Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2016 i Mini Magazine

The past month has been a real feast when it comes to horsepower. Our Mini Magazine anniversary display at Mini in the Park boasted more than 30 fantastic former and current feature cars, with the total amount of horsepower running into several thousand! And one of the Minis responsible for a 350bhp chunk of that, Jim Morris' stunning supercharged Z-Car, is this month's cover star. Read about this face-bending atomic rocket from page 52, and catch our MITP review from page 28. The rest of our feature Mini selection may not boost such crazy levels of power, but the Minis scene is a broad church, and they are no less appealing. We've got a stunning Rover Cooper, a Clubman Estate project and cracking custom Pick-up from Belgium for you, plus…

• Lancaster Insurance’s MkII Mini, affectionately known as Margo, is now complete following a full restoration by the MG Owners Club at its workshops in Cambridgeshire. The insurance specialist, who is the headline sponsor for the Classic Motor Show, first unveiled the 1969 Super DeLuxe project on its display stand at the NEC last year. Although the restoration has been thorough, the car was remarkably solid and original to begin with. The levels of corrosion were light, with only localised repairs needed and no panel replacement. The car had previously been converted from Hydrolastic to dry suspension, but otherwise remains true to its factory specification. The 33,000-mile 998cc engine only required the valve seats to be re-cut and a new head gasket, while the carpets and interior trim remain original.…

• Minis played a starring role on and off the circuit at the prestigious Silverstone Classic event on July 29-31. On track, Endaf Owens and Dan Wheeler were the first Mini home out of nine in the John Fitzpatrick Trophy race, with plenty more motorsport action and parades to wow the crowds. Meanwhile, infield club displays from over 100 car clubs featured over 10,000 classics, and with Silverstone being an old WW2 airfield, it was the perfect place for the Royal Air Force Mini Club (RAFMC) to stage its annual meet! This year saw the introduction of a concours competition, with each club allowed to submit an entry. James Goodright’s 1995 Cooper Si, once owned by John Cooper, was shortlisted for the concours by a handful of expert judges including…

• The Norfolk Mini Owners club has been very busy celebrating its 25th anniversary year recently, organising events and even making its own films! On July 24, the club organised the first inter-club breakfast meeting with Kings Lynn MOC and Cambs Custom Classics. The event was further supported by Lowestoft MOC, Bury MOC and East Coast MOC, with around 100 people in attendance and 43 Minis crammed into the car park. Birthday boy Craig Scott then led the Minis on a fun route through villages and twisty roads to Sandringham, where Her Majesty very kindly let the cars all park on her lawn! The club then followed this up with its flagship East Anglian Job event on August 27-29, and it was the biggest and best yet. Participants camped at…

A total of 12 Minis competed at the Carfax Stages on August 6, run by Oxford Motor Club at Throckmorton Airfield, near Pershore. The weather gradually grew hotter and hotter throughout the day, causing brakes to overheat and meaning some drivers were affected, including Adrian Kermode, Paul Price and Clive King. The category one victor was the Mini of Shane Gamble and Max Freeman, who had a relatively trouble-free run all day to come home 30th overall. Paul Price and James Seymour took second and 33rd overall, with Peter Horsburgh and Graham Carter taking third place and 36th overall on their return to the championship. Peter Ellerby and Phillip Swanborough were forced to retire on the eighth stage after a driveshaft failure, while Adrian Kermode and Maurice Beckett stopped due…

Ah well, you can’t have glorious conditions at every event. Sadly for those heading to Oulton Park on August 20, someone forgot to top-up the meter and the sunshine ran out. The planned schedule included a day of Mini Se7en, Miglia and MINI Challenge racing on track, plus a live music stage, stunt show and a trade village. First out to race were the first and second-generation MINI Challenge cars, which soon resulted in a huge pile-up and an eventual abandonment. The slippy conditions on track meant regular stoppages throughout the day, with the only saving grace being the incredible Mini Se7en and Miglia action. As an indication of how close things were, the second Se7ens race was won by just 0.008-seconds by Kane Astin in a borrowed car! The…

The regular monthly Mod ‘n’ Mini meet at the Ace Cafe gets even busier every September, as the Italian Job Charity Auction Night rolls into town. Taking place on September 1, this year’s event was even more successful than usual, raising almost £2500 for Variety, the Children’s Charity, on a balmy evening in London. The auction was once again led by experienced Italian Jobber Roger Hunt, who had cajoled various specialists and individuals into offering some top-notch items. These included a new right-hand fuel tank, two Mini-themed Paul Smith leather wallets, an adjustable suspension kit, a print of 33 EJB signed by Paddy Hopkirk, Italian Job luggage, Sportpack arches, an MPi silicone hose kit, gas berbecue and much more besides! Bidding was competitive as ever, but there were excellent bargains…

