We pull out early Friday morning to cross Canada. Headed for the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Road Course at Lexington, Ohio where the 55th Anniversary Can Am Classic Mini Challenge Races will be held June 27-29. More than 50 Classic Mini race cars will take to the grids...everything from F Production to GT5/GTLite, including a newly built sprint special...stay tuned.

Then we will see the Brickyard before swinging around Chicago (doing a day trip into the Windy City by bus) before going on to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the continental Mini Meet East Meets West.

After Mini Meet - where we invite Mini owners in Western North America to come to British Columbia for Mini Meet West 2015 in our Fraser Valley - the trip will cross Iowa, South Dakota & Wyoming, turning northward in Montana for the 'Going to the Sun' road to cross the Rocky Mountains and our last days on the road to home.

Will get some photos up on this thread as we go!

Preparation for ROO included rebuilt suspension with new springs, new knuckles, new Hi-Los at rear, new studs & S drums (& hub repacks), new adjustable lower arms, new wiggly pins, tie-rods & bushings at front, new steering track rod ends, new heater take-off, new clutch master, pipe & lever/pins etc.

Interesting...when the Koni Sport dampers came off one was at maximum stiffness the other at just one turn???? Both reset at 1 1/2 turns from soft to stiff. Seems good at that.

Not enough time to complete the 1293 & tranny rebuild with pot joints, so the trusty 1098 will have to do some climbing to get across our mountains to the flat bit east of the Rocky Mountains.

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

Some good prep there mate, hope the journey is without mishap.
Need anyone to carry your bags ?

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'98 Mpi Sportspack + 7 port alloy head

I'm sure the venerable 1098 will make it Rick, they are the next best thing to a 1275 for climbing hills/mountains.
Have a great trip!

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Got started Friday a.m. and quickly appreciated that we were heavy - truck scales at Hunter Creek said 1,040 kgs/2,288 lbs. (reading may have been high but still heavy). Adjusted rear height but still issues at left rear. Will pull trumpet this a.m. and see if new knuckle has broken...or just crap rubber doughnuts from Asia.

Climbed over Allison Pass, Sunday Summit, Anarchist, Bonanza Pass/Paulsen Suimmit with the 1098 working hard. Opted to overnight in Nelson B.C. and take Kootenay Lake Ferry to bypass the higher Kootenay Pass on Salmo-Creston Skyway.

One hiccup the first morning...ROO died on a sharp uphill lefthander early on the Hope-Princeton leg of the Crowsnest Hwy. Dead...had fuel, had spark...must have been some old lacquer blocking the jet. Turned back downhill and the engine "cleared its throat" after misfiring, bucking a bit on the way down. So, stopped, asked "What could go wrong?" and started to climb again.

Got the 6:30 a.m. ferry at Balfour for Kootenay Bay yesterday...and headed for Creston, Cranbrook, Fernie, Sparwood and the Crowsnest Pass. Cleared the Rocky Mountains and crossed Alberta - Pincher Creek, Fort McLeod, Lethbridge to Medicine Hat.

Crossing Saskatchewan today, hoping to get to Brandon or maybe Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.

Taking an All Canadian route east - All USA route west.

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

Awesome news! And perhaps my favourite Mini picture of all time time.

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1998 Rover Mk VII
2001 Honda CBR 929RR (street)
2014 BMW S1000RR (track)

Great stuff rick!!
Can't wait to see more photos.
Glad to see a Minifest Tasmania Hat getting about so far from Tassie!

Cheers, Rhys

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2000 Holden Rodeo TD - The Daily
1998 JDM Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V -The Weekender
1977 Leyland Mini 998cc, 1293cc in the works - The project
1977 Leyland Mini Van - Sold
1966 Morris Mini Deluxe - Sold
2004 MINI Cooper S Chilli - Sold

A roof rack on ROO would be handy.

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

More photos to come after we get to Lexington - Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Crossed from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario to Michigan last night and holed up in Mackinaw City. Off shortly south through Michigan to Ohio.

We have had a few adventures and had to adjust ROO's rear ride height for a 2nd time.

Otherwise, the 1098 has hauled us along without issue...though losing steam on the uphill. No oil loss (consumption or leaks).

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