Indholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2017 i Mini Magazine

What an amazing month it’s been. If you’ve ever worried that Mini events aren’t as much fun as they used to be, that’s well and truly been kiboshed in recent weeks. We’ve had a lovely sunny London to Brighton Run, similar weather for the Thistle Run and a cracking IMM too. The latter was a truly wonderful experience and a real credit to the IMOC team that worked so hard to make it a success. Ever since the idea was chalked on the ground at the Swiss IMM in 2011 we’ve been looking forward to it, and it didn’t disappoint. See from page 30 for a full report. It’s not all about events though. We’ve got a great mix of cars for you this month, from a 1960 Morris Mini-Minor…

• The Mini is one of the leading things that make Britain great, according to a list compiled by Best of British magazine to commemorate its 250th issue. The Mini came in at number 25 in the list of 250, making it the highest-placed car. Next up was Aston Martin in 71st place. Compiled from suggestions by the magazine’s readers, contributors and staff, the list also recognised Jaguar and Rolls-Royce, along with Black Cabs and the Routemaster Bus. Famous Mini drivers Paddy Hopkirk and Rowan Atkinson’s Mr Bean character were also included, alongside Sir Stirling Moss and the late John Surtees. Other people, places and things that make Britain great include driving on the left, caravanning, pork scratchings and fish and chips. At the top of the list were volunteers,…

Mini Spares Midlands, part of the David Manners Group in Oldbury, hosts its popular annual Classic Mini Open Evening on Tuesday July 11. The event will include an appearance from Car SOS presenter Fuzz Townshend, along with plenty of further attractions. Though the evening is held to coincide with a British Mini Club meet, it still welcomes nonmembers. Club leader David Hollis will be on hand to chat about the club, and the DMG Mini experts will be present to offer help and advice. Trade discount will also be offered on all Mini parts bought on the night. In addition, wood-fired pizzas will be provided by Baked in Brick from its converted Mini, alongside home-made cakes and hot drinks by DuCafe. There will be various prizes awarded on the night…

Thruxton laid host to the Mighty and Super Mighty Mini championships for the fifth and sixth rounds of the season on June 3-4. Scott Kendall took pole with Elliott Stafford sharing the front row. In the Mightys Damien Harrington took pole from Sarah Moore. Stafford got the jump early on, but it was not long before Jenkins moved to the front. Sadly for Jenkins his water pump worked loose putting paid to his race, however he did manage to set the fastest lap. Scott Kendall and Josh Young fought for the lead with Stafford and Tuckley in chase. Kendall won the race from Young with Stafford taking third. In the Mightys, Sarah Moore got the best start, but by lap five Harrington was making his mark. The intense six-car battle…

Ever since the suggestion for a 2017 Irish international Mini Meeting was chalked on to the ground at the Swiss event six years ago, IMMers have been licking their lips about a return to the Emerald Isle. And we’re not just talking about the Guinness; many still have fond memories of the Irish Mini Owners Club-organised event of 1997, which took place in Bandon, County Cork. So it seemed only right that the club should take the reigns again 20 years later, and that’s exactly what happened as one of the best IMMs in living memory took place from May 25-29. Yes, the club had to make the fairly late decision to relocate the event from Piltown to Westport House in County Mayo, but no-one was complaining when they pitched…

June 24-25 Mid Summer Mini & VW Bus Meet A relaxed meeting for Minis and VW Campers at the DK Rugby Club, Kingswinford. Camp over on the Saturday night and enjoy the live band in the bar. Sunday’s main event will feature a Show ‘n’ Shine, plus trade and jumble. www.britishminiclub.co.uk June 25 ISMOC Classics on the Quay ISMOC is holding a navigational Mini run in aid of Fresh Start - new beginnings, which supports children who have been abused. It starts at Stonham Barns in Suffolk and finishes with a static Mini show on Ipswich waterfront, where prizes will be awarded. Entry is open to all classic Minis and costs £7 per car. www.ismoc.co.uk July 8-9 Brands Hatch Mini Festival Superb Mini racing event at Brands Hatch. Expect a…

