New member to restorationmini and have recently acquired an early MK2 S after being mini-less for 14 years. I previously (1989 to 2006) restored a 67' MK1 vintage race mini which now resides in Iowa. I had been looking for another original Mini for awhile being a bini owner over the past 17 years and looked at several cars online before picking up my car. Also followed all the sales on BaT where prices seem to be driven higher with hype and bidding wars.
In any case the car acquired like many has been modified from stock probably during the nineties. It appears to have original floors, braking components, engine, dual tanks, heater (not installed), vin & commission plates, wiring loom, headliner and door cards. Missing center binnacle & gauges, proper seats, steel front end, twin carbs and 3-synchro 22G333 gearbox. It has a 22G1128 box currently. The dash is wood with multiple Autometer gauges Car has a fiberglass flip front end with MK1 grille and mustache. PO added 5"x12" Minator wheels but included the 5"x10" 100+ wheels as well. He referred to the 10" wheels as original and I thought I would be getting original steel S wheels (slight disappointment). Exterior of the car is painted a metallic blue which is presentable but not a great job, while some suspension pieces, the engine and compartment are painted bright blue. My goal is to revert to a more stock appearance, utilize period modifications and in the future do body work and repaint to the original color, under dash & rear squab appears to be almond green.
Appreciate all the experienced folks in this group and I'm sure many questions will be forthcoming. I'm seeking a center binnacle, speedometer and temp gauges, switch panel, original or period aftermarket seats, MK2 grille & surround, badges, etc..
Garry
-didn't realize phone pics post upside down.
Welcome, and nice mini. I see your PO went the same route as mine with all the matchy matchy under the hood. At least your blues seem to match, mine was accented in red even though the car was maroon. Look forward to following the progress.
Thanks GR8kornhollo!
What's the secret to posting iPhone pics in correct orientation?
Have gotten the car running after changing the pre-pump and inline fuel filters. Engine currently has an HIF44 carb and the choke cable attachment is not letting it off completely. Will work on cable attachment & routing to correct.
Garry
Dan knows an app that will fix the phone picture orientation prior to attaching to the posts. Give him a bit to respond.
Garry, I think the 1128 gearbox might have been original to your Mk2 S. And lucky you, as they shift better and are less prone to making the oil look like pearl or metal flake:) If you're ever inside there, the laygear would be marked 22g1040 if it's S spec.
Download "reduce photo size" app onto your phone or device and it's easy to see how the orientation will be when photos post, and rotate accordingly if they require it.
Thanks Dan!
A little research into the upside down photos has identified the issue with iPhone camera orientation. It's not intuitive, however if the volume button is on the bottom in landscape mode, the picture will upload in the correct orientation.
On the transmissions, I thought some of the earliest MK2's still had the 3-synchro box. I don't know the car's production date, however the wiper motor has a November 67' date.
The 66 Cooper S Dan just finished has a 3 synchro transmission - surprised me the first time I drove it, I thought something was wrong with the clutch.....
Are you familiar with MiniSpares in England? If not that's where a lot of us order all our Mini parts as prices even including the exchange rate and shipping can be as much as 1/3 to 1/2 what the US suppliers charge.
For example..... http://www.minispares.com/product/Classic/Gauges/Speedo/13H4442KIT.aspx?1404&ReturnUrl=/search/classic/gauges.aspx|Back%20to%20search (http://www.minispares.com/product/Classic/Gauges/Speedo/13H4442KIT.aspx?1404&ReturnUrl=/search/classic/gauges.aspx%7CBack%20to%20search)
also available with magnolia faces http://www.minispares.com/product/Classic/Gauges/Clock/13H4442MGKIT.aspx?1403&ReturnUrl=/search/classic/gauges.aspx|Back%20to%20search (http://www.minispares.com/product/Classic/Gauges/Clock/13H4442MGKIT.aspx?1403&ReturnUrl=/search/classic/gauges.aspx%7CBack%20to%20search)
Welcome to the forum, Garry!
