621 AOK

2010-03-13T07:26:00.005-05:00

So much has transpired in the last six months, I don't know where to start.

Unfortunately, due to the house purchase and a family member recovering from spinal surgery - my Mini has been neglected and probably wouldn't recognize me, even if I had the time to visit. It's been waiting patiently in my father's workshop all winter (and my dad has managed to acquire many bits to complete the work) but soon it'll be on the move; the workshop will be sold along with my dad's house and the Mini will be coming to stay with me while my father and his wife move to the East Coast.

I'm grateful it's been in good hands, though - my father has been slowly working on the body, and aside from purloining the fuel pump for a neighbour's tractor (pictures below), all is progressing well.

The tractor turned out to be an old BMC - even had the old British Leyland Unipart stickers still on. Unfortunately for my Mini, this meant when my father needed a fuel pump for the tractor, the one on the Mini was a match...

New Edition

2009-10-11T06:47:00.009-04:00

Back in August, my dad and I travelled to the docks in Montreal to pick up his Anniversary Edition Mini which was shipped from the UK. I did get some shots of it being driven out of the shipping container, but the batteries in my camera had died and the pics were taken with my dad's cell phone camera - and he still hasn't figured out how to upload them to his computer. So, instead I bring you some exciting night pictures taken a couple weeks after he brought it home:

We had hoped to take one or both of the cars to Mini Meet North but since buying a house this summer, I haven't had any time to work on my car or money to plan any trips. If I can get enough work done over the winter, next summer we can make a decent showing for the 51st Anniversary...

A few more pictures can be found here.

Hiatus

2009-06-18T04:43:00.003-04:00

I've been taking a break from the Mini for the last month or so while I go through the process of buying my first home - hopefully I'll have the keys in my hand tomorrow! If all goes well, we (the Mini and I) will be all moved in and settled for August 1st. Until then, posting is going to be sparse.

Additionally, my Flickr Pro account (picture hosting site) is reverting back to a free account as of July 1 (instead of unlimited pictures, I will only be able to save 200). As much as I like to write, this blog would be pretty boring without pictures - so I'm also in the process of finding a new hosting site for all the blurry shots I'll hopefully be taking soon...

Stay tuned!

Restoration Day Four - WD-420

2009-04-23T00:33:00.011-04:00

Continued deconstruction - this week I tackled stripping the engine bay.

I started with the wiring on the passenger side and removed anything bolted down along its path. This included the windshield fluid reservoir and tubes, parts of the steering mechanism, the clutch and gas lines (the previous owner must have filled the gas tank before he delivered the car - I had to wait about 20 minutes for it to drain into the large white cannister in the photo below), the passenger-side headlamp and casing and, finally, the plastic air intake tube.

I'm slowly developing my skills; getting better at remembering and judging the imperial sized tools, learning to "tap-and-turn" when removing stubborn or stripped screws and generally making some connections bewteen the work I'm doing and the functionality of the car.

Also, some good news - my dad has caught the Mini-bug again and may be acquiring his own classic Mini in the next few weeks! This means we may have a presentable car for the 50th Anniversary this year at Mini Meet North.

If all goes as planned, this also means the 1275 engine my dad picked up at Mr. Mini in March will be free to go into my Mini's engine bay. Vroom vroom! And of course, with more speed I'll need some serious stopping power so we're on the lookout for disc brakes for the front end.

There was also mention of some 7x13 rims

which would require the Sportspack wide wheel arches

This pleases me greatly as I love the chunky look and the wider arches will be perfect for the custom design I'm planning...

Bits!

2009-04-10T03:01:00.012-04:00

I work overnights and have been trying to convince my employer (since they changed our schedule around eight months ago) that they need to give me my 4-day week back. I put through a proposal this week outlining all the benefits of not making me work 5 nights a week - added coverage for vacations and emergencies etc - unfortunately, the quick and polite reply was, "No."

This seriously screws with my plans for working on the Mini this summer; with only 2 days off a week, it makes it difficult to adjust my sleeping patterns to not only accomodate getting stuff done during daylight hours (appts, socializing), but also to allow enough time for me to drive the 5 hours (there and back) it takes to get to my dad's workshop.

