Innehållsförteckning för April 2019 från Mini Magazine

Hello there! To say I'm excited to find myself back in the editor's chair of Mini Magazine in the 60th Anniversary year is somewhat of an understatement. It looks like being a great year for the Mini scene, and it's brilliant to be back at the heart of it all. Those of you with a very long memory will remember that I edited the magazine back in its earliest days - in fact, when the Mini celebrated its 40th year and the tracks were still rolling at Longbridge. Well, the world may have changed a little since then - and it would appear a new generation of Mini owners have been born and grown up - but the Mini scene is still as busy and as vibrant as ever. It…

Think back five years and you’ll remember how Mini Spares built a car in three days at the IMM and gave it away as a raffle prize. This year they are doing the same to celebrate the joint birthday of 70 years for Variety and Mini 60. This year’s car is a 1966 MkI with all proceeds going to Variety the children’s charity. The shell is being sent away to be restored and painted. The actual build will take place during this year’s IMM, with the lucky winner driving away a finished car after the raffle is drawn on the Sunday. Raffle tickets are £10 each and are available through the Mini Spares website. The car’s finished spec will include a 1293cc engine with either single or twin SUs, twin…

• This year sees the 10th anniversary of the Mini Cup, which arguably has become the largest one make championship in the world. The Mini Sport Cup is open to all Minis running A-series engines, but tries to limit the modifications to keep cost down, and runs classes for all sizes of engine. They’ve retained support from Mini Sport, Yokohama, Mintex and Penrite Lubricants. The championship runs over eight rounds which cover the length and breadth of the UK with one round in Belgium. The first round The Agbo stages takes place at Weston Park, Shropshire on the 16th March. Twenty Minis have already placed an entry for this stately home event. Included on the entry list are four past Mini Cup champions, regular existing competitors, three father and son…

Mini Fair is always a great way to kick off the season, but this year had the edge as we celebrated 20 years of Mini Fair alongside Mini 60. As ever, there was something for every enthusiast at Bingley Hall. With two halls devoted to autojumble and some great bargains to be had on the trade stands, no one was going home empty handed - we even managed to take a quick break to pick up a driver’s side floor for our ‘69 Riley Elf and a whole load of bits for our Downton GT. As ever the Pride of Ownership display attracted a lot of attention, as did the red carpet displaying the Premier Mini Concours finalists. The clubs really put their all into it and embraced the theme…

Richard knows what he likes and this passion and single-mindedness are seeing him through his latest project - a total rebuild with a very distinctive style and some daring modifications. Richard is as proud of his heritage as his list of builds which includes The Loudest Car in Scotland and the first turbo build in Scotland - he even lays claim to building the first Scottish drifting Mini. When people told him you couldn’t put hydraulic suspension in a Mini, he soon proved them wrong and built the first of its kind in Britain. The Burberry trim in Richard’s latest build is a throwback to his youth, growing up in foster care in the rough end of Glasgow in the 90s where you couldn’t move for the iconic pattern. When…

Car Transplants, formerly one of the largest independent salvage companies in the UK (and, from March 2019, an integral part of the newly created, market leading and gamechanging salvage and recycling business Synetiq Ltd), is not where you’d expect to find a classic car collection. Certainly not one on this scale. But John Schofield, MD of Car Transplants, is deeply passionate about classic cars. Indeed, it’s because of his passion, - and because he’s patently aware of the number of such cars to have ended their days in the jaws of one of his company’s crushers, that he’s been on a rescue mission. For almost three decades. “I started the salvage business in 1974, in a small yard and garage,” recalls John smiling. “The first car scrapped was a Hillman…

The one thing that never changed through the life of the Mini - from the first in 1959 through to the very last, waved off the Longbridge line by Lulu in 2001 - was its ability to rust. Yes, even those coveted final run Minis, approaching their late teens, are now seeking the attention of body shops up and down the land. And if they’ve been driven, the amount of tinworm they contain is no less, and in some cases, far more, than their older brethren. There is no question that Issigonis was a visionary engineer, but all of the cars that he will be most remembered for featured quirks that although extremely clever from an engineer’s point of view, let the vehicles down in real life. And this is…

