Mini Magazine June 2021

For a car that now has over six decades under its belt, it sometimes feels like the Mini is always pushing towards the future. Things never stand still around the Mini... Going out to take a closer look at Luke Smith's brilliant Pickup really brought this home. Here's a Mini that was new in the 1970s, had clearly lived the life it was meant to and now, thanks to Luke and his Grandad, is ready to face many more decades. And not just in factory spec - there's a fuel injected, electronically managed engine, wind up windows and even a full leather interior. It looks great - see page 40 for the full story. And if you still feel fuel injection is too high tech for Mini, wait until you read the…

It was only recently we featured Ben Thompson’s ultra-rare Wolseley 1000 as one of our ‘On The Job’ feature cars. There seemed plenty of work left to be done on it back then. But when it comes to restorations, Ben doesn’t mess around, and the lockdown gave him the perfect opportunity to complete this unusual project. Ben has been a Mini fan since he was 15, when he bought a Mini automatic saloon with his Dad to rebuild. “I enjoyed working on the car, fixing the brakes, welding and getting it roadworthy again,” Ben remembers. “I’ve been hooked on Minis ever since.” “I’ve restored and rebuilt other types of classic cars too, I’m a real fan of anything that’s a bit different and stands out,” Ben admits. “When classic car values began…

For a car that now has over six decades under its belt, it sometimes feels like the Mini is always pushing towards the future. Things never stand still around the Mini... Going out to take a closer look at Luke Smith's brilliant Pickup really brought this home. Here's a Mini that was new in the 1970s, had clearly lived the life it was meant to and now, thanks to Luke and his Grandad, is ready to face many more decades. And not just in factory spec - there's a fuel injected, electronically managed engine, wind up windows and even a full leather interior. It looks great - see page 40 for the full story. And if you still feel fuel injection is too high tech for Mini, wait until you…

BODY 1967 Wolseley 1000 saloon. Paint: Wedgewood Blue and Protea White. ENGINE 998cc A-series with +.100 inch overbore. Keith Claver flat top pistons, 12G202 early Cooper head with .055 inch skim, ported and polished to Stage 3 spec. 35mm inlet, 29mm exhaust valves. Keith Dodd 1.5 rocker shaft. Evo 2 camshaft. Double valve springs. BMC inlet manifold. Nikki twin carbs with bespoke SU air box. Centre oil pick up. Oil pump with adjustable pressure relief valve. Oil cooler SUSPENSION Standard hydrolastic suspension. Gas shocks at front. TRANSMISSION Straight cut gearbox with drop gears. Mini Spares lightened flywheel and clutch. BRAKES 7.5 inch Cooper front disks. Rear Minifins. WHEELS & TYRES Dunlop LP918 reverse wheels with chrome hub caps. Falken 165/70/10 tyres. INTERIOR Classic bucket seats. Basketweave and black vinyl door cards. Mota-Lita steering wheel on Tulip…

Hungry for the show season to start up again? Make a note in your diaries, because British Mini Day at Himley Hall is back on Sunday 1st August and it promises to be everything we’ve been longing for after a year of restrictions. The 29th British Mini Day will run from 10am-4pm, taking place in the impressive grounds of 18th century Himley Hall and Park. The show is open to all types of Minis and variants from 1959 to present day. You won’t want to hide your Mini away in the car park, show it off in the main show arena either in the premier concours section or the BMC Show ‘n’ Shine decade display. Pre-booking is essential for both displays and you’ll need to be in place by 9.30am…

• The British Motor Museum is all set to reopen its doors on 17 May in line with Stage 3 of the Government’s roadmap. Having been awarded the ‘We’re Good to Go’ industry charter mark by VisitEngland, the Museum is confident that everything is in place to ensure a safe and enjoyable visit. The Museum will be open seven days a week from 10am – 5pm with limited numbers per day and pre-booking is essential for all visitors including those returning with an annual pass. There are 10am, 11am, 12noon and 1pm arrival slots available and once at the Museum visitors can stay as long as they wish until closing. The ‘Gaydon Gathering’, a free monthly evening gathering aimed at motoring enthusiasts is back. The first gathering took place last October…