Minty - 1964 Aurora Gears Racing /Newtune 1071 Cooper S

[Pete]

Thanks chaps, fitted loads of screens before no problem, (though I never look forward to fitting screens on a freshly painted body!) but this one just seemed a VERY tight fit this time. Anyway it’s in.

[Pete]

A few more old photos, Anita at the start of the 1964 European Grand Prix alongside Downton’s ‘Sophie’ , a fuzzy photo of the back of Trevor’s car at the Brands 6 Hrs showing the tank vent pipes and clips which I need to make, David Wansborough battling it out with Ken Costello at Brands in 65, going through the Goodwood chicane during the ‘65 St Mary’s Trophy and 110 at Oulton Park.

Doing the Yorkshire Motorsport Press day with the car on Wednesday hopefully.

By the way, anybody got a really nice O/S rear quarter light?

[Pete]

Bit of a catch up, managed to get the long range tank in with the help of Nick. Now straightened out I decided to paint it and the L/H tank was repainted to match. I used standard tank straps cut down and the original bolt locations. Having looked at other tanks like this one they all seemed to vary in the way they’re fitted but I think this is about right. I just the need the obligatory block of wood underneath it as they’re short of the boot floor. Also decided to fit the vent pipes on tabs screwed to the screen seal spreader which I think was the way they did it.

[Pete]

I’d committed to take the car to the EType / Mini Cooper day at Shelsley back in June but couldn’t make it as Mrs F was ill so Ian Hunt kindly looked after the car. He took some of the old boys up the hill in it including Paddy, Warwick Banks and Fitz, all of whom remembered racing against it! Pictured also is Roger Enever (right) who like the others were all asking where Anita was!! I was gutted to miss this but there we go I got the car there at least.

[Pete]

Next event was he car’s first competitive event since the 70s. Really enjoyed the Yorkshire Motorsport Festival in July and despite the lack of grunt did ok. Decided there and then I have to rebuild and upgrade the engine and change the diff. Works fine, stable temp etc and dry as a bone but I’m wringing it’s neck all the time which is quite frustrating. It was also lovely to meet Gerry Marshall’s son Gregor at last who id been in touch with for a while, who knows the car well and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of his dads racing and results.

[Pete]

Next event was the Classic Nostalgia hillclimb at Shelsley which was a good giggle. So nice to be out again with few restrictions and see some of the lads and lasses around the paddock. Great day out.

[Pete]

Been finding a few nice photos over the last few months. Many more to come once LAT pull their fingers out.

Anita at Aintree..

[Pete]

And Brands European GP..

[Pete]

Last event I did was an invite to drive at CarFest North at Bolesworth Castle. Not an event I’d even considered going to before but so glad I went and represented the Mini as the sole Mini entered. Essentially it’s a huge music festival (about 20k people) with lifestyle stuff and cars bolted on and very much aimed at families with young children . The kids all seemed to love a Mini so plenty of them got to sit in the car and I was asked to take a couple of passengers around the track. On the last occasion the two ladies who’s dad had paid good money to charity to hitch a ride in the car were sadly disappointed as just as we got to the start line on the last run of the weekend the Lotus Exige driver in front of me got abit too carried away and binned it into a tree on the return road to the paddock putting out the red flags and ending my weekend early. So off we went to watch the Happy Mondays who were great!

[Pete]

Last post for now, spot the car hiding behind the aircraft carrier..

[mk1]

Car's looking fantastic Pete!

[InnoCooperExport]

Really looks great! Shame you missed out on meeting Roger Enever, he's a good laugh. I went to the Healey Museum in NL with him a few years back hoping to reunite him with his Sebring Sprite. Sadly it wasn't in at the time, but he did get to sign a few autographs on some pictures of his time driving Healey prototypes at Le Mans. I also remember he was admiring an RAC trophy and mentioned to the chap who runs the museum he his dad's at home but he wasn't sure where his was; only to be told he was looking at it!

He was invited by the chairman of the MGATO to give us a talk about his dad's archive and the design of the MGA, he'd brought along a huge cache of his dad's pictures and aero models of the MG record breakers, a touch rambly rather than a presentation but very interesting and great to see some of the archive.

[Pete]

Thank you. Roger’s stories about racing JCB’s Cooper S in the late 60s would also be worth hearing I would imagine too (that was an ex works rally Mini!) and his connections at Abingdon etc. Yes real shame I missed it as Paddy, Fitz and Banks all raced against my car in 64/65. Fitz in particular remembered it well.

[surfblue63]

Pete

I guess you have probably seen this old Castrol film from the '64 European GP, with Raymond Baxter on the mic.

https://youtu.be/WUHi4LsacYg?t=261

[Pete]

No!

Not many have by the looks of it, definitely went under my radar that one Stu! Great film, thanks a lot, the car’s in it a few times! I’ve found loads of colour footage of it racing from ‘64 now and I presume only because of the F1 stars racing on the same grids and the fact that Ford themselves filmed so many races to publicise Jim Clark’s success in the Lotus Cortina. I’ve found very few photos from the following year and no film footage at all.

[surfblue63]

Glad you liked that one.

I have another dig and found a Movietone film also of the '64 GP at Brands. Anita even gets a mention in this one and I think it is were the still of her in the drivers seat on the grid is from.

http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/NEWS- ... 1&b=552656

[Pete]

Wow!!

I can’t believe I hadn’t found either of these before! Thanks so much Stu, pretty sure Anita hasn’t seen this!

[Nick W]

Maybe that last image show why you couldn't match the mirror fixing....looks like it's fastened to a piece of wood doesn't it??

[Pete]

Yeah I came to the conclusion its not a Mini fitting and explains why I’ve yet to see a chrome eversure as they’re the only similar one.

[Bitsilly]

Looks like at Carfest you were parked in front of Grant Williams Mk2.
He's a mate of mine and I have never seen anyone drift a car like he can drift that Jag!
I'd still take the Mini though!!