40 replies to this topic

[se7enmvu]

Great find. I picked up an 87 Advantage last year with only 6000 miles from new, like you I have overhauled the brakes, don’t forget the rubber fuel hoses (including tank breather), mine looked ok but were starting to perish.

The advantage is one of my favourite 80s limited editions. Its so 80s.

I replaced fuel hoses when I 1st got it running. I used unleaded spec hose but I have noticed its gone rather hard so I'll change it again for the mot.

[GraemeC]

Its not unleaded spec you need to look for, but E5 or E10 compatibility (ethanol proof).

[se7enmvu]

Nice car! Any interior pics?

https://www.amazon.c...3LDShl9ScSs9bs4
https://www.amazon.c...cM2OdrjMYRSzJcb

Attached Files

•  20140426_154752.jpg   47.96K   3 downloads
•  20140426_154949.jpg   30.21K   3 downloads
•  20140426_155046.jpg   27.5K   4 downloads
•  20150523_141442.jpg   88.73K   2 downloads

Edited by se7enmvu, 12 January 2021 - 11:46 AM.

[absx2]

Nice. I had one just like it, perfect just the way it is, well maybe except for that 2.9:1 diff ratio 

Don`t be afraid to give some revs and it'll go along quite nicely.

[colinf1]

Thats so clean inside!

 

What does the vin plate say for Colour and Trim, FMP and AMV? Is the headliner perforated?

 

Trying to source as many images as possible to restore my '83 City to factory standard.

[se7enmvu]

Nice. I had one just like it, perfect just the way it is, well maybe except for that 2.9:1 diff ratio 
Don`t be afraid to give some revs and it'll go along quite nicely.

It will cruise at 60 all day and is so economical. I got mid 50smpg coming back from the imm in 19.

[se7enmvu]

Thats so clean inside!
 
What does the vin plate say for Colour and Trim, FMP and AMV? Is the headliner perforated?
 
Trying to source as many images as possible to restore my '83 City to factory standard.

Yes its FMP and AMV. With a glue stained perforated head lining. If you need anything photos of anything in particular let me know.

[se7enmvu]

Some history about the mini.

Its first owner was a lady called Elizabeth. She bought it new from the Austin Rover dealer in Widnes. Its the usual story. Elizabeth only used the mini once a week to go to the shops or hair dressers. Was kept in a garage and she didn't like driving in the rain.

She never took it back to the BL dealer as the free 1st service slip is still in the hand book.
She prefered to let the garage on her road (the ace of hearts) look after it.

Through ill health Elizabeth gave up driving in around 1990. Trevor the owner of the ace of hearts knew its mileage and condition and so shortly after bought it for his father who'd only ever had minis. I think his father died shortly after this as the last tax expired January 93 and MOT December 93.

The mini was then put away in the shelter. Trevor brought it out once a year when he would get it running, everything greased and made sure all was OK. This was up until around 2003 when Trevors health started to decline.

I worked in the filling station side of the garage from 02-07 and used to go to work in my 91 checkmate so got to hear of the story of an old mini on the site. I never thought much of it though as back in the 70s/80s the garage did recovery and the compound around the back was full of old knackered allegros and escorts. The compound was also patrolled by a couple of rottweilers so I stayed well clear.

In around 06 the garage shop had a new stock room built inside the disused workshop next to the shop. What was left of the workshop was cleared out, painted and used as a space to store the owners sons Rolls Royce. Until one day I came into work and along side the roller I saw a familiar shape under a blue car cover. I lifted the cover and there it was. A good as new mini with less than 4000 miles. Nothing like the wreck I was expecting.

I offered to buy it then but it wasn't for sale. Shortly after I'd finished my education I got a full-time job and left. Occasionally I'd call in and if the owners where about I'd enquire about it. Then in 2014 I called in for fuel and got the news the garage was for sale and the house they were moving to only had garage space for the roller. So do I still want the mini?

Luckily I'd not long been made redundant so had some spare cash and the mini became mine.

[se7enmvu]

Once home the 1st job was to get it running.