There was a last minute invite to take my racer along to the Mini 7 Racing Club awards night in Stratford-upon-Avon, seeing as I’d won a few trophies last season. It was a good chance to give the car a once over and clean, plus a quick blast around the hotel grounds the following morning! There’s no racing for me in 2019, as I’ll be helping Paul Thompson make a welcome return to the Miglia grid, and he needs a few more pairs of hands. So in the meantime I’ll have chance to refine a few areas on the car and repair some surface rust on the floors, ready for 2020. Yet more rust is kicking off back home, where Dad’s City project is in for a rebuild. Actually it’s…

Minis have been an important part of Phil Weymouth’s life, and have been for as far back as he can remember. And it all began with Phil’s Mini-obsessed father. “It all goes back to my dad,” he reminisces. “He had a real passion for Minis and he used to race and rally various Cooper and 1071S and 1275S models in the South West. With great success too. And, my earliest motoring memories are of travelling in a Mini. “When I was older, we used to travel to events and watch him compete. What’s more, both my uncles, and a lot of his friends, used to compete in Minis. Barely a weekend passed without those friends calling around in their competition Minis. I got hooked on the sight and the sound…

Seemingly every generic classic car event is dedicating itself to the Mini’s 60th anniversary in 2019, but for our favourite car to be celebrated at the prestigious Salon Rétromobile in Paris was undeniably something special. Taking place for the 44th time on February 6-10, the event lit up the French capital with a stunning mix of automotive exotica and French heritage, but also found space to represent the humble Mini on its big year. The headliner for Mini fans was a fantastic display occupying the lengthy walkway between Halls 1 and 2 at the Paris Expo venue. There were 21 cars in all, ranging from the Haynes Museum’s 1959 Austin Seven to a late Rover Mini 40 in export-spec silver. Included amongst the line-up was a sectioned MkII (also from…

The Mini 7 Racing Club celebrated its 53rd season in style at the Stratford Manor Hotel on 26 January. The popular annual awards night saw the 2018 trophies presented to the Mini Miglia, Se7en, Libre and Se7en S-Class series champions, and a chance for club members to let their hair down away from the race circuits. Mini Se7en racer Leon Oliver Window made a fine debut as compere, handing out the awards alongside Mike and Alan Jackson, and Roland Eckert on behalf of series sponsor Mini Spares. It was Max Hunter’s second Mini Se7en championship title, while Aaron Smith celebrated his first Mini Miglia title. Longterm Mini racer Phil Harvey took the Libre championship with Scott Kendall collecting his Se7en S-Class winner’s trophy. Stephen Colbran and Rick Jessop took the…

The South African car market has always been an interesting one to say the least. Much like Australia and New Zealand, models available in SA often resemble those we had in the UK, but with the addition of unique native tweaks and touches, usually finished with a desirable badge we never had. Unsurprisingly, Leyland’s flagship Mini was treated to a unique South African-style makeover back in the 70s - welcome to the Mini 1275 GTS. West Yorkshire based mechanic and car restorer, Ben Thompson has always had a fascination with sporty Minis, especially the 1275 GT. “I’ve always had a soft spot for them as we have one that’s been in our family since 1991,” Ben explains, “it used to belong to my elder brother who passed away and my…

• Quite possibly the star of the collection, this 1964 Cooper S is a three -owner car. Supplied by The Babbacombe Garage, Torquay, to a Mr Horace Harris, the Heritage Certificate reveals that it was built on 2 December 1964. It was initially registered 1 ELH. Mr Harris obviously had deep pockets as, before he took delivery, 1 ELH was dispatched to Harold Radford Coachbuilders Ltd, where it became the beneficiary of a number of trim and bodywork upgrades. And that’s not all. Although originally Surf Blue/Old English White, early in 1967 Mr Harris had the exterior colour and interior trim changed to grey. Why? Because he wanted the Mini to match the colour of his Rolls Royce! Post repaint, the Mini didn’t actually remain in his ownership for long,…

