The JANSPEED Mini

[Frogeye61]

I had my son for visit from America so I had a lot of other things on the agenda. I couldn't stay too late and went home around 1:30 on Saturday.

So I guess your mom's Mini is still in Denmark.

[JC T ONE]

Yes its still here I had to pay my 2 sisters in order to get the car for my Nephew.

That would have been OK, if it wasnt for the fact, that I build the car free of charge for our Mother, and paid for a lot of the parts that went on the car.

There is a saying " you dont know your family, untill you have inherited with them "

[JC T ONE]

Here is what she looked like after IMM 2007 =


http://youtu.be/vRrZZldJF8s

Now I needed to get her startet


Jens Christian

[JC T ONE]

Now I needed to get her startet

not a lot had happened during the winter 2007/08.

but in February 2008, something important happened = I finally got myself a computer

I could now start to search for all those parts, still missing on the car.

Spring 2008, I found both the correct Radiomobile with 8 track, and the missing headrest.


June 08-2008, the car was invited to a big carshow, where it was vital, that she could drive.
It was "unwrapped" put on the lift, and I finished the exhaust, put brake fluid in, and bleed the clutch/brakes.
I then conneted all the remaining electrics, fitted the fuel pump, cooler hoses, adjusted the valves, put oil in the engine, etc

3 in the morning, and I was walking around the car for the 20th time to make shure all was OK?????
Finally there was no turning back, so I put the battery cable on, and checked that nothing was smelling of burnt cable? All was ok.

I then took the sparkplugs out, and primed the engine with oil (had already filled the filter & cooler)
After a nice oilpressure came up, I then primed the fuel system, this was also ok.

I was now actually THERE = “point of no return”

Time was now 1 minute past 4 in the morning, and I turned the key----
It turned, but I could hear that it was too far back on the ignition? I turned the distributer 1 inch, and tried again, nope wrong way.
I then moved it back to the 1st position, and 1 inch further, I then turned the key again, and the car immediately sprung to life

http://youtu.be/k2NCU6sOa-o (sorry for the poor sound quality)



I turned the idle screw, on the carburator to 2000 revs, and left it there, so it could run in the new cam/lifters.


MOT (finally)

September 18-2008, I took the car for its mot, once on the road, I noticed that the speedo didn’t work?
it still passed with flying colours, so once back in the garage I checked it?
It turned out that the mechanism inside it was rusted solid (I have never seen that before)
That’s how bad it was when found .


The next day I went to the motor office, and put it back into the car registre.
It was now officially “back from the grave” after almost 10 years.



Jens Christian

[JC T ONE]

As most of you probably know, does the work not stop, when the MOT is done.

In 2009, I restored the poor Ventora grill.

This was cut & TIG welded, to give that "factory" look.

Since then not much happened, but this year I fitted some of the NOS parts I found, after I got myself a computer, and changed some of the bits I was unhappy with.


here is a list

1 - rechromed front & rear bumpers, incl front under riders.

2 - polished & refitted the original L & R doorlock mechanism(s)

3 - fitted 2 NOS W&P door edge lights.

4 - adjusted both front doors, so they now both fit & close correct.

5 - fitted a set of Innocenti stainless doorframes, as used by W&P.

6 - had a new headlining made for the sunroof, in the correct Wool of England cloth, to match the roof.

7 - changed the edgetrim on the sunroof frame, to correct Wool covered type.

8 - fitted a pair of NOS front L&R side/indicatorlights.

9 - changed the Black "stick on rear wiew mirror" with a proper W&P / Lucas type.

10 - rechromed the hinges & handle for the glovebox.

11 - had a key made for the glovebox lock.

12 - took the engine out, had the flywheel & back plate machined, fitted a new Grey pressure plate, and a centre clutch plate from AP racing.

13 - fitted a new timingchain cover, with a crank case breather.

14 - fitted a original "Coventry Pressed Steel" radiator.
the cooler place should have restored the original one, but replaced/lost the original top part

15 - fitted a genuine NOS W&P dealer badge.

16 - best part came last = fitted a genuine Mini WP badge (small square type) thanks to Nick Rogers.


Here are some photos =











Still a few small jobs left, but she is getting there.

[JC T ONE]

Nice BL logo, found on my "new" timing chain cover

There is even what appears to be a spareparts no .

The photo was taken with my old mobile phone.

[JC T ONE]

Hi all,


People say that a persons mind has a lot of force/power.

Now I want to ask if some of you nice Mini people want to send some positive thoughts to Denmark ?

Today I made a new attempt to get in touch with my cars second owner, as the first 3 didnt work out.

I wrote him, and his wife a letter with a invitation for lunch, telling him that i only wanted to show them the car, and take them for a drive.

I explained that many people who have restored a car, want to connect it with its past, and hear the stories from back when the previus owners had it.


He is still a real car nut, and the last car I saw in his garage (I am tall enough to see over the fence) was a brand new Maserati on Danish plates.
Now thats one special & very expensive car here in Denmark, you only drive a car like that, if you want to stand out, and make a statement.
Really hope he wants to meet up (fingers crossed)

A few years ago I tracked down his brother, who told me that they had a camera with them, at one of the visits to JanSpeed in Salisbury.

Would be nice if I could get a copy of these photos ? or any other items he might have ?

hmm - can only keep dreaming & hope for the best.

Jens Christian

[mk1coopers]

Lets hope he makes contact, as you say a Maserati isn't going to be a cheap car with Danish taxes so he must love cars

[JC T ONE]

Lets hope he makes contact, as you say a Maserati isn't going to be a cheap car with Danish taxes so he must love cars

Thanks M,

yes not only is it expensive, but its also a car, that say he wants to make a statement.

They also have a Range Rover Vouge HSE, also on Danish plates, this alone cost 180000 pounds when new.

Not heard anything yet its really frustrating when he is SOO close (when in DK) its less than 3 miles from me.

[InimiaD]

I do hope the previous owner does get in touch with you Jens.
It'll be nice to have some more history to add to your WP. Fingers crossed for you.

[JC T ONE]

I do hope the previous owner does get in touch with you Jens.
It'll be nice to have some more history to add to your WP. Fingers crossed for you.

Thanks

no reply yet

I do have most of the history in place, it would just be nice to show him the car, and get a personal story from him too.
He didnt just take it to England for the JanSpeed conversion, he also kept it for more than 9 years.

[JC T ONE]

Hi all,

as you saw in my post last week, have I tried once more to contact "mr JanSpeed"

My cars second owner = the guy who send her to England for the turbo conversion.

The newspaper article I saw, had his Daughter listed as "owner" of the 2 villas, thats up for sale.

So after a few days, I tried typing her name into the search bar on my computer.

That was IT = "Pandoras box" opened, but unfortunally not with good news.

I now found out just how shy a person he is.

No one have seen him in decades, only "hearsay" about him being spottet in Cannes / Nice or London from time to time.

His nickname in the financiel world is "The secret millionaire" the only picture of him is more than 40 years old.

It was taken in the early 70ies, when he was a young doctor, working as a cancer researcher, on the Danish National Hospital in Copenhagen.

Soon after this he startet on buisness ventures, and became a millionaire for the first time.

A bad (unlucky) decision resultet in him loosing all his money.

Some years later he was back, and not long after, did he do a 70 million kroners deal, so once again he was a millionaire.

I think this was when he had the car send to UK, for the turbo conversion.

Later on the Danish bank he did buisness with went bankrupt, and he lost all his money again.

Then it was quiet for some years, but after the millenium, he was back.

Again as a investor in big office & apartment buildings.

But his latest idea, a big new office & hotel domecil in Copenhagen, for 500 million kroner was stopped in 2008 -

by the world wide financial crices, when Finnish Eik bank pulled the plug, and left Denmark.

He is now suing the bank, for an unknown sum.

He will leave Denmark for good, when the 2 villas is sold.