So, while I try and figure out another way to convince the soulless capitalists it's worth their while to appease my 4-day work-week needs - here are some (blurry) pictures of the parts, panels and bits that my dad picked up last month at Mr Mini:

Driver's side front panel

Right floor panel

Gas A Just

Less blur, more bits!

Rad, totally.

Canuck bumper holder things

The support braces for the Canadian front bumper were an amazing find - these are original late 70s parts, still in the packaging. Although they didn't have a price marked on them, my father tossed them in with all the other stuff he was purchasing knowing that I'm dead set on keeping the car as Canadian as possible (even though he thinks the original bumpers are ugly and very un-mini).

When he took everything up to the counter to pay, the owner saw the bumper supports and told my dad he was one of only two people that had ever bothered to look at them. Apparently, over the last few years a man has come into the shop several times; every time he picks up the two supports and debates out loud whether they're worth the price, trying to elicit a discount. The owner has never waivered and the man always puts them back on the shelf and leaves without making a purchase.

Now that the store is going out of business, the man-who-wants-a-discount is sure to be back to finally buy the supports at the price he wants. So, just to have the pleasure of telling the man that they're gone - the owner gave them to my dad for free.

Restoration Day Three - Front Subframe

2009-03-28T05:06:00.008-04:00

The weather has finally turned its face towards spring here - the lack of freezing rain, high winds and frozen fog (cold fog, btw, much harder to drive in than freezing rain), makes for a much less stressful drive to my father's place (2+hrs) to work on my Mini. Hopefully over the summer I'll be able to make more frequent trips, but it looks like it's going to be about a year before "Nacho" is on the road.

Yeah, I named my Mini "Nacho". Once the restoration is complete I have another name picked out, but for now this is Nacho Mini. As in, it's "not-your" Mini, it's mine. The final name won't be so cheesy.

This trip up I got my hands dirty. My father's machine shop business is now in full force and keeps him pretty busy, so while he works, I get my own "kid table" within yelling distance of him in the workshop. This also means I get to do all the grunt work needed before my dad helps again with the major work next winter.

I'm finding it amazing how quickly the hours go by while I'm trying to get 30 yr old rusted bolts out of their holes. And I'm learning at every step - leverage, torque, resistance...physics is phun!

Here are some exciting (and over-exposed, still working on taking decent pictures) shots of my work on the front subframe:

The front subframe - before:

And from the other side:

My tools of destruction:

Mid-destruction:

All apart:

And from the other side:

Mini Money

2009-03-20T03:39:00.006-04:00

Back in October, when I saw the ad for my Mini, I didn't actually have any money to buy it (I'm pretty much perpetually broke - a situation that probably wouldn't change even if I had millions). A couple weeks before, my dad had come with me to look at another Mini that was twice the price and although we lost that one to someone quicker, my dad had agreed to help me secure a loan.

The day we looked at the first Mini, my dad was actually on the way to the airport to start work in Darfur for a few months so we couldn't work out any finances - I thought it could wait until he came back to look for another car. But, only a couple of weeks later I spotted my Mini and the price was just too good to pass up.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get in touch with my dad - his only contact was through e-mail and his satellite connection wasn't always reliable. I needed to know if he thought it was a "good buy" and I needed to sort out how to pay the seller, but the longer I had to wait, the more chance there was that someone would get the car before me.

Once I went to look at the Mini, I immediately fell in love and did not want to miss out on a second chance at owning one. I figured, even if I managed to buy it without my father's approval and it turned out to be horrible, I would still have the chance to work on the car and learn - and most importantly, I would be a MINI OWNER.

I waited as long as I could (three days, thankfully the seller was as interested in selling to someone who could appreciate the car as I was in owning it) to hear back from my dad but it was looking like I might lose it to someone with cash on hand.

Bemoaning my predicament over coffee with my friends, Andrew and Emilie, Andrew suddenly offered to loan me the money until I could work out the finances with my dad. I don't normally like to borrow large amounts, especially from friends, but goddamn, IT WAS FOR A MINI. I had the cash in my hand the next day, got it out to the seller and my Mini was delivered a few days later!

As if this wasn't enough AWESOME - they also gifted me with a digital camera so I could document the whole restoration process. They are the meat beneath my wings and I am forever in their debt. (But not literally, once my dad returned I was able to get a bank loan and pay them back.)

Here they are in all their zombie glory:

The Mighty Canadian Mini

2009-03-05T02:03:00.005-05:00

Big thanks to Miguel P. for these scans - this is a late 70s brochure for the Canadian Mini:

Check out Miguel's website - www.minipassionmini.50megs.com/gb/

Restoration Day Two - Spark it Up

2009-02-22T02:00:00.013-05:00

Well, I think most of my involvement with this restoration project will be in the documentation department. I had hoped to be able to be more hands-on, but lack of experience (and really, basic knowledge) would make the process drag on far longer than needed. Instead, I'm going to pay very close attention to the work that gets done by my father, ask loads and loads of questions, take pictures and then research as much as possible in the weeks between visits to the Mini.

My second visit to the workshop revealed that my dad had removed the engine and front subframe and started on the panels that need repair or replacement. The engine is still a mystery to me (even with all my reading, things don't tend to come together for me until I can get my hands on them) but I'm looking forward to taking it all apart, cleaning it and putting it back together. This day however, I witnessed the first deep cuts into the front end to remove a rusted panel - much more impressive than the previous stabbing.

Slideshow here!
After discussing our options for replacing the panels - should we order new ones? maybe get an entire new body shell? - we decided to go on a field trip; a local guy had two rusted-out Mini shells for $100/ea and there might be some salvageable front panels.

It was only a 20 minute drive and "Fred" was home when we arrived. He let us know one of the shells had been sold and unfortunately, after looking at the one that was left it had a front end we couldn't use. Fred mentioned that the person who bought the other shell was also local and he only needed it for the struts as he's reinforcing a custom Mini pick-up. He gave us instructions on where to find it (under the railway bridge, around the corner and look down the driveways on the right - the Mini shell is in the back of the guy's Ford pick-up and you should be able to see the back end above the cab where it's parked in the backyard) and we dropped by on our way back to my dad's to leave our contact info. If the guy only needs the struts, we could split the cost and grab the front-end panels we need.

Before we left Fred though, we were invited in to his workshop to check out his recently restored Mini:

Along with the Mini, Fred's outbuildings are also sheltering several vintage motorcycles, a few more Austins (Americas?), an old pick-up truck and a wide selection of meticulously organized and catalogued parts, trim, upholstery, tools and other various wonders.

Vintage Ice Racing

2009-01-30T04:33:00.006-05:00

I spent many winters on the ice as a kid in Thunder Bay, watching my parents and their friends racing around in small cars. My brother and I would strap on our skates and try to get close to the action without getting in trouble. Or we'd whine about the cold, it was pretty much a toss up.

My dad started racing in Windsor in the late 60s and continued racing in Thunder Bay until the early 80s. Originally he raced a black Mini Cooper but went on to develop a racing team with his cousin and focused on engine design/tuning. The team won several races, including the championship in 1982/1983.

Truck and trailer loaded with the racing team.

The detachable fibreglass bonnet makes for quicker pit stops.

My dad adjusts something while my uncle, John sits in the driver's seat. I remember borrowing John's helmet as a teenager (to ride on the back of my boyfriend's Vespa!) and noticing a blood type etched on the back - each driver marked his or her blood type on the back of their helmet, in case of emergency.

At the start line.

And they're off!

Full set of pics here: Ice racing in Thunder Bay

Additional information:
Ice Race Ontario - http://www.casc.on.ca/iceRacing.php
Thunder Bay Autosports Club - http://www.iceracingthunderbay.com/

Restoration Day One - Stab Action

2009-01-18T00:24:00.014-05:00

This day is also known as "Stab-my-Mini-repeatedly-with-a-screwdriver" Day.

Full stab-action viewable at the slideshow link provided below...

Slideshow here!

Hogmanay Moving Day!

2009-01-02T01:47:00.010-05:00

Since I bought my Mini in October it has been resting peacefully in my garage (we only had to move the recycling bins to fit it in!) where I've been able to spend a few moments with it every day while smoking a cigarette or drinking my tea. But with the new year comes new digs - my father's garage/machine shop where we'll be doing all the work on the car.

My father returned to Canada in November after working in Darfur (I bought the Mini while he was gone and was excited to have him back so he could inspect it - it passed with flying colours) and built a suitable trailer so we could haul the car back to his place.

