mk1-forum.net

I was given this years ago by a mate at work who's Nan had it when she bought her Mk2 850 - never seen one before...

I have a similar one for my Morris Oxford, would love one for the Mini too.

I have a few years of these somewhere.

M

Did they do them from the start in '59 Mark...?

I think the earliest I have seen is 1964.

There may well be earlier ones though.

M

Ta

It is difficult to find things, Mark does not have...

It is difficult to find things, Mark does not have...

Tell me about it

That's part of the problem I have had finding new stuff for the site, if I haven't already got it or had it then it's usually too expensive for me to by now

Always very happy to accept submissions for the site from anyone who can be bothered to scan stuff, send it in & doesn't mind sharing for free.

Mark F

It's amazing that some of these items even survive when you think about it - if that little diary hadn't been passed on to me through someone else it would probably have ended up in the bin! When dealerships close or franchises change hands, vast amounts of paperwork and in some cases no doubt, hoardes of spares just end up in the skip. Nearly twenty years ago I did a short stint at our local Citroen dealership cleaning motors, many years previously it had been a Morris dealership and down in the cellar was a stash of familair BMC red and blue boxes left over from those days - at the time I managed to procure a few small trim items for my Mini but I always wondered what happened to the rest of the stuff - body panels, windscreens, mirrors, trim panels, dashboards etc for Minis, Maxis, all sorts. It's been closed for some time now sadly so I've no idea what happened to all the old BMC stuff.

Always good seeing other folk's period goodies - long may it continue

How about when whole plants close? Pretty much all of the records and paperwork from the Australian manufacturing were destroyed under Leyland's 'scorched earth' policy when they withdrew. Sadly all of that valuable archival material was lost forever. Most early Aussie Minis can still only be dated approximately by looking at the dates on the wiper motor etc.

Tim

Nearly twenty years ago I did a short stint at our local Citroen dealership cleaning motors

Would that have been Woodcocks?

Simon776 wrote:

Nearly twenty years ago I did a short stint at our local Citroen dealership cleaning motors

Would that have been Woodcocks?

Yes Simon, that's the one

Somewhere at my mums are my late dads set of these bought by him back in the day!!

[quote="UWD 672G"]It's amazing that some of these items even survive when you think about it - if that little diary hadn't been passed on to me through someone else it would probably have ended up in the bin! When dealerships close or franchises change hands, vast amounts of paperwork and in some cases no doubt, hoardes of spares just end up in the skip. Nearly twenty years ago I did a short stint at our local Citroen dealership cleaning motors, many years previously it had been a Morris dealership and down in the cellar was a stash of familair BMC red and blue boxes left over from those days - at the time I managed to procure a few small trim items for my Mini but I always wondered what happened to the rest of the stuff - body panels, windscreens, mirrors, trim panels, dashboards etc for Minis, Maxis, all sorts. It's been closed for some time now sadly so I've no idea what happened to all the old BMC stuff.

Found that cellar many years ago when it still had many BMC items including new S speedo,s....brocade trim in red/grey [still in the packets]....S cranks.....s/c gear kits......the list was endless......and to be left there to sort out all the mini parts was fantastic ......needless to say the car was full when I left and for very little money as they just wanted to get rid of the stuff ...... Probably still have some of it...............................

Looking back, I think if I'd have known more about what was in each box I'd have done something about it there and then. Ah well, you beat me to it...

I wonder how many other dealerships had (or maybe still have) old BMC stuff stashed away below decks...