I just got a sad email from a friend in the Mini club. He had a very nice Moke he had restored and just finished building a new engine for it, I believe it was a 1380. He didn't want any replies to the email, but I feel very bad for him and thought others would have sympathy for him.
Here is what he wrote:
A concatenation of errors:
1) Moving the starter motor main cable a bit too far as it evidently then rubbed on the body
2) Driving off although the engine showed signs of misfire, whereas it had previously gone like a rocket
3) Kept on driving till engine stopped at which point smoke billowed from under the bonnet, followed by flames. I pulled over
4) Not carrying a fire extinguisher
5) Listening to a bystander who said “Don’t remove the bonnet”
6) Not using the gallon of antifreeze I had in the back to douse the flames
7) Not going to a nearby house for water, although the bystander called the Fire Station 2 minutes away

Not disconnecting the battery immediately
7) Living in Victoria which has the doziest firemen imaginable. They arrived ten minutes later and tool another four minutes to put on their jackets and masks before getting any foam sprayed on the car

Generally being totally uncreative – e.g. I might have put the rubber carpets over the seats
9) NOT HAVING ANY FIRE INSURANCE!!
Should this go in the Guinness Book of Records for STUPIDITY?
See the results:
http://www3.telus.net/alansweb/mokef
Please do not reply to this email. There is no strong enough an admonishment, nor jokes to appreciate about s’moke, neither is there any comfort you can give!
Regards - Alan