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2Black From The Netherlands: Mini 1000Hle 1983


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#1 2Black

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Posted 20 August 2011 - 09:27 PM

Just to introduce myself and my new car.
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.
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This where we were july 7th 2011, after about one week's work. The ATS wheels already under the car.
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Getting it ready for paint
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After spraying, colour is 'Aconite' purple, starting to rebuild it.
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One of the rare finds... headlamps from the eighties (made in East-Germany) plus original stainless steel grill
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Nearly finished... first day with M.O.T.
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Since then.. the only really expensive upgrade. 7.5" Cooper 'S' disc-brakes replacing the drums.
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Edited by 2Black, 20 August 2011 - 10:13 PM.


#2 MaxAndPaddy

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Posted 20 August 2011 - 09:31 PM

Love those headlamps and grill...ive never seen those before they look great

Hi and welcome to TMF!

#3 2Black

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Posted 20 August 2011 - 09:44 PM

Love those headlamps and grill...ive never seen those before they look great

I was told by some other Mini-specialist that there once was some action-model somewhere in the early eighties that had this grill.
Apparently they were spanish-built cars with an otherwise pretty dull look. Back in the day when the colour brown was a bold move ;-) .
My specialist got it one day and completely restored the thing, it was in pieces. You can, I since found out, also buy them new.... probably not in stainless steel though.

thx for the welcome!

#4 Bec

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Posted 20 August 2011 - 09:55 PM

Hello and welcome to the mini forum.

Your mini is utterly gorgeous :wub:

Have fun :D

#5 2Black

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Posted 20 August 2011 - 10:11 PM

Your mini is utterly gorgeous :wub:

Yeah.... i've heard that a lot in recent weeks... :proud: ... to my great surprise.
Haven't had so much female attention in years...
Even my wife says it's a 'woman magnet'!

by the way, the car has a name. It's called Bam Bam

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#6 bcjames

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Posted 21 August 2011 - 06:52 AM

Hey, another welcome to TMF from me. Your mini looks amazing, I love that colour! Works really well with the retro touches.

#7 yellowmonster

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Posted 24 August 2011 - 05:32 PM

Ziet er prima uit Collin, naast mede-Citrofiel en mede-CXrijder nu ook mede-Mini-idioot dus..?!
Helemaal perfect!

#8 2Black

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Posted 26 August 2011 - 09:34 PM

@yellowmonster: so... who are you?
(since this is an english speaking forum i'll do this in english in response to the dutch text above)

My wife drives the CX 25 RD Break daily. Had to get something new for myself.
But the guys at Renard Automobiles thought I should get something 'sensible' instead of another old Citroën. I was close to buying a GSA Break Service but someone else got it before me..., than I'd found a nice Visa 2-clinder..., and then came the 'sensibility' remark from my Citroën specialist... :shy:

So I thought... 'mmm, I've got this other friend who's a Mini-specialist and he's got this old Mini that's not going anywhere, let's ask him!'
Me being sensible... that would be stupid! I want a fun car, not a sensible one. And owning a Mini has always been somewhere high on my list.

Anyway, for the rest of you.... here's my CX Break!

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Edited by 2Black, 26 August 2011 - 09:38 PM.


#9 2Black

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Posted 07 September 2011 - 09:14 AM

Some small updates on the Mini!
I've added 'overriders' on the front bumper, original old ones left over after a '69 Cooper S restoration. Looks nice!

After the 7.5" disc-brakes upgrade there was still something wrong under braking. Didn't have time to look at it properly right away but after the brake-fluid warning light started flickering during a 200km drive last week I really felt some urgency coming on...
So found out that the right rear brake was leaking dramatically, completely soaked in brake fluid. Rear brakes seemed to function properly at first, but my guess is that the 8yrs standing still did take it's toll internally causing the cilinder to give up shortly after it finally getting back on the road.
Luckily I could get hold of 2 new cilinders last saturday and put those in immediately. So, finally all things concerning braking work fine.

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#10 bcjames

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Posted 07 September 2011 - 09:42 AM

The overriders look great, really suit the style of the car.

#11 2Black

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Posted 07 September 2011 - 11:17 AM

Also bought a blue/grey interior 2 weeks ago, complete with doorpanels etc..
Was a true bargain at €25 :) and had my cousin pick it up from the seller. Hope to get it here in another 2 weeks and will put it in BamBam a.s.a.p..
The original brown interior isn't exactly eyecandy combined with the purple exterior... :-| , will also order a small amount of extra paint so that the inside of the car will also be like it should. Didn't spray the car on the inside you know...

#12 Risky

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Posted 07 September 2011 - 09:25 PM

Nice Mini, also saw this one on the dutch mini forum ;)

#13 2Black

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Posted 06 November 2011 - 11:57 AM

Unfortunately I had an unpleasant meeting with a tree yesterday evening :ohno:
Drove home in the evening and suddenly a hare showed up coming from the left which turned and ran in front of me. Stupidly in that split-second I decided to brake...
A rear wheel blocked and my Mini and I shot to the right.
The road I was driving on is quite narrow with large trees on either side which have only some 6mtrs distance from each other.
No time for any correction I hit the tree within 1 or 2 seconds and ended up on my side in the ditch next to the trees.
I myself was completely unharmed, but Bam Bam (my Mini) took quite a hit on the front.
Afterwards we got the car out of the ditch and parked it at a farmers house nearby. Didn't really even have a chance to completely evaluate the extent of the damage.
Such a shame... yesterday we had worked 6 hours on the clutch and flywheel trying to resolve some strange vibrations coming through the engine. It ran better than it ever had after that. Could only enjoy it for 20km's.
Getting the car this afternoon, will then see how bad it really is.

#14 MaxAndPaddy

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Posted 06 November 2011 - 12:02 PM

Gutted for you....but glad your ok!

Put some pics up of the damage for us to cry over

:cry:

#15 scotty_1987

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Posted 06 November 2011 - 01:38 PM

gutted for you bud...hope your alright :proud: ! a really nice mini by the way




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