When former fighter pilot, Tomorrow’s World presenter and BBC race commentator Raymond Baxter decided to go racing himself in the mid-1960s, it was clear from the start that his car had to something out of the ordinary. Despite the fact that he had been rallying a Cooper in the Monte Carlo rally to some success, the Mini was deemed just too common. So what to choose then? It was his friend Reg Phillips, Chairman of James Fairley Steels of Birmingham and an avid racer himself, who came up with the idea for a Moke instead. Phillips was a former Austin employee and had been building and racing his own Specials for many years. These had included everything from an Austin Seven-based car to single seaters with Ford, Jowett and Norton…

STEAMED UP Q In the winter, the windows in my 1982 Mini Mayfair seem to be constantly steamed up. The heater seems to make no difference, no matter how warm the engine is or how I set the controls. Is there anything I can do? Annie A The first thing to consider is not clearing the car of condensation, but rather what’s causing it. It would be worth taking a minute to check for damp carpets as any moisture inside the car will cause misting up. Leaking window, door and boot seals can let moisture in, which is difficult to get rid of. Often with Minis, it is hard to keep condensation under contro and there are plenty of other sources of moisture other than the driver and passengers. With…

Like all good projects, the Elf was one I didn’t realise I needed until it was placed squarely under my nose by old friend, Alex. This is not to say that I haven’t always fancied a booted Mini, but with values being what they are at the moment, and my lockup being full of cars screaming for love and attention, I didn’t think it was going to happen. But Alex wanted to find this little beauty a new home, I’m a soft touch and a deal was done. We’ll be bringing you a lot more on the Elf in the coming months, for reasons that will be come clear very shortly, but the basics are that the Riley failed an MoT a while back and Alex had just been too…

Future stuff: I fancied something different so after politely asking for a while, I have been accepted to drive as part of a four man team to take part in the two 24 hour Mini races with the Mini-Grand24 lot. I shouldn't have to do much of the preparation (I hope) for the car as it's not mine and it's 100 miles away. Roll on August and October! Expensive bits that I have bought: I have to say I have an air of despondency about my lithium battery I bought as a weight-saving device - it won't start the car more than once without re-charging it. We put an Anderson type connector so it could be started with a back-up battery but it won't re-start once it's again under its…

• Adventure tours 2020 bookings go live this month, so if you fancy getting involved make sure you secure that booking soon. Alongside their usual annual Mini driving adventures, next year sees the return of the Big Mini Festival and Elan Valley Run - which 500 minis attended last year - as well as a trip to the Nürburgring to tie in with IMM Germany 2020. Make sure you follow Mini Run UK on Facebook to stay up to date with their news and keep an eye out for the new website that will be launching very soon.…

• The British Motor Museum have announced their 2019 plans to celebrate the Mini’s 60th Anniversary. Starting with three weeks of ‘Mini Madness’ family activities during the Easter school holidays followed by two special events in August. Their Metro & Mini Show is moving from its usual June slot to Sunday 4 August 2019 in what promises to be an action packed show for all Mini & Metro enthusiasts. The 59 Register, the Mini Traveller and Countryman Register and the Cooper Sport 500 Register are all supporting the event. Plans are coming together for a Guinness Book of Records attempt on the Saturday before the show to create the largest mosaic of Mini’s ever seen. Organisers are hoping to attract over 600 classic Minis and variants to help spell out…

C’EST ÉLECTRIQUE! Name: Alexis Kind Car: 1979 build on a MkI Cooper S Location: Near Le Mans, France • This car was built in 1979 by French engineer, Maurice Bonnafous. His mother was looking for a car guaranteed to start in the mornings, so he decided to build his own electric car using a MkI Cooper S. Retaining the hydrolastic suspension, it featured four electric motors, with 36 volts it was capable of 80 kph and would run for an hour between charges. The car was road legal and passed the French individual homologation test in 1982. With no engine brake and rapid acceleration, the car was tricky to drive and before long, the car was gathering dust at the back of a bodyshop. When Alexis Kind stumbled across the…

