Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2021 i Mini Magazine

Specialist Components are very excited to open the order books for their ClubSport 160R. Set to shake the modern classic market with its blend of pure performance and every day usability in this semi-lightweight café racer style. As is synonymous with the design and engineering experts, they’ve used their expertise in all areas to offer customers a truly unique vehicle. Based around a backdated late model Heritage shell (to allow side mount radiator/central speedo along with door bars and rear seat belt mountings) which is converted in Norfolk by master metal craftsmen. Powered by their stunning 160HP Rotrex supercharged engine sitting atop a five-speed helical gearbox, built to take the torque of these engines. Breathing through a bespoke alloy intercooler and exhaling through a full titanium exhaust. SC monoblock calipers…

• Footman James is proud to announce Lee Sunderland and his family as the outright winner in its Show Us Your Shed competition to find the best garage or workspace where enthusiasts can indulge in their automotive passions. With a stunning space inspired by Hot Wheels, Lee’s family entry wowed the judges with its simple yet creative approach to a special motoring space. Conceived and then executed during the first lockdown in March last year, Lee and his 12-year-old son, Stanley, picked up their paint brushes to create a homage to the family’s collection of over 2500 die cast toy cars. The unique garage also provides a home for the family’s restored 1970 Mk III Austin Mini 850. Launched in March, the Footman James social media competition called on motoring…

Near capacity grids and lights-to-flag action again put the Mini 7 Racing Club in the spotlight, with four scorching races that drew praise from all quarters at MSVR’s ‘summer festival’ meeting on the weekend of 10-11 July. Miglia points leader Andrew Jordan started as he meant to carry on, setting pole position in Saturday afternoon qualifying before converting that advantage into a narrow victory the following morning, chased all the way by a fiercely dicing trio of Kane Astin, Aaron Smith and Rupert Deeth before red flags ended the contest early, a legacy of Richard Colburn’s Libre going off heavily at the Gooseneck and handing the class win to Phil Harvey. Jordan repeated his Miglia win in the afternoon, but not before a determined charge saw him rise from 8th…

Craig Paterson knew right from the start a classic Mini would be his first car. In 1998 he bought this 998cc Mini City E for the bargain price of £175, but even at just nine years old it needed plenty of work. Luckily, good friend and mechanic Mike Herbert offered to help with the restoration. Now 23 years later, Craig still owns that very same car and the ravages of time and storage at various outside locations has meant the whole process has had to be repeated. We should point out, Craig works as a Paramedic in the RAF so he’s often away for long periods and consequently his Mini has suffered as a result. “I’m taking my time over this restoration to avoid any further major work further down…

It was the year of the Spice Girls, topping the charts and pushing Britpop into second place. It was the year that Terry Venables took England to the semi finals of the Euros and Gareth Southgate missed that penalty. TFI Friday arrived on the telly and science fiction became science fact when Dolly the sheep was the first mammal to be cloned. And 1996 was the year that Mini Magazine arrived on the newsagents’ shelves… “It’s been the specialists who have stepped into the breach” So many of those events now feel like ancient history, but, for those of us who work on the magazine at least, those two and a half decades have passed in a blink. And as we put the magazine together each month, it’s easy to…

It’s difficult to imagine now. But for the Mini owner in search of reading material, it was once a case of spending a lot of time in the newsagents, browsing through all of the motoring titles, seeing if the editor had seen fit to include a page or two on Mini related topics. We did pretty well out of the general classic car titles, and the legendary (and much missed) Triple C – Cars and Car Conversions Magazine – but if we were expecting to enjoy more than a story or two a month, we were usually disappointed. MiniWorld came along in the early 90s after the editorial team of the aforementioned Triple C thought that the interest in Minis amongst their readers might just warrant a dedicated spin off…

The lovely Mini featured here is actually making its second appearance in Mini Magazine, having graced the pages back in 2010. And it still has the same owner: Alex Groves. It even looks similar to how it did back then but quite a few things have happened, and changed, during the intervening years. LEARNING CURVE “I’ve actually owned this Mini – originally a Mini Mayfair – since I was fourteen-years-old,” reminisces Alex. “This was back in 2001. It was going to be my first car. My mother actually started teaching me to drive in it. But, she just couldn’t get on with the Mini, gave up, and bought me a Fiesta MkIII instead! The Mini was put to one side, and wasn’t used until 2006, which was when I fitted…

I’ve known Steve Entwistle through the Mini game for many years. I started road rallying in the 80s in Whizz, my beloved Austin Mini, until business commitments and family came along. I’d always known of Steve and followed the progress of OrangeBox throughout its journey with him. When the opportunity arose to consider the option of buying the car – which was completely out of the blue – I just knew that it would fit in with our business model and our lengthy sponsorships through Motul oil and Jaffa cake, #Orange. After a bit of table tennis text, a sale was agreed and to say that I was delighted was an understatement. Not only would the OrangeBox be added to my collection, it also fitted in perfectly with the motorsport…

