Innehållsförteckning för September 2015 från Mini Magazine

Whilst standing outside a posh hotel the other day, it struck me how boring modern car colours really are. Silver, black and the odd white, with nothing to stand out from the crowd. What happened to all the proper colours? Can you imagine a Mini Magazine with no reds, blues or any other bright colours to speak of? Fortunately we don't have to. Minis remain one of the few cars where people aren’t afraid of a splash of colour, which is reflective of people that own them and the scene in general. Sure, we love a nice subtle build, but variety is the spice of life and a Mini allows for plenty of that. Check out this issue for instance; as well as MED's grey racer, we've got reds, blues,…

• The former Cooper Car Company garage in Surbiton was honoured with a commemorative ‘red wheel’ plaque by the Transport Trust on August 1. The occasion was attended by a healthy turnout of cars from Box Hill Mini Club and other enthusiasts. The Cooper Car Company began building race cars in Surbiton in 1946, winning the Formula One Constructors’ Championship in 1959 and 1960. Regarded as the home of the Mini Cooper, the building remained the home of the Formula One team until 1965, but continued to be used for Cooper car sales afterwards. In April 1968 the garage was rented to the Metropolitan Police, but has now been unoccupied for more than two years. “In its day the building was home to the most prolific racing car factory in…

• The Mini 1275 GT bodyshell rescued from the tunnels under the Longbridge plant has put been on display in the Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon. The car was initially discovered by urban explorers a couple of years after Longbridge closed in 2005. Showing 11 miles on the clock, it’s believed that the Mini was put in the tunnel when nearly new after a storage container was accidentally dropped on it. Most of its parts had been removed, although some fittings and items of trim remained. Inspired by the poignant images of the discarded GT, ex- Longbridge employee Steve Morgan rescued the car from the tunnel in 2012 and straightened some of the bodywork. It found a new owner after being sold for £1400 at auction in 2013, and has…

• Record crowds flocked to a sun-drenched Shelsley Walsh for the annual classic meeting on July 18-19, where they were entertained by flying displays, exotic race cars on the hill and special guests in the paddock. Period costume is actively encouraged for this celebration of classic motoring and Derek Bell, who was one of the special guests of the weekend, blasted up the hill in a selection of cars from his sporting career. Minis played a starring role as ever, and there were some fine examples in action and on display. Paul Jones excelled in his Britax Mini, winning his class, as did Mike Gallery in his beautifully prepared 1380. Mick Brough competed in his very early and near-standard 1071 Cooper S, and just to stick out from the crowd,…

• As the last airworthy Vulcan XH558 enjoys its final flying season, members of Lincoln-based club Bomber County Minis marked the occasion by gathering in formation at RAF Waddington for an iconic photo opportunity. The majority of the club’s 43 members were present, bringing along 20 Minis to be lined-up alongside Waddington’s non-flying Vulcan gate guard aircraft, XM607. The visit was organised by Mini enthusiasts Chris Moss and Laura Evans. Both are serving members of the RAF, with Chris based at RAF Wittering and Laura based at RAF Waddington. “With XH558 being the last ever flying Vulcan in its final flying season from Robin Hood Doncaster Airport, it seemed fitting that our members gathered with their cars at RAF Waddington – the home the Vulcans during the famous Black Buck…

Following the Brands Hatch Mini festival, the next rounds of the Dunlop Mini Se7en and Miglia challenges, supported by Mini Spares, took place at Donington Park on July 25. The 29-car entry for the opening Se7ens encounter saw pole-sitter Darren Thomas joined on the front row by Gareth Hunt. Thomas led away, with Paul Spark passing Hunt on the inside line into The Old Hairpin. The five-car dice for second was then led by Graeme Davis from Hunt, Ashley Davies, Spark and Max Hunter. Once again fate intervened, with Hunt suffering brake failure at The Chicane and another unfortunate retirement. Soon amongst the front-runners was Andrew Deviny, in a rebuilt car following his off at Brands Hatch. He rose to fifth after passing Hunter on lap five, with Davies, Hunter…

The ever popular Mini Meet East returned for 2015 after a 12-month sabbatical for the five-yearly Mini Meet East meets West show to take place. Held in St Michaels on the eastern shore of Maryland from June 29 to July 2, the organising club this year was the Capitol Mini Register, and its vast experience showed in the quality of the event. With a full three days of activities planned, plus an optional fourth for those who wanted to join in the autocross, attendees had plenty to keep them occupied. But even though the schedule was packed, nothing felt rushed and plenty of time was set aside in the evenings for the American Mini fans’ second favourite activity – standing or sitting around in groups, swapping stories, drinking beer and…

