Look no further than Mini Sport for your guide to Mini maintenance and upgrades. Our series of blog posts are packed with ideas, tips, and tricks to keep your Mini running smoothly, all from the comfort of your own home. Check out our previous maintenance posts! – see here.
Whether you're a seasoned pro or a curious beginner, we'll take you through the steps to perform a visual check on your Mini. So get ready to give your Mini the TLC it deserves!
To start off, take a good look at the exterior of your Mini. We recommend that you check the following :
Switch on your Mini’s side lights and check that all the bulbs are illuminated – front / rear, number plate and dash illumination.- Switch headlights on to the dip beam – check both headlamps are illuminated
- Switch your headlamps on to the main beam – check both headlamps are illuminated and main beam warning lamp on the dash
- Switch your Mini’s hazard warning lights on – check front and rear lights and side repeaters where fitted for illumination including the dash warning lamp.
- Turn on the ignition and check indicators – left hand and right hand, rear and side repeaters where fitted and dash warning lamp.
- With the ignition still on press the brake pedal and get someone to check the brake lights are working
- With the ignition still on, select reverse gear and check reverse lights where fitted
- Check tyre walls for damage, bubbles or cuts and check tyre pressures
- Check tyre tread depth and even wear across the width of the tread – if uneven, have your tracking checked professionally
- Check wheel rims for damage or corrosion
- Check condition of spare wheel and tyre pressure
- Check wheel arch extensions for cracks or damage
- Check inner and outer CV boots for splits or cracks
- Check fluid levels – oil, coolant, brake and clutch and windscreen washer fluid.
- Check windscreen for cracks or stone chips
- Check wiper blades for even and unbroken wiping of the screen and rubber condition.
If any of the following checks leave you to believe that something isn’t as it should be – if something looks damaged or worn, replace the part! Failure to keep your Mini in tip-top shape could be dangerous for both yourself & other road users!
Don't hesitate to reach out if you need any guidance or advice! Our friendly and knowledgeable team is just a phone call away at 01282 778731 or you can email us at sales@minisport.com. If you're more comfortable having one of our experts check your Mini, you can book an appointment today. We're here to help in any way we can!
This week on the blog we’re approaching the subject of ensuring your Mini is watertight, that means no leaks! Although yes, we are technically in Spring, let’s not forget, in the UK sunshine is never guaranteed & rain is never far away… Ensuring that your Mini is watertight will help prevent rust/rot by simply spending a short while checking the Mini seals every now & again.
First step in checking that your Mini is watertight, is to walk around the Mini – carrying out a visual inspection of the all the Mini seals, including window seals, the door glass seals and door seals. You should also be checking the strap seals, bonnet and boot seals, front and rear lamp seals. 
What you are looking for are cuts, cracks or shrinkage, if you find any of these problems you will need to replace the relevant Mini seals as soon as possible.
If you are already experiencing water ingress, then you need to know where it is coming from… It is not always obvious, even when you find a spot that is wet. The most common way to find a water leak is to sit in your Mini with all windows and doors firmly closed, with an assistant on the outside with a hose pipe spraying water gently over the Mini, around the window and door seals, rear light clusters, boot lid and bonnet – don’t use a high pressure jet as this will force water through an otherwise water tight seal. But this should make it apparent to you if you have any areas that are leaking.
Our full range of seals can be found right here on our website, but if you’re unsure of what you need or if you need any advice at all on your Mini or parts, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly & knowledgable Sales Team who will be happy to help – we can be reached via email sales@minisport.com or on the phone 01282 778731.
You can also check out our previous ‘Home Servicing’ blogs here.
The next blog in our ‘Home Servicing’ series -"Detailing your Mini" can be undertaken by ANYONE, no matter your level of Mini expertise!
Whether you're hitting the road or attending a Mini event, make sure your beloved little car is turning heads by giving it the TLC it deserves. Grab a detailing kit, roll up your sleeves, and let your Mini shine like never before.
We know everyone has their own special ways to keep their Mini looking fabulous, but we wanted to share our suggestion with you:
What you will need:
First things first, rinse your Mini from top to bottom with water, this is to get rid of any debris that might be on there.
Moving on, we would advise that you start with the dirtiest part of your Mini – the wheels! They will need a good pre-soak with the Cooper Mini Wheel Cleaner. You can then go in with a brush on the difficult to reach places, using a separate washcloth or mitt. We strongly advise that you use a different mitt & bucket here, to what you will be using on the rest of your Mini!
Next, mix the Cooper Mini Shampoo with water 2-3 caps to a bucket – warm water is best to help loosen anything stuck on like dew, bugs or bird droppings etc then generously apply the mixture all over your Mini, starting at the top and working your way down in small sections. Rinse your cloth or mitt in the water regularly before adding new mixture to the Mini – you don’t want to contaminate your clean shampoo concoction with dirty water! This process will help lift any dead bugs and obstinate muck that might be lurking on there. Once you’re satisfied that your Mini is clean of grime, it’s time to rinse again – get rid of all that shampoo.
Once your Mini is rinsed off and shampoo free, it’s time to dry! Again we would advise that you begin at the top of your Mini and work your way down using a chamois. You need to complete this step as quickly as possible… You don’t want to be left with streaks or spots!
Now your Mini is dry, it’s time to get stuck in with polishing! There are two options for polishing – by hand or with a machine. The finish with a machine will be a better polish than by hand, but not everyone will have a machine. We would only recommend using the machine if you’ve had practice and know what you’re doing, you don’t want to ruin your paint. We’ll talk you through hand polishing, the results are still good and it also offers you greater control.
Apply Cooper Mini Polish to a soft cloth and rub it in to your Mini in a circular motion. Working slowly, polish one section at a time using plenty of polish – don’t let your cloth dry out. Carrying on with your circular motions until the polish has vanished completely – you don’t want this to dry on your Mini. We’d also advise against polishing your Mini in direct sunlight. If you drop your cloth at any point in the polishing process – do not continue using it! Replace your cloth to avoid embedding debris in to your Mini’s paint!
Following on from polishing your Mini, it’s time to wax. We’d recommend you don’t do this in high temperatures to avoid the wax drying as soon as you apply it to your Mini – however in very cold weather, wax becomes difficult to manoeuvre around your Mini! Waxing in your garage is the ideal location to avoid the issues caused by differing temperatures. Using a foam applicator, or damp sponge, use small circular motions to apply the Cooper Mini Car Wax to your Mini. Again it’s best to work in sections when waxing, don’t use too much wax – this can be a nightmare to get off your Mini. Leave the wax on your Mini for a few minutes before wiping the wax away. A handy trick to see if the wax is ready to come off or not is to wipe your finger on a small section – does it smear? If so, the wax needs to stay on a little longer, but if it comes off clear then you can wipe the wax off using a clean microfiber cloth.
Finally, it’s time to get those tyres & trim gleaming! Using the Cooper Mini Tyre & Trim on a soft cloth, work in small circular motions and wipe away the excess!
Now you’ve done the whole Mini… It might also be worth giving your glass the once over, after all – mucky fingerprints just won’t do!
Et voilà! Your Mini should now be gleaming and show ready.
If you need any help or assistance, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly & knowledgable team on 01282 778731 or sales@minisport.com where we’ll be happy to help!
The Mike Sones Memorial rally
The first round of the 2023 Mini Sport Cup, organized by the Historic Rally Car Register, started in spectacular fashion! Although ten crews had entered, only eight were able to start due to two cars not being ready on time.
Despite the snow-covered roads at Weston Park, the event went ahead, and the competition was fierce. Clive King and Anton Bird, driving their Mini Sport-backed car, took the lead at car 35, followed by Trevor Hancock with his son James in the co-driver's seat at car 44. Andrew O'Hanlon and Kevin Hogan, in car number 45, were one place behind, confident in their new engine that had been fitted towards the end of the previous season.
Shane Gamble, driving a new Mark One Mini rally car in the pre-1968 category 1 class, was hopeful of better luck than last season. The remaining cars were spread throughout the rest of the entries.
During the event, all of the Minis serviced together, allowing the crews to help each other when they faced problems.