On Wednesday my brother and dad came by with the shiny new trailer (notice the mini-matching, 10 inch tires and the wheel guards that allow the car doors to open fully.) Unfortunately the Mini didn't start (it's been very cold lately) so my brother and I pushed while our dad steered; and the angle was a bit off so there was a considerable amount of winching - but we managed to get the car on and strapped down. Aside from a little rust removal underneath, all went well and the first step towards restoration was a success!

Photographic evidence submitted below:

(click on pics for larger size)

mini magazine article - pg 3

2008-11-12T04:09:00.002-05:00

Words and photography by Zoe Harrison
published in mini magazine, June 2000

Mini Machine managed to straighten out the burnt area and treat it so it wouldn't rust, without having to replace the entire side of the car as Trevor had first feared. He has tried to keep as much of the original car as possible, so although the floorpans have been replaced, the transmission tunnel has not.

The Mini Cooper did need new front wings, sills, A-panels, and a new roofskin to get rid of the large sunroof fitted at some point by Mr Hunt. The plate containing the body number was spot-welded to the original slam panel, so the slam panel itself was cut out and stitched in to the new front end. Mini Machine also put in a MkIII S boot floor. "The metal is thicker than the later Rover floors, so that was better," Trevor explains. "Then all the correct holes were put into it."

Although Trevor originally wanted an Almond Green Cooper with a white roof, having traced so much of the car's history he decided to stick to the Old English White with a black roof paint scheme. Mini Machine used two-pack paint, which should help the car last for years.

All the exterior trim was missing when he bought the Cooper, so Trevor scoured autojumbles and car shows. "The particular bits you can't find are the chrome trim round the door and under the window, and the early headlight rims with the brass rivet on top," he remarks. "I ended up drilling out some later ones, sending them away for re-chroming and making up a brass rivet to put back in. Bit sad that, isn't it?" The front grille is a reproduction chrome piece, but the bumpers are stainless steel, after Trevor was unable to find chrome ones.

Since the Mini Cooper was finished in November 1999 it's covered only a few hundred miles, but soon it will be travelling several thousand in one hit. Trevor's work is taking him back to Canada with his wife, Mary, and the car is going with him.

"I'm going to get an enclosed trailer for it and a motorhome so we can travel down to shows in the States," he reveals. "I might even do a few autotests, but I want to go and have some fun with it."

Having gone to so much time and trouble to create such a nice S in the first place, Trevor's not planning on parting with for some time. "My daughter used to watch me ice race Minis years ago," he adds, "and I want to leave it to her when I'm gone." So perhaps this very nice little Cooper will continue with a largely unblemished record of ownership?

Thanks to: SW Crompton, blacksmith, for use of The Smithy at Thornton Hough, Wirral for our location.

mini magazine article - pg 2

2008-11-12T03:35:00.004-05:00

Words and photography by Zoe Harrison
published in mini magazine, June 2000

Trevor himself has owned all manner of Minis in the past, both here in the UK, and over in Canada where he has lived for many years. "I used to race Minis on the ice over there," he reveals. "My first car was a Mini, and to me it's the only fun car you can have."

Getting this Mini Cooper into its present immaculate condition took 18 months of hard work. To begin with, although he'd been assured by the dealer that the car was complete, it was actually without an engine and gearbox.

"When I got there it was a case of well, there's an engine block over there, and choose one of those cranks from over there," he recalls. "What you don't get is all those little nuts and bolts."

Nevertheless, after numerous trips backwards and forwards, Trevor managed to obtain a reasonable 1275cc cylinder block, which he's bored out by .060 inches and fitted new pistons to suit. "Finding a standard block is very rare and expensive," he adds. The block also had to be drilled to take a modern four-bolt oil pump.

To this set-up, Trevor has fitted a Piper cam, which turned out to be a cheaper option than re-grinding the original. "I put a Duplex vernier timing chain on, because I wanted to dial the cam in properly, and roller rockers, because 1.3 roller rockers are exactly 1.3, where old S rockers are only approximate," he comments.

Trevor had the twin SU carbs restored by Burlen Fuel Systems, who also tracked down a fuel pump for him, and he's very impressed with the service. He's equally pleased with the new cylinder head from Racespec Engineering.

