Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2017 i Mini Magazine

The Mini scene has many strings to its bow, but the main appeal still has to be the driving experience. On a warm evening or a sunny weekend, there’s little that can match a Mini, and that’s why we’ve dedicated this issue to a whole host of weekend fun cars. That’s not to say they can’t be used every day of course – they’d be a great way to liven up the commute – but these cars are even more in their element when it comes to a spot of playtime. Our selection includes Minis to suit all tastes and budgets, with everything from a warmed over 1275 right through to a 1380 from Japan with a BMW K-Series ‘Twin Kam’ head. Our cover star is a beautiful retro-styled Mini…

• Ipswich and Suffolk Mini Owners Club’s regular meets are proving to be very popular. Each month it arranges a short Mini run to take in the sights of Suffolk, enjoying its Minis for what they’re best at – the fun driving experience. ISMOC has a great range of members’ cars, with everything from an early MkI right up to late Cooper Sports. There are a couple of MkIIs, including a supercharged 1380, plus a Riley Elf and a host of other great examples. The latest meet saw the club’s members enjoy a huge breakfast meet at Suffolk Waterpark near Ipswich, aiding their digestion by tackling some bouncy country lanes through picturesque villages. The finish point was the quaint market town of Framlingham, made famous by its castle and by…

Curborough Spirit Circuit played host to a test day organised by Mini Sport and Owen Motor Club on February 25, with 11 Mini Sport Mini Challenge competitors and several other HRCR Members taking part. Drivers went out one at a time on the circuit, which proved challenging for some due to overnight rain making the surface very slippery. As the morning went on the circuit dried up, and drivers were getting more confident and much faster. Reigning Mini Sport Mini Cup champion Clive King soon settled into his rhythm, with many drivers taking up the opportunity to sit and observe with him on some fast laps. However, even he couldn’t tame the powerful hillclimb Mini belonging to Rob Baldwin; Clive suffering his only excursion into the infield while driving it…

We’ve all got our own preferences about what makes a Mini look good. Some prefer traditional classic styles, while others prefer them pumped-up and slammed to the ground. Iain Martin is big fan of both, but with room to work on just the one car in his single domestic garage, he faced a dilemma. Pick one, or try and fuse the two together? “There are so many different styles to a Mini, but there’s mainly two that I really like; the classic MkI ‘60s Cooper S, but also the Miglia look – low, aggressive and with fat arches,” he says. “So smash the two together, and this is what you get...” FAST PAST The results could have been very different, but a glance at the pics shows Iain’s decision has…

Renowned as the theorist of the BMC Works rally team due to his clever grasp on just about everything to do with vehicle dynamics, Rauno Aaltonen is the most successful Mini rally driver of all time. The ‘rally professor’ was European champion in 1965, and after all three Works Minis were controversially disqualified from the Monte Carlo Rally in 1966, he returned to win with LBL 6D in 1967. Now, 50 years after that famous win and at the age of 79, he was back to compete in the Monte Carlo Historic Rally. It was his first appearance since 2011, and saw him at the wheel of Hans-Ake Soderqvist’s Cooper S. Itself a 1960’s Monte entrant, the car was extensively rebuilt for 2017 and wore number 177, the same as…

“A useful bonus is less pressure on the centre main thrust washers...” Having dealt with upgrades for the pre-Verto type flywheel and clutch assemblies, it’s time we took a look at what is in the offing for Verto set-ups. There are far fewer options available, so the job of selection for your application is potentially a whole lot easier. The main problem, however, is determining the capability of what is available – muddied somewhat by the injection model applications and special needs. A little history is required first. STANDARD APPLICATIONS In the beginning, all carburettor-equipped engines from around 1982 to 1991 were fitted with the ‘Verto’ clutch assembly design as manufactured by Automotive Products (AP), or the Valeo alternative manufactured by a different UK-based company. Distinctly different in appearance despite…

WIDE STEELS • We love the huge variety of wheels you can buy for a Mini – a set of rims are often an easy way to stamp your individuality on a project. However, sometimes it’s the most tried and tested solutions that work best, like the reverse rim steels on Dan Brennan’s Minivan. Perhaps they have a little too much ‘poke’ in regards to the standard arch line, but they suit the van’s classic lines perfectly. A hunt on eBay or searching at shows should soon yield a decent set, but always be choosy when it comes to old wheels. We’ve seen plenty of rusty old sets that are only fit for scrap! RACE GRAPHICS • OK, we’ve seen plenty of Britax Cooper replicas before, but if a style…