We were delighted that some of our sponsors made the trip to see the first round of the championship, with Rob from Mini Sport, Ronny from Yokohama, Alan from Questmead and Andrew from Snap-On.
On the first stage, Clive managed to stop the clocks three seconds quicker than Andrew, who was four seconds ahead of Trevor Hancock. The rest of the field followed closely behind. Unfortunately, Shane's new car suffered a fuel problem, which caused it to stop on the road section after the stage. Although all the crews jumped to help diagnose the issue, the problem persisted, forcing Shane and Bob Ward to retire from the event.
The next few stages remained treacherous with the grip levels changing on each run, making it difficult for the crews to judge braking points. Clive and Anton managed to extend their lead by a few seconds on each of the next few stages, but Andrew was pushing hard to close the gap. John Nicholson suffered an off on one of the fast bends, damaging the co-driver's side, while Harvey Steven's Mini hit one of the large straw bales, damaging the front panel and breaking the distributor cap.
Despite facing various challenges, the crews persisted, setting quick times over the last few stages. Craig King, with Peter Ellerby navigating, clipped a bail and damaged the co-driver's wing, while Stewart Hart's flywheel worked loose, causing them to retire from the event.
As the final flag came down, Clive had extended his lead by a few seconds from Andrew, with Trevor managing to overtake Craig to finish as the third Mini home. With no last minute retirements all of the remaining minis made the finish.
The event was a thrilling success, with the crews demonstrating their driving skills and the resilience to overcome various obstacles!
The prize draws were held at the finish:
Exol Oil prize - won by Andrew O'Hanlon
Snap-On prize kindly donated by Andrew (from Snap-On) - won by Trevor Hancock
Set of brake pads from Questmead for best improvement in seeding - won by Harvey Stevens.
Yokohama donated two tyres - won by Andrew O'Hanlon
There was a cake presented to Craig as his birthday which was the following day, where he all of a sudden made lots of friends who wanted a slice.
Congratulations Clive & Anton on 1st place finish!
Thank you to the generous sponsors of the HRCR Mini Sport Cup – Mini Sport, Mintex, Exol Oil, Snap-On, Yokohama & Questmead, without whom there wouldn’t be a Championship.
To catch up with all the action from the Mini Sport Cup, please see here.
For more information on the Mini Sport Cup, please see our Facebook page here.
Are you ready to rev up your engines and feel the adrenaline rush of a rally driver? Put your skills to the test and make your dream a reality!
Discover more by reading "Be Inspired... Start Mini Motorsport!" or reaching out to us directly for all the information you need:
Phone: 01282 778731
Email: rob.eastwood@minisport.com or sales@minisport.com
Words - Clive King
Photos - Ian Francis Photography
Mk1 Mini Cooper S, 3.2 Days, 750 miles
RAC Rally of the Tests 2022
The most gruelling event on the annual calendar. The ultimate test of crew and Mini.
Race engineers must have a unique skillset, combining an intricate knowledge of vehicle dynamics with a flair for amateur psychology when instilling belief in the driver. Having engineered Jean Alesi to the 1989 International Formula 3000 title and subsequently turned his hand to contesting regularity rally events – with great success – in his 1969 Porsche 911, Paul Crosby knows this balancing act well.
After finding a rusty Austin Mini Coopers S with a blown engine and gearbox; the connecting rod had gone through the block and gear casing, Crosby decided this was the car to build his dream rally Mini, so in August 2020 he made the purchase.
Complete with a history of rallying for more than 25 years, this Mini had seen better days and required a complete restoration to stand any chance of bringing this classic back to competition. Fellow rally driver and previous winner of The Rally Of The Tests, Steve Entwistle, introduced Paul to Chris Harper at Mini Sport Ltd. This invaluable introduction opened the door for Paul to take advantage of the guidance and support offered over the 2 years it took to restore. Building a competitive rally car takes experience and knowledge that can only be gained over many years of competing at the highest level, Mini Sport have this as part of their DNA.
Back in its original colour of Old English White with a black roof, the build was nearing completion but required a ‘Works’ type Cooper S wiring loom, ready for the June 2022 first road test. No easy task, as these components are not available off the shelf, so once again Paul turned to Mini Sport and their wiring loom wizards. Adding the complications of modern safety equipment and special lighting, a bespoke wiring loom was quickly built to the exact specifications Paul required, allowing this car to finally hit the stages.
