The R53 was /is much harsher than the latest job. The F56 feels plush in comparison. But still retains the fun. Especially with the JCW seats.
Minis have grown so bloated these days that could easily be an adult sitting in one of the latest models
That’s all down to my wife, nothing to do with me. Guessing she will have a right lip on again today!
It's actually a matchbox model in a diorama made in my garden shed during lock down. If I stood further back there would have been a giant lawnmower and some huge barbecue charcoal boulders in shot. Here's another one I made with an old Airfix F104 kit. a homage to Robert Calvert's 1974 masterpiece....
Here is an oldish pic of my R56 (someone has pinched the GP side scuttles and I can’t get a replacement for love nor money so they’ve been replaced by some cheap black eBay ones for now, and I’ve smoked the side indicators so it’s a bit more stealthy) - it has a surprising turn of pace once moving (~270bhp) and with the sports cat makes a decent noise for a 4 cylinder, which encourages a heavy right foot: I got a pull as I exited the Hatfield tunnel a couple of weeks ago, but thankfully the officer just grinned and told me to slow down a bit before allowing me to continue my journey without a ticket (surprising as I had flashed the unmarked 1 series, who pulled right in front of me, to get out of the way before flooring it in 4th and into 3 figures before he turned the pretty flashing blue lights on ) Edit: it was bought as a cheapish but fun station car, and whilst it has been a fun little run around, the boot is next to useless (I can just fit a Brompton in), you can’t fit even fit a child in the seat behind me, and it does like a drop of oil even though it has the n18 rather than the somewhat fragile n14 engine in it.. but I’m still rather fond of it.
I think I’d rather have a supercharged R53 tbh.. I’m just waiting for the engine to go bang on this..
Theyre not real Mini's. Theyre just BMW's. Ner. Not mine (below) but its a proper mini. Not a Germanic copy driven by weirdos who dont know what indicators are for. hehe
Well feck my old boots you must be a Russian Oligarch with all that security around your fancy house..
In the 90s I had an awesome orange race prepped but road legal Cooper - twin split 45mm Weber carbs, blueprinted engine, straight through exhaust, stripped interior, roll cage, bucket seats and harnesses. It was an absolute riot, but I had to get rid of it after the council put speed humps in all of the roads around where I lived and because the car was so low I kept knocking the exhaust off.
She is rather sweet Boots. Despite as a lad being firmly in the opposing camp - Hillman Imps, I can see the appeal. And yes Zhed, speeds humps were an issue too. Obviously an Imp needed lowering an inch or so, and some machining to correct the front Camber, but with a breathed on engine you just had to stick a radiator up front where the spare wheel should be and run a couple of 22mm copper pipes back to the engine. If you ran them under the car they got squished by speed humps, especially with a lowered car, and if you ran them through the car under the passenger front seat the inside of the car got a bit warm. I did both, but if I was doing it now would run flexible pipe through the Sills.
I adore old mini's. I like the old Imps too but Mini's are just so cool. They will always be cool as fuck. Even if its me driving one.
