Information on the Biota, kit cars

Hi I am hoping that you can all help me, I am curently in the process of restoring a Mini based kit car that was known as the Biota.
These were built in Dinnington Sheffield between 1969 and 1976, using a space frame chassis and a mini front subframe and engine, gearbox, etc.
I have trawlled the net for as much info and pics as I can find, and I have been reasonably sucessful, but I am hoping that some of you out there can help me with any pictures or info that you may have.





What one should look like when it is in top condition.







What ours looked like upon discovery.

www.briskoda.net/forums/project-journals/project-biota-underway/70851/

A little link to a full journal of progress on my car to date for those that are interested.

Look forward to hearing from you all.

[fuoriserie]

Was looking for info on the same car, and found this great japanese site on the BIOTA.

Lots of pictures, but unfortunately I can't read the info.

www.geocities.co.jp/MotorCity-Pit/5777/01biota.htm


I hope it helps with your build.....

Italo

[eccles]

if you start attending autojumbles with a bit of regularity you'll find that there's a few brochures/sales leaflets out there. i had a mini jem for 16 years, and when searching for bits and bobs on the jem i'd fairly often come across biota leaflets.
i seem to recall the different grill opening/nose profile was when it changed ownership, and maybe even changed names.

try asking on the mini marcos forum ( www.minimarcos.org.uk/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?b=MS ) or looking on their website, in recent years they've expanded to take in any mini special or kit car, and have a short history of the biota. www.minimarcos.org.uk/altpics/biota/index.html

[starch]

Thanks for that, Ive managed to translate that japanise page using bable fish, its fairly broken but it sounds like there were 3 exported there in 1999.

There were 2 versions of the Biota, the second variety had a more rounded nose and a fixed grill. That is what is in the above link. My car is one of the Mk 1 versions. This was confirmed to me recently when I managed to contact and visit the person that was originally responsible for doing all the fibreglass work on all of the cars that were made.

My car is also one of the motorsport bodies, these can be identified because the weave in the fibreglass is regular and looks like that of carbon fibre cloth

Thanks for the tip about the autojumbles, I have managed to go to a few just recently but so far have not found anything as of yet. However I will continue to search.

Edited by starch on Tuesday 8th May 11:41

[grahambell]

[old fart mode]Eh, haven't heard of a Biota for many years..[/old fart mode]

Nice restoration job there. Don't know much about these myself, apart from them being Mini based, but remember them appearing in magazines like Hot Car from way back.

Might be worth contacting Steve Hole of totalkitcar (www.totalkitcar.com) as he has all sorts of info on 'historic' kit cars and he might even be interested in doing a feature on the car.

[starch]

Thanks Graham, it is proving to be a really interesting project.

We have been looking in old hot car magazines when ever we find any at an autojumble, and have had a bit of luck so far, and have managed to find a couple of little bits.

Thanks for the tip I will send Steve Hole an email in the near future.

[spencer1970]

hi I used to ownt this biota (pet110h)

[Mistron]

http://maximummini.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Bio...

I wonder, does your car have a conventional pedal lay out? john Haughton patented a pedal layout where the accelerator and brake were combined - the acceerator effectively being a pivoted mechanism on the brake pedal. My old Coldwell Mink (F3 / Clubmans car also built for Haughton by Bill Needham) originally had this set up.

Al

[one eyed mick]

Hi 1 where are you based 2 when are you available 3 would you like input from someone who worked at the factory ,drove both prototype and production cars ?get in touch with me and we can prob meet up at your convenience and I try to remember as much as pssible for you . I drove many miles in the works demo car , hope to hear from you .I'm in north notts

[Mistron]

ah, Just realised how long ago the previous posts were!

But, 'one eyed mick' did you work for Bill Needham? I wonder if you are in this video......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No6RPr2N-mU

It's a cine film I got with the Mink

(why did I sell that car........????)

Al

[one eyed mick]

Mistron said:

ah, Just realised how long ago the previous posts were!

But, 'one eyed mick' did you work for Bill Needham? I wonder if you are in this video......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No6RPr2N-mU

It's a cine film I got with the Mink

(why did I sell that car........????)

Al

Hi I worked for John Houghton firstly at thurcroft and then we moved to dinnington where the production kits were mostly made ,I met Bill Needham very early on but poss only once or twice ,he and John had some sort of partnership but this seemed to die not long after I began working for John .My work was varied chassis work , engine and g/box , some fi glass , chauffering John about all sorts of things I thing my title was development and test engineer or chief gofor depending on the day and company , we had some great times and some great people Barry Jackson . Mick Major, Ian? who did work for Needham orig , happy crazy times

[one eyed mick]

Is it possible to find who the op onthis thread ?

[gnc]

hello, bit late , i know, but i did own the red one GRC 188N in the very distant past. geof

[one eyed mick]

one eyed mick said:

Is it possible to find who the op onthis thread ?

BUMP

[letsdrivelad]

See if these guys have any details of the owner, The OP's car is on their database / list.
http://www.biota-kitcar.nl/contact

David

[Star Kicker]

There is an very early Biota kit car for sale at the Essex Classic Car auction on the 4th March
https://bid.ecca.club/lots/view/1-ORLPT/biota-no-r...

[Skyedriver]

Bit like a Dastle

[one eyed mick]

I worked for Biota a lot of years ago and drove many miles in the prototype and the first factory demo car . My work consisted of many things from mechanics,glass fibre work , chauffering ,welding ,sales you name it! . the midget car may be an early development car that boss John Houghton race in Spedeworth midgets before I worked for him. Where are you based get in touch via here

[Gemaeden]

one eyed mick said:

I worked for Biota a lot of years ago and drove many miles in the prototype and the first factory demo car.

Did they have combined throttle and brake?

[spaximus]

A school friend of mines Dad had one of these in Conisbrough. He said his was made from Alloy and it was used for the moulds and was a friend of the owner at the time. I was 14 at the time and it was painted silver so may not have been true, but it looked good.

It was a radical looking thing and supposedly handled very well. Certainly was not what you expected to see around the area.