Reunited with an old friend

[Pandora]

I know I said no more projects...... But it's been quite the 24 hours!

As some of you know, having sold the A40 I agreed with Rich on the most relaxed deal ever to take on his green sports coupe.

Then, out of the blue yesterday, Kev1071 sent me a link that my old '71 van had just gone on sale in Aberdeen.

We had been discussing the van at Blyton, as it was owned by 'Mr Hornet', the husband of 'Mrs Hornet', who I'm sure owned IAIN's recently revived track car, which is how the subject came up. (Iain, her 'real' name was Vicky Campbell, I think)

Anyway, the van was owned by a local Alfa garage owner in Loanhead, and rebuilt using parts from a MG ADO16, with, reputedly, a Downton tuning conversion along with a Restal rear seat conversion.

I loved that van when I had it in the late '90s as my everyday car, but then I moved south for a few years and it needed work, lying in my parent's drive in Edinburgh, so I sold it. Along with the Coldwell, it's the one I most regret selling, and one I really wanted back.

So, a quick discussion with Rich, as I hate to be someone who welches on a deal (Rich, you are a star, I can't thank you enough for being so decent about it!) and I made an offer on it this morning. However, someone else was due to view, so I bit the bullet and offered all the money, sight unseen....... and keen to see it back with an enthusiastic owner, they agreed.

I skipped to the bank and paid the deposit.

So, what have I bought?

Well, it looks shiny, but I suspect it needs a bit of work in the sills / floors and arches. The front frame has been dropped as the engine needs looked over and at least new rings......

Still, I said no more projects, but I couldn't be happier. It'll be a while before I even get started as I want to try to do it right, but I think it'll be worth the wait.

(Blue was then, Yellow is 'now') - and I just need to work out how to get it from Aberdeen down to Dunfermline.

Al

[mk1]

Woo Hoo!

What a cracking little van!

Hope the work needed is minimal.

[rich@minispares.com]

is the 'T' for the 'tenants lager' you will need to drink or 'looks like a thunderbird'



as I said, no problems about the green 1100.

[mk1]

Great Minds.......

[Pandora]

I WAS thinking of doing it as a Coldwell Engineering tribute, or 'Sports-Tune' (Bill Borrowman's Edinburgh tuning business), but now I see the possibilities, let's go with the Tunderbirds theme!

Al

[rich@minispares.com]

Great Minds.......

christ, he will be getting his pot of red paint out!

[Pandora]

ting-a-ling!

[Simon776]

Slightly off topic - but only slightly - did you see the Oxford University bright spark on Who Wants to be £££££££ who didn't know that Thunderbird 4 was used for underwater missions? Ironically, he opted for Thunderbird 5 which was as far from underwater as you can get. His lack of a fully rounded education cost him £7000.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PklcIlKT2Tk

[mk1]

Slightly off topic - but only slightly - did you see the Oxford University bright spark on Who Wants to be £££££££ who didn't know that Thunderbird 4 was used for underwater missions? Ironically, he opted for Thunderbird 5 which was as far from underwater as you can get. His lack of a fully rounded education cost him £7000.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PklcIlKT2Tk

I certainly did!

It was hilarious

[rich@minispares.com]

His lack of a fully rounded education cost him £7000.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PklcIlKT2Tk

[mini_surfari]

good result!

I'll shall be keeping an eye on this as I'm currently rebuilding/restoring a 72 K plate van!

[IAIN]

Well Al, I hope this won't be another abandoned project ! Is this the fifth or sixth

Good luck with it. I hope the years have been kind to it.

Re Blyton chat, as for Mr & Mrs Hornet I don't have any history to tie up with your story, last area I have registered was Perth. It started out in Hertfordshire going by the registration. This is what it looked like.

[Pandora]

Whether I finish it or not, this one's a keeper!

Unless I have to trade it for the Coldwell.....

Al

[rich@minispares.com]

Whether I finish it or not, this one's a keeper!



Al

thats the nice thing about rotten old mini vans, they very easily upcycle into garden sheds and what not, so even unfinished they are still useful.....




p.s

its only fair to own up that my 'old friend' mini van is currently been used as a storage shed / corvair parts dumping ground

[Pandora]

I see its immediate future very much like this:

[IAIN]

I will own up to having a van stuffed full as well. Space is valuable.

[Pandora]

I'm off to Aberdeen for a look at exactly what I've gotten myself into .

Wish me luck!

Al

[Pandora]

Had a nice wee trip up to Aberdeen today with 1071Kev to look it over.

On the whole, I'm pleasantly surprised. It's had a few repairs over the years, but what Mini hasn't, and while they have been patches, rather than full panels, it could probably be patched through an MOT fairly easily, if that was the route I went for in the short term.

Mechanically, it'll need gone through as it's lain for at least 10 years.

I'll get a better idea when I strip out all the trim when it's back to mine, but I'm pleased to see it is in better condition than when I sold it, even if it's not been done to the standards we would perhaps aim for these days. The rear doors are now GRP.

Oh, and my worry that it had lost its original head were unfounded, but sadly the cooper recliners are gone.

On the whole though, it's better than I could of hoped for such a rushed and emotionally led buy.

And I let the seller keep the magnetic 'T' logos. I'm good like that!

Al

[111Robin]

Great story Al, can't beat a bit of nostalgia to get the creative juices flowing. I too ran a van in the mid 80's to early 90's, daily commute from Callander to Dunfermline. Sold it to a bloke at work but pretty sure he soon scrapped it so no chance of being reunited with it. Get stuck into it as soon as you get it back.

[mk1]

Really pleased to hear that it was better than expected.

Are you going to try & get it up & running & then do it as a rolling resto?

Not often you see a Mini that is BETTER than it was 10 year earlier