Mini Memories. What are yours?

[Warren t claim]

The Mini. I suppose we've all either owned one, had parents who've owned one, or at the very least you've been in one.

Back in the early '90s I had a green 1978 Mini 1000 that I kept as a girlfriend pool car, if whatever "lucky" lady I was with at the time could drive I'd throw her the keys to it with the early morning starting instructions of "full choke and don't touch the throttle pedal".

[Hooli]

My dad had a blue Minivan with bucket seats in the front, the original front seats loose in the back and due to mild tweaks would accelerate to "empty".

SEV935R I think, the first reg I remember, think it was an 1,100cc.

[cuntbuster]

Clubman. Rusty. Broke down on the A1M.

Mate came along with land rover and hefty strop. Took off a bit too enthusiastically and ripped the front end clean off. As in everything forward of the windscreen. Game firmly over.

[LynehamHerc]

A 850 where the drivers door coming off in my hand meant I had to fix it shut and get in and out of the
passenger side. It'd already had a new subframe and didn't last much longer as it was a total rotbox with paint, which was more like filler, about 1/2" thick.

I learnt never to look at a car when it's raining from this and also to have a good look underneath.
In my defence it was the first one I'd bought and naively believed the seller, from a wealthy area in Leeds.

[Hooli]

Can't remember if it was the same Mini or not but we once stopped on three wheels when the wheel studs sheeted on a front wheel too.

[FhakeConcern]

Mini
My dad bought a Tartan Red Austin Mini new in 1964, not sure how long he had it probably a couple of years. Here it is on holiday on Dartmoor next to his mates PA Cresta.

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After passing my test I bought my 1st car a Mini 1000 in Blaze with fabric sunroof.
I put Revolution alloys on it, a rear wiper and at one point nudge bars.

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After I got it my dad loved driving it so much he sold the Cortina I passed my test in and bought a slightly older Mini 1000 in Bronze Yellow here after he gave it to my sister

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Soon after I got back from a holiday in France I jacked the Mini up and the subframe collapsed, checked my dads on and it was pretty similar so changed them both in the road outside the house.

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I gave my Mini to Mrs Concern and bought a Tara Green 1275gt fitted with vinyl roof, Wolfrace alloys, rear wiper, Rokee dash and nudge bars.

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I didn’t get on with the bright green Mini and sold it to buy a black one. I fitted a rear wiper and Mistral Alloys.

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At the same time I also had a rusty Elderflower Clubman Estate

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Almost forgot my dad later had two Clubman Estates, firstly in Tahiti Blue. He gave that to my sister and bought a newer one in Pageant Blue

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I’d like another Mini at some stage as they’re such good fun

[mercrocker]

No.1 was a Tweed Grey Mk1 fitted with a Kestrel engine. Timing chain locked up after a few months so a £5 848 went in. Crashed it some time later.

No.2 was the result of swapping a tenner and the viable remains of No.1 No.2 was a 1959 model a fact that escaped me until the original logbook surfaced some time after I had chopped it up. Boggo 850 but fitted with probably every accessory known to Paddy Hopkirk. Hence stripping it down after a fairly moderate argument with a bus stop....

No. 3, another Mk1 850 was a mate's hand-me-down. Drove it illegally for several months until my foot went through the floor. That one went to Germany on a trailer and was never heard of again.

No. 4 (guess what - Mk1 850) was an Aunt's from new but failed the MOT miserably on account of there being nowhere left to weld to around the umpteenth new rear subframe. I gave it a good go after a mate who owed me some money said he would weld it up. He gave up too. The car still "exists" but funnily enough is now an Almond Green Morris rather than a Maroon Austin. Yer, right.

No. 5 was a 1984 Mayfair that I smoked around until I got fed up with it blowing fuses, sold it up the pub and had to look at it for the next six weeks until the bugger collected it. One of the non-fuse-related reasons for selling it was increasing friction from the other flat tenants for my five cars out the back...

Think I've got them out of my system now, they were fun times but perhaps not on the money they fetch now. The dearest one of mine was £60, I think....

[brandersnatch]

Fhake Concern I’ve nicked your photo here.
My dad had a Ford Cortina 1200 deluxe two door in Monza Red with the registration BHV 258C. Not a Mini I know but a slightly* interesting coincidence.

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My late wife had two Minis. Both Mayfairs and both automatics. Good fun. I’ve always wanted to try a fast one.

[Steveb]

Forty years ago friend had a Mini automatic. Said friend decided to race a 2.8i Granada down some lane. Was doing quite well a
until the unmarked Granada put its blues and twos on. 6 points.

[panhard65]

Nver been a fan of the horrid little things. I struggle to fit in them which is one of the reasons I don't like them the other is uncomfortable, slow, rusty, needy bloody things. I have a late cooper coming in on Thursday that the owner adores. It has been a nightmare though in the limited miles she does now after a 25k rebuild. It was "specialist" who ripped her off. She could of had it reshelled for that money. The rocker shaft is one of these uprated roller rocker affairs and totally fucked. I have been telling her to have it replaced for years but she is happy with it rattling away. There has always been better cars available so I never bothered owning one.