51 replies to this topic

[silver_toes]

Well, I've owned my mini for a year and a half now so I thought it was time for her to have her own thread. I'll try and post pictures chronologically since i've had her and bring the thread up to date

 

 

She's 100% original, that's what attracted me to her. I know a lot of people think it's dull but i think she's special because there are so few original examples around. Anyhow, each to their own.

 

Here's how she looked when I initially picked her up, anyone notice what's missing ?

 

 

 

 

Yep, you guessed - the Cooper stripes !!

 

The previous owner didn't reinstate them after the front end rebuild. anyway, quick wash and polish and they're back on

 

 

[megamini_jb]

Stunning!

[silver_toes]

So, fast forward a few months. If anyone remembers spring 2012 they will remember how wet it was. It didn't take long for me to realise how big an issue the shrunken webasto sun roof was. you could almost see daylight from inside the car

 

 

So, I purchased a replacement from somerford and got that replaced. It's better but not 100%. New roof fitted just in time for the 'rainy' summer period

 

 

 

Unfortunately she looked like this for most of the summer of 2012 - either bum in the air or bonnet in the air on the driveway or in a garage somewhere

 

 

Starting to iron out some of the problems she has and it's been a pretty steep learning curve. I'm getting more confident though. I used to worry about taking a wheel off !

[silver_toes]

A late finish at work one night last summer and I returned to the car park to find this

 

Bought these wheels in the summer. although i liked them they just didn't look right.

 

sold them on e-bay for a tidy profit

[silver_toes]

After spending most of the summer on a mini owning rollercoaster of emotions, I answered a post on here for a magazine wanting to do a feature on mid 90's mini's. The article was in the November edition of Practical Classics. Here are some of the photo's from the professional shoot below

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another wheel bearing gave up on the way back from the photography studio :-(

 

The more observant of you may have noticed that this mini now features in every issue of mini magazine - Does that make it famous, i wonder if it increases it's value ?

 

[silver_toes]

so, the summer that never was (2012) rolled in to winter. Whilst the mini is no trailer queeen (she is my daily), I did take her off the road for short periods during the winter to avoid the worst of the dreaded grit on the roads and to relieve my paranoia about someone crashing in to her on the icy roads.

 

This is the scene from January this year

 

when you thought it couldn't get any worse, this is the scene from March this year

 

there's a mini under there somewhere

[silver_toes]

Beginning of April, the big thaw begins. Luckily for me the local retail park has had to close due to the local roads still being inaccessible.

 

Q: how much fun can you have with a mini in an empty car park

A: Lots

 

[a_woolhouse]

Stunning mini mate :) like the fact its original as well :)

[silver_toes]

Fast forward a few months to my first mini show.

Completed the L2B and back from Yorkshire with no issues

 

 

What a great day out !

 

met some friends along the way at the services

 

Lots more minis turned up after I took this

[gronkjor]

Lovely Mini! 

 

Was the Sportspack fitted from the factory? Reason I'm asking is that as far as I'm aware Sportspacks are normally fitted with three clocks in the centre of the dash. 

 

Not that it matters cause its a stunning car 

[the_samkingdon15]

I ACTUALLY LOVE THIS MORE THAN ANY MINI I'VE EVER SEEN!
I love those pictures
you are a lucky girl ;)

[Black.Ghost]

Lovely Mini! 

 

Was the Sportspack fitted from the factory? Reason I'm asking is that as far as I'm aware Sportspacks are normally fitted with three clocks in the centre of the dash. 

 

Not that it matters cause its a stunning car 

Sportspack was, I believe, originally an optional extra which became standard on many of the cars leaving the factory. However, all 90s injection Minis had 3 clocks in front of the driver, not in the centre of the dash.

 

A stunning car, very nice.

[Midas Mk1]

Lovely Mini! 
 
Was the Sportspack fitted from the factory? Reason I'm asking is that as far as I'm aware Sportspacks are normally fitted with three clocks in the centre of the dash. 


 
Not that it matters cause its a stunning car 

Sportspack was, I believe, originally an optional extra which became standard on many of the cars leaving the factory. However, all 90s injection Minis had 3 clocks in front of the driver, not in the centre of the dash.
 
A stunning car, very nice.

Factory sportpacks have 3 dials in the middle,
Oil temp, clock and voltmeter, dealer fit just had the clock, aswell as just a pair of fogs instead of 4 from the factory model. :)

[Black.Ghost]

Ah he meant Aux dials. I thought he meant a centre binnacle. My bad. Yeah, what he said ^^ . I knew that as well! 

[silver_toes]

Lovely Mini! 

 

Was the Sportspack fitted from the factory? Reason I'm asking is that as far as I'm aware Sportspacks are normally fitted with three clocks in the centre of the dash. 

 

Not that it matters cause its a stunning car 

 

Well, that's an interesting question gronkjor, I had been wondering about that recently too

 

I had always believed that she was born a sports pack for the following reasons

 

She was born in late 97 when the sports pack option was available

I've seen the pictures of the front end rebuild and the old rusty wings cut of - which I'm assuming were the first ones fitted, were shaped to accommodate the 13 inch wheels

If she wasn't born a sports pack wouldn't she have left the factory on 12inch wheels ? If so then i thought it was necessary to fit a different steering rack. That would seem like a lot of effort to make a car into a sports pack

 

Is there any way of telling from the docs/engine numbers etc what model she should be ?

 

Hoping for some good weather at the weekend as I plan to take her out on the Pennines to take some photos with my shiny new DLSR.

 

Thank you for all the positive comments guys. It's much appreciated. I'm sure you're beginning to get the idea of how obsessed I am with this car

Edited by silver_toes, 18 September 2013 - 09:49 AM.