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.....

I need another project like I need a whole in the head....plus....it's....English..... and LUCAS....

But it looks fun......

my uncle has 15 of them....

wagons S's racers


he is involved highly with the mini club....

lemme know if you need any info...

Mike,

A bud in high school had one. Engine and transmission share the same oil so check that tranny.

His was set up for racing and went like a bat outa hell until 80 when those little wheels just couldn't turn any faster.

CV joints werte funky back then too....

Hecka lot simpler to work on than a 914.... they use a single rubber donut for the rear suspension.

Engine/tranny comes out easy too. My bud usta pull it in a coupla hours.

Ken

Ken

I had a two Austin Healy's back in the 80s...both were fun but were labor intensive......Lucas was NOT fun to work on....

Aaron can you send me his contact information?

356@cox.net

Mikey, Mikey, your fat a_s in a Mini Cooper? If it was the standard model, it had a 948 cc Series "A" engine (shared with the Sprite and Midget of those days). If it is the Mini "S", it had a 1275 cc Series "A" and was a 125 mph shoebox. Fun cars...........buy it and go to the dark side (Lucas).

Email or PM "lapuwali". He restores Mini's...
Felix

Pic 1

pic2

pic3...proud owner...not me....

pic4

pic5

QUOTE (mikez @ Dec 26 2004, 12:30 PM)

I had a two Austin Healy's back in the 80s...both were fun but were labor intensive......Lucas was NOT fun to work on.... Aaron can you send me his contact information? 356@cox.net

Believe it or not--the aviation community uses MUCH lucas "Prince of Darkness" electronics. Lucas has two production lines,

1st: these are the ones you buy at autozone for a $1.50

2nd: these are the ones you actually pay for!!!! And get years(!) of use out of them......

You just have to specify that you want the "good stuff" and fork over an arm or leg...........

I laugh everytime I pass a Ducati broke down on the side of the road!!!!

Mike, I've had a number of Mini's over the years including a GT5 SCCA car. The early Mark I cars with the sliding windows are the most valuable. A true early "S" with the 11 stud head and the "S" disk brakes carries the most value. Check MiniMania's web site for more information than you really want to read. Also there is a for sale forum, so that you may access the asking price of that car. If it is just a standard 850 with the aftermarket Cosmic alloys and drum brakes it might only be worth $2000 in that state. It it is a true 1275 "S", the asking price might be fair. BTW, these cars are inexpensive and easy to restore. All body panels are available and even new shells. DLee in Houston, TX.

I'll weigh in here, since Felix ratted me out...

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.

btw, looking over that again. That price is way too high. I just sold a 1964 Mk1 with decent paint, completely running and licensed, with a 998 engine in it, for $4K. I'll sell the roller in my garage, which needs an interior and to be reassembled, with the 850 in it, and a spare 1275 and everything required to make it go, for $4K, too. Much better deal than the one pictured, as the exterior paint is in much better condition, and it has all of the trimwork.

If you can't trailer it down yourself, I'll work a deal on the transport into the price.

lsounds like you were saved a lot of grief, and a ton of money mike.

kevin

makes me wanna get a mini now..BUT SLAP OUT IT ive got enough to worry about with my 914...

I know you were seriously thinking about it last night Mike, did you buy it yet? Definitely things to think about. I think I may get that trailer from you too. Then I wont have to borrow my friends everytime I want to tow a car. Probably another week or so and we will work something out to get it down here.

Unless it's running and I can do a compression check...the guy is nuttier than batshit.....for that price.

He says it has a non synchro 1st and 2nd gear trans with twin SUs and and two 1000 motors....when "I" was dealing with Healy's they were 850s, 975s and 1250s....so the guy is blowing some smoke.

I bought his brother's 914, 12 years ago....it turned into the "Rocket" after a LOT of massaging....I'm STILL interested in a mini....just not this one for this price....

Non-synchro 1st is common during the period. Non-synchro 2nd is not a factory option, it's just usual wear. Parts for the 3-synchro boxes are relatively scarce.

The motors used in Minis were 848, 970, 997, 998, 1052, and 1275, all A-series engines. The 948 was never used in the Mini, or in any other "transverse" application, only in the longitudinal mounting in Spridgets, et al. Lots of people call the 998 a "1000", as that's what the factory called them. However, the 998 didn't come out until well after 1961. Like I said, few Minis actually come with the engine they left the factory width.

Another place to look for Minis is www.miniguy.com. This guy is in Ventura, and basically runs a showroom. Lots of cars are a wide range of prices, and the proprietor seems to be a stand up guy. The way cool option on the Mini is the pickup version. They're fairly unusual in the US (never officially imported), and they were originally all 850s, though many have 1275s in them, now. Also, IMHO, right-hand drive is much cooler than left-hand drive.

QUOTE (lapuwali @ Dec 26 2004, 08:00 PM)

Also, IMHO, right-hand drive is much cooler than left-hand drive.

Not if you're going through a drive through, UNLESS you've got a willing passenger

QUOTE (lapuwali @ Dec 26 2004, 07:51 PM)

really fixed up to 200hp/1600lb VTEC-powered firebreathers.

Are there any web sites detaling the Honda engine swap's?
This is somthing that I want to do some day

no offense

Actually, for toll booths, the RHD works out, as the car is so narrow, you can easily slide open the passenger window and hand over the money. For a drive-up window, this is more of a problem, but I don't frequent drive-up fastfood places, and so few banks in CA have drive-up ATMs, that it's not really a problem.

For the later cars with roll-up windows, RHD might be more of a problem in LHD countries. All the more reason the early sliding window cars are cooler, too.

As for the VTEC conversion, there are several sites with people doing this DIY. You have to lengthen the nose of the car some to fit the engine and the radiator. The 1300 Suzuki twin-cam engine (esp. in turbo form) is an easier fit, and you can get 150hp or so from them, which is way more than adequate. The A-series is not only fairly small, but the radiator fits on the side, in the left-hand fenderwell. The A-series is pretty much bulletproof, and good to 110hp or so before it starts to get really expensive. There are also DOHC heads available that go on the A-series block, and you can get 120-130hp out of those engines.

Based on what I have seen that is on the sites...this basketcase is a PASS......

Gonna drive down and check out the Ventura showroom and see what they have in person....

I owned a 61 just like it, it had an engine transplant MG1100 , I think I sold it in 73 for 400 bucks. This one is not worth the money ebay has alot of listings on Mini's I would look there first to see what there going for.
Very fun car to drive except in crosswinds.

Check out MiniMania for lots of info and comparative classifieds.

I extensively restored a Cooper "S" and hopped it up to 125 hp. Just because I thought I had to have one. I sold it shortly after I had it completed.
Car was very quick - uncomforable, and with a close-ratio gearbox extremely noisy.
The 10 inch wheels are too small and make it drive funny.
I find them way over rated - drive one before you buy and restore one!
Than make your mind up.