DJB 93 B

[mk1]

Postby worksminis » 18 Apr 2017, 13:15

Swedish Feb 65. Aaltonen/Ambrose. Gp2. Retd.

Acropolis May 65. Makinen/Easter. Gp2. Retd.

Coupe des Alpes Jul 65. Mayman/Domleo. 13th. New car? (Damage on Acropolis, no roof light now).

RAC Nov 65. Aaltonen/Ambrose. Gp2. 1st. New car. (Offset roof light as on Acropolis - using parts from that car?).

Scottish Jun 66. Fall/Wood. Gp2. 1st. (visible patch where offset roof light was)

Gulf London Jun 66. Fall/Wood. Gp2. Retd.(severe crash)(visible patch where offset roof light was).

Written Off.

Resurrected from a logbook early 1990's.

[mk1]

Postby davidscothorn » 29 May 2017, 15:58

DVLA AUSTIN 1964 1275 DOR 8/86 TAX 8/10 MOT11/13

[mk1]

by worksminis » 20 May 2017, 11:59

DJB93B before start of Gulf London 66. Photo: worksminis.

DJB93B.JPG

[mk1]

Images of DJB 93B

[surfblue63]

Goodwood FoS 2010

[surfblue63]

Advert from 1966 RAC Rally program

[DB1380]

DJB 93B is up for Sale on Acespeed. Wonder how much that is !!

https://www.acespeed.co.uk/cars/1964-mi ... r-djb-93b/

[mk1]

Congrats to Andy for an interesting & above all accurate description of this lovely car!

[agricola]

According to the add it is a recreation so do we assume the original died?

[agricola]

ops sorry didnt read the bit about written off but does the recreation have the original log book as I would have thought the DVLA would be sniffy?

[mk1]

This car was "restored" for Phil Short, team principal for Mitsubishi Ralliart from 1995-2000 by Mini Machine / John Kelly in the 1990's.

Please refrain from being tempted to start a discussion of how many of these cars / registration numbers were born again. This is not the place for that sort of debate, it is supposed to be a record of what actually happened to these cars / registration numbers over the years.

[Catmint]

I believe it existed as a rally car before this as Mini Machine used it themselves for a season or two before "rebuilding" for Phil Short. Was sold at auction to it's next owner for about £100K, who I believe was the owner of Bayford Oil who used it well - remember seeing it on the ROTT going through Lightwater Valley Theme Park on a test, very sureal seeing a rally fly past a bunch of giant tea cups and teddy bears !

[Time Bandit]

I believe it existed as a rally car before this as Mini Machine used it themselves for a season or two before "rebuilding" for Phil Short. Was sold at auction to it's next owner for about £100K, who I believe was the owner of Bayford Oil who used it well - remember seeing it on the ROTT going through Lightwater Valley Theme Park on a test, very sureal seeing a rally fly past a bunch of giant tea cups and teddy bears !

I saw it in the late '80s, think it was '87 whilst heading to watch a couple of stages of the RAC Rally up at Kielder. I've got to say it really looked the part, covered with mud and shite on the snow covered roads, just looked like it was on a snowy '60s rally! My mate was driving but unfortunately I'd chucked my camera bag in the boot of his car so had to sit there wishing I had my camera in my hands as it would of made a great picture. We followed it for a few miles before it turned off and headed elsewhere.

[mk1]

This is the blurb from the Bonham's auction in 2011:

THE EX-WORKS 1965 RAC RALLY AND 1966 SCOTTISH WINNER
1964 MINI COOPER 1,275S RALLY SALOON
REGISTRATION NO. DJB 93B
CHASSIS NO. CA2S7/662044
ENGINE NO. 9F-SA-Y/34709
Footnotes
Belying its small size and apparent fragility, the Mini Cooper developed into the most successful works rally car of the 1960s, one of its most famous victories being Paddy Hopkirk's headline-grabbing win in the 1964 'Monte'. The Mini Cooper family's ultimate expression - the 1,275cc 'S' - won first time out in 1964 and became the works' frontline car from 1965 onwards, winning eight international rallies outright that same year, a quite outstanding achievement.

