with poly boots in place.
It was only meant to be a quick oil change...
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Our Minis Setting the tracking meant finding the only flat spot on the drive.
Tim Harber Contributor www.minimail.co.uk MINI LIFE Driven them
since 1967 and started a business around them in London in 1977. Moved to the countryside in 1989 to allow more space to fit cars and family in. Started racing in 2002 (aged 52). Have raced Mighty Minis but have concentrated on Historics since 2010.
MINI SPEC 1961 Racer is
re-shelled test-bed-cometoy with 7 port motor at present. Mini Super. Spare back-up for 65 racer. 1965 1293 racer is FIA Appendix K spec. Woody. Was wife’s daily driver for 7 years now resting. 1971 Biota. Minibased sports car waiting to be fettled. Freestyle buggy. Looking for new home
MINIS OWNED 1961 Racer 1962 Mini Super 1965 Historic Racer 1967 Woody Estate 1971 Biota Freestyle buggy
To do list 1. Fight some more with Biota 2. Buy Full Face Helmet
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One step forward... In his quest to make it track ready, Tim finds a few more Biota quirks.
T
he Biota hasn’t been on the road since 2003 but... I have a long driveway that doubles as a ‘Test Track’! The home-made thermostat housing didn’t leak, the engine is sound and the gearchange extension works fine but… We removed the (fibreglass) fuel tank - jolly tight fit but it was fine internally. On refitting it, I got a wet hand – it had split along the seam. Luckily I had a spare small ally one so my man made up brackets and we grafted it in for speed. We’re also still fighting with the rocker cover being a tight fit under bonnet. We need to remove the cap as it fouls. I had one from a competition engine with breathers. We learnt that the rocker cap is just soldered into the cover so drops out without much heat. How to top up the oil? The cap was welded into the breather on the flywheel housing with a haircut (fits fine) and a vent pipe connection on the side as this was simpler than fabricating an extension to the cover. Clever idea? No. I had forgotten that the breathers sticking out the side foul the bonnet
as soon as hoses are attached and the clever breather-cum-filler-cap also hits to bonnet. Back to drawing board. The radiator cap leaks as it’s a used rad (new one has bottom hose outlet different so doesn’t fit) so after a couple of runs it chucked out enough to brew up. Our biggest concern was the handling and steering. The car would wander about especially on acceleration and braking. The tracking had a quick adjust in the garage. Sadly, I have to admit that although I have a farm with six acres, my ‘Workshop’ originally was a
milking parlour and my chicken shed also has floors designed for washing down and drainage. There is only one spot on the whole premises on the drive that is actually level, so blessed with a sunny day the tracking was done properly and most of the problem was solved. Just have to look at 20 year old tyres and check wear in front subframe bushes. However the rear wheels were all over the place: two degrees negative camber one side and two and a half on the other and lots of toe in. The car uses Mini radius arms mounted direct to the frame with some vintage Old fibreglass fuel tank, on right, had split along its seam.
Our Minis A dodgy radiator cap allowed the coolant to boil.
Biota's rear subframe bracket compared with a later item.
The rear coilovers came off a motorbike.
The difference between the left and right hand side outer brackets is clear to see.
Rocker cover and breather were modified.
“Our biggest concern was the handling and steering" motor bike coilover shocks. The shocks were hanging on in so we decided to leave that bit alone. We took the outer brackets for the radius arm off and they were originally made adjustable, but in huge steps! No slots just three different holes with big gaps. However we did notice on cleaning that there were numbers on the brackets 22 LH and 22 RH. Now, my car is chassis 22, so it didn’t take much imagination to work out that they were fitted and drilled to suit each car as they had two sets of figures that had some digits on which must have related to the set up.
You can see in the pic that one side holes are quite different to the other. This was actually the same practice as BMC did originally if you bought the standard brackets separate to a subframe. Incredibly, they came with no hole and you were supposed to drill the hole to get the geometry right. Subframes were made by bolting brackets on to frame and then drilled in line. Not a lot of people know that… We found the geometry was so way out that I have given my man the brackets to machine some slots in rather than attempt to get in there with a file. The Biota has a run on Tim's 'test track'.
Our Minis Rear quarter panel didn’t fit as easily as Pete hoped.
Pete Hunter Guest writer MINI LIFE Pete comes
from a family of Mini owners, and has been involved with the scene for a long time, being a founder member of the Hilltop Minis club.
MINI SPEC 1963 Mini
850. Pete’s owned the Mini for many years and took it off the road around a decade ago to restore it, quickly stripping it down to a bare shell. When the shell had to be moved outside, the project stalled.
MINIS OWNED 1963 MkI Mini
Spring Time With the lambs arriving, Pete’s garage time is seriously curtailed…
I
was hoping to have all the passenger side finished on the MkI by now and be ready to start on the back end. But as I live on a farm and lambing season is in full swing, time has been in short supply. Fitting the rear quarter panel didn’t really go as easy as I thought it would and for some reason it didn’t quite line up as well as the driver’s side did. But with quite a lot of patience and a fair amount of jigging
To do list 1. C ut 2. C lean
Tog the Frog is coming along nicely.
3. Weld
Passenger sill has been completed...