The famous Saint Goueno hillclimb venue is situated in the Brittany countryside and has become legendary amongst hillclimbers for its warm welcome and excellent organisation. Each year it hosts its Masters event, with 85 drivers from Britain and Ireland invited to pit their wits against the winding 3.2-kilometre course. Described as having the feel of Goodwood about it, this year’s Masters took place at the end of May and saw an impressive roll call of Minis from circuit racing, sprint and hillclimb disciplines. The West Country gang was lead by Pete Crewes, who brought along his seven-port screamer. Pete was unable to race as he awaits the reinstatement of his MSA licence following a medical condition, so Bob Bennetts, the last John Cooper Garages classic Mini Works driver, was the…

Your invite to MiniFest... Welcome to MiniFest Uttoxeter, the complete Mini event organised by the British Mini Club. We welcome all Mini enthusiasts from far and wide, embracing all Minis from 1959 to the present day. This event has all the ingredients that you would expect from a BMC show, with a full Mini concours, club displays, the best Mini traders from around the country and all of our show sponsors. The Mini Show & Shine makes a welcome return, together with competitions for the loudest exhaust, best bass-thumping Mini sound system and weirdest horn! New features for this year include the opportunity to leave MiniFest £1000 richer thanks to our Golden Ticket raffle, and there will also be a trophy up for grabs for the rustiest Mini - take…

CUSTOM COOPER Name: Kyle Hepworth Car: MkI Morris Cooper S Location: New South Wales • My car was a restoration job between my dad and I. In 2003 when I purchased this car as a bare shell, we already had parts lying around the house from the other Minis we own. We stripped and sanded back all the paintwork, which wasn't the easiest task, had to weld on a new front wing and also fabricate a new front panel as it was completely rusted through. The car was painted in primer in late 2005, painted by my dad in our garage in 2006 and I then spent time purchasing every Mini part I could find! We came to the UK in 2010 and I purchased my last parts to get…

One birthday you’ll wake to a sea of Mini-themed cards, there’ll be at least two or three old engines stashed away in the shed (just in case), and perhaps without even realising, you’re now missing a large portion of your head thanks to that damned bonnet catch. By now it’s got you hooked – the Mini that is, hopefully not the bonnet catch. As Stuart Thornton talks us through the story of his beautifully modified Mini Pick-up, the moment of passing through the gates to Mini obsession is clear to any outsider. The past two months had been a hard-fought push to get the rebuild complete for the International Mini Meeting, and Stuart was finally on the way over from Dublin to Kent. Having crossed the Irish Sea, the 1380…

TIME Allow three hours for both sides COST £36.48 for the bare backplate CONTACT Mini Spares and other stockists www.minispares.com DIFFICULTY Front drum brakes have always had a bad press when associated with the Mini. Compared to discs, they require more maintenance, are less efficient and are more prone to fade. So they must be ditched immediately and replaced with disc assemblies, right? Not necessarily. Non-performance Minis were fitted with with front drums until the move to 12-inch wheels in 1984, meaning there are still a surprising amount of Minis so equipped. The earlier single-leading shoe type fitted up to 1964 is probably best suited to original-spec restorations only, but the later twin-leading shoe type can be very effective. When fitted the correct way round, a leading brake shoe behaves…

Tradition has it that your 18th birthday present has to be a bit special. It’s the one year when you can expect your parents to dig a bit deeper, with one final big gift as you pass into full-blown adulthood and all the responsibilities that come with it. Even so, there’s no way Billy Guest could’ve have expected to receive the present he did, especially as his father, Brett, would never have believed it either! When Brett decided his 18th birthday gift for Billy was going to be a Mini that the pair could get on with as a project, feelers went out for a suitable car to buy. And although the budget set was just £1000, in the end Brett ended up forking out £1500. But that was still…

Rounds seven and eight of the Mighty and Super Mighty Mini Championships took place on July 18-19 at Castle Combe in Wiltshire. Team mates Brayden Fletcher and Liam Sullivan continued their good form to occupy the Mighty’s front row, while championship rivals Jamie White and Scott Kendall did likewise in the Supers. The opening Mighty race saw Fletcher and Sullivan lead the field up to Avon Rise and round Quarry for the first time. Penny Jones had a half spin as she braked for Quarry causing several of the drivers to take a wider line to avoid her. As the cars settled down into a rhythm the front pack started to pull away, with Fletcher dropping out of the race after just five laps. Stuart Coombs passed Sullivan at Tower,…