Quote from: MPlayle on February 06, 2020, 01:01:44 PM
Dan knows an app that will fix the phone picture orientation prior to attaching to the posts. Give him a bit to respond.
My trick to get iPhone photos oriented correctly is to edit the offending photo on the iPhone with the native photo software as you are viewing the photo. You only have to make some very minor change such as adjusting the brightness or gentle cropping - just
something that makes the photo
'different' enough that you are prompted to save your changes. That process 'aligns' the photo so that it will upload and post here in the correct orientation.
Oh, and nice Mini! And glad you are here.
Familiar looking MINI, eh Bruce! 77.gif
Dave & Bruce,
Do you know this car and history? I'm sure it's been around a bit. The owner I purchased from had it since 2003.
I've read your posts concerning purchasing parts direct from UK suppliers as that seems to be the most economical way currently.
Heritage certificate just arrived and states it was an NA export, LHD in Island blue/snowberry white with a heater. Build date November 1967 and despatch date January 1968.
Thanks,
Garry
No, I was referring to the grey MINI on the pic, not the blue Mini! ;D
Bruce has a grey Cooper S very similar to that one.
Ok as mentioned, Heritage certificate lists color as island blue/ snowberry white. Have seen where the BMIHT certs have been slightly off on details for others. In the interior under the rear seat squab and up under dash there appears to be almond green color. There is an "F" number on right front floorboard. Unsure if this number can be tracked as it's not listed in Parnell's book. Car was hydrolastic, but converted to rubber cone suspension at some point.
The grey MINI is my 2003 MCS I purchased new and have enjoyed over the years.
Garry
Bruce has an '02 twin to it that he bought new, one of the very first Cooper S' in the US, he had to go to New York to get it if memory serves.
I had an Electric blue '03 JCW that I sold to get my current Clubman S.
Quote from: MiniDave on February 10, 2020, 10:25:18 AM
Bruce has an '02 twin to it that he bought new, one of the very first Cooper S' in the US, he had to go to New York to get it if memory serves.
Yup, I had to travel to NY to purchase it because there were no MINI dealers in Texas back in 2002! I've had the car nearly 18 years now and I was just driving it yesterday saying to myself how much I still love the damn thing. It continues to make me happy. I've noticed the R53 models are starting to gain some cult appreciation - I think in the future the early Cooper S models are going to be loved like the BMW 2002 has been for quite a while.
At a rest stop somewhere in Arizona back in 2016.
It's not too often that we hear of a heritage certificate being inaccurate on something as major as the original color.
If I were in your shoes, I would dig deeper on the paint issue by probing other hidden areas and perhaps you'll find the original color somewhere which matches that of the heritage certificate.
Out of curiosity and if you haven't already done so, you might be well advised to check the dates on the wiper motor and boot latch mechanism to see how closely those match up with the build date indicated on the heritage certificate.
Scargo,
Thanks for your input. Wiper motor date is 11 67' which matches up with the heritage cert. Regarding the boot latch I haven't been able to determine the date stamp on it. The boot is most likely not correct because it is not double skinned. Boot handle is MK3 and above. In various places on the body (boot floor, back seat base, under dash, central horizontal support where seat brackets bolt, rear side pockets, door pockets) I've been able to locate green which appears as the almond color.
Garry
Small update on some progress. Right front tie rod end boot torn and worn out. Replaced it and probably will do the left side as well. Installed correct style boot handle too. Next project is preservation of original floors. They have surface rust which I'm planning to clean, sand/scotchbrite down, degrease, metal prep and paint initially with some POR-15.
Those floors look perfectly savable to me..... 77.gif
Thanks Dave!
The front outer floor area near sills are slightly bent up where previously folks have jacked up the car. I read on the MK1 forum that you should just leave the floor in the bent up state instead of trying to flatten it back down.
