1980 Black Convertible Mini (Previously owned)
Discussion
Hello,
I was going through some old photos and found these I took of my first car! A bit different, there were loads of Mini's at school, including a brand new Cooper Sport last 500 in red, a Domino 1380 fibreglass one and a heavily modified 1380 with the Zeemax kit on. Mine was a convertible!
It belonged to a friend of my dads and it hadn't been driven in a very long time. The paint was good, a couple of dents and scrapes but no rust, the roof needed replacing and the interior was very dated, some chromework needed replacing, but otherwise it was sound.
Pics when I went to view it...
Back home...
More to come...
I was going through some old photos and found these I took of my first car! A bit different, there were loads of Mini's at school, including a brand new Cooper Sport last 500 in red, a Domino 1380 fibreglass one and a heavily modified 1380 with the Zeemax kit on. Mine was a convertible!
It belonged to a friend of my dads and it hadn't been driven in a very long time. The paint was good, a couple of dents and scrapes but no rust, the roof needed replacing and the interior was very dated, some chromework needed replacing, but otherwise it was sound.
Pics when I went to view it...
Back home...
More to come...
New interior, Cobra Clubman seats with headrest, I made the door cards and dash
Funny the things you do when you're 17! I thought the cream interior would look cool! It also had blue LED lights which I fitted and a fancy stereo and big 6x9 speakers under the rear seat as there was no parcel shelf!!
Funny the things you do when you're 17! I thought the cream interior would look cool! It also had blue LED lights which I fitted and a fancy stereo and big 6x9 speakers under the rear seat as there was no parcel shelf!!
Then the head gasket went so I pulled it apart and learnt all about the workings of an engine! I also fitted a new stage 1 kit and an electronic ignition from my dads old rally car. I reground the valves and cleaned it all up when it was apart.
And that's it. I then sold the car and bought a written of 1991 Mini Cooper from Silverlake Salvage, I'll post a thread on that later.
And that's it. I then sold the car and bought a written of 1991 Mini Cooper from Silverlake Salvage, I'll post a thread on that later.
Edited by danyeates on Tuesday 1st March 19:52
Thanks for the positive comments. People at school LOVED it! I used to take friends home and they would stand up on the back seat holding onto the roll bar, much to my annoyance - the things you do at school!!
Most of the Bournemouth Mini Club consisted of my friends at school, probably due to the fact there was a Mini Spares Centre down the road from my house. It was like a kid in a sweet shop being in there. It was out in the middle of the countryside too so some great driving rounds round there. They carried all sorts of things in stock, you just couldn't help but go in there and spend a fortune on stuff! I loved the way I could get paid from my part time job at the pub, drive down there and spend a small amount of money on something that made the car look so much better (like £40 for a new bumper for example!). It was all there, on display, you could just turn up and decide what to buy. There was no going online and mail ordering expensive stuff, it was a proper old school store, things in brown cardboard boxes, little badges and things, which I loved. Heaven.
This was the store: http://www.bjautobits.co.uk/
It wasn't fast, but it was reliable (until the clutch and flywheel ate them selves). Still, that was just more experience as now I know what each part does and how they all go together!
The seats definitely needed replacing, not sure if cream was a good idea, they were a nightmare to keep clean. Kept going blue from my jeans.
Most of the Bournemouth Mini Club consisted of my friends at school, probably due to the fact there was a Mini Spares Centre down the road from my house. It was like a kid in a sweet shop being in there. It was out in the middle of the countryside too so some great driving rounds round there. They carried all sorts of things in stock, you just couldn't help but go in there and spend a fortune on stuff! I loved the way I could get paid from my part time job at the pub, drive down there and spend a small amount of money on something that made the car look so much better (like £40 for a new bumper for example!). It was all there, on display, you could just turn up and decide what to buy. There was no going online and mail ordering expensive stuff, it was a proper old school store, things in brown cardboard boxes, little badges and things, which I loved. Heaven.
This was the store: http://www.bjautobits.co.uk/It wasn't fast, but it was reliable (until the clutch and flywheel ate them selves). Still, that was just more experience as now I know what each part does and how they all go together!
The seats definitely needed replacing, not sure if cream was a good idea, they were a nightmare to keep clean. Kept going blue from my jeans.
Galliano said:
The seats must stay, they suit it down to the ground. Cream on black = awesomeness!
Great little mini, loving the custom hood too!
Thanks!Great little mini, loving the custom hood too!
Who knows what seats it has now? I did love them at the time, so comfortable! Cost me a fortune with the headrests and having the rear seat retrimmed to match. It was my first car back in 2003 (ish) and is long gone. I’d love to know where it is now and what sort of condition it’s in but I don’t know how to track it down. Same with my Cooper in the other thread. In fact, I once saw my Cooper driving around Lymington (where I live now) a couple of years ago, but never saw it again.
The custom roof was made by Keiths Convertibles. It was a fantastic job and fitted perfectly. I don't know who did the original conversion (or when) but it was a good job and completely different to other kits I'd seen. The roof actually clipped on with a lever system at the top of the windoscreen which pulled it taught and then clamped it down, rather than just relying on press studs or whatever.
Try the DVLA site to tell if its still on the road. That or on mycarcheck.com to check it exhists. DVLA can tell you if its taxed etc though, that or when it was scrapped etc.
If you can source info that way, contact the DVLA asking nicely if they can contact the owner for you so you can locate and be reunited with your old flame. Same for the Cooper too. You put your heart into these Minis, i'm sure DVLA will be able to tell you something even if its a rough "still on the road and in the south west" or something, atleast you have some form of knowledge over the car that way
If you can source info that way, contact the DVLA asking nicely if they can contact the owner for you so you can locate and be reunited with your old flame. Same for the Cooper too. You put your heart into these Minis, i'm sure DVLA will be able to tell you something even if its a rough "still on the road and in the south west" or something, atleast you have some form of knowledge over the car that way
WOW!!!!!
LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!!!
http://www.theminiplace.co.uk/restorations/004/ind...
It's still on the road!!
Happy days! I'm pleased my home made dashboard and door cards remained and my seats!
LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!!!
http://www.theminiplace.co.uk/restorations/004/ind...
It's still on the road!!
Happy days! I'm pleased my home made dashboard and door cards remained and my seats! Edited by danyeates on Wednesday 2nd March 21:27
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff