mk1-forum.net

Mini Minor 1960

Well after selling my 1071 due to a house purchase 3 years ago, and then building the Mk 3 for Blyton, I’am back on the Mk 1 map at last !

I’ve been looking for an interesting Mk 1 that I can build in to an early 60s road racer, purely for Hillclimbs / Sprints and Blyton etc.

I came across a car on fleabay, kept an eye on it and after it failing to reach its reserve a few times, I thought it was worth a visit and a look, the car was advertised as a 1963, but after a phone call I found out the documentation had been lost (hopefully sorted now !), but chassis number, engine number, body number all in place.

The car looked like it still has its original flat outer and inner sills, along with original floor, the car has been painted “Gulf” Blue, had a new later type front panel, rear valance and a boot floor repair, other than that it looked pretty original beneath the layers of home sprayed paint.

It was soon pretty evident it was an earlier car, and after correspondence with a few of the Mk 1 forum “gurus”, we managed to establish it was a very early car, (sills, screen aperture’s, wiper motor etc), and settled on a August 1960 build, so after a bit of “bartering” and a satisfactory price to both seller and buyer, I bought the car.

The project had been started 8 years ago and left ever since, so now my project begins (purists stop reading now !) colour is a real issue, I really don’t think it suits the Gulf Blue, not for a 1960 car anyway, I want to paint it an early 60s colour, it was Clipper Blue originally, the original doors are still painted Clipper Blue on the insides, but there and the other 1960 Morris colours are OEW and Cherry Red, or I could do it Austin Tartan Red !, or a good study of BMC colour charts.

It has an early John Aley cage with the car with all the brackets and clamps, be OK to use in a “road car “ class, have to have a think about that one.

Spec will be a quick 1275 derived engine, with all the usual suspension tweaks, no arches, and keep it as light and as simple as possible.

Looks very interesting and solid - might have to come and poke about it!

Your very welcome Graeme

The car needs a full paint strip, sort out any hidden nastys, choose a colour and onwards, it's had an after fit seat belt fitted to it that's drilled right through the B post, belts are with the car, the 850 lump has been totally recon'd and as i get through bits and pieces a lot of the standard parts will be for sale including the engine, as well as the front seats, as i start taking the car in bits ill start listing stuff, just give me chance to find out whats for sale and i will list it in the coming weeks.

Better with every photo - you've scored a good one there.
Bare metal re spray or just rub down?

It all depends on what its like when i take the back frame out, under the front arches its all painted Gulf Blue and nice and clean just been done with cellulose like inside, but under the back arches its Black underseal, so ill strip it off and then decide from there, its had a lot of paint on it so the rear quarters need taking right back as do the A panels

My 62 had those belt mounts no lap just a diagonal and those mounts had slightly crushed the B post
not a safe option

My Nov '60 Mini Minor has the B posts drilled to take seat belts and has a threaded, chromed tube that passes through the B-post and the belt bolts to that.

I haven't got any belts in it though, just the chromed tube to seal up the holes !

Looks a great project. OEW with a Cherry Red roof is a great and alternative colour scheme. What interior are you going to use?

That's going to make a good car.

I like the idea of OEW with a cherry red roof, keep it Morris !, interior will be original trim panels, I'll keep the original rear seats in for "road car class" for hillclimb etc, simple dash, don't want it to be a Cooper S look a like ... Cause it's not !, and a couple of comp seats for the front, but I know ill struggle with that because I did with my 1071 and never got it right !

Thanks for the comments guys, just had a 7 hour round trip to pick it up, it's sat on the transporter with 3 flat tyres outside ! Hope it don't rain !

Can I just say, I didn't know a lot about really early mk1s but Bills 59 register site is awesome, really helped in sorting out what I was buying , 1959miniregister.com , anyone that hasn't come across it, have a look !

Great project, love the ideas behind what you're going to do with it. Lots to be said for a breathed on early MK1.

Very kind about the website, glad it's being useful and used, thank you.

Oh and Cherry Red on a Morris is my favourite colour too!

So the car is in my garage now, and the complete strip down begins, car currently has cooper discs on front, hi Los, s drums on rear, gas shockers, pretty much all will be replaced, no horror stories yet, little bit of surface rust on floor, so far so good, should be totally stripped by next weekend, and then the stripping of that gulf blue paint begins, still undecided on colour looking at a couple of late 50s / early 60s colours, though I will probably stick with a 1960 mini colour.

Rear frame bolts are all loose and ready to drop down, loom out, engine ready to lift out, cage will be out shortly too, not sure if I'm using this cage either yet.