4. Repeat (on both cars...)
88
around, it’s now on and fully welded. Hopefully only a small amount of filler will be needed to hide any offensive areas. After I was finally happy with the quarter panel, I made a start on the sill. Once again, I’ve prepped and painted everything that will be hidden by it. It’s now in place, welded and thankfully the spot welder has worked its magic again. I’m about to make a start on the secondary drip rail and once that has been done, it will all be ready to be sanded down in preparation for it to be painted in etch primer. Then I can finally make a start on the last part of the shell. Hopefully in the next couple of months, that should be done and then it’s only the bonnet, boot and ...and the driver’s side is well under way.
doors to tackle. Now the green one (Tog the frog). I’m pleased to say that all of the passenger side has been welded up and this includes the front floor pan, rear floor pan, outer sill, closing panel in the rear companion bin, rear arch tub, front inner wing repair and an unexpected repair to the lower part of the rear quarter panel. Once the welding had been done, I filled the quarter, prepped everything and painted it all. I’ve made a start on the driver’s side by cutting out part of the rear floor pan and welding a new one in. I’m getting ready to chop out the front floor and as long as this nice weather stays with us, it’s all looking on track to be ready for July. Some of the new metal is in now.
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BUSINESS FOR SALE
Rare opportunity to acquire a specialist Mini repair/restoration/maintenance business. Midlands based, established 30 years, current owner retiring after 27 years, excellent reputation, loyal customer base, ongoing and future work already booked. New 5 years premises lease. OITR of £25k Serious enquiries to: minibizforsale@gmail.com
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MINI
MINI COOPER
1999, 25000 miles, £19,500. 1.3i Sportspack. ’99 Sportspack in rare Old English White, with full leather interior in pale blue, walnut interior trim, 13” wheels, spotlights and factoryinstalled electric sunroof. Recently restored including new wings, new rear subframe and full respray. Owned by same family from new. Sold with original purchase receipts, catalogue and service histor. Please call 07971 256498, South West. 106379
2000, 55000 miles, £14,000. Completely rebuilt in 2020 using all new panels, complete respray and engine overhauled. Ready to go with no rust. Interior in original VGC. MoT till June 2021. Please call 07773 023937, South West.
MINI COOPER
1974, £6,000. 1430 MED reconditioned engine, SC/CR gearbox, new rear subframe, Hi- Los, 4-pot brakes, hydraulic handbrake,many wheels and tyres, manynew parts. Please call 07917 450053, Scotland. 104556
BMW COOPER
107136
MINI CLUBMAN
MINI COOPER
1975, £15,000. Please view full detail in www.twelve75.com The website has links to a YouTube video and Instagram profile. South Africa. Please email corrie@cmi.co.za for more info. . Please call 083 263 9344, Rest of the world. 106207
MINI COOPER
2000, 59000 miles, £11,750. Major restoration carried out by previous owner in 2015/2016, super condition, drives great, has full length electric sunroof, tinted glass, aluminium dash, silver/black full leather seats. please call 07801672552, south east. 105482
2003, 104000 miles, £1,795. MINI R53 Cooper S, only 2 prev owners 2 keys mot sept 2021, half leather, non smokers since new, drives superb 104k only and fsh a real cracker and future classic. Please call 07794 225286, South East. 104436
BMW COOPER CLUBMAN
MINI COOPER COUNTRYMAN
1996, 50000 miles, £1,000. Rover SPI Mini Cooper. British Racing Green with stone leather interior. Four track CD player. Good condition. Ex Japanese import. Good number place. MoT Nov 2021. Please call 07768 407085, East of England. 107464
2013, 17000 miles, £9,495. 2 months MOT, great service history. Please call 01590 612999 , South East. (T) 104484
2010, 70000 miles, £7,000. BMW Clubman Cooper S Stunning looking LCI clubman. N18 engine with 186bhp, FSH and extremely well looked after. Martini stripe and Speedline alloys. Please call 07425 171218, Yorkshire and the Humber. 105140
MINI MAYFAIR
MINI MK I
£6,995. Black Mini Mayfair 1275. Excellent condition, new suspension, new star mag alloys, new discs and pads, new black leather interior. Great classic, first to see will buy. Please call 07746921761, East Midlands.
1983, 5600 miles, £7,995. convertible. new door sills and floor pan. MOT dec 2020. 998cc A series engine. Used in summer months only. located in Cornwall. Stunning car. Please call 07701 033708, South West. 104287
MINI ROVER MINI
106652
MINI MAYFAIR
MINI SIDEWALK
1996, 62578 miles, £5,500. 1275 SPi engine. Just MoT'd with no advisories. Loads of paperwork and receipts included. Runs and drives like a Mini should - no smoke, no apparent oil leaks. Genuinely a great little Mini. Please call 07411 443570, South West. 106656
MINI SIDEWALK
1987, 71000 miles, £6,995. Same owner since 1994. Mini lites, refurbished interior. Mary quant decals and wheel. Veteran of many L-B and MITP. Comes with unleaded head which we never got to fit. He has lived in the garage for 20 years, last used in summer 2016 but run regularly. Very sad reluctant sale due to me no longer being able to drive or even get in him. No cut n shut merchants please, he needs to go to a good home who will keep him standard. Always started and never broken down. , Greater London.
1995, 69000 miles, £10,995. Fully restored/renovated 1275 stage 1 with 45dcoe webber modern interior with I.C.E install must be viewed. Please call 07713254199, Yorkshire and the Humber. 105227
MINI ROVER
1996, 49142 miles, £7,995. Rover Mini Sidewalk. One of only 200 made in white. Unmodified, very good condition inside and out. Has been dry stored for nine years. New rear subframe, very reluctant sale. Please call 07880 960825, East of England. 107139
ROVER MINI
106696
MINI MAYFAIR
1990, 48720 miles, £6,500. 998cc, maroon. Service history from 1991. The car is in excellent condition inside and out and drives faultlessly. Please call 01263 740533, East of England. 107332
POA. RARE rover mini seven mpi restoration project 1 of 9 on a on a late 2001 reg. comes with all the panels to finish and factory fitted full leather electric sunroof. Includes all the original parts and interior. It is a complete car. Please call 07920 600972, South East. 106212
1991, £15,000. With Honda B18 engine swap, a lot of body mods. Please call 07912 366497, South East. 103654
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