Today I made a new attempt to contact him, I found the journalist who had spoken with him,
and ask if he would foreward a letter from me, and see if I can get him to contact me ?

Not much hope but if I dont try = I will keep thinking "what if" ?

That was the story of "mr JanSpeed" aka "The secret millionaire"
pure anorak stuff, but its a part of how/why my car came about, so I wanted to share it with you guys.

I hope (atleast some of you) can put yourself in my place, and see how frustrating it is.



Jens Christian


PS, one of the villas is less than 3 miles from where I live .


part of this tekst, is translated from an article by Johan Winther / Berlingske media.

[JC T ONE]

Hi all,

Yesterday I called my cars the 3rd owner.

He once told me, that he had a photo of the car, taken at a carshow more than 20 years ago.

I had been a bit lazy with getting back to him, becourse he wasnt the first owner.
Nor was he "mr JanSpeed" so I have pushed this since 2009

When we got there, he gave us a tour in his "man cave" as he is a historic racedriver.
He also frequently goes to Goodwood, with his cars, to race.

After the tour, we went to the office, and he presented me with a plastic pocket full of paperwork & pictures.

In it was a photo of a std Red roundnose Mini, my heart fell, as I thought he mistook my car for that one in the pic ???.
But no, that pic was just to show me another Min, he once owned.
Under neath were not just the picture from the Classic Car Show, I was told about, but NINE other photos of my car

These are all older, than the one from the car show.
There were photos of the engine bay, and several pictures of the interior, but It didnt stop there

Inbetween the paperwork, was a copy of "mr JanSpeed" s registration document.

Its only through extreme luck, that I have a copy of that registration document.

In Denmark it works like this = when you change the registration of a car to another owner, you go to the motor office.
There you fill in a tempoary V5 paper, and give that to the motor office TOGETHER with the previus owners V5.
A few weeks later you recive a new V5 in the post.

So unless you take a copy, before you go to the motor office, its ”bye bye” to the one, with the previus owners name & address.
These can never be rethrived again.

I also found the original car spec sheet,
from the Danish BL import place, its a sort of short Heritage certificate.
It has chassi / commission / body numbers, key numbers are also there

Again, pure anorak stuff

Jens Christian

[Tim]

...not just the picture from the Classic Car Show, I was told about, but NINE other photos of my car

These are all older, than the one from the car show.
There were photos of the engine bay, and several pictures of the interior...

Jens, what is the point of telling us about pictures? We want to see them!

Tim

[steve1071]

Great story Jens. Hope you can track him down. I bet he's got many more stories to tell!

[JC T ONE]

Jens, what is the point of telling us about pictures? We want to see them!

Tim

Dont worry Tim, I had them scanned today, and I will post some tonight.



Jens Christian

[JC T ONE]

Great story Jens. Hope you can track him down. I bet he's got many more stories to tell!

Yes it would be nice to hear from him, all the stories I have, are from Simon Lee who built her at JanSpeed.

The mechanic Kim Rowland, that serviced her, after she came back to Denmark.

His former son in law, plus varius people who knew him, which include owner no 3.

Picures coming later.


Jens Christian

[Nevsmini]

Great stuff JC. Nice to see a reward for your research. Looking forward to the photos.

[JC T ONE]

Jens, what is the point of telling us about pictures? We want to see them!

Tim

Well you can relax now Tim

here is the first one. Photo is from around 1990-92 (app?)

Its taken in owner no 3,s drive way, just after he had it painted, and finished putting it back together.

[JC T ONE]

Great stuff JC. Nice to see a reward for your research.

Looking forward to the photos.

Thanks, I hoped some of you guys, would appreciate the story of my cars "Flamboyant" owner/creators.
After all if they werent who they are, my car would never have existed.

Here is another one, as you can see was the car still unregistred.

3rd owner took it off the registre, as he didnt want to pay road tax & insurance during its restoration.

Thanks to the copy I got yesterday of second owners V5,
I now know what reg no it had when he owned it.




I asked him about the missing headrest, he said it was also missing when he bought it.