36 replies to this topic

[Jacinto]

My Mini IMA's project has been stopped, because I really need a donor car, which is hard to find.

In the meanwhile, my brother's Mini Van, which he was using every day, started to leak large amounts of oil, and the rust was eating the bodywork like Garfield eats lasagne.

Here's a short story of the Van's life:

As my father told me, it started it's life as an AA breakdown vehicle in South Africa.

It was sold to some guy which painted it white, and then abandoned it.

My dad found the Van totally covered by vegetation, and felt sorry for it. He always wanted (and still does) a Mini Pick-up, but he also liked the Vans a lot.

So, he bought it. In order to not pay the taxes that the previous owner also didn't paid, a new registration was made, which changed the construction date to the same date of the document's emission. Because of that, in theory, the Van is from 1992. I would like some help in order to discover the REAL year of production.

Well, after that, my dad painted it green, and he changed the stock 998cc engine to a 1275cc unit from the Austin 1300, but he kept the 1000's gearbox.

He also customized the interior, and that was, basically, it.

Some photos: (when my dad bought the Van, he transformed it to LHD, once he was already planning to come back to Portugal)





There it is, arriving to its new home in Portugal:





How did we unloaded it? This way:



But, my dad already owned other cars (Datsun 1800SSS Coupé, Datsun 1000), and so he didn't needed the Mini.

It was left in a garage from 1995 to 2007. But, as I live near the sea, soon the rust appeared.










But, when my dad's car broke down (1989 Austin Montego 1.6LS Estate, burned head gasket ), we needed another car to use while the Montego was being repaired.

So, we (cheaply) repaired the Van's problems.















And soon it was back on the road:



And this is what happened in 2007.

Coming up next:
2008-In my dad's hands
2009-1st attemp of restoration/In my brother's hands
2010-Finally, the restoration.

[mk1leg]

more pics please ..................thats a real nice van and as for that dash NICE home made..............

[Midas Mk1]

Great Project, love the Van!!

Looking forward to the photo update

[jagman.2003]

Great looking van. Good luck with the restoration.

[daviedevil]

i love seeing a miniin the sun for a change.
great history on the van, more pics please

[Jacinto]

Now, what happened in 2008?

Well, my dad continued to use it every day, until June, when we bought another classic vehicle. As we love South African imports, this was what we got:



It's a Datsun 1200 pick-up, or "bakkie", or, as they call it in Australia, "ute".

And so, we the Mini stopped, because it needed a new exhaust manifold (the old one was a 3-1 manifold, from the Cooper S), and so we got it a new 3-2-1 replacement.

Here's a video without the exhaust:


And with it:
http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

But, as the Mini was replaced by the Datsun, we thought about restoring it.

But, during February 2009, my brother has an accident with his car, which meant that the Mini would be driven by him until the Montego got successfully repaired (the delay on the repair happened because we couldn't get the spares in Portugal).







We drove the Mini all the way up to the city were my brother is studying, which is about 300km (186 miles). from here.

In July, we went to the Mini's 50th birthday celebration. Luckily, the Van has lots of space







On the 4th July:

We got up at about 6:30am and at 06:45 we were ready to go.
We went slowly on the motorway



(yes, only the only one of the four additional gauges is working, but after the restoration we will have the clock repaired or replaced, the temperature gauge is going to be replaced for an electrical one, and the oil pressure gauge is going to be replaced. We will add a rev counter).

And then we met some other Minis.





Our little Van was, along with the Mini Sport 1100 that is next to it on the next photo, the rarest Mini on the event, with only one attending to it. (But the Mini Sport is a find, only 43 made, with standard rollcage, cosmic wheels, side stickers, 3-arms steering wheel, rev counter, and exclusive badging, if I'm not mistaken).



There were lots of people asking things about the Van, and saying that they never saw one in Portugal. In fact, in here it's more usual to see a pick-up, a Riley or a Wolseley than a Van.



Not bad, for a small country like mine. More than 300 Minis attended to the event.

[Jacinto]

On the next day, we participated on the parade.

















And some videos:



http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

[Jacinto]

And then the Mini went back home. My brother got a job during Summer, as part of the staff of the summer events on our city's beach.

When they were building the lounge, they needed something to play music to give some entertainment during work. Being the Mini the only car which could fit on the wood floor, this was the result:



When he got the payment, my brother immediately started do buy some "presents" for his Mini.
First, the acrylic load compartment separation: (It's forbidden no to have this separation, I don't know if that also happens in UK).








And then, something which the Mini really needed: some decent rubber on its white enlarged wheels:

[daveeeeee]

I like mini stories! Keep it coming

[Jacinto]

Before:



After:


I love those simple wheels. I would only replace them with some white minilites. The steel ones make the Van look more "simple" and "pure". In my brother's college, the Mini is known as "the bread van"

Minis don't break down, sometimes they only need some attention


Opel Corsa? Mitsubishi Colt? If you want a small useful car, buy a classic Mini!


"Minis have feelings too"


The Van loves the company of another British wagon


By the end of 2009, the Montego was being painted.



This meant that soon the Mini would be replaced, for the last time.

But there was time left for one final "adventure".

I went with my dad to a British sport cars event, in the Rover Tourer. Later, my brother went there with the Mini.









When we were coming back, we went to the motorway, and, when we were trying to keep up with the Rover on the Mini, something crashes into our wind shield.



We didn't stop until we got home.

[Jacinto]

But that wasn't a problem! The insurance would take care of it.

The problem was that it wasn't properly repaired, and soon started to leak

But we complained about it, and they did the job again, this time properly.

We also checked the brakes.



And I washed the wheels, they were black









Two months later, the Mini went to its MoT, in which it passed.



And after that, it was finally replaced by the Montego.

[Jacinto]

And so, the operation "Great Car" began (as GC are the letters present on the registration plate)

The first spares coming off: exhaust and wheels (the engine and everything else belong to my IMA)







The last time you will see it with its "hearth".



The last time you will see the interior in one piece.



Engine out.









I had this "thing" laying around at home. We will try it on this Mini

[Jacinto]

And my brother decided to paint the engine in this colour... I don't like it, but I also don't dislike it.

[Jacinto]

And some experiments with the bodywork (this was the second time that my brother welded something with a MIG )

Before:





And that's it, for now

[mk1leg]

Bela coleção de mini da execução... e maravilhosas trabalhar sobre o engind.... bravo......