Innehållsförteckning för March 2016 från Mini Magazine

So here we are, properly into the swing of 2016. It's a little crazy to think the magazine celebrates its 20th birthday this year, having first hit the newsstands in May 1996. I still remember buying the first issue, probably after doing my paper round! It's great to be here after two decades, and we're looking forward to a very special year. Staying with anniversaries, 2016 also marks 50 years since the controversial '66 Monte Carlo Rally, where the Works Minis were denied a 1-2-3 finish by some rather suspect rule enforcement. We caught up with the likes of Rauno Aaltonen and Bill Price for their memories on the controversy, which is still a talking point after five decades. Read all about it from page 76. Elsewhere, we've got some…

• We were extremely saddened to hear of the passing of revered English musician David Bowie, who passed away aged 69 on January 10 following an 18-month battle with cancer. Bowie could include being a singer, song-writer, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, painter and actor amongst his many talents, and even made an impact on the Mini scene, designing a mirror-finish ‘art car’ ahead of the Mini 40 celebrations in 1999. When asked what inspired the design, he was reported to have said: “I wanted to make something that could not be distinguished from its surroundings.” The other two participants were fashion industry superstars Kate Moss and Paul Smith, with a fourth design, the ‘Mini Time Machine’, as displayed at the 2015 IMM in Lithuania, the work of Mark Ward from Hounslow.…

• Did you buy, sell or even build a Morris Mini 50 years ago? Brighton-based Pier Productions is looking for people and Minis to be featured in a new BBC documentary exploring the 50th anniversary of 1966. It’s hoping to hear from people with stories surrounding the 94,889 cars that rolled off the production line at Cowley during ‘66. Filming will take place during February, and the show will be broadcast on BBC One in Hampshire, Dorset, Oxfordshire, West Sussex and Surrey. For this reason only contributors from these areas are being sought. E-mail julian.paszkiewicz@pierproductionsltd.co.uk or call 01273 691401.…

• Downtown Dubai is gearing up for the eighth edition of the Emirates Classic Car Festival on March 15-19, with a strong turnout of Minis expected. The event, organised by global development company Emaar Properties, attracted nearly 400 hundred vehicles last year. The Best in Show award went to a rare 1956 Ferrari 250 Boano Alloy, but 24 members of the United Arab Emirates Mini Club displayed their often bizarrely modified Minis to win the Club Merit Award. The Mini is hot properly in Dubai now that right-hand-drive is permitted for imported classic cars, and we’re looking forward to seeing them once again line the elegant Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard at the foot of the 829m Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.…

Name: Keule Car: MkII Mini Traveller Location: Germany • I'm only the second owner of this Mini, an October 1969 MkII. When I bought the car in 1989 it was perfect for us with a baby and stroller, as there was far more space than our Mayfair, our daily car at this time. After the IMM 1989 in Silverstone I started the restoration, and after a long time with many breaks in between it was complete in 2007. There was a lot of bodywork to do, new Almond Green paint and a complete overhaul of the serviceables. The interior is all original and in great condition, with only a new carpet set. The engine was bored-out to 986cc and the car’s now covered 78,000 km. It’s one of eight Minis…

Name: Leo Fiquet Model: 1989 Mini City Location: Aulney, France • I was just 14 when I started the restoration of my Mini, a 1989 Austin. I bought it as a bare shell and had to make plenty of repairs, including much of the front floors and new outer sills. It was all resprayed at home in the garage, in a fresh layer of red and black, all colour coded for effect. The interior has been upgraded with matching red and black leatherette coverings. Since finishing it the original 998 engine has been replaced by a high-compression 1275, with a Stage 1 kit for a little extra power. The wheels are custom banded steels with original hub caps.…

At £100 a pop for a rusty MoT failure, back in the ‘90s you could brush-off critics left right and centre as you fixed-up and modified an old Mini to your heart’s content. Those times are long gone, so with the rarest Mini models in particular, like ‘59s or ‘English’ Mokes, standard-spec restorations are now the only way to go. And that’s why Peter Calleja’s ’65 stood out from afar, with standard MkI examples worth a small fortune in Spruce Green with their narrow steel rims and modest 850 engines. Here was a twin-carbed 1275cc Mini Moke with a bright red paint job, Cooper S disc brakes and smart alloy wheels. It was an undeniably cool break from the norm, all without ruining the car’s utilitarian charm, and we had…