According to the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, this now Morris-badged (though originally Austin) Mini Cooper 1,275S, 'CA2S7/662044', was built at Longbridge on 26th November 1964 prior to despatch on 2nd December to the MG Car Company at Abingdon where, like most BMC factory competition cars, it was issued with a Berkshire registration, in this case 'DJB 93B'. Following subsequent preparation by the Abingdon-based Competitions Department, initially as an Austin for export market reasons, it took part in the 1965 Swedish and Acropolis Rallies before finishing 13th in class on the Alpine and (as a Morris) winning the RAC Rally of GB in the legendary Rauno Aaltonen's hands.

Having been driven to victory by Tony Fall on the Scottish Rally the following season, 'DJB 93B' rolled into retirement from Abingdon Competitions Department service during the 1966 Gulf London Rally and was not seen again until 1986. By 1991, ownership had transferred from clubman Jeff Wilson to Mini Machine of Darlington, from whom the project was taken on in 1996 by the highly respected and very successful Works Rally co-driver and subsequent World Rally Team Manager (Toyota, Mitsubishi etc) Phil Short, who commissioned a
total restoration to original Works specification.

A correct and fully restored Mk1 body shell was employed, though with double-skinned exhaust tunnel, floor under driver's feet and cross-member, strengthened bulkhead steady bar bracket, steering rack mounts and rear shocker mounts all being to Abingdon specification. Although run initially in hydrolastic form, like most works Minis of the day, the car was given 'dry' suspension in period and is in this form today. Parts were sourced by marque specialist John Kelly while Simon Wheatcroft's workshop was responsible for the detailed build.


The engine incorporates a 1,275S thick-flange block, linered and bored out +0.020" to 1,293cc; Omega dished pistons; Farndon cross-drilled crank in EN40B steel; fully machined conrods in EN24V; Downton No. 2 cam; and 12G940 cylinder head fed by twin SU H4 carburettors. Engine builder Bryan Slark, formerly with Downton, achieved a dynamometer reading of 117bhp at 7,000rpm and 1071b/ft torque at 5,000rpm.

The transmission specification includes a 22G333 gearbox casing, straight-cut close-ratio pinions, straight-cut drop gears, 4.3:1 final drive and Quaife Torsen-type limited-slip differential. Following installation in the car, the rolling road showed 96bhp at 7,250rpm and 811b/ft at 4,250rpm. The engine is said to be extremely flexible from 3,000rpm and eager to rev to 8,000rpm at which point it sounds wonderful!

As the early BMC roll-bar with single rear stay no longer complies with FIA/MSA safety requirements, a Safety Devices bolt-in full cage with easily removable front hoop was chosen.
1964 glass windows have been used, while the heated screen and all trim, as well as the Springalex-type steering wheel, air horns and internally mounted electric washers, are exactly as used on the 1965 RAC. The seats are exact replicas of the originals: the driver's a bucket-type with tubular frame, the co-driver's reclining. The works dash and well-equipped navigator's department are Abingdon-correct, while the Willans harnesses and FIA cut-out switch are compliant with current regulations.

The electrics are authentic, having been wired by Stan Chalmers who, with John Smith of Lucas, used to wire-up all the factory cars. There are five extra Lucas lamps with quick-release brackets and a swivelling roof light with Aaltonen anti-glare scoop. Under-body protection is provided by a 'Scottish' sump guard with optional extension guard and battery skid. The wheels, six of them, are genuine magnesium Minilites shod with Yokohama A008 tyres: five new, one used. Roof and body, as well as engine and transmission, paint colours are all authentic. For display purposes, there is a December '65 tax disc.


A most impressive history file contains signed and dated BMIHT Heritage Certificates pre- and post-rebuild confirming manufacturing, registration and competition history; Abingdon 'Build Sheets' for 1964 RAC Rally; BMC Homologation Forms from period; FIA Historic Vehicle Identity Form; current MSA Competition Car Logbook; MoT Test Certificates 1986-July 2007; two folders of original invoices; and current Swansea V5C registration document. Photograph albums record the car's restoration, wiring and engine - both in build and on the dyno - and winning drivers Aaltonen and Fall with it at the Abingdon Reunion. On the front covers of Autosport (December 1965) and Mini World, 'DJB 93B' has also featured in several other publications, copies of which accompany the car also.

