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I saw this about 6 months ago hoping it was a W&P - dont think it is but have now agreed to buy it anyway as I love the fact its a slug of an old 998 auto!

Going to mot it spruce her up smoke for a week then sell her.

A few pics (how many switches! wtf do they all do!):













Paul

i quite like that

Yeah i didnt at first

Then the quirky 70s bits made me rethink and the fact its auto!

will probably make my 30 min drive to work double to an hour!

should be fun

Love the old stickers in the back window!

love that!! dont change a thing! hahaa!

towners wrote:
I saw this about 6 months ago hoping it was a W&P - dont think it is but have now agreed to buy it anyway as I love the fact its a slug of an old 998 auto!

Paul

Hi Paul,

I remember the first thread, regarding this car.
congratulations for buying it, looks to be in decent shape ?



Its not easy to tell if it, was made by W&P ?
but here is a list of things that could indicate a WP job .

1 - its a automatic, many W&P jobs were automatics.
2 - the paint job, looks very expensive, and other WP,s have been painted this way.
3 - the Lucas 608 dipping rear wiew mirror, also in W&P,s pricelist.
4 - front grille, with recessed spots = item no 6 in the WP pricelist.
5 - automatic reverse lights, also a WP item.
6 - side indicators (WP item no 22) to both front wings.
7 - rearscreen wiper (WP item no 13) in the pricelist.
8 - Hazard warning lights (no 22a) in the pricelist.

All these things could very well have been fitted, by a enthusiastic Mini owner, but I would still put my money on W&P
A lot of cars were given smaller jobs, not the "full" WP Margrave conversion.

If you take the dash out ? look for a 4 digit no, written on the back, or on a piece of maskingtape,
behind the dash (mine sat on the dashrail) this is the WP job no.
you can also check it, with dash "inplace" if you have one of those small mini cameraes?.
would be nice, if it turned out to be a WP job.


Jens Christian

Jens

Thanks for the reply

I am collecting it this weekend hopefully, its in a bit of a sorry state since I last left it (dent in the wing).

Will be looking behind the dash as soon as I get a chance!

Will keep you posted

Paul

Collected it on friday eve - 2 hours to get it on the trailer due to drums ceased up all round and end of hammer snapping off (and jack colapsing, missing winch handle.....night from hell!)

Had a good poke around yesterday (found a old installation guide behind dash for fitting the guages!) someone spent a lot of money years ago having it all done, dash is alloy and recovered, vinyl on bottom rail has been recovered to match the dash. tax disc (kings cross post office) says last on road in 86! also found some old negatives under parcel shelf - no mini pics though

looks like owners went or drove to the monaco grand prix in 81

Key ring has initials JC - yeah i wish!

took front off dash out but ran out of time looking for build number - if it is there.

more pics for the investigation

http://s893.photobucket.com/albums/ac13 ... 20Pickett/

Paul

the blue bulb in the driving lamp, was that type of bulb used back in 86 ?, i thought they were a recent addition to the car world.

Interesting car, great to see all the period mods still in tact.

The dash doesn't look W&P to me, but if it is the build number should be writ large all over the back of it.

towners wrote:Collected it on friday eve - 2 hours to get it on the trailer due to drums ceased up all round and end of hammer snapping off (and jack colapsing, missing winch handle.....night from hell!)

Had a good poke around yesterday (found a old installation guide behind dash for fitting the guages!) someone spent a lot of money years ago having it all done, dash is alloy and recovered, vinyl on bottom rail has been recovered to match the dash. tax disc (kings cross post office) says last on road in 86! also found some old negatives under parcel shelf - no mini pics though

looks like owners went or drove to the monaco grand prix in 81

Key ring has initials JC - yeah i wish!

took front off dash out but ran out of time looking for build number - if it is there.

more pics for the investigation


Paul

Hi Paul,

sounds like when I bought my car we never got ANY of the wheels to move, and no air, in the front wheels
VERY difficult to get it loaded/unloaded

As you British say "The plot thickens" (or something like that?)

Many of the parts for my dash is also made from alloy, which then is covered with Connolly.