Amongst other things, 1966 was the year of the mini skirt, Flower Power and the Space Race, not to forget England’s one and only victory in the football World Cup. By ‘66 the Mini had established itself as a truly classless British icon, hitting the headlines for all the right reasons as the Beatles brought a new sense of cool to Issigonis’ baby, together with movie stars and even royalty. But there’s one front page story that’s still being talked about some 50 years later, and for all the wrong reasons... By the mid ‘60s international rallying had gained household popularity in a way we can only really dream about today. The prize was the abundant publicity that success brought with it, and the lure of lucrative overseas markets. Successes…

SHAKING STOPPERS Q I’ve got a Mini fitted with 7.9-inch vented disc brakes and four-pot callipers. I know vented discs have their issues, but I’m happy to stick with them for now if possible. They are grooved too. The problem is that the car shakes quite violently under braking. Could my discs be warped? Or is it likely to be something else? Jools A That is generally caused by one of two things. First is, as you have suspected, the discs/ callipers. Though it is more likely to be the discs/disc assembly than the callipers, or something to do with the suspension. The discs may have become distorted in use after being machined down. The problem with turning vented disc diameters down from their designed operational diameter is that the…

The fate of the Mini 1100 Special is somewhat mysterious. Launched to mark the Mini’s 20th anniversary in 1979 and billed as the most lavishly-equipped production Mini ever, it was so popular that BL had to more than double its production run to cater for demand. The vast majority of Mini enthusiasts have a real fondness for the 1100 Special’s distinctive style, yet fewer than 100 examples remain in regular use. So what happened? There will be many theories behind this of course, but unlike models that are scarce simply because only a few were made, we reckon that the Special’s popularity is the very reason they’ve all disappeared. As a proper limited edition with many unique parts, it had a much wider kerb appeal than the standard 1000 model.…

• The British Motor Museum reopens to the public on Saturday February 13 following its £1.1million refurbishment. Formerly known as the Heritage Motor Centre, the new Museum will be visually more exciting with an immersive display of British motoring history, designed to appeal to both current fans as well as new audiences. Also opening on the same day is the new Collections Centre, allowing public access for the first time to an extra 250 cars from the reserve collections of the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust and the Jaguar Heritage Trust. Tours of both the Museum and the Collections Centre will be available daily and can be booked at no extra charge on arrival. All half term family activities are also free of charge. To find out more visit the…

After seemingly endless floods and storms in recent weeks, it was great to see a large group of Minis take to the road for Wirral Minis’ annual Wirral to Llandudno run on January 10. This unofficial curtain opener for the new season was blessed with streaming sunshine, offering a perfect antidote to the New Year blues and a great chance to blow out the winter cobwebs. With 132 runners booked in and another 12 meeting up on the day, the start point at Bromborough on the Wirral was a busy affair. The run remains free to enter, but participants are encouraged to buy a souvenir run plaque, something that has enabled the club to support Claire House Children’s Hospice for the last two years. From the Wirral, the runners wound…

MKI ACTION • The friendly MkI Performance Action Weekend has already become a must-attend event for early Mini fans. Held at the Blyton Park Motorsport Centre in Lincolnshire on the weekend of April 30 – May 1, it’s an excellent chance to get your Mini out on track with a host of like-minded enthusiasts. But that’s only the half of it, with a wide variety of classic Minis and derivatives on display, plus a host of legendary surprise guests. Previous visitors have included Gordon Spice, Warwick Banks, ‘Whizzo’ Williams, Anita Taylor, ‘Jumpin’ Jeff Williamson, Bob Fox and more. There are different track layouts for the Saturday and Sunday, and proceeds will go to Cancer Research. See mk1-performance-conversions.co.uk/action-day LONDON TO BRIGHTON • London and Surrey Mini Owners Club’s superb annual London…