“A magazine article on the famous Britax Coopers caught the eye...” Fate has this funny way of intervening in life. In Hideo Asami’s case, it’s intervened four times to get him to where he is now. The first time was back in around 2008, when Asami-san was about to sell his Mitsubishi Pajero 4x4. He’d been planning to buy another one from the same dealer, but one day, he saw a Mini parked on the side of the road near his house. Having been interested in Minis for a while, Asami-san sauntered over and started chatting with the owner. He mainly wanted to know about reliability, as he’d heard that Minis broke down a lot and thus might be in for some hefty upkeep fees should he buy one. He…

• Over 2000 tickets have been sold for the 2017 International Mini Meeting in Ireland, which will take place at Westport House in County Mayo from May 25-29. The news follows the recent official launch of the IMM in Westport, which raised awareness in the local area and gave Irish Mini Owners Club members a chance to see the grounds and get a feel for the event. 35 Minis and their owners turned up at Westport House for the launch, where Biddy Hughes, representing Westport House, met with the IMOC members. Feedback from locals and members alike was very positive, and everyone is looking forward to what should be a memorable event. The IMM team is still busy behind the scenes and plans are coming along very well for the…

• To celebrate the car’s links with the city of Oxford, a special display of Minis and MINIs took place in the city during February half-term week. Organised by Tanya Field and Ray Smith, the Minis took centre stage at Templars Square Shopping Centre in Cowley, located near MINI Plant Oxford, and where over 600,000 Morris Minis were built from ‘59-’68. The crowds could see an excellent array of Minis, including Tanya’s own 1275 GT, Jason Field’s RSP Cooper, Mick Freeman’s May ‘60-built Countryman, Graeme Parson’s Pickup, a Riley Elf and Coin Woodage’s MkII Cooper. MINI plant Oxford also loaned its prototype camouflage MINI Clubman. Visitors included Terry, who worked in Transport at Cowley for a number of years. One of his jobs was to collect five of the Minis…

Vying to become a staple event on the ExCeL’s calendar, the London Classic Car Show returned for its third year from February 23-26. The show is focused squarely at the higher end of the classic car spectrum, no doubt helped by it proximity to London’s financial hub. This meant a slick array of gleaming Aston Martins, Jaguars, Ferraris and Porsches, but there were still plenty of Minis too. Perhaps the two scenes are not so at odds anymore, for though the sticker price on some of the Minis seemed high, buyers could be found amongst the claimed 37,000 visitors. Indeed, a 1275 GT featured in last month’s issue and offered sale by Classic Mini Finder should set a new world record once the transaction is completed. Minis of almost all…

“Teams go to great lengths to repair Mini shells, not replace them...” Purists may denounce Mini racing as a waste of good cars, but is that really true anymore? Unlike decades past, most of the Minis we see prepared for racing now have either been deemed too expensive to repair, or too modified or incomplete for the concours crew. You’re unlikely to use a rare special edition when there are less valuable Minis out there to begin with, especially considering how little of the car often remains in the finished article. The sums just don’t add up. Besides, the most affluent Mini racers would sooner start with a brand new shell, making the whole argument kind of irrelevant. On the other hand, when an old Mini finally reaches the end…

Channelling the direction of a classic car project to a specific goal makes all the difference to the end result. Rob knew from the beginning that his finished Mini would be a fun road burner for the weekends, not a pampered concours car or stripped-out racer. Despite owning his ‘61 for six years, the vision remains true and the result is a car that suits him perfectly. It’s an early Austin Seven, although Rob stumbled across it by chance while casually browsing online. “I wasn’t planning on buying a MkI specifically, then this one popped up and looked a bit interesting,” he admits. “I’m only the third owner – the previous owner had it since the mid-‘70s, loved and cherished it, and I got the impression they wouldn’t sell it…