Their first shake-down event, the Hero Challenge 3 at Chichester in October 2022, was mostly a trouble-free run, but as with any new car there will always be some minor issues to resolve. With the second shake-down event at Dansport Historic in November quickly approaching, a few tweaks of the Cooper S were completed meaning team were prepared and raring to go. “The Mini ran perfectly with no issues” a delighted Paul commented after completing the event.
Next came the RAC Rally of the Tests, the event the Mini Cooper S had been built for, a gruelling 750 miles that tests both crew and machine.
Starting from Blackpool, the event began with a 3 hour 'prologue' section which determined the running order for the next day. The Mini Cooper S’ formidable performance and the skills of driver Paul with co-driver Ali awarded them the starting position of 9th.
As the team raced onto Stoke, Friday saw 5 minutes of excess penalties which plunged them down to 18th place. Following this long tough day, Saturday took in some of the most challenging venues in East Wales, with the crew completed great runs throughout the day and into all the night sections. This saw Paul and Ali climb back up the leader board to an impressive 4th place overall.
The Sunday stint from Swansea to Torquay showed no let-up in action or rain! The infamous 'Worthy Farm' which is part of the Glastonbury venue, was a sea of mud and water. Managing to survive without drowning, the Mini suffered a puncture on the left front. With the end in sight and heading towards finish, the mechanics worked in biblical conditions, to quickly change the wheel and get them back on the road.
With this incredible run, Paul and Ali finished in an impressive 3rd place, a well-earned Podium position on the Mini’s first big event.
“Apart from the puncture we had absolutely no mechanical problems! A testament to Mini Sport quality parts and fastidious assembly!” Paul Crosby
MINI Recharged in Tokyo!
A visit to one of Paul’s favourite cities was only fitting after all? After its debut in Milan, the Paul Smith + MINI Recharged touches down in Japan, exhibited alongside the MINI STRIP.
The MINI Recharged has landed in Tokyo. As a city very dear to Paul’s heart, it makes perfect sense that the destination was the next stop on the reimagined car’s tour. Those who have followed its journey so far will know that the car made its debut at Milan’s prestigious Salone del Mobile back in June this year – and we’re so excited to be making another stop in a place that holds such dear memories for Paul.
The MINI Recharged itself does something Paul does best: blending the old with the new.
“Three things describe this car perfectly: quality, sustainability, and functionality. This car also respects the past. When you move into your old aunt's flat, out of respect you don't change everything, but you do some modernising,” Paul explains. “We have made a 1990s car totally relevant for today. Ideas are never the problem. You can find them everywhere. The challenge is to implement them. Here it worked. A dream has come true.”
Created with an innovative outlook, but mindful of the iconic car’s rich heritage, the design adapts a classic 1998 Mini to make it fully electric. In close collaboration with engineers at Recharged Heritage Limited, the car was retrofitted with an emission-free 90-watt electric engine in a project that speaks to Paul’s commitment to sustainability and passion for innovative design.
But it wasn’t just under the hood that got a makeover (or should that be makeunder?). Stripping back the internal design and dashboard, Paul put his own stamp on the car with retro lime green and highlighter orange accents inside and a bright blue exterior inspired by a swatch taken from one of Paul’s favourite shirts.
Where would you like to see the MINI Recharged next?
Pre-order your very own bespoke Mini Conversion from Recharged Heritage with build availability filling up fast, secure yours today!
Text and images: Paul Smith
Header image: hal_at_sslab999
25th September saw the Mini Sport Cup head for the Otterburn ranges for the penultimate round. Eight Minis had entered but unfortunately, two of the crews had to withdraw due to damage sustained on the previous round in Belgium at the Tour of Flanders Rally.
So round 8 of the Mini Sport Cup saw that the event had changed from the normal format, where the organisers were not allowing any checking of the pace notes... This would mean every crew would need bravery pills to commit to the notes!
Some of the crews met up for a meal and several beers the evening before, friendly banter was in the air, which is what rallying should be about.