"What I was aiming for was to get the horsepower a little better than the original S," he declares. "The S was only 58-59 bhp at the wheels, and this was dyno'd at 64 bhp, so I did exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to use the original 1.25 in carbs and if you go much over 65 bhp you're wasting your time because the engine can't breathe that fast with those carbs. I developed the engine to be compatible with that horsepower."

The gearbox and diff has all been rebuilt as well, although the first 'box Trevor had for the Mini went back because of a repair to the casing. He had initial teething trouble with the diff too, which had a slight oil leak. Trevor stripped the unit down again, and re-shimmed and re-sealed it to cure the problem.

Apart from this, the Mini Cooper was in very good condition mechanically. "When I took the subframe apart it even still had MOWOG stencilled onto it," he recalls. "Even the hydrolastic units were in pristine condition, still with the blue band on." Many of the bits such as the subframes and the twin fuel tanks were powdercoated to preserve them.

The body itself needed a lot of work to bring it up to scratch, much of which was carried out by Mini Machine in Darlington. Trevor was anxious that MkI Cooper details were retained. "On the 1967 S all the boot board brackets and the cross brace on the front were pop-riveted in rather than spot-welded, because the Mini was still being developed," he reports. "I've had it seam-sealed properly, which wasn't done when it was made, and Waxoyled it heavily in all the cavities you can't see."

By The Book

2008-11-12T03:32:00.004-05:00

Only one previous on your logbook? Then researching your Mini's history should be a doddle.
Words and photography by Zoe Harrison
published in mini magazine, June 2000

These days people tend to change their cars on a regular basis, so finding a classic without a ream of names on the logbook is a pretty rare occurence. This was especially true for Trevor Vickery when he bought his Mk1 Mini Cooper S.

Despite the fact that the car was over 30 years old and had changed hands many times, the only officially recorded previous keeper was the first owner. When Trevor tried to track him down, he discovered to his amazement that the man still lived at the same address.

Trevor bought his car in a very rough state in 1998 after viewing various ready-restored examples. He had help choosing the right vehicle from a friend and fellow Mini enthusiast, Barry Long. "Barry said he knew of a genuine car in Sheffield, but it was in need of restoration," Trevor recalls. "I thought OK, sounds good, if I want it done properly, I'll do it myself."

The car in question turned out to be a 1967 Austin Mini Cooper, which had been taken off the road some time in the mid-'70s and not driven since. After contacting the first owner, Arthur Hunt, Trevor discovered more of the car's history.

It had been delivered to Mr Hunt by dealers Carey & Lambert of Southampton in March 1967, and their medallion still decorates the dashboard. Mr Hunt ran the Mini Cooper until he started having gearbox problems, then passed it onto his wife for shopping duty until it was finally laid up in the garage. Eventually, rather worse for wear by this time, the car was traded in against a replacement.

From there it passed through numerous sets of hands without being driven again. In the end, the Mini Cooper was involved in a workshop fire, allegedly part of an insurance scam. "The firemen came along and pushed the Mini outside, put the fire out, and the two guys who owned it went to prison for attempting to defraud the insurance company," Trevor explains. Fortunately, the Mini was rescued with just burn damage to the driver's side and went to the dealer, then on to Trevor.

Mini History - Pt. 3

2008-11-10T07:08:00.000-05:00

British Leyland training video introducing the 1978 Mini Range. Presented by Raymond Baxter, for British Leyland car sales.

Part Two:

Highlighted "improvements" to the 1978 Mini line were: brown coach lines under the windows, a better grip-form on the emergency brake handle, a door-pocket with a snap, a pocket on the driver's side visor (for papers!) and a vanity mirror on the passenger's side visor.

Will the technological wonders of the Mini never cease?!

Mini History - Pt. 2

2008-11-01T05:15:00.012-04:00

Before buying this car, I didn't realize there was such a thing as a Canadian Mini. Outside of the UK, Minis were produced in several countries (Spain, Australia, South Africa, Belgium, Portugal and New Zealand) but none in North America.