Name: Herbert Wein Car: 1965 Austin Mini Cooper S Location: Mainz, Germany • I’ve raced my Mini since 1987 and it’s stronger and faster than ever today. When I bought it in ’87 it had a Longman engine, Hydrolastic suspension and had been driven in the Shell Pokal race series. It’s won three Old-timer Grand Prix events, was originally green, then red and now blue since 2002. Since 2014 I’ve been competing in the Kampf der Zwerge here in Germany, then after one season I sent it to Mondo Sport in Hastings for a full rebuild. It’s now got a KAD 1380cc race engine on Omex ignition, KAD four-pot brakes, 7x10-inch MB wheels, Quantum dampers and a Stack dash display. Since 2015 Herbert Wein Junior has joined in the driving…

“It makes my life easier when people haven’t mucked about with them too much....” PROJECT PROFILE THE OWNER NAME: Matt Clayton AGE: 40 OCCUPATION: Telephone engineer LOCATION: Benfleet THE CAR: CAR: 1976 Mini Clubman Estate START CONDITION: Complete but in need of TLC CONDITION NOW: Recently-painted bare shell TIME TAKEN SO FAR: 13 months ESTIMATED TIME OF COMPLETION: Summer 2017 Life has a habit of getting in the way of a good project. Trouble is, once you’ve stashed an old Mini away and out of sight, there’s always more pressing matters to soak up the weekends, not to mention any remaining funds. Matt’s 1976 Clubman Estate had been stowed away in his garage almost 10 years ago, slightly scabby around the edges and in need of a general tidy up.…

Picking-up a two and seven, different suits, is statistically the worst hand in a game of Texas Hold ‘em Poker. Only a real gambler would raise their bet on such abysmal odds. In Mini terms it’s like bidding blind on one of the most rust-prone, abused commercial models, from another country, then travelling over with a trailer and hoping all’s well. Nils van Dorst did just that, although he did have some idea of what to expect. “I bought it in 2011 from Essex for £2350, and for a Pick-up that’s not too bad a price,” he says. “It was risky, but if you want to buy a good Pick-up you have to pay a lot more money than that. Even then you don’t necessarily know if it’s been restored…

We all know that Mini owners like to give their cars names. There was even a recent census conducted on it, with Marvin, Mollie and Millie right up there at the top. But this particular example doesn’t have an alliterative moniker or some ‘cutesy’ title. Rather, Lyn Padmore’s beautiful MkI Austin Mini is known as Steve. A sensible, decent name, but one that seems a bit, well... normal. But delve a bit deeper, and it all makes sense... You see, 539 DOF was in a much sorrier state before Lyn’s husband Eric got his supremely talented hands on it. As a demonstration, we are led out to the back garden, where only some of the many rotten panels cut off the car have been carefully laid out. It’s like looking…

Rounds 11 and 12 of the Dunlop Mini Se7en and Miglia challenges, supported by Mini Spares, took place as part of the Oulton Park Mini Festival on August 20. The day saw Ashley Davies and Shayne Deegan edge closer to the Se7en and Miglia titles respectively, both putting on great displays to stretch their championship leads. In the Se7ens, Davies fought out a terrific battle with pole-sitter Kane Astin, who was guesting in Paul Thompson’s car. Davies emerged to win the opening race by 0.72 seconds, with Graeme Davis leading the rest in third after a clash between Max Hunter and Lewis Selby eliminated both from the running. In the second race, Davies led away from pole but would tumble down the order with a broken crankshaft, leaving Astin, Selby…

When it comes to activity-packed shows, Mini in the Park once again proved to be top of its game as it returned to Santa Pod Raceway on August 14. There were great Minis of all varieties, parties, live action, quarter-mile thrills, competitions – you name it. Heck, you could even go and get your hair cut! The fun began on Saturday, with a sizeable swarm of Mini fans from all over Europe descending on the Northamptonshire venue to pitch tents, share a drink or two and check out this year’s live tribute band, the Brighton Beatles. There was also a DJ set to entertain the crowds, while the array of folk in fancy dress on the dodgems made for an intriguing sight! Sunday’s main event broke with the sound of…

