We (my co-driver & I) have registered for the North American continental Mini Meet East Meets West in Milwaukee, Wisconsin July 2-6 and will attend the meet after going to the 45th Can-Am Mini Challenge Races at the Mid-Ohio Road Course at Lexington, Ohio June 26-29.

Our trip will see us cross Canada from Pitt Meadows, British Columbia to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario before dropping into the US state of Michigan on the way to Lexington, Ohio. We will swing around Chicago, Illinois to Rockford on the way to Milwaukee and bus back into the 'capital of the mid-west'.

My co-driver Ken has a MINI Cooper S and would rather go to a Mini Meet in/with a Classic. He has owned Classic Minis and is also building a Woody. We set out June 20th.

Meanwhile ROO will get a complete suspension makeover - adjustable tie-rods, lower arms, rear (to go with front) hi-los, rear camber brackets etc., and knuckles, bushes as appropriate.

ROO might also get a 1293cc over a rebuilt tranny with pot joint outputs...if we have time.

_________________
Select a gear, bring up the revs and release the clutch...off you go!

There goes Roo's originality out the window! I suppose all good things have to come to an end.

_________________
DID I MENTION THAT I AM THE BEST SUPPLIER FOR MINI ELECTRICAL PARTS AND REPAIRS?
"Let us remove your "SHORTS"

Tony,

The std. 1098 with stock 1 1/4" SU, intake & peashooter exhaust just doesn't have the torque to climb our local mountain passes in modern traffic...we saw the limitations climbing to the Atherton Tablelands at Cairns, climbing out of Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and especially climbing the Kings Hwy. from Batemans Bay to Canberra.

We will be loaded climbing through the passes and, ahem, my co-driver has greater mass than the wifey.

The suspension renewal is just to give better handling and tyre wear (e.g. right rear has excess positive camber). I pounded the original rubber cones flat on the prologue from Brisbane to Sydney...thus, the somewhat better cones, adjusta rides and Koni Sport adj. shockers up front that were installed there with trimmed bump stops.

After I'm done, ROO will have less than 1 deg. negative camber all round, set caster for LHD roadways and toe. Only difference in stance will be S rear drums/studs to square up the rear corners with the Metro discs up front.

As for the 1293 build, I have the block back from boiling, acid & crack test and followed the same with glass bead blasting of 12G940 head and NOS A+ rods today. Head will get new bronze silicon guides sized for valves and hardened valve seats. Have new crank, thrusts, pistons, rings, cam/main/rod bearings, new SW5-10 cam, new timing gears/duplex chains, new oil pump, etc. etc. to build a reliable 1293 with a bit more grunt to climb our mountains. Have top hat primary bushes & crank seal. Tranny will get rebuilt with likely 3.2 FD and pot joint outputs (I have had spare drive shafts). I have Metro intake for HIF 44 (off my former sedan) just need medium bore LCB & RC40 exhaust.

Interior will get upholstery repair on driver's seat and I'm getting some paint match for touch ups of the original paint. Otherwise, will look the same & go better.

Rick

_________________
Select a gear, bring up the revs and release the clutch...off you go!

Oh, I had to get a new battery...Minisport in Adelaide installed and sold me a 260 CCA unit "Suitable for Older Vehicles" that could not cope with occasional use post 2011, but more importantly the 60 day trip across the Pacific and a month of sitting here in cooler weather.

Alternator was charging OK. Installed a sealed 500 CCA battery and solution in hand.

Frankly, I was surprised at the attitude at Minisport. There we were after driving most of the way around Australia, had booked a service appointment for LOF, 2 new tyres and please look at the battery/charging system. I was NOT allowed to look at my own vehicle up on the hoist (I was the b...er driving the dang thing) and told to come back later. As for the battery, well I had no input...just accept what we have done for you sir...you poor sod. Impressed? Uh, no!

Maybe if I had been a regular the situation would have been different....

_________________
Select a gear, bring up the revs and release the clutch...off you go!

Had dinner tonight with the Co-driver, it was his birthday...no, but maybe the date on which the 1st Mini was completed...and I cooked dinner!

Trip across Canada will be direct to Sault Ste. Marie and south through Michigan to the Sports Car Course at Mid-Ohio. Trip west after Mini Meet East Meets West will be a voyage of discovery. My Co-driver is keen to see Iowa, South Dakota and on into Wyoming. We'll head for Yellowstone National Park and its 6-7,000 foot elevation circle tour...they had an earthquake yesterday and Bison were wandering about Mammoth!

