MiniWorld -julkaisun June 2022 -irtonumeron sisällysluettelo

Having worked on several Mini projects myself, I am well aware of the highs and lows that they can bring. Finding that elusive part or seeing a painted bodyshell sparks feelings of euphoria but when something goes wrong that has cost a lot of time and money it can be soul destroying. Inside this issue you will see a variety of Minis which have been lovingly restored or renovated and you can be sure that each project was not an easy ride. Chris Hand went all the way to Italy to collect his Innocenti Cooper. Ian Corkill spent days getting the fuel pressure running correctly on his 8-port Mk2 S. Peter Mason took on a custom Van which he had to partially deconstruct to work out how certain bits were…

David Brown Automotive has partnered with Marshall Amplification for its latest limited edition Mini Remastered to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the company best known for producing music amplifiers. The styling of the 60 Minis is inspired by Marshall’s iconic products and will include an upgraded audio system which features a Marshall combi amplifier in the leather-lined boot The cars will be finished in Marshall Black paint, complemented by dark-chrome exterior brightwork with contrasts in Marshall Gold such as the gutter trim, the rim of the 12” alloys, brake calipers, hand-painted coachline and the mesh grille. Inside the black leather-trimmed interior there are more gold elements to the dashboard centre, switchgear, and control panel, as well as the handbrake grip, pedals and door releases. Find out more at: www.davidbrownautomotive.com…

2022 May 1 Mk1 Performance Action Day Classic Mini track day at Blyton Park in Lincs. Raising funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. Saturday night camping with motorsport special guests. www.mk1-performance-conversions.co.uk 2 Morris Motors Day At Morris Motors Museum (part of The Oxford Bus Museum) in Long Hanborough, Oxfordshire. Museum celebrates William Morris (Lord Nuffield) who built the Cowley factory where many Morris Minis were produced. www.oxfordbusmuseum.org 2 Yorkshire Classic & Performance Motor Show Multi-marque event at Ripley Castle, Ripley, Harrogate. Trade stands, autojumble, refreshments. Dogs welcome. www.greatbritishmotorshows.com 5 Mod 'n' Mini Meet At London’s Ace Café on the first Thursday of every month. Good food and good atmosphere at this iconic venue. +44 (0)20 8961 1000 www.ace-cafe-london.com 8 British Mini Day, Himley Hall Mini event in the picturesque grounds of…

Just about every car manufactured in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s that was used on a regular basis suffered terribly from rust. In many ways Minis were some of the most visually scarred by rust, particularly because of the external body seams. Paint protection was poor, and road salt was used copiously every winter, meaning that the seams rusted under the trims and scarred the body badly. Very few people bothered to replace the seam coverings which was a shame as, back then, the parts were very cheap and aerosols that matched the original paint (when it had not faded) were readily available. Aftermarket trim replacement alternatives soon became available. These were usually in the form of press-fit plastic trim, usually ‘chrome’ in colour or chequered. At 6p per foot,…

I’m very lucky that, with my Mini Sport USA job, I can travel whenever and wherever I like as every trip is a working holiday. For the 2019 Mini 60 event in Querétaro, México, I went a week before my wife Rhonnie as her job isn’t quite as flexible. This time I wanted to take her to see what she missed: the beautiful mountains and waterfalls near the town of Zacatlán, three hours east of México City. We got our Covid booster jabs, a box of masks and we had a plan; so we thought. When we landed in México City we were told by the rental car company that they were completely out of cars. We found another rental car company and we were pleasantly surprised to get an…

Abingdon Works Motorsport Celebration (AWMC) showcases the success of BMC and British Leyland rally and sports cars, across three decades, and is run by the Mini Cooper Register and the Historic Marathon Rally Group. This year’s display will again be held at the BMC & Leyland Show at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire, on Sunday 10 July. The three (official) Monte-winning Minis are permanently on display at the museum and AWMC will display more Works Minis as well as other BMC Works vehicles. MCR’s Warwickshire region is organising a display of ex-Works, period and competition Minis and Works replicas. AWMC organiser, John McIntosh’s 1967 Works Mini Cooper S, LBL 590E, will be there. Built on November 30 1966 and delivered to the Abingdon-based Competitions Department on December 8, it…

Minis are increasingly hard to find, especially the ones that are original or standard specification, so looking further afield can help to open up the market. Things can become complicated, thanks to Mini overseas production that saw countries such as Spain and Italy preferring to source or manufacture parts locally to reduce the impact of import tax. When Chris Hand spotted a 1970 Innocenti Mini Cooper Mk3 for sale online through Car and Classic, for a mere €7,500 back in 2016, it was a tempting prospect and a cheaper route to obtaining a collectible Mini that’s on a par with the likes of a British Cooper. Despite the Innocenti being in the Tuscany region of Italy, and Chris being in the English north-east town of Grimsby, the 1,300-mile distance between…

