Minis

[Fuji Shooter]

Anyone else on here like Minis? This is my wifes 1984 Mini 25 completely original with 32000 miles on it. Taken last weekend at a Mini Show in Malvern.

 

Edited October 17, 2016 by Fuji Shooter

[Rupert]

love em

My first motor was a mini

Edited October 17, 2016 by Rupert

[la bala]

Moved on a bit from the doughnuts.

[Captain Caveman]

First car I drove was my mother's old 1960s Mini Countryman, with real timber cladding on the rear (not the laminate stuff seen on the later clubmans). Believe it had an 850 cc engine as was fairly gutless but a great car to learn in.

[Jaymo]

When I left school and worked at a Rover dealership I got to drive many- but the best memory was of one that had been to 'Avon' or something of similar name and had a 1480cc big bore and all the tuning.

Flew along but the non servo'd brakes were terrifying

[gustaff]

my very first car an 850 cc mini my second a 997 mini third 1098 mini cooper then i built a 1430 cc mni which i rallied grew out of them now have my own garage after working for bmw and back into new generation minis with all the dedicated software to dealership level

[longspoon]

Took my test in one, many years ago, and went on to own 8........

[Royboy]

My first car was a 1982 mini, I put a set of mini lights on it and converted the front brakes from drums to discs, what a car

[four-wheel-drive]

I always loved them but never had one although I have driven one they are just like go carts to drive great fun but being 5'-10" tall and not that slim I have always thought that minis only realy suit small people I now that some large people have them but to me they just look funny in such a tiny car.

[Dunkield]

When I left school and worked at a Rover dealership I got to drive many- but the best memory was of one that had been to 'Avon' or something of similar name and had a 1480cc big bore and all the tuning.

Flew along but the non servo'd brakes were terrifying

 

Avonbar, I used to buy a few bits for my Midget from him.

 

I had an original 850 Mini with the starter button on the floor and the pudding stick gear stick.

Can't say I loved it but the handling (which you needed as it had no power at all) was mindboggling.

[Danger-Mouse]

Saw one the other day, it was painted black with tinted windows. It might not appeal to those who like them in classic condition but it did look pretty cool to me.

[TONY R]

Yep thats a real mini was brought up with them had dozens of them grass track raced them then autocross hillclimbing.

Great little things. What as a young lad with marshall and frazers how to modify your mini then as a young many vizards book on the a series you could turn the cooking cast iron boat anchor of a motor into a screaming banshee of a thing, with the distinctive sound only a long centere branch exhaust and a CAEG 529 spint cam can ever offer, fueled by a 40 DCOE webber on a C and T long manifold of course. Spacing the centre spedo binicle out to let the inlet tracts sit in the hole with the long manifold because the more practical swan neck version scrubbed off about 6 HP thats 6 Hp you needed badly..

Real minis are awesome few cars get the adrenaline going like them it takes two wheels generaly to get this kind of emmotion flowing. Love em.

Edited October 18, 2016 by TONY R

[masmiffy]

 

Avonbar, I used to buy a few bits for my Midget from him.

 

I had an original 850 Mini with the starter button on the floor and the pudding stick gear stick.

Can't say I loved it but the handling (which you needed as it had no power at all) was mindboggling.

My first car was a 'proper' mini (the new versions are massive def not 'mini')

Reg was 5918 PU it had the floor start etc and I 'upgraded' it from 850 to 1275 (engine swap)

Had a Peco straight thro exhaust, fiberglass front end and went like **** off a shovel (for its era)

Wish I had it now might be worth summat!

Also had a Mini 1100 special DAV 725V in Rose Metallic with a beige vinyl roof!!!

Again wish I still had that!!

[defender]

My first car was a black 1275gt clubman in the mid 80's much fun and im 6 foot 2

[masmiffy]

Checked flea bay this was the dearest I found!!

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Austin-Mini-Cooper-Mk1-S-1965-/182220440368?hash=item2a6d2f4330:g:ApYAAOSw0fhXl2e7

[Davyo]

Not a mini fan,but someone at work has one with a Honda Civic VTR engine stuffed in it.

[Fuji Shooter]

Checked flea bay this was the dearest I found!!

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Austin-Mini-Cooper-Mk1-S-1965-/182220440368?hash=item2a6d2f4330:g:ApYAAOSw0fhXl2e7

 

Mental money for what it is.