_________________
Select a gear, bring up the revs and release the clutch...off you go!

I wouldn't even buy a 260CCA battery. Maybe for my motorbike? I'm currently using a 520CCA battery in the mini - a 520CCA battery won't cost twice as much as a 260CCA, and it will last at least twice as long. I got 13 years and 370,000km out of my last one.

I know that OH&S issues are important today....BUT

any repairer who puts up the screens IMMEDIATLY rings warning bells with me....

Don't sound like you have been treated well...at all

PS Maybe if I had been a regular the situation would have been different....I DOUBT IT!

_________________
"Show me the Mini!"

On ya Rick!
Get into those suspension mods....I know your doing it for a reason....like you want to drive the car, not a period resto that sits in the garage and comes out to play every now and then. Adjustable suspension goes a long way to an old car that's not exactly as straight as it came out of the factory. At least you'll be able to drive in a straight line without "crabbing" down the road.

260 CCA battery, who are they kidding? I wouldn't put anything less than 500 CCA into a mini, or any other car! Doesn't matter what state of "standard" or tuned the engine was.
I have to agree with 9YaTaH, if your not allowed to view view your own car on the hoist, asking politely first of course, there's something wrong! When ever any of my cars are on a hoist & not just minis, I ask if it's possible to have a look. As I don't have a hoist at home, I can get a better look all the underside of the car that's a pain in the arse to check out on a trolley jack! I understand OHS issues....but lets be reasonable here, the mechanic isn't going to get under your car if it's not safe up on the hoist is he! We're only talking about a quick once over, not half an hour getting in the mechanics way are we.

Congrats on shipping ROO over to Canada Rick.....all I can say is you Love your mini.

Cheers Shane

I wish I had my first mini still...a windowless 74 leyland van!

_________________
If it's not a Cooper S, the mini was designed to be modified!

The opposite of the Adelaide experience was the Ipswich one after our terrific Tasmania trip with the Kornbrekkes, Austins & Goulds.

I had to get a simple service done as well as adding anti-freeze and power washing the Mini to remove soil & plant material before shipping to Canada. So I alerted Ken and commented that I thought the QH joints on the drive shafts also needed "snugging up". I had been consciously "driving around" a little bit of play in the drive train.

Well on getting the Mini to Ipswich and up on the hoist, I was immediately underneath and had the output and long side drive shaft in my hands...clunk, clunk...at which Ken said he had chuckled about my email note. The QHs were done and new joints went in.

Moving on...I'll try and get up some photos of our wanderings in June & July...and maybe a shot of two Bold as Brass OZ Mini Window Vans side by side at the Vancouver All British Field Meet at Vandusen Gardens on May 17th...if Mark can get up from Seattle in his Van.

_________________
Select a gear, bring up the revs and release the clutch...off you go!

SORRY TO HEAR of your experience ,I lived in Adelaide for a year or so and had the same attitude with that same business ,I never went back after living in Melbourne for most of my life I guess I had been spoilt by a great mini business LINK AUTOMOTIVE . Attention to detail is everything to me and link never let me down .

_________________
78 1275 LS HI-HO SILVER
78 1275 LS NUGGET GOLD
77 998 LS IRIDIUM GREEN
75 1098 S YELLOW DEVIL
82 1275 MOKE CALIFORNIAN HIGHWAY YELLOW
78 1275 LS NUGGET GOLD (IN PIECES)
76 998 SS NUTMEG
78 1310 VAN BLUE
70 AUSTIN 1800 SUGAR CANE
2015 HSV MALOO

It was never my intent to beat up on anybody...however basic attitude and customer disregard are fundamental flaws. I had no complaint about the tyre prices & mounting or the oil/filter/lube service & cost...it was the rebuffing of my expressed interest in seeing the Mini on the hoist...compounded by the pretend auto battery that I had to replace last month that led to my comment.

Here in British Columbia we are fortunate to have the few available supplier businesses interested in their clients. There really are no service businesses, but the suppliers are supportive. So those of us who soldier on do so because we have mastered most of the principle service related items, buy twice the anticipated quantity required (to have stock on hand), have engine stands and hoists and a little patience.

_________________
Select a gear, bring up the revs and release the clutch...off you go!