Mini fans from all over the western USA gathered at Abbotsford in Canada’s Fraser Valley for this year’s Mini Meet West on June 29-July 2.Co-hosted by Vancouver Mini Club and Victoria Mini Club, enthusiasts travelled from as far as Idaho (1000 miles) and southern California (1500 miles) to join fellow attendees from Oregon, Washington and western Canada. The midweek event featured a host of highlights, some sillier than others. The autocross proved to be a thrilling attraction, with several very fast drives. Mokes are killers between the cones, with their ground-level centre of gravity. The course was on a banked local racetrack, so a skid meant a sideways slide downhill and a penalty cone hit. It was top fun watching people trying to enter the sloping stop box without hitting…

A terrific turnout of cars representing the very best of everything BMC and Leyland lit up the Heritage Motor Centre on July 5. There was a large Mini attendance too, with the 1959 Mini, Countryman and Estate, 2000 Mini and Cooper Sport 500 registers all present. With around 15 substantial club displays, a concours and the attractions of the Motor Centre itself, this show has become a wonderfully varied day out. To add to the occasion, two convoy runs are organised from Longbridge and Cowley, and this year was another roaring success as 25 cars took part in each. They arrived at the show around 10.45am, waving flags, displaying rally plaques and providing plenty of excellent photo opportunities. All day the concours competition was in full swing. Some of the…

PROJECT PROFILE THE OWNER NAME: Hayley Price AGE: 31 OCCUPATION: Postie LOCATION: Woking THE CAR: CAR: Morris Mini 850 MkII START CONDITION: Bare shell CONDITION NOW: In need of a second restoration TIME TAKEN SO FAR: Around 15 years on-and-off ESTIMATED TIME OF COMPLETION: Early 2016 Hayley Price and her husband Matt have got their hands properly full of Minis and projects, so choosing which car to start working on next is usually the biggest hurdle. The tools, knowledge and workshop space are all there, but that often leads to hurdle number two – spare time. “We’ve always got club members round to work on their cars,” says Matt with a laugh, “and we’ve just finished a restoration on Hayley’s dad’s Scamp. There’s always something on the go around here!”…

We very rarely give the same Mini the full feature treatment twice, as after two decades of publishing the magazine, there are still so many incredible cars to show you. This time, however, we’ve made an exception. First featured in March 2010, Simon’s modified ‘64 sat surrounded by snow, complete with a brutal Weber-fed 1380 and a utilitarian race style. The style remains, but Simon has been extremely busy with the car’s foundations. The Smoke Grey machine has very much evolved and we couldn’t resist a second look at this harder, faster and lighter interpretation of one man’s perfect MkI. UP AND RUNNING Having been stripped down in the ‘80s and left to rot, the MkI arrived in a shabby state. For £150, it was worth saving from the scrapyard,…

MAGIC WAND Q I have a 1967 Mini 850, which I want to fit with a 1275cc engine and disc brakes. However, as it’s a valuable car now, I don’t want to spoil the looks. My plan is to keep the engine bay looking as original as possible, and use 3.5-inch Cooper S wheels so I don’t have to fit arch extensions. The main thing I want to keep is the magic wand gearlever. I’ve seen Guessworks does a hybrid rod-change box with a wand, but it would be expensive to get it sent over here in Australia. Is there anything I can do to mate my 1275cc engine up to my magic wand ‘box? It’s an A-Series from an ADO16 currently fitted with a rod-change gearbox. Carl Watson A…

KEITH CALVER Keith has been Mini Magazine’s tech expert since we launched in 1996. Keith’s Mini CV speaks for itself: he joined the motorsport scene as a Miglia competitor in 1978, before a five–year stint at the Mini Spares Centre (London) in the early ’80s. Now independent, Keith builds race engines for numerous disciplines. His 1275 GT race car and sharing his vast amount of Mini knowledge are also main focuses. Recent years have seen quite a change in piston rings supplied from major manufacturers. The most stand-out feature here is that they tend to have what would be construed as massive ring end gaps compared to previous years. Originally, the generally accepted formula for determining the correct ring gap for any particular bore size was 0.004-inch (0.10mm) for each…

