Ditto. But I was still at school.

I used to buy Fast Fours until about 1996 when it went all ricey.

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Brett Nicholson
Greendale (near Ballan) VIC.
1971 Morris Mini Moke
1966 Austin Mini
1965 Morris Mini Traveller
1973 LR Series 3 88
2007 LR Freelander 2

before that it was tubbed out Geminis and highlighter coloured RX7s......Pre-rice.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Back then I owned a Gemini with a 2.0L Rodeo engine, webers, lowered, spoilers, mags etc. But I also had a Minivan in bits.

I liked it when it was hands-on and they featured old cars that were actually rebuilt. Geminis, Corollas, Minis, Beetles, Mazda RX etc with nice paint jobs and hotted up engines or a late model transplant. There was also useful tech tips.

I lost interest when it was filled with 19 year old kids spending Daddy's money who bought a new WRX/Lancer/Excel/Civic/Swift, then paid someone to up the power, fit a bodykit, 17" alloys and loud stereo. Instant feature car, but their only input was signing some cheques. About the same time the tech tips were dumbed down to the "how to check your oil" and "who to go to for a car stereo loan" level.

Foutunately at that time I discovered Miniworld and Practical Classics.

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Brett Nicholson
Greendale (near Ballan) VIC.
1971 Morris Mini Moke
1966 Austin Mini
1965 Morris Mini Traveller
1973 LR Series 3 88
2007 LR Freelander 2

The Morris 1100 list on the web is just a BMC list from the Dulux book.

How do we know that car came from the factory in Marine Blue?
I don't trust any Cooper S restoration that claims Aquajets as the original tyres.

BUT IT WAS PAINTED IN BRG. WELL LOOKS BRG TO ME. and yes that car was the car that sealled the deal for me. just so beautiful. I still read that mag from time to time. wonder if the car is still around??

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The 1969 MK II S I bought new came with Dunlop SP41's which was the standard tyre of the time for the car. I think you can see them in some of the period sales literature photos.
My current 1970 MK II S came new with Aquajets because that was the tyre specified in SPO41 (Police).

When did they start making Aquajets in Australia? The earliest date I can find is 1971. Is there a date on the SPO41 documents?

I think it was in one of watto's TMEs. In WA in a blokes collection from memory. So much for it never being for sale.

Tim

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1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian

That Mini Car Clinic mini was originally White , I have all of the magazines from then ....

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1965 Morris 850
1966 Morris Mini Minor
1967 Morris Cooper 'S'
1977 Leyland LS

Although the car does look blue in the pics , in part 5 of the article Sept/Oct 1990 it states that :

" it was dip stripped and has been re-finished in factory dark green paint with a contrasting white turret "

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1965 Morris 850
1966 Morris Mini Minor
1967 Morris Cooper 'S'
1977 Leyland LS

I think they faxed up.

A couple of Aquajet references. Mid-sixties according to the Dunlop NZ site.

http://www.v-sixers.com/index.php?optio ... 1&Itemid=2

http://www.dunlop.co.nz/aboutus.aspx

That is a very vague "Mid 60's" reference!
I have found adverts in the UK announcing the Dunlop Aquajets in 1969.
The first thing I can find for locally made Aquajets is 1971. They would not have used imported tyres in Australian made cars due to the local content rules.

Oh, so it is then...

well that sinks that idea...

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

BLMC Service Liaison Summaries relating to Police specification tyres are as follows:

SLS 132 (1st Nov 1967) - Olympic GT radial ply tyres

SLS 212 (6th Oct 1970) - Dunlop Sports Radial Aquajet

SLS 4/71 (1st Nov 1971) - Clubman GT - Goodyear Sports Radials. "It has been reported that handling problems have occurred with Dunlop Aquajets which were previously used on Police Cooper S vehicles."

Following is an extract from Dunlop UK website:

"In the early sixties, the Dunlop Technical team faced the huge challenge of making tyres grip at high speeds on wet roads. At the same time, laboratories and research stations the world over realised worn tyres suffered 'aquaplaning' - a phenomenon where a tyre floats on water and loses all braking grip.

With its circumferential grooves and rigid structure, Dunlop's SP 41 radial ply tyre, gave drivers complete protection from aquaplaning, assuming moderate speeds and reasonable pattern depth. In 1964, Dunlop technician, Tom French patented a breakthrough advance in tyre tread design. The tyre included a system of 'microslots' that soaked up surface water like a sponge and expelled it later."
Presumably that last tyre is the Aquajet.

Following is from the Longstone Classic Tyre website showing Aquajets as standard in 1965:

"The first E-Type Jaguar was fitted with a 640H15 Dunlop RS5 cross ply tyre until 1965 when the factory offered the E Type with a Dunlop SP Sport Aquajet 185HR15 radial tyre as an alternative. This ,now classic, tyre became standard fitment to all series one Jaguar XKE's and series two Jaguar E-Types."

It would be interesting to know when they were first produced in 10" size in Australia.