More than 70 Minis met at Cardiff Gate Services for the start of Cardiff Mini Club’s Mini in the Bay Run on August 13, which took place in aid of the 2 Wish Upon a Star charity for suddenly bereaved parents. This fun-filled event first took place in 2000, but has since doubled in size, catering for both Minis and MINIs. The cars set off at 10am in convoy down the M4 to Junction 34, thrilling the general public as they went. The well-planned route then took in some local Welsh villages en route to Ogmoreby-Sea, where the convoy followed the coastal road back to Barry Island and on to Cardiff Bay. Zack Franks in the lead car did well to get everyone to stay in convoy. With special permission,…

Name: Maxs Ranjit Singh Car: Mini Cooper Location: Malaysia • I always wanted a Mini after knowing Dad had one during his younger days. He had to sell it off after we, the kids, arrived. It must have been so difficult for him to let it go. Therefore I was determined to bring back the Mini experience to our life. Now that I have my own family and Dad is retired, I was lucky enough to get my hands on my own Mini. It took me three long years to restore it from an old piece of junk to this beauty today. Thanks go to my dad for the valuable advice and guidance during the restoration process. This time, it's going to stay in the family for good. Send ‘Your…

Name: David Barber Model: 1990 Mini Checkmate Location: Warwickshire • My Mini’s named Dexter and he’s still an ongoing project. Hopefully he’ll be completed by the end of the year, as I can't wait to drive my Mini to the shows. I bought him two years ago but only started work last July, starting by getting the 1275 engine up and running. This is my first restoration project, although I have owned five Minis before this one. So far it’s had new sills, boot panels, a rear valance, rear aches, a driver’s side floor panel, a rear subframe and a new front end. Now all that's left is to give the body a respray and secure a fresh MoT. It would be great to see some pics in the magazine.…

What’s the fastest car you’ve ever experienced? Occasionally we’ve been out in Minis that really pin you back in the seat, but on the whole, there’s no comparison to high performance modern stuff. Minis are all about the driving sensations, the razor-sharp steering and go kart cornering. With Jim Morris’ latest build, however, you need to rethink what’s physically possible for a Mini. This rear-wheel-drive animal is up there with the lightweight Exiges and Caterhams when it comes to face-bending acceleration. If you’ve never ridden shotgun in a Honda VTEC-powered Z-Car Mini before, find one and bribe the owner ‘til you have – the performance is mind blowing. Then again, with around 350bhp at the crank and a big supercharger behind your head, it’s bound to leave a smudge or…

Though it may sound hard to believe, it’s almost 20 years since the multi-point injection Mini made its public debut at the Paris Motor Show in October ’96. Today we know them as the coveted end-of-line Minis, useable, desirable and commanding premium prices, if more than a little prone to rust. But the MPi very nearly never happened. There had already been numerous instances of the Mini cheating death during its long history, but by 1994 the game finally looked to be up. It would need to be extensively reworked to meet the new wave of upcoming EU regulations, and Rover’s bean-counters weren’t about to stump up the cash. To survive past ‘96, the Mini’s positively prehistoric A-Series had to run cleaner and quieter than ever before. And not just…

CREAKING STEERING Q My Mini City’s steering appears to creak when I turn the wheel. It recently had a new rack, which is tight on its U-bolts and plastic strips, and the track rod ends are new too. There is no play in the column either, but still a noise. Do you have an idea what the problem could be? Matt Stein A Providing all is correctly fitted and tightened as you describe, it is most likely to be either the rack itself or feasibly the steering column. Some of the new aftermarket racks I have come across are decidedly poor in operational quality, feeling very stiff and notchy as you pull the rack through the body, so a creak would not at all surprise me. If the rack was…

"The big boss waved his arms about and seemingly popped a hernia..." For a car that never leaves the garage, this one certainly gets through some detail changes! I was dead set on the new Ultralites – they looked spot on. But then an e-mail arrived from John Kimmins at Specialist Components and, it seems, I’m partial to anything bespoke, shiny or new. It was a simple message to say the new wheel design was ready, and what colour did I fancy? After months of badgering SC at the shows, how could one resist! Editor Jeff should actually take the credit for first sowing the seed for a Spectrum-style wheel. It’s a design from the mid-‘90s that’s become a real classic, except that the original Spectrums have been obsolete for…

The Project ‘64 team has done it again! Following its record-breaking effort in 2012, the Kiwi speed freaks went even faster during Bonneville Speed Week on August 13-19, breaking two speed records on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA. Featuring a 16-valve 970cc A-Series motor with an intercooled IHI turbo, the MkI Cooper set a record of 146.595mph during its last appearance four years ago. To achieve a record at Bonneville, the existing marker has to be broken twice on the same timed section of the same track, with the average of the two runs then recorded. The team’s first record of 2016 was set during tuning runs in the I/BGALT class, where the Mini smashed the existing 133.896mph record with a speed of 144.033mph. However the team was…