“When I went to look at it, I knew it was definitely going to be the one...” Often, it’s the cars you don’t buy that live longest in the memory. Remembered as bargain opportunities, they’re never weighed down by the reality of rusty sills, oil leaks and big bills. For one reason or another though, the chance was missed, prices of similar cars have inevitably sky-rocketed and you’re left to ponder what might have been. Sound familiar? It does to Shaun Stephenson, but the Yorkshireman has certainly made up for any disappointment with this retro-styled 1980 saloon. His first car was a Mini and he’s owned several in the past, but one memorable example got away. “Just short of 30 years ago I was offered a MkI Almond Green ex-hillclimb…

No one likes being excluded for not quite fitting in, but that’s long been the case for a variety of very special competition Minis. These are the cars built on fairly modest budgets, brimming with ingenuity and variety but not quite meeting the tight regulations of a top-level series like Mini Miglias. Sure, they’ve been able to strut their stuff in multi-marque sprints, hillclimbs and circuit championships, but they’ve been unable to find a permanent home where they can go wheel-to-wheel with a grid of fellow Minis. Well, until now that is... Previously, the Miglia race series has included an invitation class for Minis that don’t conform, but the Mini 7 Racing Club has ramped things up considerably for 2017. Its new Libre class is a modern-day interpretation of those…

Keith Calver Minimag Tech Expert MINI LIFE Started out as ‘a hand with the spanners’ to my cousin Peter who’d just started racing in Mini Miglias. Spent fortunes at Mini Spares Centre building a couple of Miglias before joining the company for 5 years. During my ‘Mini Life’ I’ve had everything on the road from bog standard 850s to Monstrous 1600s and every conceivable variation in between. MINI SPEC Clubman shell undergoing a serious diet. Latest engine spec will be 1330cc with Marine Engineering crankshaft, billet steel con-rods, bespoke made one-off forged pistons. Cam will be a Graham Russell 308 full-race item, with large diameter cam followers. New venturi-spec cylinder head, 1.4:1-ratio solid steel CST rockers, MSC competition push rods and Weber 45DCOE on Maniflow five-inch inlet manifold. MSC Clubman…

Planning to keep a car standard is the automotive equivalent of famous last words, but Japanese enthusiast Edamame-san had plenty of previous form for doing just that. Ever since buying a 1990 Mini Mayfair as his first car, he’s kept every single one of his three subsequent British cars, a 1966 Countryman, a 1963 Cooper and a 1969 Vanden Plas Princess, absolutely bone stock. He even kept his Japanese kei car original when circumstances forced him to veer off his preferred path for 10 years or so. So what changed after he bought this Clipper Blue 1960 Morris Mini-Minor five years ago? “I made friends with a guy who owned a rally replica Cooper S, and seeing his car, and listening to him talk about it, I thought it was…

Snetterton Circuit was the host for Motorsport Vision’s first ‘Mini Festival’ of 2017 on 13-14 May, as a lead up to the ever-poplar Brands Hatch and Oulton Park weekenders later in the summer. The programme wasn’t quite as packed with Minis as you’d hope for, but the Mini 7 Racing Club and an all-comers branch of the MINI Challenge were there beside a range of other muggle racers. The one-litre screamer Mini Se7ens were certainly the act to follow, with a huge grid of cars, probably the most classic Minis we’ve seen on track in many years. Racing was close and frantic, with a lost wheelarch or two on most corners and slip-streaming down every long stretch of the 200 circuit. Any driver to build up a small lead was…

The relationship between Metro and Mini owners has historically been one of rivalry and engine pilfering, but if the second annual National Metro and Mini was anything to go by, it’s now one of mutual respect and admiration. The two joined forces at the British Motor Museum on June 4, with a host of superb examples on display. This is a unique event on the calendar, and once again both Metro and Mini fans turned out in strong numbers. At the centre of the show were concours and show and shine competitions, with categories for Minis, Metros and MINIs. For the second year running Sandra Britton won two classes in the concours with her MkII and Clubman pairing, and there were also class wins for Bob Holt’s Italian Job LE…