My wife is to blame! Usually she’s not very keen on going places in the Mini, and you can’t really blame her – it’s a stripped-out 1961 Austin MkI with straight-cut drops and is not what you’d call civilised. But I also own a rather more sensible MPi Cooper, named ‘Skanky’, and after many Sunday drives, she decided that we should do the 2016 London to Brighton Run. Incidentally, we live up in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, so L2B is a 1200-mile round trip. Usually this is a Friday-to-Monday thing, but work commitments this time meant we had to leave Brighton and get back to Scotland in one hit on the Sunday. Somewhere around Stafford on the M6, my wife suddenly announced that the MPi was really comfortable, and…

ANTI-ROLL BAR. Q I’ve seen a lot of the Japanese custom Minis are fitted with a front anti-roll bar. A lot of UK cars seem to be fitted with a rear roll bar, but never a front one. Is there any benefit to having an anti-roll bar on the front, or is it really more of a styling thing? Marc A Front anti-roll bars on Minis became somewhat more common place when the introduction of the various steel spring options to replace the rubber springs occurred – something that was generally initiated by the Japanese. This was mostly down to the inability of the steel springs to replicate the sophisticated rising rate performance of the original rubber spring design. Fitting one of the steel replacement spring options generally caused more…

• Brighton Mini Club was busy supporting its chosen charity on March 12, bringing out its Minis in aid of the Chestnut Tree Children’s Hospice. The fundraiser saw the club attend a football match between Chestnut players and former Brighton and Hove Albion stars. The event would prove to be an amazing success; with advance tickets sales bringing in £500 and the total amount raised £2857.59. The club’s annual show, Minis on the Rec, will take place on July 16 at Adur Recreation Ground, Shoreham by Sea. This year it will be held on July 16th 2017. There is lots planned, including a big raffle, tombola, show and shine, ‘weirdest object in your boot’ competition and much more.…

April 9 Malvern Spring Mini Show and Spares Day Part of the Malvern Classic Event, held at Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire. www.classicshows.org April 14-18 Silly Mini Weekend Easter weekender at Dawlish Warren, Devon, in aid of Children’s Hospice SW. Includes games, entertainment and competitions. www.sillyminis.com April 16 Lincoln BIG Mini Day Taking place at Brayford Waterfront, Lincoln, this Trent Valley MOC event celebrates its 10th year in 2017. Entry is free, but cars must be in position by 10am and remain until 4pm. Around 200 Minis are expected. www.trentvalleymoc.co.uk April 29-30 DEWS Downton Classic Show Classic car show at Brian Whitehead Sports Centre in Downton, Wilts, to celebrate 70 years of Downton Works Engineering. The show takes place on the Saturday, with a road run on Sunday. Camping is…

The road to Mini perfection can be a long and fraught one. There are those that strike it lucky and end up with a cracker first time, and then there are the rest of us who have to battle through reams of heartache, mechanical issues, rust and expense on our way. Having endured several false starts in his Mini career, you’d have forgiven Javier Mercado for tuning his back on it all, but no. Instead he kept the faith, stuck at it and now has this amazing Swiftune-powered historic racer tribute to show for it. Born in Puerto Rico, Javier grew up in the USA and is now a pasty chef instructor at the famous Le Cordon Bleu cookery school in central London. “When I came over to the UK…

Vital cultural touch-point as it is, The Flintstones has offered countless valuable lessons to help us with our day-to-day lives. Pelicans can be convinced to store bric-a-brac in their capacious beaks, baby elephants make good Hoovers, woodpeckers function as useful makeshift hammers, and having a big hole in the floor of your car means you can power it simply by running along the road: “Let’s ride with the family down the street, through the courtesy of Fred’s two feet. When you’re with the Flintstones, you’ll have a yabba-dabba-doo time…” Actually, this last point isn’t to be recommended – just ask Dan Brennan. He tried it in this 1983 Minivan, and the results were somewhat mixed. “The first time I drove this car, you could actually see the bulkhead move when…

Not that important until you have to do without it – that’s the Mini handbrake cable. Not only is a broken or ineffective cable an MoT failure, it’s pretty annoying too. The cables can stretch to a point where adjustment is no longer effective. They can also be badly corroded, or in our case, broken entirely. Fortunately replacement is relatively straightforward for the DIY mechanic, although it’s a little more involved than you may think. Firstly, you need to get the right cable or cables. Pre-‘76 cars have two cables running from the handbrake lever in the car to the mechanism on the rear drums – one for each side. These are different between dry and Hydrolastic cars, and also for long wheelbase variants, which rather obviously require a longer…