Minis were exported for sale in the US until 1967, when the safety regulations changed (thanks Ralph Nader) and there weren't enough US sales to justify the modifications necessary to comply with the new standards. However, the Canadian regulations were less strict which allowed British Leyland to continue exporting Minis, with minor alterations, to Canada until 1980.

There are several cosmetic differences in the Canadian Mini:

reflective side markers at the front and the back,

rubber bumpers mounted higher than the traditional chrome bumpers
(must withstand an 8km/hr hit with no damage to body),

and larger front indicator lights in the grille (instead of under it) to accomodate the higher bumper,
.
Apparently the Canadian Mini is considered pretty ugly (I disagree, personally I think the Clubman Minis are the ugliest) and most have been converted to more standard specs by replacing the rubber bumpers with chrome or stainless steel ones.

This makes my awesome Canadian Mini a bit of a rarity - which pleases me.

Mini History - Pt. 1

2008-10-24T04:49:00.019-04:00

One of the things I really enjoy about Minis (and Mini owners) is the practise of getting to know the history of the car. Most sale ads will mention how many owners a Mini has had (one-owner cars are increasingly rare, especially in North America) and often where the car was originally sold.

My car was sold off the lot of Manotick Motors to a Colonel in the Canadian Forces from the village of Kars. He bought it for his daughter who drove it for a few years until she almost got t-boned. She didn't want to drive it anymore and gave it back to her father who stored it in his barn (apparently along with several other 60s/70s vehicles including a Land Rover) for the next 20 years.

He did drive it for a summer or two - but after that, most of the miles put on it were from the annual Kars Parade. He had an oversized wind-up key that he would attach to the roof and it was a big hit with the crowd. But it sat for a few years in the barn, at least, before the next owner offered to buy it in 2004. I don't know how he found it in the barn, but Mark (2nd owner) told me the sale was a little bizarre.

The Colonel and his wife had become very reclusive as they grew older and were not comfortable with anyone visiting their farmhouse. When Mark arrived to view the Mini he was asked to avert his eyes away from the house and keep them pointed in the direction of the barn as they crossed the yard - the Colonel and his wife followed behind. It wasn't until the Colonel's wife retreated back to the house that the Colonel allowed Mark to relax, explaining his wife was very nervous about strangers.

Thankfully, all went fine after this and Mark bought the car without further overtones of axe-murder horror movies:
thanks to Mark for the photo

De Rigourd

2008-10-18T03:11:00.018-04:00

Parked the Mini in the carhole today. I love having it sit in the driveway so I can see it on my way out and when I get home - but Hallowe'en is approaching and I don't want to risk it getting tipped on its lid. (It is, kind of, pumpkin-ish coloured/shaped, after all.)

I spent a few hours on the weekend cleaning the inside and the trim/lights on the outside. I'm really digging the original crappy vinyl interior. Aside from some black markings and one long-ish tear in the driver's seat cushion, it's in great shape. It even smells right - smells just like the Mini we used to have as one of our family cars when I was a kid (the other car was a HUGE Ford LTD.)

I daydream now when I go out to the garage for a smoke - thinking about the finished car; the paint job, the addition of a decent stereo, a dash and maybe a centre console? So many details to consider! So many wonderful possible outcomes!

I can't wait to get this car on the road. I want to drive it forever.

Mini/Me

2008-10-13T20:48:00.008-04:00

1980

Me beside my dad's ice-racing Mini on a frozen lake in Thunder Bay.
2008

Me sitting in my new Mini in my driveway in Ottawa.

Arrival

2008-10-12T03:03:00.018-04:00

My new Mini was delivered on Friday - I'm still in disbelief over actually owning one. I'm going to take some pictures of my own on my days off this week, but for now here are a few more from the previous owner:

I'm going to spend some time in the next couple days vacuuming and cleaning the interior and maybe give the outside a good wash/polish...

Legacy Mini

2008-10-10T03:11:00.014-04:00

Aquiring the 1969 Mini would be quite the coup. Especially for a first-time Mini Owner. My father didn't have a chance to own such a specimen until his 50s - and he's spent much of his life driving and restoring Minis both in the UK and here in Canada.

His last Mini was a 1967 Cooper S. He bought it as a burned out shell, the victim of an insurance fraud fire at a used car dealership. He was able to trace the history back to the original owner and even got in contact with the man after the restoration was complete; he learned that an old pipe-cleaner, mysteriously found in the car once all the interior had been removed, actually belonged to the original owner who still smoked a pipe!