• Minis lit up the roads of East Anglia as the Colchester Mini Club completed its Colchester to Great Yarmouth Mini Run on July 31. Around 30 cars took part, meeting at the Colchester United football stadium at 7.30am for an 8.30 start. The Minis were in convoy all the way to the Norfolk coastal resort, with a quick break on the way. One member, Harry, lost his oil cap, so a temporary substitute was made from a rubber glove, a bottle and a cable tie! A fantastic day was had on Yarmouth seafront, with great weather providing the accompaniment as the Minis totally obscured the front of American Diner, to the delight of the public. Participants were then free to do their own thing during the day, before all…

Croft Nostalgia is a two-day event, held at Croft Circuit in the North of England near Darlington. Now in its seventh year, the event features an eclectic mix of motorsport, military vehicle displays, classic vehicles from the ‘30s to the ‘70s and flying displays, in addition to spectators in period dress. The Mini Cooper Register always puts together a large display of classic Minis here, and this year’s event on August 6-7 was no exception. One of the major highlights was round six of the HSCC Historic Touring Car Championship. Minis are competing in two classes this year – HRSR Class D and Appendix K – K3 cars. Pre-Croft, Roger Godfrey was leading Class D and was third overall, while in Appendix K, Nick Paddy was first in class. Five…

Name: Chris Moss Model: 1982 Mini Van Location: Lincoln • When I saw this Minivan on eBay back in 2013 I had a word with my mate Mark Blundell to see if he fancied doing a joint project, as we’d been playing around with cars since we were 16. To my delight he said yes. The van hadn’t been on the road in over 10 years but was surprisingly good. I had the intention of being there every other weekend, but work got in the way, so Mark did all the work and I helped pay the bills! It passed its MoT in the August and our intention was to sell it and split the profit. But once Mark actually delivered the van back to me, I knew I wanted…

September 17 Mini Action Day Annual Mini track event at Castle Combe in Wiltshire, sponsored by Mini Sport. Includes track time, charity rides, parades, traders, club stands and more. www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk September 18 Mouth to Mouth Run Jurassic Coast Minis’ annual run, beginning at the Riviera Hotel in Weymouth and ending at the Lifeboat Station in Exmouth. Full details are on the club’s website. www.jurassiccoastminis.co.uk September 30-October 2 Malin to Mizen Run Long-distance run from Malin in the north of Ireland to Mizen in the south, with overnight hotel stays. Organised by the Irish mini Owners Club. www.irishminis.ie October 9 Malvern Autumn Mini Show and Spares Day Part of the Malvern Classic Event, taking place at Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcs www.classicshows.org October 16 Mini Fair 2 The second of British…

They say you never forget your first car, but how many of us still own them? Loaded with mates, seldom serviced and thrashed on a daily basis, longevity is not high on the agenda. And if your first car was a Mini, then there’s also the looming spectre of rust to kill if off before time. It all serves to make someone like Lee Roberts all the more remarkable, as not only does he still own his very first car, he now picks up trophies for it on a regular basis. So just how has Lee come to own his 1992 SPi Cooper for 13 and a half years? It’s quite simply really – he loves the car, and has long admired its appearance. But after being used everyday for…

“The light surface rust on the wheels wasn't befitting of posh new tyres...” Without wishing to spin out the same old broken record, distractions have been easy to come by when it comes to progress on my Minis recently. Plentiful shows and a house move haven't helped, but the main reason for such inactivity was Elmo, our lovely Mini in the Park raffle car. Although we've put a fair few hours into the car since we bought it in Milan last year, including a conversion to right-hand-drive, some things inevitably got left to the last minute. First off was a bit of paintwork. The car wasn't rusty, but had unsurprisingly picked up a few scrapes and scratches from its time in the bustling Italian city. That meant the usual drill…

CONTRASTING ROOF • A contrasting roof doesn’t have to be black or white. As Nils’ Pick-up and Lee’s Cooper prove this month, being a shade braver can pay dividends. You could even have your roof vinyl-wrapped, or repaint it at home using aerosol cans for minimal outlay, but the latter approach is probably not suited to a concours car... SPLIT-RIM WHEELS • Proper split-rim wheels have been popular for decades, and look fantastic on the right Mini. Ok, so they won’t be cheap – a set of 7x13-inch Image HT split-rims as fitted to Jim Morris’ Z-Car will set you back around £280 each, though 10-inchers from the likes of Force Racing and Specialist Components will be cheaper. Different centres and rim options mean you can really perfect the fitment.…