Leading the Minis away was the Mini Sport backed car of Clive King and Anton Bird, followed by father and son crew of John and Martin Cressey, in Mini Sport's own development Open Class Mini.
Current Championship leaders were next, Ryan Taylor and Lucy Wilding, who were hoping for their continued run of form.
Craig King with Claire Jennings, John Nicolson and Kari Bates, Harvey Stevens and Andrew Selly completed the crews ready to do battle...
The first loop of two stages Clive took a small lead from John, with Ryan close behind. Harvey had set a quick time to be leading the rest of the contenders.
The second loop saw John and Martin take three seconds out of Clive and Anton on the third stage, with the crew clawing time back on the fourth stage. This would be a battle that lasted all day!
Craig and Clare were suffering with the clutch adjustment, but luckily, with Peter Ellerby (past Mini Sport Cup competitor) on-hand to help out, they soon had it fixed.
The stages were exceptionally fast, with the little Minis reaching maximum revs in top gear for long periods. The brakes were being stretched to the limits as they then had to scrub all the speed off for the sharp bends.
Ryan was complaining that the gearbox was jumping out of gears, with Lucy having to hold the Mini in 2nd.
Craig then discovered that the wind screen wipers failed, just as the heavens opened restricting vision!
Suffering with inconsistent brakes, it was all hands on deck for John and Martin back in service to try and solve the problem before the next set of stages.
After a gruelling day, John and Martin bagged 1st Mini overall, and 1st Open Class Mini. Biting at their heels were Clive and Anton, finishing a mere 15 seconds behind, whose rapid times secured them 2nd Mini overall and 1st Historic Mini, also winning the Historic Class after taking time out of the leading BDA Escort!
Less than 2 minutes behind, were Ryan and Lucy who came in 3rd.
Harvey and Andrew had been enjoying the event, with only the adjustment of their clutch holding them back from a fantastic result, but still cinching 4th Mini. Craig and Clare unfortunately suffered with the gears, resulting in loosing time on the long straights, still coming in 5th Mini.
The sponsors prize draw gave two Yokohama tyres to Clive King, who apparently had luck on his side, as he also won the Penrite Oil, and the Questmead award for the best improvement on seeding! The Snap On prize courtesy of Andrew O'Hanlon went to Ryan Taylor. All prize draws were conducted by Lucy and Claire to ensure no cheating... Despite Clive clearing out!
Congratulations John and Martin on 1st Mini overall!
Thank you to the generous sponsors of the HRCR Mini Sport Cup – Mini Sport, Mintex, Yokohama, Penrite & Questmead, without whom there wouldn’t be a Championship.
To catch up with all the action from the Mini Sport Cup, please see here.
For more information on the Mini Sport Cup, please see our Facebook page here.
Words - Clive King
Main photo - Alastair Knox
Tour of Flanders Report - Mini Sport Cup Round 6 & 7 of the Mini Sport Cup
2022 would see the Mini Sport Cup and Stage Masters make a return to Omloop Van Vlaanderen rally. This is a two-day event running Friday and Saturday. Eight Minis entered but only seven would start as Andrew O'Hanlon and Kevin Hogan cars engine let go on the rolling road the evening prior to setting off.
Much work had been completed to the cars in preparation for the event. Ryan Taylor had refreshed his engine; Craig King had the gearbox rebuilt. Shane Gamble had renewed the wheel bearings, front callipers, and a new gear box plus drive shafts to try and get some reliability.
Making a return to the championship were Mike Barratt with his rebuilt Cooper and Kevin Haselden with Cat Lund in the co drivers seat.
Much concern had been shown with the UK now out of the EU what would we need to get through customs, but the reality was all the crews had no problems and were waved through to board the ferry.
Thursday was spent make notes and checking the road book.
Friday morning was scrutineering and we managed to get all the Minis and the Stage Masters servicing together, which was great for a social weekend.
