I'm Collin, 43, and have just started driving a Mini. Quite something new for me as I'm normally a Citroën driver/lover, our other car is a Citroën CX estate diesel from 1987.
My Mini has just returned to dutch roads after having sat in a barn for almost 8yrs, so you could call it a 'barn-rescue'.
After having worked on it for five weeks starting late june I started driving it some 3 weeks ago.
It's still rough around the edges in the interior and the engine we havent' yet touched, but most other things have been taken care of. it's all done on a budget, or I should say everything was being done on a tight budget until I decided to move the disc-brake upgrade forward because it simply wasn't good/safe enough for my standards.
None of this would have been possible without my good friend Peter, whom I met some 5-6 yrs ago. He just happens to be the proprietor of a garage specialising in the classic Mini, and has been for the last 25yrs or so.
Strange coincidence..., my Citroën specialist is located 200 meters from a Mini specialist..., and further up the street there is a Porsche specialist, 400 meters away a very well known Jaguar specialist. )
So, it's a 1983 Mini 1000HLE which was taken off the roads around 2002. Probably someone had plans for renovating the thing but never got around to it.
After getting the car almost 2yrs ago my Mini repairing friend immediately did most of the necessary welding etc., checked the engine and already refurbished the brakes but had no plans for finishing or selling it. Sort of just stood there waiting for a better future.
And then suddenly my wife got another job...., her company car had to go and I got our old Citroën CX ready for her to drive in during her daily work-rounds.
And I was left without a car...., for a very short period.
So I made a deal with friend Peter, got the car cheap, paid for the work done uptill then and together we started getting the thing ready for daily use. Bought new locks, wipers, headlight, some basic stuff... got the ATS rims for next to nothing, found stainless steel bumper(s) and various other old goodies. Putting together a car from spare bits so to say, finding stuff in the attick of my friends' garage.
Many things are still to come (I hope) but next up you'll find what has happened until now!
Hope youy guys (and girls) like it!
This is how the car arrived 2 yrs ago.
This where we were july 7th 2011, after about one week's work. The ATS wheels already under the car.
Getting it ready for paint
After spraying, colour is 'Aconite' purple, starting to rebuild it.
One of the rare finds... headlamps from the eighties (made in East-Germany) plus original stainless steel grill
Nearly finished... first day with M.O.T.
Since then.. the only really expensive upgrade. 7.5" Cooper 'S' disc-brakes replacing the drums.
Edited by 2Black, 20 August 2011 - 10:13 PM.