Fancy giving your Mini the beans without fear of reprimand from boys in blue? Perhaps you’ve fitted a trick new engine or suspension and want to try it out? The Mini Action Day in association with Mini Sport offers the perfect chance, and we’ve got two 15-minute track sessions plus entry tickets and passenger ride passes to give away to lucky readers. The Mini Action Day has been taking place at the famous Castle Combe circuit in Wiltshire for more than 20 years. This year’s event takes place on Saturday September 26, and alongside the all-action track sessions, you will find a wide variety of classic Minis on display, numerous traders, thrilling passenger laps in race Minis and even hot air balloons and Daleks! Full event details can be found…

• A stunning summer evening greeted a bumper turnout of Minis as Mini Spares Midlands joined forces with the British Mini Club for its opening evening at the end of June. Taking place for the 14th time, the event saw Minis squeezed into every available nook and cranny at the firm’s Oldbury-based premises. As well as discounts on parts and free food vouchers for the first 50 Mini owners, the evening included plenty of entertainment in the form of caricaturist, a magician and acoustic music from Black Country Gaz. Our very own tech guru Keith Calver was also present to share his wisdom, as well as TV personality and restoration specialist Fuzz Townshend. What’s more, it was all in aid of a good cause, too. Proceeds from the evening went…

We make no apologies for our love of the Balkanska Minijada here at Mini Magazine. As one of the few events catering for Mini fans in the Balkan area and beyond, there’s always a very special atmosphere that lures participants back year after year. On this occasion, 130 people and over 60 Minis from Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Slovakia, Slovenia and even Finland joined their Serbian hosts for a three-day adventure based at Silver Lake. Located close to the banks of the River Danube in the east of the country, it’s a popular tourist resort often described as the ‘Serbian sea’. As ever, Vladimir Kovacevic, Igor Gajic and the rest of the Mini Club Serbia team came up with an all-new programme to keep things fresh. The meet point was…

To mark the RSP Mini Cooper’s 25th anniversary, the long-running RSP Cooper Register organised a special celebratory weekend on July 11-12. The RSP, as it later became known after the Rover Special Products department that developed it, was the limited edition Cooper that saw the famous name return to the model line-up after a 19-year absence back in 1990. A total of 1650 cars were built, with the 1050 for the UK market selling out in double-quick time and really setting the scene for the Mini’s strong resurgence in the ‘90s. The popularity of the RSP has soared even further since, with 30 examples gathering at the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon for the start of weekend’s activities. Here the cars were gathered for a group photo, while occupants could…

For the vast majority, a Mini rear light unit is an unremarkable bolt-on part that you fit and largely forget, but not so for Dan Dutch. Before refitting the clusters to his stunning Mini Thirty, the 24-year-old mechanic from the Isle of Wight wet-flatted the lenses so that they were perfectly smooth and polished them to a mirror finish – a move that he admits no one really notices, but is all part of his staggering attention to detail. If he’s willing to go to such lengths with a humble rear light, then what on earth is the rest of the car like? Incredible is the honest answer. Working in a regular domestic garage, Dan has joined forces with his father Dave and uncle John to create a Mini that…

The tides were changing, and MED Engineering knew 2015 would be the year to launch a new range of historic race parts to accommodate for the blossoming interest in the various pre-‘66 championships around Europe. All they required was a suitable car for development, leaving Steve and Lee Whitton of MED with a rather tricky dilemma. You see, the very best prepared cars on the scene - the ones you’d really want your name on - already had very close ties to leading A-Series tuners. So the guys at MED would either have to pin their hopes on an independent racer coming up through the field, or go the whole hog and build a car of their own. “The trouble when you support someone else is you never seem to…

STEERING WHEEL SPACERS £48.99 - 60mm £69.99 - adjustable Taller drivers can drop the steering column and fit extended seat brackets for a bit more comfort, but the wheel often becomes a bit of a stretch at the furthest extreme. These spacers look ideal if you have an aftermarket steering wheel already fitted, with either a 6x70mm or 6x74mm PCD, and the adjustable version brings the wheel 45mm to 70mm closer. It won’t make your Mini a super-comfy tourer overnight, but it may help. • 01268 764411 • www.bg-racing.co.uk HARDURA BOOT MAT From £43 MkI and MkII Mini saloons had a similar boot mat to this as an optional extra from the factory. It extended out of the boot and attached to the bootlid itself, for a neater finish and…