I removed the head and sent it to the head shop in Warrington. They refurbished it and converted the head for unleaded fuel.
 20140526_105529.jpg   61.4K   2 downloads
 20140526_133349.jpg   67.81K   1 downloads

While the head was away I looked at the fuel system. The carb was blocked so I stripped, cleaned and rebuilt it.
The fuel in the tank was nasty and the top half of the tank flaky with rust. I thought the tank was scrap but gave the bilt hamber tank cleaning kit ago. It worked great and the tanks insides still look clean and fresh now.

The fuel line was cleaned and new hoses fitted.

Then with fresh fluids, filters, plugs, leads and a battery the mini roughly fired into life. Timing then adjusted and it was running nicely.

Next brakes needed recommissioned. A couple of new cylinders were required with new shoes and hoses. Some fresh fluid and adjustment the brakes were done.

Sadly the original Dunlop tyres were perished so I replaced them for some yokohomas. Then it was time for the MOT.

I took it back to the ace of hearts and it passed 1st time with no advisories.  20150509_131603.jpg   58.57K   0 downloads

The next weekend I decided to go to a local show. Unfortunately halfway there a front wheel cylinder stuck on so couldn't make it. By the time I got around to replacing the cylinder in question summer was over so it didn't see the road again until mot time the following year 2016.

It didn't do many miles at all at this time. Then in 2017 I needed space in my garage to work on the mpi reshell I was doing. So the city went to live in my neighbours garage until 2019.

 20150523_141240.jpg   59.35K   0 downloads

[Sprinkler23]

Nice story 🙂

[se7enmvu]

In 2019 I saw an add on Instagram for a chance to take part in MINIS 60th birthday celebrations. They wanted a mini from every year of production to take part in a photo shoot at Cowley. I applied with both my 98 and 83. MINI chose the 83.

As the mini was looking a little scruffy after being in storage for 18 months and it was now going to be photographed I decided to smarten it up.

Using a combination of thinners & scrapers I removed the underseal on the sills upto the 1st floor rib, the front and rear valance and in the rear wheel arches.

Luckily only a small patch of rust was found which was treated with bilt hamber. Interestingly there's what I assume is a body number stamped into the same area. Ive never had a mini before that didn't have rust of patches in this area.  20190720_153356.jpg   54.66K   2 downloads

After cleaning the yellow was a bit thin and scratched in places so I decided to repaint those areas.
 20190512_182431.jpg   61.55K   1 downloads  20190512_182439.jpg   56.64K   0 downloads
 20190512_182445.jpg   51.39K   1 downloads

 20190516_213846.jpg   56.76K   1 downloads

The body was then treated to a clean with a clay bar and waxed.

 20190723_214313.jpg   57.05K   1 downloads
 20190726_220734.jpg   48.83K   1 downloads
 20190721_114809.jpg   41.6K   0 downloads

The mini was now ready for the longest drive of its life. 1st to Cowley then on to Bristol for imm.

 20190808_135946.jpg   51.64K   0 downloads
 216882981.jpg.gallery.jpg   82.54K   0 downloads  20190808_135533.jpg   98.52K   0 downloads
 Screenshot_20190809-170517_Instagram.jpg   19.71K   2 downloads

The drive to Cowley was uneventful apart from a couple of fuel stops and me realising the fuel sender didn't work. The mini had never had more than a few litres of fuel in the time I'd had it at this point.
The photo shoot wasn't as involved as they planned due to an awful weather forecast meaning MINI brought it forward to the thursday night instead of Friday.
After photos were taken we were bused off to the hotel leaving the minis in position on the factory green.
The next day we were picked up and taken back to the factory to be reunited with our minis so MINI could film us drive off to form a convoy to the imm.
It wasn't an organised convoy and it broke up pretty much as soon as it left the factory with only a handful going on the imm.
We arrived at a very muddy imm on Friday afternoon.
 20190809_165619.jpg   67.07K   0 downloads
Due to the awful weather Friday night we drove out for food and a bit of sight seeing.
 20190809_205535.jpg   34.04K   0 downloads
We stayed on the site on the Saturday and between the showers and wind I replaced the faulty fuel sender.
Enjoyed the party Saturday night but 1st thing Sunday morning having had enough of the weather left early.
On the way home stopping off at Longbridge.
 20190811_142614.jpg   58.96K   0 downloads
We got home Sunday afternoon after having covered 550miles and apart from the fuel sender the trip went smoothly.