GOLD CLASS Name: Callum Simpson Car: Mini Piccadilly Location: London • After selling my City E late last year due to a huge amount of rust, there was no going back – another Mini was a must! It was a lot harder than I thought to find the right one, but after six months of searching I found this very original 1986 Austin Mini Piccadilly at Brooklands Mini Day finished in Cashmere Gold, my favourite colour. Since then it’s had new sills, A-panels, doorskins, a door step and an overall tidy, I’ve recently had the interior fully re-trimmed in cream vinyl with brown piping by JCS Custom, using a set of late Mini Sprite seats. I’ve also fitted cream carpets and a new seat of gold Superlights. I still have…

The characteristics that define us are often bred in from an early age, and for Iain Wood, it’s always been about his need for speed. The Scot grew up around Minis, with an early Fiesta Yellow Mini as the family car, and he even passed his driving test in one. His father was a mechanic for the Appleyards dealer in Edinburgh, and being quite handy under the bonnet, swapped the family steed’s 848cc motor to an 1100 version so they could get to the shops and back in a timelier fashion. Evidently that had quite an effect on Iain, for he’s been relentless in his pursuit for extra pace ever since. He’s owned a fair few motorbikes, and his current garage houses a Café Racer-style creation, a Harley Davidson and…

COST Dog engagement gear kit £1575, roller drop gears £366, pion support housing £150, NXG LSD £535.00. CONTACT 01455 618464, www.med-engineering.co.uk Most Minis were fitted with fullsynchromesh gearboxes as standard. Generally smooth and quiet, they work via synchro hubs and baulk rings to match the speed of the gears before they engage. So surely getting rid of the synchromesh is a backward step? On a daily driver, yes. But for trackday and competition use, quick and precise gear changes are paramount. Dog gear engagement works by having numerous large teeth or ‘dogs’ that mate into matching openings machined into the opposite surface of the drive gear. There is no synchronising mechanism, so it’s all about shifting quickly. Secondly, when you go silly with horsepower, the standard synchros can be found…

“Product labelling and historical brand recommendation is no guarantee...” Recently, the subject of oil had accounted for an increasingly burgeoning section of my inbox, as well as visitors to the CST workshop and many questions on my recent trip to Malaysia. The latter has subsequently spawned a deluge of questions from other Asian countries, too. Essentially the question is ‘what is the best oil for my Mini?’ The basic answer is ‘the one with the relevant components in it’. Not at all helpful, so I can’t leave it at that. It’s hard enough to advise UK-based Mini enthusiasts, where I am aware of at least some of the oils available and have used a number of them. This is backed up by the experiences of friends, relations, colleagues and technically…

Stephen Colbran Contributor MINI LIFE My Mini life began aged 13 with a SEGTO Junior race Mini, followed by the usual path of learning to drive in a Mini, joining a local club and getting involved in the shows. 17 years later, I've driven, photographed and written about some of the best cars on the scene. I've now got two project cars – a stripped-out trackday warrior and a supercharged MINI Cooper S daily drive. Both have their merits, but only one works... MINI SPEC My project is a more traditional style Mini with a tuned 1330cc A-Series, whilst this latest build from my dad is anything but normal. It features a Vauxhall Astra VXR turbo engine, 5.5-inch roof chop and a ‘70s custom style. It’s a home-brew retirement project…

There’s nothing quite like a proper English seaside resort on a hot sunny day, especially when well over 2000 Minis take over. That’s exactly what happened on May 21, when Minis of all ages and derivatives made the annual pilgrimage from the capital down to the south coast for the 32nd annual London to Brighton Mini Run. So in demand were places for this London and Surrey Mini Owners Club flagship that the first allocation sold out in just two and a half hours! Those lucky enough to get a ticket certainly had an event to remember. The Crystal Palace Park starting point was opened on the Saturday for campers to make a weekend of it, creating a real festival atmosphere on a balmy London evening. Leading the convoy bright…

