5 replies to this topic

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

Hello everybody. 

 

Some of you will remember my little red Metro which I bought 350 of the queens finest back in 2011. To this very day, actually. Here she is sat on the drive way that I bought her from just before I picked her up.

 

 

Oh if I could go back and give 17 year old me a few warnings about what was to come     

 

 

I won't go into the full story because it is here on the forum if you're interested. Just search for 'Rita the Rover 114' and there is a 50 page project thread somewhere! But the long and short of it is, is she was an automatic 1.4 single point injection, then a manual 1.1 multi point injection, then a 1.4 16v then eventually a 1.8 VVC which is where we are currently at. 

 

So to celebrate 10 years we went on a little road trip to the Lake District. This was totally unplanned, it got to 2am and I wasn't tired and so I packed a bag and hit the road. I ended up staying for a couple of nights, wild camping with the sheep at Castlerigg stone circle and spending some time around the lakes. It was fun and agreat way to celebrate hooning around making people smile  It's fun to just hit the road with nothing but a 2 liter bottle of water and the clothes you're wearing. I didn't predict the 28' weather so ended up getting a rather groovy shirt from a charity shop in Keswick which was a good find.

 

It is interesting to see how 10 years ago this was really just another car on the road but as the years have gone on I can't take her anywhere without people coming to talk, thumbs up, 'my grandparents had one of those!' etc etc 

 

 

 

I've been driving her since the spring and don't think I washed her once in that time.. it's funny when your car comes home from a road trip cleaner than when it left!

 

 

And evidence that if you pick the right day (with 28' sunshine I certainly got lucky!) you need not leave England for breathtaking views.

 

 

Castlerigg stone circle really is one of planet earths little wonders. Sunrise here is absolutely breathtaking with a 360 degree panoramic view of the peaks and valleys. It's a national trust site with no security which means you can get right up to the stones and enjoy the dawning of a new day amid pristine breezes and starlight. <3 

 

Edited by Mini-Mad-Craig, 24 July 2021 - 06:58 AM.

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

The plan from here is to go for a stripped out road rally theme. I have always loved Mini Marcos, GTM's etc for the raw experience they offer. It really is just you and the road with no mod cons or luxuries. A roll cage with door bars is in the works and has to be custom made as she is a 4 door and the B post bar from a 3 door cage is in the wrong place, although it would still fit. A pair of Cobra Cub bucket seats with the headrests. I am torn between black fabric to keep it simple, or red fabric with a grey inner out of corduroy which is the braver choice but hard to really tell if it's good one until they're made up and in the car!

 

Like this

 

 

I have always found there to be more room in the back of an old Mini than in a Metro so I've never had the back seats in! 

 

In terms of the mechanical side I am planning to take the engine out soon mainly to clean it all up. I put it together in 2017 but In the 30k miles I have done since then the engine bay is getting quite dirty so it would be good to clean it up. There isn't much else I want to do in terms of performance but I do have some Piper cams to go in.

 

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

 

Edited by Mini-Mad-Craig, 24 July 2021 - 06:12 AM.

[Maccmike8]

Love it. Its an itch I want to scratch at some point.

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

Scratch that itch my friend! :)

 

Okay, lot's of work going on with the metro at the moment before she goes away for winter. Not finished yet but I'll just leave these here :)

 

 

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

I made a video -

 

Edited by Mini-Mad-Craig, 25 August 2021 - 06:41 PM.