 20190812_192751.jpg   68.56K   0 downloads

The mini was then put away and not touched until the lock down in April 2020.

[colinf1]

I have a number stamped in the same location on my 83, but it doesn't match anything in log book...does yours?

[se7enmvu]

I forgot the mini was used during 2020. 1st we went to Bingley Hall with the trip adding another 140miles to the odometer. Due to the original fan belt stretching we over heated on the way home but thankfully it happened approaching Knutsford services so we pulled in to cool down and re-tension the belt  20200126_124952.jpg   84.33K   0 downloads
Then the 1st lock down came and with little prospect of attending anymore shows anytime soon I decided to finish tidying up the underside. But not before one last ride to do the shopping.
 20200426_180317.jpg   48.28K   0 downloads
Now the strip down began. I decided to start at the back as its easier to remove the rear subframe.
 20200503_115349.jpg   42.56K   0 downloads
 20200504_200521.jpg   46.51K   1 downloads
I didn't take any before pictures of the subframe but it had been covered in underseal which was now brittle and flaking off. This made it easy to remove. I used a scraper and wire brush on a grinder.
The condition was really good with just a couple of areas of surface rust.
The front of the subframe that faces the mounting panel also had a date stencilled on to it.
So either the frame was manufactured or built up on 22/12/82.
 20200514_165144.jpg   42.33K   0 downloads
With the frame clean and surface rust treated I masked off the stencilling and gave it a couple of coats of primer followed by black.
 20200514_180842.jpg   64.5K   0 downloads
I've lost the photos of the work I did to the floor but using a combination of thinners, scrapers and wire brushes I cleaned the boot floor and cabin floor of all traces of under seal. There was no rust except for the odd surface scab.
From the factory the yellow never reached further than the 2nd floor rib. After that it was just primer. So I'm thankful the 1st owner had paid for underseal as it had preserved the floors well.
With the lines removed the floors were primed and some primula yellow applied on top.
Refitting the rear subframe.
 20200517_182047.jpg   45.08K   1 downloads
The rear subframe was rebuilt using the original parts cleaned, repainted and greased.

 20200517_203124.jpg   30.91K   1 downloads
That was back in June last year and is where I'd left it until in-between Christmas and New year just gone.

Edited by se7enmvu, 19 January 2021 - 12:20 AM.

[se7enmvu]

I have a number stamped in the same location on my 83, but it doesn't match anything in log book...does yours?

It doesn't match any numbers on mine either. Is yours the same number (1651820)?

[se7enmvu]

With time off work over Christmas and not much else to do thanks to covid restrictions I made a start on finishing the underseal removal.
To do this the front end needed striping.
My garage isn't ideal but there's just about enough room to work. So the mini was positioned on stands and the strip down began.
 20201227_181416.jpg   41.14K   0 downloads
 20201228_203001.jpg   46.79K   0 downloads

And engine out.
 20201229_151258.jpg   74.64K   0 downloads
I applied green gunk to the engine and waited a while before jet washing off.
 20201230_124023.jpg   52.21K   0 downloads
 20201230_124109.jpg   56.79K   0 downloads
After the jet wash.
 20201230_133623.jpg   53.43K   0 downloads
 20201231_161517.jpg   45.24K   0 downloads

Next I started cleaning off the remaining underseal.
 20201228_201703.jpg   51.52K   1 downloads
 20201228_201533.jpg   36.52K   0 downloads
 20201229_174408.jpg   63.33K   0 downloads
 20201229_174356.jpg   43.57K   0 downloads
The front subframe towers did have some surface rust. The rest of the frame was ok as it either had underseal or engine oil covering it.

Subframe out.
 20201231_161504.jpg   96.32K   0 downloads
 20201231_173746.jpg   45.6K   0 downloads
 20201231_233933.jpg   50.4K   0 downloads

Removing underseal.
 20201231_173704.jpg   63.02K   0 downloads
 20201231_233911.jpg   34.23K   0 downloads

Attached Files

•  20210115_204726.jpg   27.92K   0 downloads