is there an easy way to tie down the wheel in the boot? have they ever been tied down in minis? maybe a long bolt through the centre with a circular piece of steel on top of the wheel?

yep thats been done... factory in some minis even
its a nut and stud that are welded to the bottom of the boot floor
and you do up a nut on the top to hold down
im not sure which hole, maybe the centre maybe one of the little stud holes
if you want the real deal ill have a look this arvo in my "restoring the mini cooper" book

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Inconspicuously Conspicuous
Appreciation without Depreciation
forever chasing clearer skies...

Pfft, four words for you my friend, "two inch duct tape"

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

Early cars had a captive nut in a raised bump in the wheel well. There was a big tee bolt supplied to clamp the wheel down.
Discontinued in the late? 60s, not sure what year.

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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.

Not fitted to my '68 ......
I just got a heavy-ass Contessa and a "Snow Tyre" ..... doesnt move a bit....
J

PS - reminds me, must swap contessa for "S" Offset contessa as spare.... would handle a bit weird with an extra 1" offset on a spare tyre......

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Keep an eye on them S offset ones, they crack... ask 68delux...

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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.

You could always go to the local hardware store, buy a LONG bolt, 3 mudguard washers, a nut and a wingnut to suit....

Mount the bolt from under the boot floor so that it pokes up thru a nut hole on your spare rim. Lock the bolt to the floor with a washer both sides of the floor, the nut inside the boot. The rim then gets held down by the washer and wingnut...

Worked for me when i had a defect removed a couple years back.... (was the only time i carried a spare, cos i HAD to)

This same thing could work for the battery too, with a few mods...

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[NATHAN] -- Sold everything mini related and am back in big beautiful BMWs

As Minis from 1966? on had nothing to hold the spare down, why bother? It can't go anywhere... no room!

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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.

Thanks for all that. I know its not going anywhere but cause my ride is pretty stiff and the roads here are crap it bounces around a bit.
Cheers!

I wonder if you can get "space saver" spares to suit a mini?? Not that i want one, they'd just be funny to see....

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[NATHAN] -- Sold everything mini related and am back in big beautiful BMWs

The new Honda Jazz comes out with a space saver wheel....almost the same stud pattern...........come to think of it, it might be wider than a standard mini

I have got an old 10" kids pushbike....interested???

Minimad

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You can take the boy out of the racer.........but not the racer out of the boy!

I believe the Minis had space saver wheels all round! 3.5" rims, the original ones should really have had a 80km limit sticker on them like the modern space savers

Heh- we used to do 100MPH on those! 5.20x10 cross plies, too...

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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.