Found a Morris Mini Cooper...61 for sale., Anyone know much about them? Options

[Joe Bob]

Seems to be relatively solid, no bondo, no rust....two engines. I have some pics I will post in a bit. He's asking 4,000....needs paint and interior.....12V POSITIVE ground..... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/headbang.gif)

I need another project like I need a whole in the head....plus....it's....English..... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/barf.gif) and LUCAS.... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/barf.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/barf.gif)

But it looks fun...... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/blink.gif)

[lapuwali]

I'll weigh in here, since Felix ratted me out... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

As stated, the Mk1 is the most sought after by most. This is '59-'67. Minis generally aren't "original". They're common enough and made in enough variations and were made for so long that engine swaps to later (larger, more powerful) engines are more common than cars with the original engine.

If the car is a 1961 model that's been unmolested, it will have single-leading shoe drum brakes on all four corners and an 850 engine with a looong gear lever poking out of the firewall where it meets the floor (the so-called "magic wand" or "pudding stirrer" gearbox). 34hp and you can just touch 70mph on a flat with no headwind. It's certainly not a Cooper S (1275 or otherwise), as the Cooper S didn't come out until 1964. The chances are very good the engine has been replaced with a later version, very possibly a 998 or a non-Cooper 1275. Many people seem to think they're all called "Mini Coopers", so they apply the Cooper name even though only a fraction of the cars are actually Coopers. The price difference between a plain-jane car and an actual Cooper is 3-5x, typically, so there are a lot of fake Coopers out there being passed off as the real thing. The only Cooper available in 1961 was the 997 Cooper, which used a stroked 850, twin SUs, a different gearbox (gear lever is normal length and comes out of the floor near the seats), 7" disc brakes up front, and some trim. About 50hp.

Nearly all of the parts for the cars are available in the US through one source or another. Mini Mania is one, as is Heritage Garage and 7 Enterprises. The only big thing on the Mk1 that's unavailable is the rear windscreen, which is smaller than all the rest. Gearbox parts for the earliest 3-synchro gearboxes (no synchro on 1st) are also hard to find, but later parts will fit, and refurbished gearboxes are only $700 or so. Little stuff like some trim is hard to get, too. Spare "rebuildable" engines (always sold with gearbox) are only $400-500, so don't count a spare engine towards the price, much. A fully-rebuilt ready to drop in engine is about $4000 (non-Cooper 1275 w/no performance mods). Rebuilding one yourself would run about $1500 in parts and machining.

Minis are dirt simple cars (Mk1s had two 35 amp fuses, that's it). They can be fixed up to be period show cars or nice little 100hp/1400lb pocket rockets (or really fixed up to 200hp/1600lb VTEC-powered firebreathers). They're noisy and uncomfortable and great fun. You attract more attention in one than a topless blonde in a Lamborghini.