Name: Millie Budd Model: Junior race Mini Location: Wallingford • I’ve just turned 10, I can finally progress from racing a Ninja Kart to a Mini. My car has been built by my dad and the team at the Real Mini Company and I’m running number 47, which is my grandad Ralph’s old race number from when he won a world title in a Mini. My first test was on 14 February and I’m hoping to gradually get up to speed this year once I’ve learned how to drive the Mini! It’s just a 998 but should still be quite fast for now. My dream is to race a Mini Se7en at Brands Hatch one day like my dad.…

PROJECT PROFILE THE OWNER NAME: Josh Kelly AGE: 24 OCCUPATION: Toyota technician LOCATION: Dunedin, New Zealand THE CAR: CAR: Modified 1963 MkI START CONDITION: Bare shell CONDITION NOW: Almost ready for paint TIME TAKEN SO FAR: Five years ESTIMATED TIME OF COMPLETION: October 2016 Almost 11,500 miles from its spiritual home, the Mini proved very popular in New Zealand, where production spanned 22 years and overall sales clocked in at 67,829 cars. While plenty more were sold in the UK, Josh Kelly from NZ’s South Island explains his local roads aren’t salted over winter and a greater percentage of cars have survived. His latest build, a 1963 MkI, has been an ongoing project since 2011. Now he’s reaching the final stages and progress is strong. Josh works at a Toyota…

“Pretty much everything from the scuttle panel down had to be replaced...” Sentimental value is a powerful force to be reckoned with. On paper, Stu Fellow’s rear seat conversion Minivan was a financial write-off, with a pop-riveted hotchpotch of repairs that would cost more to fix than its market value. But after years of reliable daily service, Billy the van was firmly part of the family, and thanks to a determined owner, this Tweed Grey workhorse would have to be saved one way or another. “When it first came along it was six or seven shades of grey where it had been patched up and weathered,” says Stu, as we ask about Billy’s history. “There wasn’t any rust on it but the top coat was dull, so for £700 I…

GT MODEL £18.99 Corgi is making great use of its Mini Clubman model tooling and has released another 1275 GT, this time a left-hand-drive Dutch version of the orange 1979 press car once seen at MIRA’s test track. Some readers may recall a press pic of model ‘Saskia’ posing with the GT in true ‘70s style, complete with denim shorts and crash helmet! The model features replica Denovo 12-inch run-flat wheels and gold GT stripes down both sides. • 01843 233525 • www.corgi.co.uk HOUSE PLAQUES £22.50 each With all this Mini parts shopping, help the delivery drivers with one of these custom house number plaques from Sticky Finger Decals. These measure 275mm x 120mm and can be customised with all kinds of numbers, names and messages. There’s a choice of…

What a start it’s been to 2016 for Paddy Hopkirk. As well as being awarded the MBE in the New Year’s Honours List, the 82-year-old Mini rallying legend has since been appointed Mature Driver Ambassador by the Institute of Advanced Motorists. Paddy needs little introduction to Mini fans – both he and the Mini Cooper were catapulted into worldwide fame when he won the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally in a Mini Cooper 1071 S, 33 EJB. Though many would say his achievements should have been recognised many years ago, his MBE has been awarded not only for his services to motorsport, but also for his more recent work as Patron of former High Wycombe-based charity SKIDZ. Established to provide training for disadvantaged young people and encourage them to find work…

• Tickets for the 2016 London and Surrey Mini Owners Club’s London to Brighton run have sold out in record time. Put on sale by Mini Spares on January 18 at 9am, the first batch of 1200 tickets released for general sale were all snapped up in a little over four hours. The demand for the 2016 run has surpassed last year’s event, when the first batch were sold over a period of four days, and in 2014 they were available for almost nine weeks. Such unprecedented demand caused some glitches in the system later on, meaning another batch of 200 tickets had yet to go on sale as we went to press, but we expect them to sell fast. The 2016 run is the 31st of its kind. It…