Day 1 started on the Friday evening, with 5 stages and 44 competitive kilometres to complete. Ryan Taylor and Lucy Wilding were first to lead the Minis away seeded at car 92, followed by Clive King and Anton Bird at 93, Shane Gamble and stand in co-driver - Belgian native Elien Verhaeghe at 94, Mike Barrett and Fiona Scarett at 95, Craig King and Clare Jennings at 97, Les Allfrey and Keith Fellows at 98 and finally Kevin Haselden and Cat Lund at car 99.
The first stage Ryan and Lucy had a clean run, more than could be said for some of the other Minis. First to hit problems were Clive and Anton who within a mile the new brake pads were gripping first with one wheel then the other wheel, pulling the car side to side. Then another mile further, he lost the brakes completely but made it through the stage.
Shane lost the brakes also, but his was a loss of fluid. He continued to the second stage only to go off into one of the large ditches.
Mike Barrett went off damaging the front of his rebuilt car, but was still going.
Ryan and Lucy finished day 1 of their first international event, 64th overall and 11 seconds in front of the next Mini of Clive King and Anton Bird, who were currently 66th overall. Les and Keith finished the first day 73rd overall, Kevin and Cat 75th overall and Mike and Fiona 95th overall.
Craig and Clare also had some bad luck were faced with clutch slave cylinder problems. This finally left the stranded at the start of stage 5 but got back to service thanks to Pete Ellerby and Shane Gamble.
Andrew O'Hanlon's team set to work trying to fix the problem but at 1.30 am they decided to call it a night, bit were back on it at 6am.
Thanks must go to Andrew, Kevin and Colin for their hard work.
Shane and Peter worked until 2.45 am and were up again at 7am to finish repairing their car.
Shane and Elien managed to get their car fixed and re-scrutineered and were able to restart, but unfortunately Craig and Clare missed the re-scrutineering slot due to still working on the car in the morning, and were therefore deemed unable to restart.
Day 2 saw 6 of the initial 7 crews restart the event, which comprised of 143.18 competitive kilometres over 14 stages. Ryan and Lucy started day 2 first mini after their successful first evening, but this was short lived when Clive and Anton started to claw time back. The first stage of the day - Stage 6, they took 16 seconds out of Ryan and Lucy, putting them into 1st place, and then stage 7 saw Ryan and Lucy take 7 seconds back out of Clive and Anton moving them back up to first placed Mini. Both crews were thoroughly enjoying the close battle, but unfortunately for Clive and Anton, the event was over when they had to retire on stage 8 due to the engine overheating.
Ryan and Lucy then decided to just drive conservatively to get a finish, knowing that all Ryan had to do was finish the event to be crowned Mini Sport Champion Driver for 2022. This was a sensible decision as the alternator light decided to make an appearance on stage 17, but thankfully the crew managed to preserve the car and all importantly get it back to the finish, scoring them maximum championship points.
Kevin and Cat who had a consistent day. Mike Barrett unfortunately retired on stage 13 of day 2 with clutch problems, and Shane and Elien were plagued with yet more bad luck when they reported a rattling noise coming from the flywheel end of the engine. Sadly, their rally came to an end on stage 16.
Final standings of the event were:
Ryan Taylor and Lucy Wilding - 54th overall, 6th in Class (Historic) and 1st Mini sport crew,
Les Allfrey and Keith Fellows - 58th overall, 8th in Class (Historic)
Kevin Haselden and Cat Lund - 61st overall, 10th in Class (Historic)
Congratulations to all award winners and commiserations to those who suffered bad luck.
All Mini Sport crews would like to pass on their extended thanks to all involved in the organisation of such a fantastic event and for making us feel so very welcome over in Belgium - some of us hope to join you again next year!
The sponsors prize draw gave two Yokohama tyres to Mike Barrett, Penrite Oil to Clive King on the Friday & Craig King on the Saturday, & the Snap On prize courtesy of Andrew O'Hanlon went to Ryan Taylor on Friday & Clive King on Saturday. The Questmead award for the improvement on seeding goes to Kevin Haselden. All prize draws were conducted by Kevin Hogans wife.
Congratulations Ryan & Lucy on 1st Mini overall!
Thank you to the generous sponsors of the HRCR Mini Sport Cup – Mini Sport, Mintex, Yokohama, Penrite & Questmead, without whom there wouldn’t be a Championship.