While air ride suspension may have become a common sight on cars from the VW show scene, it’s still relatively unusual to find a classic Mini modified in such a way. The same could be said for the timeless 13 inch RS four-spoke alloys on the Ford scene, nothing unusual there but you’d never really expect to come across them on a Mini… Connor Brown, a 24-year-old mechanic, loves a challenge and possesses that drive and determination to build a car just as he envisages, even if it means spending countless hours achieving that goal. “I was brought up in the world of Autograss racing at Leewood, watching the Minis racing there always made me want one,” Connor remembers. “My family also rebuild classic cars, Fords and Minis, so it…

• A Mini meet is being organised for 25th September, at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, East Kirkby (near Spilsby), PE23 4DE. Just Jane, the Lancaster Bomber, will be doing taxi runs on the day and there will be plenty of photo opportunities. There will be an outside bar and on-site catering plus a burger van! The Mini R53 club and Mini Blitz will be attending the event! All Mini groups are welcome. This is a family day out which will involve a 16 mile drive into Skegness after the event has finished for an after party Tickets are £10 per car. Email Mini. r53club@hotmail.com for more details and booking enquiries. The event organisers will be making a donation to charity as well as giving a large amount to the…

The JD Competition Tyres Bob Shaw Memorial Brawdy Stages Rally saw competitors covering eight miles of smooth yet erosive surfaces for each run. Crews had six stages to complete. As one of the few rallies that had the green light from restrictions to go ahead, the event was understandably oversubscribed, only five Mini Sport Cup cars succeeded in getting onto the start list, leaving a number of regular contenders placed onto a very long reserve list. Ryan Taylor and Lucy Wilding got off to a great start, finding the 1st stage surprisingly grippy considering the rain! Managing to pull a 42 second lead in the Minis from the off, it was certainly ‘start as you mean to go on’ as Ryan and Lucy’s times for the rest of the day…

Due to the uncertainty surrounding Covid, please be aware that events are subject to change. Keep an eye on the organisers’ websites to stay up to date with any developments. 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 August 14-15th 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 September 5th Minis By The Sea Free-to-enter seaside Mini event, supporting local hospices, at Steyne Gardens, near Worthing Pier, West Sussex. www.wsmoc.co.uk September 11-12th Isle of Wight Adventure West Country Minis event at Sandown Airport, including reduced rate ferry crossings from Red Funnel Ferries. The organisers are planning a few…

The Black Cherry Mini Cooper featured here, a lovely-looking car, belongs to Stephen Bowring. Stephen’s a recent convert to the Mini fold. He’d always liked Minis, yet he’d been more of a Ford XR2 and XR3i guy in his younger ‘boy racer’ days. “Fast Fords were more of my thing,” he admits, “they fitted the bill back then. But, in recent years, I found myself getting more and more drawn towards classics. I’d actually owned an MG Midget before the kids arrived, and I kind of fancied another. Then a good friend of mine, Carl English, pointed me in the direction of a 1990 Mini Cooper.” “The list of fails ran to two sheets of A4. I knew it would need work...” Carl didn’t just point Stephen in the Cooper’s…

It’s not uncommon for people to own a collection of Minis, after all they take up less space than the average car and restoring and owning them as we know can become quite addictive. Steve Ward has been a fan of the classic Mini for as long as he can remember and after years of hard graft, he now owns this enviable combination which includes a modified 1979 Pickup, a striking 1994 saloon and a slightly more sedate 1983 Minivan. Fortunately, Steve has just enough space in his garage to house them all… The words Mini Pickup and family car are rarely heard in the same sentence, but incredibly, the first family car Steve remembers was indeed a Mini Pickup. “Myself and my elder brother would ride in the back…

Looking back to when I was a ‘yoof’ I can’t understand how I managed to achieve so much in such a short space of time. And that’s any time you may want to consider. An hour, a day, a week… Time must have stood still at certain points to make what I managed to do possible. Or so my now mind and body believe. It’s a full 24.5 years since I did my first article for Mini Magazine, having been persuaded away from the rival publication by the silver-tongued Martin Vincent. And it’s now over four years since I stood back from regular magazine contributions. All of which I look back at with astonishment in terms of the speed with which the time has past. And now Mini Magazine is…

There are certain jobs you can do on a Mini engine while it’s still in the engine bay. But there’s a long list of tasks that require it out on the bench where you have all round access. Likewise, if you’re having trouble with the gearbox or final drive, the engine is definitely coming out. “We're not going to pretend that this is a five minute job...” We’re not going to pretend that this is a five minute job for the average home mechanic, or pretend that it doesn’t involve some heavy lifting – it does. But if you follow this guide, and have some fit and healthy helpers to hand, it’s not a difficult job. There are two methods of removing a Mini engine – up through the engine…

