mk1-forum.net

A quick update, after a successful trip to Goodwood, see below, it's nearly time for the running gear refresh, the engine is built and ready for installation, both new subframes are being built up, nothing fancy, basic adjustable suspension, Hi-lo's to keep it at the correct pickup height, not slammed and S disks as it will need to stop. I feel like a cheat not doing the work myself but work commitments make it impossible, and I've had the tuning bits for years and they really need to be used.

Time for all the shiny bits to be fitted. I delivered the old girl to the garage, exhaust and other bits in the back ready for the double subframe and engine bypass operation, she's getting a bit of paint in the engine bay this week before all the bits get bolted on, I'm not a tyre polisher but the new and shiny engine will look a but stupid in a scruffy engine bay. A couple of photos below.







If all goes well she will look pretty much as she does now, same ride height, no fat tyres etc. but should be a bit quicker, assuming of course I can actually use the gearbox.

Ian

Looking really neat

I was admiring this at Goodwood. Very nice to see such an original looking pick-up

Al

Thanks, she was restored about 10 years ago to a fair standard, she will need doing again at some point but I'm concentrating on keeping her on the road for at least the next 3 years, I don't feel guilty about the mods as its all hidden away and the look will remain the same apart from the slightly wider track with the disks and the RC40...oh and the flames down the side and the large chrome roll cage in the load area...Just kidding.

Ian

Looks fanastic in the retro setting at Goodwood,I will be going with similar mods to my 60 when I have it finished.I don't think I could cope with a third 850 so I will go for a 998 with a Cooper head and twin carbs along with S brakes.

Hi Ian I think you were parked next to me as the Worthing show I had the Radford like your van a lot should be brilliant with the new engine hope it goes well Brian.

Brian,

That was me, didn't realise you where on this forum. I'm hoping for a bit more oomph but its really just a case of using the period performance parts I currently have rather than having them sitting in my office at home, at least this way I'll get some pleasure out of them, and hopefully other people will enjoy the engine bay at shows, who knows as long as I don't park next to exceptional cars like yours the old car may get a bit of attention. Are you doing any more shows this year?

Java GT,

3 850's does seem excessive, I do find mine runs ok on the roads, but it always handy to have a bit more power, the 998 with mods is a very sensible upgrade though, as are the brakes

Mini's are for modifying...in a tasteful way of course.

Ian

Looks great, I was looking at it at Goodwood. A lovely pickup!

Ready for Blyton!

After much work by the boys at CCK Historic I have the old girl back, she's gone from this.




to this...............



Its not a colour change, just a better camera this time around, and I know what you are thinking, the silly sod hasn't done anything at all, but the anoraks on this site, of which there are many will spot the slightly wider track caused by Cooper S disks and the slightly lowered suspension, and for the really cool and somewhat easier to spot differences, its gone from this.



To this.



Not finished yet, needs a dash of yellow paint on the heads Speedwell marking, I need to sort out the oil catch can, replace the HT leads with something more in keeping, probably convert to manual washer pump, attempt to get some sort of filter on the carb and perhaps get one of my old radiators re-cored to finish it off, then some interior stuff to do, but it drives......just got to run it in now, even managed to find all 5 gears, which is a pleasant surprise.

Looking forward to a celebratory beer tonight.

Ian

Loving them period mods. Superb

Oh wow, a cyberman's shoulder pad!

That looks fantastic, it's pretty close to my perfect Mini.

Tim

Nice "sleeper"

Glad you like it, its been a long wait to get all the bits into one car but definitely worth it, should have it nicely run in for Blyton if all goes well, hoping we can get my brothers mini, my old 60 there as well running my old 850 with a Shorrock, we are doing this ourselves early next year, I'll get him to post some pictures.

I love a sleeper, this Shorrock was original in the 850 that featured in October 1998's Miniworld, I bought it in 99 and loved the fact that it looked like your grandmothers shopping car but on full chat with the single box RC40 sounded like nothing else I've heard, that was my favorite mini until today

Hi Ian,

a very nice job you´ve done to your pickup! It´s nice to see all those period performance mods done in this subtle way! Cracking Mini!

I´ve some questions regarding the Colotti gearbox:
- Have you already driven it? How does it behave while driving?
- Do you have the shifting gate for the gearbox?


Cheers, Mike

Mike,

I have done 4 miles so far hoping to get some running time in this weekend if it stops raining. I'm running the box with a magic wand as its right for the car, this may sound bonkers but was done in period, if you have a copy of Brooklands High Performance minis Gold portfolio 1960-1973 (My bible) go to page 98 and the Trickett Minisprint runs the same box with a magic wand, they use some sort of lever to block 1st and reverse when on the track.

Its much better than I expected, 1st and reverse are a doddle, and it goes up and down through the gears pretty well, early days yet of course so I've not mastered it, I was concerned it would be undriveable but its far from that, I actually rather like it. It's a very tight box with very little gear lever movement required, which I am not used to after years driving sloppy magic wands.

I had planned to create a reverse gear block to prevent accidentally going from 1st to reverse but the main problem so far is going from 4th to 3rd and avoiding first, so I will put a gate of sorts over 1st to stop me doing that.

I will update this once I've done a few more miles, but so far so good.

Ian

Lovely car.

I like the magic wand change as I feel it has a very precise action, albeit with rather long movements. Remote & rod changes are more "rubbery".

Could you PM the build date of your pickup as I'm trying to track when they changed from a flat-back tailgate to the type like yours.

Thank you for the hint to the gold profile! Seems to be an interesting publication I wasn´t really aware of before!
About the magic wand setup used in the Trickett Minisprint, I´ve definitely read something before! If it works, it´s also a very nice way of using this gearbox...

It seems to be a very rare part, this shifting gate! I´ve seen just one until now, which was part of a collection and not for sale. Also talked to a guy from Italy at the IMM, who knows quite something about the Colotti T.40 gearboxes and he told me too how incredibly rare this part is.

At the moment I´m trying to gather every information I can get about the Colotti T.40 box, so I´m very happy to hear of people´s experiences with it! Please keep us updated on this...
(And I hope to experience one of these boxes one day myself. Would be a very italian feel to sit in a mini with the proper shifting gate and an old Les Leston or Nardi wood rim steering wheel! )

woodypup59 wrote:Could you PM the build date of your pickup as I'm trying to track when they changed from a flat-back tailgate to the type like yours.

Does it tie in with the switch to quarter bumpers?

Also:

http://www.minipickup.org/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2255

Love the Pick up 59fan !

Nice engine & box bet she goes




Jens Christian