15 replies to this topic

[Yoda]

Hi all.

I have been trying to work out all the mods done to this car and think i have found most of them. I would like to get in touch with the previous owner for a chat. I bought the car as a deseamed rolling shell last year and have built an engine for it, finished off the bodywork and installed new brakes all round. The shell is in superb condition and has had loads of mods done. The main reason i am asking, is that the car was collected for me by a friend and i never got all the details from the previous owner.

When i got the car it was painted in what i can only describe as Kawasaki racing green and was originally red from the factory. Basically i am also trying to find out if it was originally a carb model or one of the first injection ones. it was first registered in 06 / 1991 so I am assuming it was carb.

As it looks now!







I would appreciate any information that can be supplied.

Many thanks.

[taffy1967]

You can contact the DVLA who (for a fee) should be able to pass on a list of the previous owners.

It won't have been a fuel injected Mini, because the first to get that was the Rover Mini Cooper 1.3i which was launched in October 1991.

So if it's a Cooper, then it would be a Mainstream Mini Cooper. Or it could be a Mini City or Mayfair (i.e. originally 998cc) that's been equipped with a bigger engine.

Although I see it has an anti-run on valve and only the carb Coopers of 1990/91 got fitted with such a device.

[Yoda]

Thanks, i know its a cooper and i was pretty sure it was a mainstream but my main objective is to find some history. I got the car without an engine and i was looking to see what i could do to put it back to some sort of original spec so i know what to look out for. The interior is wrong, the engine is a metro one i think (bought off ebay), that i have built up to a high spec but the body has been deseamed, so originality is now a no no anyway. I just want to get somewhere near original.

[taffy1967]

Have a butchers through my Photobucket account because there's a fair bit of Mainstream brochures and documents etc here: -

Click Me

Such as this: -

[taffy1967]

Plus: -

Edited by taffy1967, 19 April 2010 - 08:28 PM.

[Yoda]

Well its definitely a mainstream, It has the right seats but the wrong door cards. but i know where the door cards went! this car was bought as a project for my (at the time) 16 year old. When it came to insurance costs it was quickly decided to get him a new project, ie a 998!! at some point, he has put the cards in the 998 so that problem is solved, just have to persuade him to part with them

The other things that are an issue is that the mainstream cars appear to have originally been fitted with Grey plastic arches (EDIT .conflicting info here Some places say grey, and some say black unpainted) and these seem to be a rarity now. Although the car was debadged, i do have the original badges. The wheel rims seem right, Bolt holes not in line with the spokes (EDIT, again conflicting inf some literature says between spokes and some says in line) , the original dash is missing as it has a black aftermarket dash and at the moment there is no head lining fitted. So apart from all that and the wrong engine and deseam, it looks like i know what i have.

Incidentally, parts fitted aftermarket are Adjustable hi lows front and rear, yellow spot cone springs, adjustable camber front and rear, adjustable front tie rods and full set of poly bushes all round except on the front subby, that has been solid mounted. Certain modifications in the rear of the engine bay, suggest that it has had a turbo engine previous to my ownership and a later type heater has been installed from a 93 model with the larger screen vent hoses and heater matrix with both pipes on the left (looking from the seats).

The engine i have is installed is 1380 with 286 cam, twin 1 1/2 SU carbs, lightened and balanced crank and competition pistons with matched rods. I never got to finish the engine properly due to losing my job, but it is a good base to carry on with once i find work.

Surprising the engine runs really nice for a slap together job. Its a great fun car to drive but its a shame the shell has been modified.

Having said that, the colour and graphics make people (Corsa chavs) think its a jokey little runabout until my dust settles and im nowhere to be seen.

A real fun wolfe in sheeps clothing.

Edited by customcart, 20 April 2010 - 09:28 AM.

[Yoda]

just a quick addition to the last post.

I forgot to mention that the block has also been decked to raise the C/R and a rather noisy duplex timing kit fitted. The dizzy is an older A series Aldon that i aquired and converted to a later A+ fitting. The colour of the car is an interesting Carplan colour, Not as pale as in the pictures but you can see the original red through chips in the gutter and the green it was when i got it between the top of the screen and the gutter ( my rattle can ran out at this point and i forgot to go back to this part when i bought some more for the rear) Hopefully when i find a job, the car will end up with a full proper respray and i will fit a head lining while the windows are out.

I have been giving the deseam some thought and i reckon i could "un deseam" it cosmetically to get the right look for the original car, I just need to spot a dummy seam on and buy some moulding panels and the front bumper mount, i beleive i can buy separately or fabricate myself.

So maybe I could bring it back to almost original spec apart from the engine. I wish I knew where that went?????

Edited by customcart, 20 April 2010 - 09:47 AM.

[taffy1967]

The Mainstreams came with black plastic wheel arches and most had the wheel nut holes between the spokes.

Although some early Mainstreams did get the older in-line with the spoke type alloys and some had a mixture of the two.

No doubt Rover were keen on using up what stock they had left?

[Yoda]

OK, Got it with the arches and it so happens i have a set in black from another project, i got confused with the wheels, but looks like mine are original after all.

Looks like i will have to scour ebay for a few more original bits. I do have the correct grill in the garage but as Yoda is "incognito " at the moment, i will keep the black one in place till I have as much of the rest as possible.

In fact, I quite like the idea of the car "looking" plain and simple, but having that lump under the bonnet to wind up the Corsa chavs ! and i am only 48 so still a boy racer at heart.

[taffy1967]

Don't worry I'm 42, so join the club.

[M44K TS]

Taffy, you may be interested to know, that the white H reg Cooper (H919 UNP) in your guide used to belong to a member of the North East Mini Club a few years back, unsure if James still has it now though. I know he did buy a Honda Interga.

I know that the original engine died so was fitted with a 1380 and was bloody quick!

Here's a picture of it circa 2002/2003 just after it had the 1380 fitted....

[Yoda]

Don't worry I'm 42, so join the club.

So if we meet on the road, its a race to the death then ? or at least 50

I only realise i am that old when i look in the mirror! Oh yeah, the scoliosis and osteoarthritis tends to remind me too.

I think Yoda will stay as is for now, I just love the look on those kids faces when an old man with a flat cap and a roll up, in a 20 year old standard looking Mini leaves their shiny so called hot hatches covered in gravel.
I will start to get all the standard bits together for a restoration later. I am sure my son will be prepared to find me the right powerplant one day so he can have the one i built.

[Yoda]

How stoopid am I ? Must be my age.

I was looking at the vin and engine numbers on the V5 and realised that the previous owners details are on the front! So, time to save up for a stamp and hit the postie this morning.

[taffy1967]

Taffy, you may be interested to know, that the white H reg Cooper (H919 UNP) in your guide used to belong to a member of the North East Mini Club a few years back, unsure if James still has it now though. I know he did buy a Honda Interga.

I know that the original engine died so was fitted with a 1380 and was bloody quick!

Here's a picture of it circa 2002/2003 just after it had the 1380 fitted....

Fantastic and does he know his car appeared in the MCR buyers guide?

Edited by taffy1967, 22 April 2010 - 09:42 PM.

[taffy1967]

How stoopid am I ? Must be my age.

I was looking at the vin and engine numbers on the V5 and realised that the previous owners details are on the front! So, time to save up for a stamp and hit the postie this morning.

Good luck and I hope you get replies.