[McSpredder]

.... a 1480cc big bore and all the tuning......Flew along but the non servo'd brakes were terrifying

Original brakes (single leading shoe) were total rubbish, even on my 1963 Minivan with bog standard 850cc engine. When the CV joints got too noisy I went to the scrapyard and bought driveshafts from a later model, complete with 2LS brakes, which were a big improvement. Handbrake caused problems at every MOT.

 

By the time the van was four years old the sills contained lots of Isopon, and the following year there was no option but to weld on new sills. Rear subframe was disintegrating by that time, which meant another trip to get one from the breakers.

 

Driver's seat was uncomfortable and starting to collapse, so I fitted a reclining seat that came from a Saab 95. Wonderfully comfortable when the van was stationary, but I quickly learned that a seat from a softly-spring Saab did not suit the hard-sprung Mini -- driving over a bump in the road no longer gave me a pain in the backside, but the cushion springs would rebound so that my head hit the roof half a second later. The Saab seat had to come out.

 

Front tyres didn't last very long. In spite of it all, I quite liked that van, and only sold it when I went to work overseas in 1970.

[oldypigeonpopper]

hello, i knew quite a few people who worked in the racing tune dpt within the MG factory, sorted my old mini a few times

[TONY R]

Original brakes (single leading shoe) were total rubbish, even on my 1963 Minivan with bog standard 850cc engine. When the CV joints got too noisy I went to the scrapyard and bought driveshafts from a later model, complete with 2LS brakes, which were a big improvement. Handbrake caused problems at every MOT.

 

By the time the van was four years old the sills contained lots of Isopon, and the following year there was no option but to weld on new sills. Rear subframe was disintegrating by that time, which meant another trip to get one from the breakers.

 

Driver's seat was uncomfortable and starting to collapse, so I fitted a reclining seat that came from a Saab 95. Wonderfully comfortable when the van was stationary, but I quickly learned that a seat from a softly-spring Saab did not suit the hard-sprung Mini -- driving over a bump in the road no longer gave me a pain in the backside, but the cushion springs would rebound so that my head hit the roof half a second later. The Saab seat had to come out.

 

Front tyres didn't last very long. In spite of it all, I quite liked that van, and only sold it when I went to work overseas in 1970.

Those early cars had thinner pannelwork on them thus slightly lighter , those old CV joints with rubber s and u clamps were a boring thing to fit, the spider joints were best replaced as you did evereytime.

Edited October 18, 2016 by TONY R

[gustaff]

bloomin hell memory recall my 1430 with single 45dco weber stuck through speedo hole in bulk head with rampipe trumpets sound was deafening but great remember co driver coming home from rally eating opal fruits and posting little wrappers through intakes and listening for slight misfire as engine digested them didnt do any harm but funny at time

Yep thats a real mini was brought up with them had dozens of them grass track raced them then autocross hillclimbing.

Great little things. What as a young lad with marshall and frazers how to modify your mini then as a young many vizards book on the a series you could turn the cooking cast iron boat anchor of a motor into a screaming banshee of a thing, with the distinctive sound only a long centere branch exhaust and a CAEG 529 spint cam can ever offer, fueled by a 40 DCOE webber on a C and T long manifold of course. Spacing the centre spedo binicle out to let the inlet tracts sit in the hole with the long manifold because the more practical swan neck version scrubbed off about 6 HP thats 6 Hp you needed badly..

Real minis are awesome few cars get the adrenaline going like them it takes two wheels generaly to get this kind of emmotion flowing. Love em.

[Dunkield]

How about this one?

 

[norfolk dumpling]

My first mini (VBL855) was a 1959 model but with an 1100cc engine, reverse rims and painted purple. I then progressed to a 1964 859cc base model with no mods and then when I had a massive pay rise - my wages doubled overnight in 1971 - a 998cc model with a proper gear lever and wind up windows. Such luxury!

 

My wife has now go the Mini bug and she is working her way through the new models. Had a Cooper S, a Cooper Convertible, a base Countryman (this must be 3 times the size of my first min) and now has a diesel version but is looking at JCW S All4 models so who knows what will end up in our drive!

[ShootingEgg]

This was mine.. Little bit of work done to get it back looking like a mini though..

 

[four-wheel-drive]

Something a bit different not my thing just came across on the bay.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Classic-1962-Austin-Mini/162234114217?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D38661%26meid%3Dfb5fb616e73f4303a7bb731db8eb7f8a%26pid%3D100033%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D8%26sd%3D272351414180