If you check the dash on George,s car, which has lots of W&P jobs done to it,
you will see the dash is a "one of" as WP would do any job, to costumers personally spec
http://www.eurods.eu/wp/gallery/dutch/dutch.html


If you post some pictures of the wiring / back of dash, it will be easy to see what it is ?

The keyring would have been great I actually bought my plates, and used them for 5 years, before a Mini owner told me how cool they were,
I asked him why ? (as I just bought them for MY initials ) he then explained that John Cooper had the same initials
(in my defence would I like to mention, that this was many years ago)

Jens Christian

Surf 1275 wrote:The dash doesn't look W&P to me, but if it is the build number should be writ large all over the back of it.

Here is a couple from my car.

1st is the build number, and LHD marking, on the underside of dash cowl,

2nd is build no (next to screen vent)
and drawing of wiring, for the switch layout = next to the hole for ashtray.



Edit , just had a look through your pictures.

Its is 99% shure that this car is a W&P, as it also has electric washer, for windscreen, and the motor is located in the EXACT same position as on my car, that is TOO much of a coincidence.

Next is the recessed lamps in the grill, they are Cibie,s and this is the ones that W&P fitted, with this option.

The bracket for the 608 mirror, is also the correct item, as used by W&P.

Thanks everyone for the info

Jens i plan to take the dash apart as soon as I can grab half an hour!

will keep you posted - fingers crossed

Paul

Hi Paul,

Thanks for posting the photo of the mirror bracket I would appriciate, if you could make me a close up, of the bracket.

just had a chat with the guy, who runs the coachbuilt registre, for MCR, regarding these cars.

He has only seen a grill with recessed Cibie,s ONCE (20 years ago) this was on a W&P

I mentioned that your engine was a 12H not 99 or 11

He said that alot of the W&P autobox cars, had the bigger engine fitted

Both John Tilbury, and Richard Miles, built / tuned engines for W&P.

We also spoke of all the items (incl the paintwork) on your car, and he agreed, that it was MOST likely a W&P job.






If there is one thing life has thought me, its that the first hunch, is always the RIGHT one



Jens Christian

Cheers Jens

You have been an invaluable help thanks!

Paul

towners wrote:

I love the fact its a slug of an old 998 auto!



Paul

Not with a 12H engine (once you get the brakes free)
especially if Miles or Tilbury "breathed" on the engine

Amazing thing is it's still on drums!

towners wrote:
Amazing thing is it's still on drums!

Does it have a servo fitted ?
The most likely reason for the 12H engine, is probably its "tourqe" not speed.

I spoke to a mechanic in Sweden, he told me that he helped built a engine, for one of the Radford,s overthere,
becourse its standard 998 Cooper engine, lacked tourqe.

The first Mini engine I built, was a 1275, with skimmed head (1mm) 648 cam, freeflow manifold & Cooper exhaust (still available then) ,
it had a twin choke 45 Weber, on "swan neck" with K&N filter.

I put it onto a std Clubman 1000, with drums all around, but fitted Feredo race linings, at the front, it helped a little bit
but it was still pretty "interesting" to try and brake from high speed
Those were the days ( when one was young, and didnt care so much )

Dash and rail now out (and the screen!)

Cant find any tape or numbers so probably a home brew or other company - who knows!

http://s893.photobucket.com/albums/ac13 ... 22/clubby/

Now in two minds to sell it or do it! - to if i do it I would like to do it to a bareshell rebuild but wedding is 9 Dec and it would need to be sold by then!

Next stage first i think is to get her running

Paul

towners wrote:Dash and rail now out (and the screen!)

Cant find any tape or numbers so probably a home brew or other company - who knows!

Now in two minds to sell it or do it! - to if i do it I would like to do it to a bareshell rebuild but wedding is 9 Dec and it would need to be sold by then!

Next stage first i think is to get her running

Paul

Hi Paul

Nice pics thanks for posting.
If you look at picture no 4 in your last photostream, will you see, that the area around the screen vents, are painted in the exact same way & finish as my car.

I will now contact the owner of a early unrestored 1275 GT, and ask him to check, if his car is painted the same way ?
this is to confirme whatever its a BL job or? but if not

I can understand that you need funds released, hence the need for sale, but on the other hand will this car not sell for much, untill its restored.
There will be some thinking to do.

Have you checked if the engine turns ?


Jens Christian