Often referred to as Scotland’s answer to London to Brighton, the Mini Clan put on another great event for the 18th annual Thistle Run. The showers managed to stay away and runners were accompanied by glorious spells of sunshine as they took a scenic route to the west coast Scotland. Over the 183 starters, there were a host of impressive classic Minis and MINIs in attendance. This included early ‘60s examples, Clubmans and GTs, commercial derivatives and even wild Z Car hybrids! The route took in lots of undulating B roads through the forests and countryside. The Clansmen kept up with their Thistle Run tradition and were found handing out mugs in fancy dress during the tour. Upon arrival at Troon, the sun put its hat on once again and…

“This is a true case of triumph in the face of massive adversity...” PROJECT PROFILE THE OWNER NAME: John Pook AGE: 44 OCCUPATION: MoT tester and mechanic LOCATION: Surrey THE CAR: CAR: 1965 Morris Traveller START CONDITION: Barn find with rust CONDITION NOW: Nearly ready for exterior paint TIME TAKEN SO FAR: Eight months ESTIMATED TIME OF COMPLETION: This winter Sometimes, project cars are just meant to be. John Pook already had a 1966 Almond Green Austin Countryman to his name, restored from the ground up into a show winner. But looking for a second early Mini to tackle next drew a blank, until one night the perfect opportunity appeared on eBay – a genuine barn-find Morris Traveller stored for 32 years. And when John saw that the letters on…

There’s no doubt that in the 16 years (is it really that long?) since the MINI was launched by BMW, the ‘modern’ car has gathered a lot of drivers and enthusiasts to its cause… so much so that the early examples, especially the Y*** OBL-registered press and pre-production cars, are now classed as collectable and retro, if not full-on classics in their own right. Nevertheless, we still get a warm feeling when we hear of a MINI driver taking a look at the classic version, thinking about what they want from a car and deciding that’s the way to go with their motoring. Ian Fitzpatrick from Oldham is a great example of this phenomenon, and is the proud owner of this very tasty mid-’90s Cooper, recently minted-up by the talented…

CARB OPTIONS Q I’ve been going through the various carburettor options for my 1293 build, but I have to confess I’m a bit lost when it comes to what people describe as ‘split’ Webers. Can you advise what they mean by this please, and would split Webers be a good option for a fast road car? If not, what would be a good option? I’m aiming for around 100bhp if possible. Roger A You only need carburettion of sufficient capacity to cope with the likely output of your chosen build spec. Fitting carbs with greater capability will not give your engine spec any more performance. Not knowing what your chosen spec is, I cannot advise what carburettor options would best suit. However, split Webers we can cover. In the early…

Jeff Ruggles Editor MINI LIFE I’ll run out of fingers and toes if I try and count all the Minis I’ve had. I love to spend all my spare time working on them, although progress can be tricky as I have far too many. MINI SPEC I currently own seven Minis in various states of repair. Currently only a couple are road legal, although I’m working hard to change all that! MINIS OWNED 1971 Mini 850 1972 Mini 1275 GT 1972 Innocenti Mini 1001 1991 Mini Mayfair 1994 Mini Mayfair To do list 1. Replace the rod-change oil seal 2. Find some more horsepower! Although not quite as last- minute as in previous years, two weeks ahead of the International Mini Meeting in Ireland there was still an awful lot…

Jeroen Booij Maximum Mini writer MINI LIFE My first car was a Mini, and many more followed, but the focus became more and more on kit cars and specials, and more and more on researching them rather then owning them. I’ve tracked down several long-lost obscurities and wrote three books on Mini-based vehicles so far, known as the Maximum Mini trilogy of terrors. MINI SPEC 1966 Le Mans Mini Marcos. This car came with a 1289cc Cooper ‘S’ engine, AEA649 camshaft, AEG480 crank, AEG163 head, AEG333 gearbox casing with straight- cut close-ratio gears, SU H4 carburettors, double radiators and much more but is now a bare shell! MINIS OWNED 1966 Le Mans Mini Marcos To do list 1. Assist on body repairs. 2. Find ultra-rare petrol filler cap. 3. Restore…