Mini Magazine November 2020

One of our favourite tasks on Mini Magazine is producing our 'On The Job' features. We get the chance to visit someone else's workshop/garage/front drive, check out how their project is coming along and then write about it in the magazine. It's inspirational, and we always come away with a few ideas of what we might incorporate into our own future projects. The icing on the cake is when one of these projects is completed. Shooting a feature on a Mini that we saw in build is a great feeling. To see if all the plans came together, how they changed and why. And it gives us just one more chance to talk Minis... This month's cover car, Wayne Wright's 'Storm', first appeared in Mini Magazine November 2019. It was…

When we first clapped eyes on Wayne Wright’s latest project (for November 2019’s On The Job feature), it was a primered rolling shell and the engine was just a dirty ball on the workbench. You’ll remember Wayne’s work on his partner, Caroline’s 998cc ’86 Mini. Since he’s finished that, he’s had more time to pour into his own project meaning they can now drive separately to car meets and make double the impact. “She’s a little different to what my original plans were!” Wayne muses. “Some of it’s the same. I wanted the exhaust coming out from the rear valance. I wanted the louvres, fibreglass boot and doors, fibreglass flip front and all Perspex windows (apart from the windscreen).” As anyone who has ever built their own car knows, early…

BODY Flip-fronted wide arched shell in retro sandy brown with fibreglass doors and bonnet and Perspex windows. ENGINE 1275 with +60 rebore, Omega pistons, SW8 cam, reground crank, reinforced centre strap, all new bearings, cam followers and push rods. 1.5lift roller rockers, JW Engines large valve ported head, Duplex Vernier timing chain, Craig Davies electric water pump and fan, MED Engineering lightened flywheel and clutch assembly, HIFF44 carb with uprated spring, close ratio gearbox, competition layshaft, central oil pick up, cross pin diff. DSN anodised parts. SUSPENSION Lowered hard mounted suspension with rose joints. TRANSMISSION Straight-cut drop gears and 3.4 drive. BRAKES Servo, 8.4 inch brakes, drums and Minifins. WHEELS AND TYRES 7.13 Superlights with Yokohama A539s 175/50R13. INTERIOR Cobra Clubman front seats, stripped rear, carpet throughout, electric dials, removable…

Husband and wife - and regular Mighty Mini Racers - Paul and Lissette Ogborn were amongst those taking to the track with Mighty Minis at Castle Combe on September 19th. What made the day unique was the fact that they were being joined on the grid by their son Joshua, 22, racing for the first time... As winner of the first race, it was Paul's job to draw the balls to establish the positions of the other cars. In a stroke of luck, Josh and Lissette both ended up at the front of the grid! A couple of other first timers, Mark Price and Bethany Hughes, were also taking part. “It was exciting, but also incredibly nerve wracking as I couldn’t help but wonder where Josh was during the race.”…

On Thursday 17 September, the team at Acespeed supplied a trio of Minis to a wedding at Bingley St.Ives Golf Club. Steve Waterhouse and his lovely bride Sarah were delighted with the Cooper Works, Italian Job and MPi Cooper. The bride specified that Ace wore his race suit and they also sent Liam Gallagher lookalike Chris McKibb to chauffeur the bride in his Cooper. A lovely day was had by all, and this is the first of many weddings that the team plan to be helping out with. www.acespeed.co.uk…

• The British Motor Museum is delighted to announce it is to host a series of brand new monthly evening gatherings aimed at motoring enthusiasts. The first ‘Gaydon Gathering’ took place on Tuesday 15 September from 5:30pm to 8pm and the next is on Tuesday 13 October. The Gaydon Gathering will then be a regular feature of the 2021 events programme, on the second Tuesday of every month starting on the 13 April 2021. These informal events will be held outdoors on the Museum’s arenas and are free to attend. Visitors can just turn up on the evening, with no pre booking required. At 7pm the Museum will present the ‘Gaydon Garage’ feature when the Museum’s workshop doors will be opened to reveal one of the fantastic vehicles from the…