Table of contents for April 2021 in MiniWorld

Over the weekend of 17-18 July 2021 there will be a chance for Mini owners to pay homage to the 1969 film The Italian Job in Coventry where the famous sewer scene was filmed. Kevin Conway, an organiser of Coventry’s Italian Job said: “In the year Coventry becomes the City of Culture, we are recreating the classic route taken by Michael Caine and others in the classic film The Italian Job. The 1969 movie’s iconic drive through the tunnels were filmed in Coventry’s Stoke Aldermoor. Now, 52 years later, the city will witness the car chase where it first took place. For years I’d known the movie had been filmed round the corner from where I lived but there was nothing to show for it, and I couldn’t bear it.…

A bit of elbow grease, paint-stripping and wire brushing go a long way, followed by the application of rust inhibitors to kill any rust. For badly corroded metalwork, the best approach is to have the parts grit-blasted by a specialist company to remove all traces of rust before repainting. You might be able to find a local company willing to help for a modest fee. Failing that, as the parts are relatively small, some companies will offer a postal service and even paint or powder-coat the parts for you before returning them. Any serious damage or rust perforation might need welded repairs in much the same way as bodywork is repaired before it can be repainted.…

Very noisy engine I bought a Mini five years ago and have been having it steadily rebuilt ever since. It is now ready for the road but I have a major problem with it. The original engine was seized so, with the help of a friend, I installed a complete engine and gearbox that had been taken out of a Mini but was originally from a Morris 1300. It was apparently running well 20 years ago when it was removed from the Mini and, as it was not seized, it was put straight in. The engine starts well but is very noisy. There is a clattering at the clutch end, especially at idle, there is a rattle from the top end, a grindy rattly noise from the radiator end and…

Back in the late 60s and 1970s the item of clothing to have if you were a motoring enthusiast, or especially if you were a motorsport fan, was a rally jacket. A development of the anorak, which became popular in the 60s, a rally jacket looked good and would keep you warm whilst out in the middle of winter, watching cars compete on rally special stages. Rally jackets often, but not always, had stripes down the arms or the front and many sported a badge sewn on the le? breast. Often the badge would be bought separately. Back in those days there were many stalls set up at race meetings selling a large variety of stickers and embroidered, sew-on badges. Demand for rally jackets was high and they were available…

1971 1275 GT OWNER: LEE MOSSMAN ISSUE: APRIL 2010 Lee Mossman wasn’t going to miss the chance of rescuing a 1275 GT when he saw it on what was supposed to be its last ever journey, back in 1994. “I followed it to the scrapyard on the back of a wagon and bought it there and then,” said Lee Mossman. Incredibly, the Mini only cost him £100 and was roadworthy! The engine even fired up once he’d sorted the ignition timing. It was resprayed and used by Lee for five years before failing its MOT on rusty sills in 1999. Things got in the way of getting it back on the road: “Women and houses and getting married and kids, and I bought a Montego.” It wasn’t until 2008 that…

Engine: 1275cc Cooper S A-series, bored +0.060” to 1330cc. AEG316 Cooper S EN40B cross-drilled crankshaft, reground-0.020”. BMC AEA544 Formula Junior camshaft. 12G940 cylinder head, gas-flowed, ported. MG Metro rocker assembly. 35.7/30mm inlet/exhaust valves, double valve springs, bronze valve guides. alloy inlet manifold for twin SUs. twin 1¼” Reece Fish carburettors with 1¼”-long trumpets. Lucas electric fuel pump, no fuel filter. Maniflow mild-steel LCB. single-silencer mild-steel RC40 system, side exit. cast iron water pump. OE Hornet radiator, 11-blade mechanical fan. Lucas HA12 ignition coil. Mini Spares reproduction distributor, points, condenser. copper-cored HT leads. NGK BCPR6ES spark plugs. Lucas C40 dynamo. positive earth. Gearbox: Mini four-speed four-synchro manual gearbox. remote-shift. 3.765:1 final drive ratio. diaphragm clutch. Cooper S lightened cast iron flywheel. Suspension: Hydrolastic. solid-mounted front subframe, rubber-mounted rear. Front: OE upper,…

“The thing that was great about Bathurst circuit, and I remember it so well, was that the very steep, twisty downhill section, just after the brow of the highest part was like a rally stage, it really was. There are very few racing circuits, if any, that I’ve raced on that have a downhill, twisty section like that. It was like a rally stage steep downhill. We raced there with Timo Mäkinen and Rauno Aaltonen and Australian Brian Foley who is a very nice guy. I remember that he was such a charming man. "Because they made the Mini in Australia, as BMC had a plant in Sydney, we went to promote the Mini there after I won the Monte in '64. We visited Melbourne and Cairns and went all…

NOVEMBER 2019 50thanniversary Superb track day Clubman Mini cylinder head options Restored Mini 1000 DECEMBER 2019 Stunning restored Mk2 Cooper S Wood & Pickett coach-built Mini Excellent modified Mini Van Rauno Aaltonen interview MARCH 2020 Mini around the Med restoration Modified 1966 Mini Traveller How to smarten up your Mini Mini Remastered factory visit APRIL 2020 Restored Maltese CKD Mk1 Superb 850 Mini City Mk1 Mini front seat retrim Stuart Turner interview SPRING 2020 Incredible seven-Mini collection Modified Mini 40 limited edition Mk1 Mini rear seat retrim Rauno Aaltonen’s 2020 Monte MAY/JUNE 2020 Restored 1071cc Mini Cooper S 1970 Automatic Mini Clubman Top tips for a reliable Mini Memories of working at Cowley Pt1 JULY 2020 Stunning Radford Cooper Nissan LEAF-converted electric Mini Turbocharged retro Mini Mayfair Memories of…