• Even before the Mini was launched, Issigonis and his design team had already developed a longer wheelbase version of the basic Mini platform. The plan was to use this as the basis of three very closely-related, and very practical, models: the Estate, Van, and the Pick-up. The vans actually arrived first, in June 1960; the Pick-up arriving the following year. The Pick-up, which was rebranded as a 95 in 1979, sold quite well albeit not as well as the more practical Minivan. The 850 version remained in production until 1980, with the 998 making it through until 1983. Understandably, due to the rigours of commercial use (and oft-inevitable abuse), few have survived. Nevertheless, of this scant number, FRM 920V, which John bought just over a year ago from a…

There can’t be many race Minis built to the standard of the green machine on these pages with a novice cross on the back. But the truth is, when Josh Evans takes his Mini Libre out for his first test session, it’ll be his first time on a circuit at the wheel of a full blown racer. Josh is no stranger to Minis or indeed, to the pages of Mini Magazine, having previously had both of his road cars featured. “I’ve owned Minis since I was 12. My very first car, a customised 1991 Neon, was featured in 2012. It had had a full body resto, 13x7 wheels, bucket seats but with a 998cc engine - safe for insurance purposes. By 2015, I had an Yamaha R1-engined saloon, which had…

Rattling idler gears have become as much of the Mini owning legend as rotten rear subframes and ignition systems which can’t drive past a puddle. Rattles and whines from the transfer gears are part of the Mini driver’s soundtrack, but when the bearings fail on the idler gear, it can have catastrophic consequences. Alex Kinsman, old friend of Minimag and a regular contributor to these pages suspected that all was not well with the idler gear on Betty, his Union Jacked-saloon. He’d been forced to remove the transfer housing and then refit it in a hurry a few months ago, and he had a nagging feeling that something hadn’t been quite right on reassembly. The first time the unit had been rebuilt, it had been assembled bang on tolerance so…

MINI SPARES KEVLAR REINFORCED HOSES from £9.54 Mini Spares noticed that most standard rubber coolant hoses available seem to have a short life expectancy. If you’ve ever tried it you’ll know you don’t want to fit radiator hoses to a classic Mini that often! Their solution was to reinforce hoses with Kevlar - the same material used in army’s ballistic vests and helmets making them much more durable. The GRH240KEVLAR bottom hose will fit any classic Mini up to the 1275cc in 1990 and 998 Mini to 1992 including Clubmans. It can also be fitted to Austin, Morris and MG1100/1300 derivatives. • 01707 607700 • www.minispares.com MINI SPARES ROD CHANGE 1ST/2ND GEAR SELECTOR FORK £99.00 The shift fork has to cradle a gear spinning at high RPM whilst forcing it…

December 2018 was a memorable month and not just for the festivities - I’ve never been busier with my car’s restoration. With the body shell now finally fully repaired, its rollbar refitted and the rear wheel arches refabricated, it was time for paint preparation. I had some professional painters look at the car but the prices were too much for me. Fortunately, my old mate Joost van Diën came to the rescue. Joost is a fellow Mini Marcos enthusiast, who owns no less than three, all of which he has restored. He is also an excellent painter, and what’s more, he was in between jobs. We locked ourselves in a spray booth that we managed to hire from a friend of Joost’s. We started out with filler. Lots of it.…

We had an extra helper this weekend, former editor Martyn. He’s pretty fastidious when it comes to car bodywork, so he was the perfect person to help me achieve a good finish. We started rubbing down with 1500 grit wet and dry, then graduated to 2000, 2500 and finally 3000 grit. Then used a cutting compound and finally polish. I’m pretty pleased with the result, it’s not perfect and certainly not to a show winning standard but I’m very proud of what Alec and I have achieved. The work is going well, with quite a good shine, although unfortunately we’ve rubbed through the paint on the doors and bonnet, with the primer showing through. As we’d used all the Flame Red I will have to get some more mixed up…