To catch up with all the action from the Mini Sport Cup, please see here.
For more information on the Mini Sport Cup, please see our Facebook page here.
Words - Clive King
Main photo - Christophe Dupont
Featured photos - nicohistoricrally.be & Clive King
The Mini Cooper Register and one of its official sponsors Mini Sport, recently agreed to support a dub member with the restoration of their classic Mini. The Club donated £1,000 towards the cost of the restoration, and which was to be held by Mini Sport against parts needed for the restoration of the car.
Mini Sport provide a unique and comprehensive service to Mini/MINI owners, as suppliers of parts from the Cooper Car Company and the exclusive Paddy Hopkirk Collection. They very kindly agreed to provide a much enhanced discount on all the parts bought from them by the competition winner for their restoration. Mini Sport were also very generous in awarding consolation prizes to all the unsuccessful competition entrants.
The eventual winners of the restoration competition, Brent Bartlett and his son Josh, had submitted a joint application to restore their 1975 Flamenco Red 1275 GT Mini. The car, which has been named Brian, came with some supporting history, and having had only four previous owners. The Mini was first registered in 1975, and with the rather unique registration number JFK 578P. Officially recorded as a Morris on the V5c registration document, the car is actually badged as a British Leyland Mini 1275 GT. The previous owner had already fitted new brakes, suspension cones, an electronic distributor and an unleaded cylinder head.
Brent and Josh received their prize at the recent MCR National Mini Day at Beaulieu, and were presented with the Mini Cooper Register cheque for £1,000 by Chris Harper of Mini Sport. Brent, in his youth, undertook numerous Mini rebuilds with his father. Now that Brent is retired, he has joined forces with his son Josh, who is also a Mini enthusiast, to repeat the father and son partnership! After numerous discussions they joined forces and eventually bought 'Brian' in order to undertake a complete restoration of the car. Brent is keen to pass on his 'Mini-skills' to his son and when the restoration is complete, hopefully, in April 2023, they intend using Brian on a regular basis,
taking the restored car to car shows and events.
So, progress reports on the restoration of Brian will appear periodically in CooperWorld following on from the preliminary progress report below.
Words - Michael Evans
We began by discussing how best to approach the time we retired, Josh has less time due to work and family commitments, and we wanted to carry out all the tasks together. With this in mind, we decided to start by setting aside Tuesday evenings, weekends and ad-hoe days to work on the restoration. Having already carried out an engine rebuild, which we completed in August 2020, and a clutch change, we decided to start the restoration project by concentrating on the bodywork. With this in mind, the car has been booked in for sand blasting in September this year, in order to assess the true condition of the bodywork, with a plan for subsequent remedial work and a re spray to follow. Most of the work for this summer will consist of stripping the body in preparation. We are aiming to re-use as many of the parts as possible in order to maintain originality. To achieve this we are going to use a structured approach to the strip down, logging all the parts on a spreadsheet, ready for filing away for easy access and storage. This will also help us to identify any new parts and components that are needed so that they can be ordered from Mini Sport in a timely fashion. Brent and Josh Bartlett
Words - Brent Bartlett
If you would like to learn more information regarding our restoration services, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team of Mini experts. You can speak to us by calling 01282 778 731 or alternatively you can send any questions or enquiries you have to us via e-mail at sales@minisport.com
Stay up to date with all our latest news & info on our Facebook page.
HM Queen Elizabeth II
1926 - 2022
Everyone here at Mini Sport is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth ||.
As the longest-serving Monarch in the history of our Country, the Queen has been the only Head of State that many of us will have ever known. The Queen will be remembered for her incredible, dutiful reign over the last 70 years & for remaining a constant, confident & reassuring presence in our lives even in the toughest of times. These decades of dedication will never be forgotten by the British People.
We will be joining the rest of not only the UK, but the rest of the Commonwealth & the World, in mourning the irreparable loss of this incredible leader who devoted her life to serving her Country.
Our thoughts & prayers are with all of the Royal Family & the Queen’s loved ones at this truly tragic time.
Rest in Peace Your Majesty.
- the Harper Family & all at Mini Sport