After six long years, I finally find myself behind the wheel of a Mini once again. It’s been even longer since I wrote for Mini Mag too, so it’s great to have a chance to be involved with the Mini scene again. I started to have the Mini itch during lockdown, I’d bought my first MINI in March 2020 and it made me realise just how much I’d missed having a Mini in my life. So, like a fool, I started browsing – initially I came across a Mini 35, which looked good and when I didn’t get a hard ‘no’ from my wife, I knew I had a chance. The 35 was three hours away though and I knew if I was going that far, I’d have to commit…

• The SE military MOKE make its global debut on Thursday 8th July 2021 at Goodwood Festival of Speed. This edition comes as standard with colour matched wheels, tactical front lights and military themed design features. A new visual treatment to the vehicle’s roll bars and canvas further evoke the utilitarian and tactical origins of the original design brief given to Issigonis. MOKE Military Edition available from today from Hendy Group dealerships for £24,950 (including UK VAT and registration costs). Interested buyers should register their interest at: https:// mokeinternational.com/customise…

It’s good to remember sometimes that the Mini wasn’t the only product of the once mighty manufacturer that morphed from BMC through British Leyland and ultimately to Rover. The BMC & British Leyland Show at the British Motor Museum is the perfect event to jog the memory (or to act as a history lesson for the younger ones) and remind us that for every Mini produced, there were many more 1100/1300s, 1800 Landcrabs, Maxis, Allegros, Marinas – the list goes on. Many of these easily outsold the Mini by a considerable margin, so it’s also interesting to compare survival rates. So amid a sea of Sandglow and Harvest Gold, the Mini was very well represented. It’s still clear that most people continue to be cautious, even with the easing of…

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH Name: Peter Stout Car: 1972 Mini with VTEC conversion Location: Colorado • Peter’s 1972 Mini, “Limey” was originally from New Zealand, it now has a Vtec B16 engine and the custom subwoofer in the boot! The person he bought it from imported the Mini 1000 from NZ and later gave it to MiniTec to do the full conversion. Most of Peter’s mods have been cosmetic, like custom door upholstery (with green accents) a custom dash from the, sadly, now closed Dash of Colour, home-built center console, and LED driving lights in the Zeemax bumper openings. His first mod was the dingle balls seen in the windscreen and the most recent addition was new custom wheels from Specialist Components... also in green. Peter belongs to Minis Of The…

When Alec Issigonis was tasked with developing a compact, space-efficient, fuel-efficient, four-seater, little did he know just how much of an impact this car would have. Thanks to Issigonis, a man whose design genius was beyond question and who delighted in defying convention, BMC’s new model – the Mini – nailed the design brief... and then some. A legend had been born. Famously though, Issigonis was on a crusade to eliminate the superfluous. Which is why the very early Minis were pared-back, elemental devices that placed engineering above fripperies and excess. Even so, marketing dictates and automotive trends would see the Mini moving away from Issigonis’ utilitarian ideals. And thanks to long-time friend, engineer and motorsport pioneer, John Cooper, it would also be moving in an entirely different direction. Cooper…

The one thing we have come to expect from the guys at Specialist Components – and now Volt EV – is that if there is an envelope to be pushed, they will do it. Since the company emerged, each new project has caught the imagination of car enthusiasts across the board. Startling innovation and engineering excellence go hand-in-hand with John Kimmins and the rest of the team at SC. We brought you a sneak preview of their biggest project to date – the Volt EV R300 – in the June 2021 issue. John had always had an ambition to build an electric Mini but he was very clear that only when the technology was there to do it, in terms of motor technology and the associated kit, batteries and support.…

“Don’t cut any corners for the sake of saving a few pennies” DRUMMED OUT Q I own a 1973 Mini 1000. It’s in really good original condition, and I’d like to keep it looking as factory standard as I can. The issue I have is the brakes – they just don’t feel like they have much bite, and even though the car doesn’t have tons of power, sometimes I worry I’m not going to stop in time. I want to keep the original ten inch wheels but I’m thinking of fitting Cooper S 7.5 inch disc brakes. What parts are needed to convert a drum-braked Mini to the discs? Aaron A Essentially you need to replace everything from the ball joints outwards, including the hubs and the CV joint, but…

One of the more upsetting things you can learn about your Mini is how wonky it is. We were trying to find out how straight the beloved plastic pig was, and apart from tracking and camber gauges the other important piece of kit is available in most folk’s kitchens or at least local supermarket: a roll of string. You can tie one end onto the grille or bumper and take it right round the car in most cases if the wheel arches don’t stick out too far and it will tell you how the wheels relate to the rest of the shell. We used axle stands and a bar. The Biota was no exception; hardly the most perfect example as I already had noticed that one front wheel sticks out…

One of my earliest memories of Minis was seeing my uncle Peter in a little white Mini Pickup which he had named 'Wiley'. I was a young boy at the time and would always see the Pickup parked outside the house when my uncle was not using her on the farm, taking around feed for the animals or moving equipment. The little ute had a hard life on the farm but as my uncle always mentioned, the Mini was always reliable and it never let him down. As the years passed, the Pickup kept on going and going until eventually, like all Minis, she went in for a service and needed a lot of work to get her back on the road. The garage did some welding work and also…