Garry
I wonder why they say that? I guess it depends on where it is exactly? I would take a 4x4 and a 3 pounder and knock it back down again....carefully so you don't overstretch the metal.
If its the white car in the picture its a MkIII plus.
Larry - white car in picture towed behind R53 is BruceK's mini. Mine is the blue one :)
Garry
Small update on floor preservation. I got sidetracked by a few other small projects (changing timing chain guides on my R53 Bini, polishing & waxing my 4Runner and wife's F54 Mini Clubman). Inside floors have been painted with two coats of grey POR15 and I still need to take care of crossmember. Have begun the task of prepping the bottom of the floors - cleaning, sanding and metal prepping prior to painting on the POR15. Just pulled the remote shifter out last night since it was missing the rubber half circle. Figured good opportunity to clean everything up inside and it provides additional access to the tunnel and toe board.
Thanks to Dan for answering a couple body related questions I had.
Garry
A little more progress on the mini. Cleaned, regreased and replaced worn parts of the remote shifter. Completed putting a couple coats of POR15 on bottom floor pan for preservation. I went with the grey color same as on inner floors. Remote shifter re-installed with stainless hardware then RC40 exhaust system installed to quiet it down a little in place of the straight pipe/muffler and Ansa tip.
I have re-joined the working world which has slowed my mini progress a bit. Before heading back into the office, I performed a little refurb on the 5x10" 100+ wheels that came with the car. I had wanted to remove the 12's and go back to 10's all along and with several nice days remaining before the cold weather it was the perfect opportunity. I did have to purchase a new set of lug nuts with proper taper for the 100+ wheels. Bolted up and mini back on the ground starting to be little more aesthetically pleasing now.
Those look very nice.
What's that other thing there in the background polluting your garage?
Do they clear the 8.4" brakes? or did you go back to 7.5's?
On the last CMU run I did with my grandson I found out that you can in fact out drive even the "big" brakes. My grandson drove a particularly twisty curvy part of the run, and when we switched I had little to no brakes left! It was a mostly downhill part of the run into Cumberland, so I just took it easy and used the gears, by the time we got down the mountain I had brakes again!
I must be easier on my brakes cause I've never run out of them before, even on track days!
Quote from: LarryLebel on December 19, 2020, 09:14:00 AM
What's that other thing there in the background polluting your garage?
Looks just like the one "polluting" my garage. Larry, please post photos of your non-Mini cars so we can judge them.
On a different note, I'm also thinking of a switch from 12" wheels on my Mini to 10" ones. They look good on your car.
Having driven 10,12, and 13s, 10s are my favorite. Just feels better to me.
I've had 10's and 13"s and I like them both - I like the way the 10's drive, but I like the way the 13's look with the right arches. The white car has 13X7's which I think are too much.....
It's interesting to me how many people own both a classic and a new MINI.
Quote from: MiniDave on December 19, 2020, 01:53:08 PM
I've had 10's and 13"s and I like them both - I like the way the 10's drive, but I like the way the 13's look with the right arches. The white car has 13X7's which I think are too much.....
It's interesting to me how many people own both a classic and a new MINI.
Your car looks good both of them I like the 10's
60 years between my oldest and newest mini.
Oldest has 10" newest has 16" wifes 2013 has 18" factory wheel's on all cars. Back to classics my spi car had 13's with sportpack arches I thought it looked good but I would agree that my 10" cars drive the best.
Polluting my garage is my 2003 BMW Mini Cooper S which I bought new and still drive daily 4.gif
Dave - my car originally came with 7.5" front disc, so no issues fitting the 10" wheels back on.
Thanks for all the comments folks. I did notice upon lowering it down off the jack stands, the rear is sitting a little higher than I recall previously. It was on stands over the past 10 months though, so perhaps the suspension has not returned to prior state. The wheels do have an improved look to them after paint and polish. I think they're a nice period wheel which are not all that common and really light weight. In addition I've recently sourced a set of steel S wheels to restore for use at as well.
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!
Garry