Irish Mini Owners Club

This is the Mini I bought in the UK and drove home via Liverpool earlier this week. It did the 200 mile trip without a bother - much to my relief!!! It has been re-engined at some point with a 1275 metro unit. It has disc brakes on the front and 10 inch wheels. It has 45K on the clock, though I dont know whether that is its first, second or third time around!! It has had a few repairs during its 30 years and has in the last few years been badly resprayed. It doesnt appear to have any significant rust, though it has been heavily waxoyled underneath. It has a huge,noisy centre exit exhaust. On a positive note the seats, although very big, are very comfortable. I intend fitting harnesses to them as the seatbelts dont sit right at the shoulder with these seats. I have also removed the back seat, access is virtually impossible with the height of the front seats and I dont need them anyway.
I plan to drive the car as is for a year or two while I decide what exactly I am going to do to it and while I accumulate the necessary bits. Then it will be in for a complete stripdown and rebuild. Thats todays plan anyway!! I`ll be bringing it in to my mechanic, John Keaney, in the next couple of weeks for a full inspection and service before I try doing any work on it myself.
I`ve attached a few pics below, including one of my "other classic".
Hope to make it to the next Eastern outing.

Eric

judging from the pictures its a good shell best of luck with the restoration

Here is a pic to get you thinking.



Based on one of the original Britax Cooper race cars from 68/69.

Is your mechanic John Keaney the racing driver?

WOW. thats lovely. wheels are fantastic, as is the colour.

well wear as the man might say

John Keaney that won at Mondello in a TMC Costin in its first race? Found a photo of a black TMC today that was acting as sweeper on the Galway Rally back in 82/83. The driver wrapped it on a corner and tore the underneath out of it. I have great photos of before and after. I know where there's a red TMC Costin in a yard left outside in Kildare. The owner won't part with it but isn't doing anything with it.

BTW, I like the 911 as well.

Good luck with the Mini,

Billy

I could be wrong but he also won the first race in Mondello in 1968, possibly in a Mini(?)

Eric,

How will you choose what to park in the garage at night?

Billy

Thanks guys for all the good wishes! DaveC, John did indeed win the first race in Mondello in a Mini. He started his career as a mechanic in the company that built the Mini in Dublin. Billy, the Mini NEEDS to be parked in the garage, would`nt start these last 2 damp mornings, but the 911 is staying there for the winter! I am hoping to demolish the existing garage and build a bigger one that will take the 911 and 2xMinis ! Lucky for me my wife loves cars too!

As I said I had trouble starting the car yesterday but after spraying WD40 into the distributor it worked fine. That didn`t work today though. It is turning fine, catching but not staying. Any ideas? Battery,starter motor,plugs all good. I also noticed I have no towing eye so I have to get it started!!
***went out for a walk this afternoon and tried it again when I got back - started first go!!!***

Eric

Thanks for the pic Marcos, I`d love to redo it along those lines.

get a latex glove , put the coil lead through the middle finger and the 4 plug leads through the other fingers ,re-attach the leads to the dizzy and then slip the body of the glove down over the dizzy , put a cable tie around it to keep it tight ,and smaller cable ties around the fingers where the leads come through , job done.....

also check to see if the car has the splash guard that goes between the distributor and the grille.. although that mostly prevents rain/spray getting in when driving, it also helps keep the thing dry when parked facing the wind. most of my damp ignition issues went away when i re-fitted that shield.