I helped with a couple things during the restoration: disassembling part of the rear sub-frame and searching Mini Spares for windscreen and window glass stamped with the appropriate date-markers (tiny white dots above or below different letters on the safety registration stamp. This took the better part of a day's work and we managed to find almost every pane from a first-quarter 1967 production run.)

But that was pretty much the extent of my involvement. Even so, I was seriously disappointed when I learned a few years later through my brother (my dad and I have gone through long periods of non-contact), that after my dad returned to Canada from the UK, he sold the cherished '67 S to an American from Texas.

If the Old British Guy decides to sell his 69 Cooper (and if I'm lucky enough to be able to afford the car and restoration) - that sucker's staying in the family.

Luckily, my brother and his wife just had a baby girl so now there's actually someone to pass it on to...

It's not quite official, but...

2008-10-07T20:12:00.006-04:00

I just put a deposit on this car:

The Holy Grille.

2008-10-07T17:25:00.010-04:00

Although I'd missed out on buying his Mini, the seller agreed to keep an eye out for anything that might be in my price range. He mentioned he'd seen a Mini in a garage in his neighbourhood but he was pretty sure the guy wasn't interested in selling. Apparently the car was covered in old boxes and hadn't been driven in a long time. Two weeks later I got an email - the seller had talked to the guy and was passing on the info:

1. One owner;
2. Year: 1969;
3. Type - Austin Mini , 998 cc, 2 SU carbs and larger exhaust;
4. Has not been driven since 1983;
5. Price: Owner is unsure what it is worth;
6. Some rust and engine might need work ?

This a Mark II Cooper. A 1969 Mark II Cooper. That hasn't been driven in 25 years. Sitting in the garage of an old British man who is unsure what it's worth. Fuck me. Obviously I e-mailed the guy right away to see if I could take a look. He was still reticent about selling but asked me to call in a week when I returned from a road trip.

I called last week. Still unsure, he's going to speak with his son and decide what they want to do with the car and get back to me.

I mentioned I was looking for a restoration project and that my father has restored Minis before - I'm hoping he'll realize the car deserves better than 25 years worth of dust and sell it for a ridiculously affordable price to someone that will care for it like a freaking lover.

1982 RHD

2008-10-05T11:54:00.020-04:00

A few weeks ago I was twenty minutes away from owning my first Mini.

I had seen the ad on craigslist or kijiji a few days prior and exchanged a couple e-mails arranging to go have a look. On a whim, I'd sent the ad to my dad and asked his opinion - the price was fair and it looked to be in good shape. It was a 1982 right-hand drive, imported from the UK a few years ago; disc brakes on the front, 1275cc engine, flared wheel wells and 12" tires, nice interior, very little rust.

I mentioned I was going to make an appointment at my bank to see if they'd loan me the $5000 (doubtful, my credit rating is crap - but what the hell, it's for a Mini...) and in his reply my dad offered to front me or co-sign. I was driving up to his place near Kingston the next day to pick him up and we talked about it on the way back to Ottawa. When he mentioned we might have enough time to see the car before he had to be at the airport (he left for Darfur until the end of the month) I floored it back as fast as possible.

I had to stop at home and call the seller. I apologized for the short notice and asked if it was ok to come by right away - my dad was on his way out of the country and we had 1/2 an hour before he needed to be at the airport.

But the car was sold. A couple from Kingston had come up an hour before, had left and come back to buy 20 mins before I called. He said I was welcome to come by anyway (the couple was coming back the next day to pick up the car, there's always a chance they don't make it) and not wanting to let it go, my dad and I headed over.

It's been a long time since I've been that disappointed. Or, I suppose, a long time since I've been that excited about something. My entire life (almost) I've wanted to own a Mini. Minis and I go way back. I had never been so close. Only in the last year have the circumstances even been fortuitous for Mini-ownership - I have a garage it will fit in, my dad's workshop/machineshop/custom tools/expertise at my disposal and access to funds (even if it means giving up all other luxuries.) And then to find a Mini in my price range? I really felt this car was destined for me. I thought for sure the couple wouldn't show at the last minute.

But they did.