The curtain was brought down on the 2015 Japanese Mini racing season as the Super Battle of Mini took place at Tsukuba Circuit on December 12, hosted by Sanwa Trading. It was the last of four 2015 meetings to be organised by Sanwa, which join other events like Turtle Trading’s Turtle Cup to make up a comprehensive programme of Mini motorsport during the year. The Super Battle of Mini featured a whopping eight different Mini races on this occasion, together another three for non-Minis. Cars taking part ranged from tweaked small-bore Minis right through to hybrid-powered and silhouette creations. There were also two classes for big-bore A-Series powered cars, and two for injection cars using the standard ECU. A particularly interesting class takes place under the name ‘Classic Narrow Cup’,…

We’re usually able to spot the odd Mini or A-Series engine dotted about ASI, a mammoth event for all things motorsport at Birmingham’s NEC, but this year saw a real influx. First were a couple of MPi Coopers up for sale in the Coys auction, one a low mileage 2000-reg Cooper on 12-inch wheels and the other a rally-style ’97 that apparently once belonged to the Duke of Westminster. The 2000 car didn’t sell, but the ‘97 went for just over £5000 Burlen Fuel Systems had Mark Burnett’s historic racer as part of its retro SU Carburettor Company display, with a prototype DU6 carb bolted on a 3D-printed inlet. Apparently the engine runs with this plastic manifold attached, but they dare not leave it ticking over for long! When the…

Name: Terry Hulbert Car: 1975 Clubman Estate Location: Bangor • Here’s my 1975 Clubvan, a mix between an Estate and a van! I’ve owned it for around five years and replaced many panels, as well as building a tuned 1380 engine for it. The motor is running a BP285 cam, big valve Stage 3 head, lightweight flywheel, centre main strap, straight-cut drop gears and full stainless steel exhaust. The transmission was uprated with an Orange pressure plate and Metro Turbo clutch plate, then I fitted a cross-pin diff and 3.44:1 final drive. It’s not long been back on the road, so it needs running-in and setting-up properly. The paint is Nightfire Red metallic and the wheels are very rare Wolfrace Turbos in 13-inch.…

Remember Max Power magazine? It may have disappeared from the newsstands about five years ago, but in its heyday at the turn of the Millennium, it was a massive phenomenon. For several years it was the world’s best selling car magazine, but for many car enthusiasts it will long be associated with bad-taste bodykits and silly diameter wheels. So you can imagine we feared the worst when Alan Carruthers first contacted us about his Mini build, with Max Power right there in bold type as one of his main influences. It was with some trepidation that we scrolled down through Alan’s e-mail to see the pictures, but we were blown away by what we witnessed. No bodykits, no neon lights, but one of the best bike-engined Minis we’d ever seen.…

Broadly speaking, there’s a fairly well-defined rulebook for Mini styling these days. We’re talking a quartet of eight-spokes – perhaps Revolutions for a Clubman – subtle paint and some neat lashings of chrome. But it hasn’t always been that way; rewind back through the decades and it was much more commonplace for Minis to take their styling cues from the wider custom car scene. Graham Varcoe’s cool 1973 1275 GT is a reminder of those more colourful times. If you were a regular at Mini shows during the ‘90s, then you may remember Graham’s funky creation doing the rounds. It may have taken him over 30 years to get the car featured, but good things come to those who wait. Remarkably, this is the first car he’s ever owned, bought…

COST MSSK3008 kit - £84.00, lower arm ‘wiggly’ pin from £9.00 each CONTACT Mini Spares 01707 607700 www.minispares.com DIFFICULTY Last month we showed you how to refurbish a rear radius arm, adding adjustable camber and track brackets to correct rear end alignment as part of the job. Having proper control over your Mini’s suspension can only be a good thing if you’re keen to get the maximum from the driving experience. Get it wrong, and the experience can be frightening! Correct geometry can also prevent uneven tyre wear too, hence saving you money. That’s why we’ve decided to go the whole hog this month, and deal with the front of the car too. Your average four-wheel alignment centre will be able to help matters in most cases, but as standard…