Discussion
Hey Mini people!
My Father in Law recently passed away. He was a good man.
He left the family a little Mini in the garage. Here's how it looked this afternoon:
It's an early model, but I'm not sure which. It has slidey windows, and no front grill - looking apparently similar to the '66 model pictured in the 'is this how you post photos?' thread, but clearly in nothing like such good condition. There are holes in the front wing but the interior looks nice and intact. There are parts for it all over the garage. I need to dig it out to get a proper idea of my chances, but I'd really like to save this car.
I'll let you know how I get on, but for now can anyone confirm age/model from such scant information? Does anyone know how to find such details by entering the registration on some search engine somewhere?
Thanks
My Father in Law recently passed away. He was a good man.
He left the family a little Mini in the garage. Here's how it looked this afternoon:
It's an early model, but I'm not sure which. It has slidey windows, and no front grill - looking apparently similar to the '66 model pictured in the 'is this how you post photos?' thread, but clearly in nothing like such good condition. There are holes in the front wing but the interior looks nice and intact. There are parts for it all over the garage. I need to dig it out to get a proper idea of my chances, but I'd really like to save this car.
I'll let you know how I get on, but for now can anyone confirm age/model from such scant information? Does anyone know how to find such details by entering the registration on some search engine somewhere?
Thanks
Yep, that's my 66 one. Congratulations. They are great cars.
I suggest whacking up a load of photos and getting the haynes Mini Restoration manual.
It looks like a good car, should fix up quite cheap and easy.
Panels come from Mini Machine. Hot Tip!
Also, if it has hydrolastic suspension, I can source a pre 64 front subframe to convert to dry. (Easy enough job) I hope that it is a pre 64, ie:- B reg or before
Throw all the stuff off it and take some photos, we are all sat here really excited for you!
Also, if you find yourself short of bits, I've got a few kicking around
I suggest whacking up a load of photos and getting the haynes Mini Restoration manual.
It looks like a good car, should fix up quite cheap and easy.
Panels come from Mini Machine. Hot Tip!
Also, if it has hydrolastic suspension, I can source a pre 64 front subframe to convert to dry. (Easy enough job) I hope that it is a pre 64, ie:- B reg or before
Throw all the stuff off it and take some photos, we are all sat here really excited for you!
Also, if you find yourself short of bits, I've got a few kicking around
Edited by love machine on Sunday 12th November 13:42
Thank you both for your encouraging replies! You must be right about the make, Guru, as it's got big red M badges all over the inside.
My wife thinks it's an A reg from '63 (it's pretty-much always been in the family and I'd heard tale of it but just never imagined it would still be there hidden away), but the plate says D.
Haynes resto manual looks to be the very thing. I'll put the A-series tuning tome to one side for the moment
I shall clear the decks and get to that VIN as soon as I'm able.
Cheers
My wife thinks it's an A reg from '63 (it's pretty-much always been in the family and I'd heard tale of it but just never imagined it would still be there hidden away), but the plate says D.
Haynes resto manual looks to be the very thing. I'll put the A-series tuning tome to one side for the moment
I shall clear the decks and get to that VIN as soon as I'm able.
Cheers
if the sunvisors are small and held in with a centeral chrome clip its a 63.
if the visors are larger and held in with a white plastic clip at one end then its a early 66, if they have a chrome holder at each end then its a mid to late 66 (i.e a 'D'
easy way to date a mk1 shell thats 95% right
if the visors are larger and held in with a white plastic clip at one end then its a early 66, if they have a chrome holder at each end then its a mid to late 66 (i.e a 'D'
easy way to date a mk1 shell thats 95% right
Best to convert it to dry suspension if it's hydrolasatic. By the waqy, you don't need a replacement sub-frame to convert from 'wet' to 'dry', you just knoke back the locking tabsw in the sub-frame towers and fit the dry cones, making sure that they are fully seated. The top arms are slightly different, but in practice it makes no difference, except that you need damper mounting pins on the top arms and damper brackets on the bodyshell - the holes for these are there already.
It does look to be a super project and one which the late owner would have been pleased to see.
You'll get lots of helpful advice on here as well.
Bear in mind that on really early 850's it's hard to get new engine parts and a post '64 engine is best with the large crank tail, diaphragm clutch and dry primary gear bushes (as opposed to the early oil-fed primary gear, which leaked oil onto the clutch).
It does look to be a super project and one which the late owner would have been pleased to see.
You'll get lots of helpful advice on here as well.
Bear in mind that on really early 850's it's hard to get new engine parts and a post '64 engine is best with the large crank tail, diaphragm clutch and dry primary gear bushes (as opposed to the early oil-fed primary gear, which leaked oil onto the clutch).
I've been back to the house, which incidentally appears also to need a full nut and bolt, ground-up restoration
The VIN is as follows: M/A 2S4 74971
So, Morris A-series 2-door saloon Mk1Morris build no. 74971
The sun visors have single, centre clips. From the (very few) notes I've found I strongly suspect that the car was built in June 1961.
This is gonna be a long job. The tyres are flat and the exhaust/ rear suspension appears to be sitting on the ground.
However, I managed to squeeze my own spare tyre inside and it's just sweet. Everything's so simple, so well-designed, so right.
What a darling little car!
Thanks again to you all for your help. I'll be letting you know how I get on over the years to come
The VIN is as follows: M/A 2S4 74971
So, Morris A-series 2-door saloon Mk1Morris build no. 74971
The sun visors have single, centre clips. From the (very few) notes I've found I strongly suspect that the car was built in June 1961.
This is gonna be a long job. The tyres are flat and the exhaust/ rear suspension appears to be sitting on the ground.
However, I managed to squeeze my own spare tyre inside and it's just sweet. Everything's so simple, so well-designed, so right.
What a darling little car!
Thanks again to you all for your help. I'll be letting you know how I get on over the years to come
If a "barn find" is truely a rare thing , why would anyone want to butcher it by putting a Mg engine in or converting to dry susp , true these are ways of having more fun but these little gems dont turn up all the time . Buy a 87 shed if you wanna do a rebuild , keep that original you'll have more fun and the value will be more .
IMHO.
IMHO.
cone said:
If a "barn find" is truely a rare thing , why would anyone want to butcher it by putting a Mg engine in or converting to dry susp , true these are ways of having more fun but these little gems dont turn up all the time . Buy a 87 shed if you wanna do a rebuild , keep that original you'll have more fun and the value will be more .
IMHO.
IMHO.
It's not a cooper s.
Besides minis are about modifying in a tasteful, speed orientated way. You can always keep the original brakes/engine, as I have done with mine. An 850 mini is slow in relation to modern traffic. A green painted MG engine will not only look the same, it will make the thing out accellerate most cars on the roads today
Personally, I find a period modified mini much more tasty than the usual "as it left the factory" over-restoration. cone said:
If a "barn find" is truely a rare thing , why would anyone want to butcher it by putting a Mg engine in or converting to dry susp , true these are ways of having more fun but these little gems dont turn up all the time . Buy a 87 shed if you wanna do a rebuild , keep that original you'll have more fun and the value will be more .
IMHO.
IMHO.
It's not a cooper s.
Besides minis are about modifying in a tasteful, speed orientated way. You can always keep the original brakes/engine, as I have done with mine. An 850 mini is slow in relation to modern traffic. A green painted MG engine will not only look the same, it will make the thing out accellerate most cars on the roads today
Personally, I find a period modified mini much more tasty than the usual "as it left the factory" over-restoration. Cone, I totally take your point.
I've also been thinking about the safety of 34bhp versus Range Rover Sports, as alluded to by LM.
I'd really like to at least make the car roadworthy and looking nice. Once that's done then I'll consider how to go about, and the benefits and drawbacks of, making it more suited to modern roads. I'd like to take advantage of the amazing handling these things are supposed to possess, and while I'm aware there's huge fun to be had in maintaining momentum it would be difficult not to embark on some tasteful tinkering once the car's in decent nick. You know, Cooper S brakes, perhaps some lighter wheels, maybe slip in a Honda Blackbird 4-pot.
I was joking about the last part, btw
First things first. The first thing is helping clear the house.
Cheers, Ministi
I've also been thinking about the safety of 34bhp versus Range Rover Sports, as alluded to by LM.
I'd really like to at least make the car roadworthy and looking nice. Once that's done then I'll consider how to go about, and the benefits and drawbacks of, making it more suited to modern roads. I'd like to take advantage of the amazing handling these things are supposed to possess, and while I'm aware there's huge fun to be had in maintaining momentum it would be difficult not to embark on some tasteful tinkering once the car's in decent nick. You know, Cooper S brakes, perhaps some lighter wheels, maybe slip in a Honda Blackbird 4-pot.
I was joking about the last part, btw
First things first. The first thing is helping clear the house.
Cheers, Ministi
If your going to restore it log in here there are a good few very helpful folk for the early Minis..
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[url]http://p075.ezboard.com/bspecialistmi[/url]
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