When carrying out a restoration, or even when maintaining or improving a good-condition or previously restored car, it is the little things that will often make the resto stand out: things like the various brackets and fittings plus items like the handbrake and gear lever. These are parts that are removed from the car very early on in restoration work. They are put to one side and, as they are some of the last things to go back on, they are sometimes given a quick wipe over and refitted as they are: in chipped, rusty and unrestored condition. The easy way to prevent this is to place such items in a box and keep it handy so that they can be refurbished during lulls in the major work; perhaps when…

It was great to be back at Brooklands Museum in Weybridge, Surrey, for its fab Mini Day on 27 March, once again in its usual calendar slot at the end of March. This spring show is a great start to the outdoor Mini show season. The weather was chilly but visitors received a warm welcome as they chatted to folk from all the Mini clubs gathered on the historic site, which is a Mecca for fans of motorsport and aviation. Throughout the day Mini owners enjoyed the museum’s many attractions and the new street food outlets were a hit, as was the fine fare from Brooklands Café. The test hill never fails to entertain the crowds with plenty of wheel-spinning action. Well done to all those who braved the climb.…

The Silverstone Classic, happening 26-28 August, is a multi-marque motorsport event and this year’s theme is ‘Best of British’. It will celebrate Britain’s rich motorsport history and achievements and organisers say they will ‘spotlight’ car clubs celebrating Austin milestones. There will be a chance to watch historic vehicle racing on Silverstone’s celebrated racing circuit and enjoy displays of iconic racing cars. See: www.silverstoneclassic.com BUY THE JULY 2022 ISSUE FROM 27 MAY Available to buy in many shops Online: Digitally: By phone: +44 (0)1959 543747 Back issues: https://shop.kelsey.co.uk…

MiniWorld MUST HAVE Mini Spares Rose Petal Mini Spares’ reproduction of the classic 4.75x10" Rose Petal alloy Mini wheel, in conjunction with Swiftune, is available again. The wheels are heat-treated for FIA Historic track and road use and are supplied with wheel spacers and two sets of stainless steel wheel nuts and washers to suit. ET+40. Bare wheel weight is 2.98kg each. £138 each (Ref: C-21A1071) +44 (0)1707 607700 www.minispares.com Stainless steel door glass drop rails If wind-up window rubbers fail it can allow the glass to rattle and the door to leak, which can cause door rust. Mini Spares sells a direct replacement kit for Mk3 Minis using stainless steel for the rail supports. The kit contains a pair of drop rails and two 24A948 rubber seals to hold…

I have a Mini which was fitted with a 1275cc engine in the 1980s and I am in the process of stripping it for a rebuild. I am unsure of the engine’s origin and was told when I bought the car that it was a Cooper S Mk3 engine. It was fitted with twin 1¼” SUs and a three-branch manifold. The casting number on the back of the engine block is 12G1279 and the cylinder head is a 12G940 and has 10 studs and one bolt. The crank is marked 12G1505A. Could you identify the engine from the details I have given and confirm whether it is a Mk3 Cooper S engine? Andy Adams Unfortunately this is not a Cooper S engine. It will be a 1275 non-S A-series engine…

At the age of 17 Gary Carr inherited his grandfather’s black V-reg Clubman Estate but couldn’t afford to keep it on the road. He sold it on and now regrets the fact that it was eventually scrapped. Having owned seven more Clubmans, and only two round-nose saloons, he clearly prefers the squarer front end. He also loves the additional space in an Estate. He has now owned 11 Minis, including a supercharged 1380 Clubman saloon which was unfortunately written off on the way home from the Belgian IMM in 2016. 42-year-old Gary talks about the bodywork repairs needed for the 1974 Clubman Estate seen here. “It cost me £2,500 to get it welded.” It took roughly nine years to rebuild. Typically, when he bought it for £300 back in January…

Having attended many International Mini Meetings in the UK, and the 50th anniversary celebration in Australia, my wife Lynne and I were inspired to put together an event plan for a 60th anniversary celebration of the Mini in Australia for the Mini Car Club of NSW [New South Wales] Committee back in January 2020. They agreed and Minis DownUnder 2021 was envisioned to be an show ‘n’ shine for classic and new Minis, to be held in a large indoor area near the centre of Sydney. We chose the excellent Grand Pavilion, Level 1, at Rosehill Gardens Precinct. We started with a date for the event of 2 May 2021; then the pandemic hit and we moved to 1 August; we moved to 21 November and, finally, 6 March 2022…