'DJB 93B's BMC factory team rally history:

1965 Swedish (Rauno Aaltonen) retired, mechanical
1965 Acropolis (Timo Makinen) retired, mechanical
1965 Alpine (Pauline Mayman) 13th in category
1965 RAC (Rauno Aaltonen) 1st overall
1966 Scottish (Tony Fall) 1st overall
1966 Gulf London (Tony Fall) retired, accident


This is one of the most correctly specified and detailed ex-works Minis around. Since completion in 1998 the car has been maintained regardless of cost (as confirmed by bills on file) and always garaged in a heated and dehumidified motor house. Apart from regular exercise on various historic rally 'fun runs' as part of the 'Slowly Sideways Group', 'DJB 93B' has also been successfully hill climbed and sprinted with a win in the 2001 Midland Speed Classic Championship. The car purchased at Bonhams' 'Race Retro' sale at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire in March 2007 (Lot 306), since when it has been invited to the Goodwood 'Festival of Speed' where it was driven again by Rauno Aaltonen in 2010.

While other ex-works cars come onto the open market from time to time, many of them are likely to cost very much more again to restore and then involve even further expenditure to return them to period-correct specification. Few are likely to have been prepared to the standard of authenticity to be found on this car. 'DJB 93B' has been rebuilt as far as has been practical to the original specification in which it would have started the 1965 RAC Rally, which it won, making it the only Mini ever to do so.

[Pete]

One interesting question I have about the ‘65 RAC winner is what exactly happened to the actual car? Was it the same car (rebuilt) that won the ‘66 Scottish and then got wrecked and scrapped after the 66 Gulf London? I mean fair enough the average RAC would leave a Mini badly scarred, but I wonder why they didn’t keep the only Mini to ever win an RAC for posterity, benefit of hindsight I suppose.

[SMOKE GREY]

One interesting question I have about the ‘65 RAC winner is what exactly happened to the actual car? Was it the same actual car (rebuilt) that won the ‘66 Scottish and then got wrecked and scrapped after the 66 Gulf London? I mean fair enough the average RAC would leave a Mini badly scarred, but I wonder why they didn’t keep the only Mini to ever win an RAC for posterity, benefit of hindsight I suppose.

The Scottish car was the RAC car Pete. Bet the shell was worn out after that! New car/shell/build for the London I would think.

[Pete]

Thanks Steve. The Gulf London car was certainly a scrapper so I wonder what happened to the Scottish Rally (and RAC) winner then, never seen any post Abingdon evidence of its existence and it ain’t the car described above that’s for certain. The works didn’t use the registration again on anything else thereafter. I wonder if it was just flogged off as a ‘doer upper’ without its registration, or cut up, maybe a little too rough to keep.

[LMM76C]

See my earlier photo I took at the start of the 66 Gulf London. There is little doubt this is the 66 Scottish and 65 RAC winning car. The Gulf was not an SMMT approved event and UK works entries were not "allowed" by the SMMT. The car was therefore "borrowed" by Fall, as were the Lotus Cortinas of Clark and Elford. The "works but not works" Fords retired due to lack of proper service support. The implication in period reports was that Fall had some "works" support (more likely ST) on the event. There is a photo just before the first stage (in Yorkshire after the long drag from the Heathrow start) of Clark servicing KPU383C himself as Fall drives past into the forest.
You can see the plated-over hole for the roof light in the Mike Wood photos after the Gulf shunt in the Forest of Dean. Roof lights were not allowed under the new for 1966 Appendix J and would only be seen on National or lower status events from 1.1.66. The roof light on the 65 RAC winner was offset to the co-driver's side unlike the usual central mounting.

[LMM76C]

66 Gulf.jpg

[LMM76C]

A bit OT but a couple of years ago I saw a photo that proves I was there at the start of the 66 Gulf London.
(Beware, non Mini photos follow)

This is my photo of No1, the "borrowed" works Lotus Cortina KPU383C of Roger Clark leaving the start, The figure in overalls in the background looks like Vic Elford, waiting for John Davenport to bring No3 KPU381C to the start line. Fall's DJB93B, No4 is following from the parc ferme. (The eventual winner, the Saab of Ake "Briggan" Andersson is at No2):

Gulf 66 KPU383C.JPG

About 3 seconds later, another photographer took a photo of the departing Clark car (Jim Porter driving). The figure standing on the kerb trailing a foot into the road is me, winding on the film after taking my own photo. With me are the other 3 members of the Isleworth Grammar School Motorsport Appreciation society, one of whom was later to navigate for me on my first ever rally and another of whom navigated me on my second: