Tuesday 9th September 2014

1971 Mini: Time For Tea?

A beautiful old Mini from Surrey, England makes it to the sunny States

---

The original Mini was 55 years old back in August. Everyone has a Mini story, don't they? Watching them race, as a first car, as a family car or maybe an unforgettable passenger ride. Every petrolhead as a Mini story in their history.

Sumner Norman's car, featured here in a Petrolicious video, is typical of what so many did and do to Minis. Originally a 998cc car it's been upgraded to a 1,275cc Cooper engine and has front disc brakes as well as rubber cone suspension. A very 70s shade of beige suits perfectly.

Low mileage and what appears a very favourable current climate means the Mini still looks fabulous and unaffected by rust. But as Sumner comments, it does "go British once in a while". He's fortunately happy with the "originality" of the build too, right down to the wonky badges.

Finally, he shows that cars, even Minis, can be driven happily with the steering wheel on the 'wrong' side for your country. Good lad. Cool Mini.

See the vid here.

 

[Chris Y]

This is what a Mini looks like. Not those over inflated BMW abominations.

[Hrimfaxi]

I had a '95 Cooper SPI.

I miss it! All the points he makes in that video are 100% true. Nothing beats a Classic Mini for the "Smiles per Mile" thing.

I'll definitely get another one at some point.

EDIT: Those wonky badges are likely to be down to the previous owner(s) handywork, it looks like it's had a re-spray and the badges were hastily re-attached.

[Asterix]

Cool vid.

First car was an original Mini. Loved it.

[Snoggledog]

I don't miss the rust, having to take out the distributor cap to dry it out on damp mornings, the useless heater, the electrics which never seemed to work etc etc...

But I had some of the best driving experiences in the old Mini.

I did hope (forlornly) that BMW might rekindle some of the good things about the old Mini.

[ManiacGT]

I had lots of minis when I was younger. I look back with rose tinted glasses. It was a great time. But it's a very old car, slow, noisy and could be quite unreliable. Rose tinted glasses. I wear clear non tinted glasses these days

Great car. For its time.

[J4CKO]

Minis are great if you don't have to drive one, they can be pretty miserable devices sometimes, everyone thinks of a lovely Cooper or tuned one, not the Brown late seventies Mini City with the 850 engine that broke down all the time and was full of mould.

[R6VED]

My first car was a black X reg mini, it cost me £320 and apparently if someone of 16 stone or more had say in the passenger seat, they would have gone straight through the floor.

It was a shed but I loved it. After a while it wouldn't start in the mornings so I would have to bump start it down the hill and it would be fine for the day. One day it didn't start and ended up at the bottom :-( now this is the bizarre bit and I so wish I had a photo but camera phones did not exist back then. I got offered a tow by someone who lived at the bottom of the hill in his white Rolls Royce Silver Shadow.

I have always wished I could have been a bystander watching that happen :-)

[vrooom]

i had 2 minis, we used go out for hoon.. it was that much fun.... also police stopped me once for cornering too fast on 90 degrees right hander with clear view. But i dont miss dealing with rust and ball joint issues.

[roystinho]

Loved my '99 cooper though was used daily in all weathers so, you know....

I'm thinking of getting another one to be kept just for nice, 0% chance rain days. One without the really wide sportspack arches, and a twin carb 1380 engine. Basically this one without the daft roof graphic

[Gary C]

Drove a friends 850 in the wet. Thought the brakes didn't work, but discovered that they were locked as the car crabbed sideways, no transition between slowing, and locked, crap tyres, crap drum brakes

Made the turn though (sideways)

[sideways man]

Nice motor.

But get rid of that bus steering wheel....please

My first car was a 1972 mini 1000, teal blue with twin su carbs ( thanks Dad) with two wolfrace alloy wheels and two cooper S wheels..... Full of body filler but loved it.
Oh yes, it had a 11'' sports steering wheel.

[Limpet]

My first car was a 1976 850. All round drum brakes were terrifying, it had more filler than metal, and was an absolute dog to work on, but I loved that car. On the Oxfordshire lanes I grew up around, it was a peach of a thing. Kart-like is a cliche nowadays, but the Mini truly was. Direct steering, lovely balance, and a feeling of near zero inertia when you turned in to a corner. It made every car you drove afterwards feel fat and dull.

I'd love another, but I'm just not prepared to pay the ridiculous prices asked for anything today that isn't a total basket case.

Edited by Limpet on Tuesday 9th September 21:50

[andyps]

I've had more Minis than I can remember, there are still two on the drive but both belong to daughters who don't live here any more but don't want to let their cars go. I'll get one or both back on the road soon and hopefully they won't be taken away by the owners and I'll be able to have some fun! Sure, they can break down but if maintained properly are as reliable as anything. Noisy? Yes, but so are lots of other things. There aren't many cars which can make a driver smile like a Mini will, and I certainly can't think of a new car which is so much fun at low, legal speeds. Even an 850 on drum brakes is great fun within the capabilities it has - it may be slow in real terms but you don't have to slow for corners.

[HorneyMX5]

J4CKO said:

Minis are great if you don't have to drive one, they can be pretty miserable devices sometimes, everyone thinks of a lovely Cooper or tuned one, not the Brown late seventies Mini City with the 850 engine that broke down all the time and was full of mould.

My wife has one of those but without the mould or breakdowns.

Stella2 by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

Stella1 by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


1979 850cc City with 33K on the clock. Full poverty spec, it doesn't even have carpet inside, just rubber matting.

[AER]

How much of what people describe as the flaws of their mini experiences is down to the fact they were driving a cheap stty example that the owner still couldn't afford to maintain?

Let's face it, any car that's badly maintained is miserable to drive, even with the prancing horse or three-pointed star on the front.

[Blayney]

Mini at PH Meet by blayney1989, on Flickr

My father and I's. 998, twin 1" 1/4 SUs, maniflow exhaust (full system) ending in twin 2" upswept tailpipes. Sportspack arches and wipac spotlamps, MWS 12x5 deep dish "minilites" (that I don't recommend as they pitted after about 12 months of very light use.

We've had some issues with it but it's all sorted out now. All we are wanting for desperately are some new doors.

[Markgenesis]

sideways man said:

Nice motor.

But get rid of that bus steering wheel....please

My first car was a 1972 mini 1000, teal blue with twin su carbs ( thanks Dad) with two wolfrace alloy wheels and two cooper S wheels..... Full of body filler but loved it.
Oh yes, it had a 11'' sports steering wheel.

I love the huge steering wheel in the early Mini's, it's a joy to use once used to it, retained it in my own 71 Mini even though i uprated everything else (including a Swiftune 1380), love how he has kept the interior totaly original.

Very nice Mini, i'd loose the bonnet stripes and arch extensions though and get it on 5x10" alloys or better still 4.5x10 Reverse rims.

[s m]

Snoggledog said:

I don't miss the rust, having to take out the distributor cap to dry it out on damp mornings, the useless heater, the electrics which never seemed to work etc etc...

But I had some of the best driving experiences in the old Mini.

I did hope (forlornly) that BMW might rekindle some of the good things about the old Mini.

I started off driving in an old Mini but I soon learnt to coat the underside in waste oil mist, the Marigold trick for wet weather and just to keep on top of car maintenance.

A friend still has his early modded 1293 one

Got one of the new ones, an R53 'S' which reminds me of my first car with a pinch of 205 1.9 thrown in

[Limpet]

s m said:

Got one of the new ones, an R53 'S' which reminds me of my first car with a pinch of 205 1.9 thrown in

That's the compromise we've settled on too. That and a good R53 is cheaper than a good original.

[Mr2Mike]

Markgenesis said:

Very nice Mini, i'd loose the bonnet stripes and arch extensions though and get it on 5x10" alloys or better still 4.5x10 Reverse rims.

Proper minis should have 10" wheels.