The next Classics for Carers event happens on 20 March 2021. The stay-at-home car show will feature a Mini on its plaque so organisers would love Mini owners to get involved. The event will raise funds for NHS Charities Together, an organisation representing and supporting National Health Service (NHS) charities across the UK. Classics for Carers events were held last year in May and June, raising £17,500. Organiser Nick Chivers explained: “Numerous mini motor shows on people’s driveways gave classic car and bike enthusiasts a chance to put their passion on show and fundraise for a national cause. We are honoured to have been voted 2020 winner of a Royal Automobile Club Historic Award, in the category of Motoring Spectacle. A true testament to everyone who supported the events of…

As complete Mk1/Mk2 heater casework and full assemblies are no longer available, refurbishing your old unit is really the only option available to a Mini restorer. The good news is that it’s not too di? cult to do this yourself and get great results. As well as the Mini, other BMC cars like the Morris Minor also used this range of heaters, meaning a few parts are still readily available. These include the fan motor, fan blades and heater matrices (radiators), heater control knobs and graphics, all making the job easier. Other bits you can’t get any more, like the foam gaskets and strips, can be made from upholstery or acoustic foam sheet, which is easy to find online. When removing the heater from the car, be sure to capture…

Powder-coating is a quick, durable, plastic coating process in which a coat of dry powder is applied to parts that are then baked in an oven at 180°C for 10 minutes. This melts the powder over the surface into an even thickness. As the parts cool the plastic solidifies giving a durable polymer coating to the part. Typically, items can be finished within an hour or so and don’t need to dry, cure or harden. Because of the equipment needed it’s not an easy DIY process but there are businesses around that will be able to do the job for you, some by mail order. Wet-spraying is a simpler option for DIY restoration. Specialist aerosol primers and top coats are readily available and, if the parts are thoroughly rust-treated and…

Before I get into my over-excited raving about what’s going on with my Mini, I thought I’d just write a little piece to thank all of the Mini owners out there that have made this Covid situation a bit less tedious. I’ve made a load of new friends and got in touch with some from the past… and the best part? It’s our Mini passion that brings us all together. I’ve been given some advice and had the honour of giving it, too. You have to love the Mini community. Anyway, those who have been keeping up to date with the progress on Mary the Mini will know that I’ve been building up to the long-anticipated paint-shop stage since around 2013. It was always one of those things that made…

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Weird and wonderful seemed to be the theme of this 1997 issue of MiniWorld. Mike Watker's spaceframe racer was so immaculately turned out that it was unusual in Oval circuit racing where "the pretty car is an obvious target." It had a stonking 1460cc A+ MED engine there wasn't much actual Mini le. as it was a silhouette racer which means that the car had to resemble the shape of a Mini using fibreglass panels covering the car's frame and built-in rollcage, although further mods were allowed. MiniWorld's test driver Bill Sollis said: "This sort of machine still provides an excellent spectacle to the viewing public… and for the driver, a ride from hell in a projectile that could defy Satan." In the news pages Nick Hewson showed us his…

MAY 2021 ISSUE ON SALE 2 APRIL TO ADVERTISE IN THIS ISSUE CALL +44 (0)1233 228754 OR EMAIL: LAURA@TANDEMMEDIA.CO.UK DON'T MISS OUT! GET THE NEXT ISSUE DELIVERED DIRECT TO YOUR DOOR ORDER TODAY! Order online at https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/MW02105 Call now on +44 (0)1959 543747** Terms and conditions apply. *Delivery is included for UK customers only. An additional £1 will be added to any overseas addresses. **Lines open Mon-Fri 8:30am-5:30pm (GMT+1). Calls charged at your standard network rate. Front cover for illustration purposes and subject to change.…

The 2021 Silverstone Classic will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Mini Cooper, over the weekend of 30 July to 1 August, with pre-1966 Mini racing. A total of 60 racing Mini Cooper Ss will compete in Masters Historic Racing contests. Qualifying will take place on the Friday with 20-minute races taking place on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. General admission for adults starts from £39 with the price of full three-day weekend tickets currently frozen at £105. Free admission is offered to accompanied children aged 10 and under, while day tickets for those aged between 11 and 15 are priced from just £6. All tickets carry a COVID refund guarantee. Find out more online at: www.silverstoneclassic.com…

Check the motor for any visual signs of wear. Also check the three rubber mounting grommets for damage or tears. Whilst spares are not officially available, suitably sized grommet replacements can be found that do the job. Examine the shaft for excessive play and any roughness when turned by hand. If OK, electrically test by making sure the motor is held securely, then touch the wires across the positive and negative terminals of a 12v battery. As the motor spins, listen for any rattling, vibration or squealing which would indicate worn bearings or brushes. Don’t forget, whilst checking the motor, to check the switch too. Somerford Mini lists replacement motors as available to special order.…