well the first 848s in Ol Blighty (UK) were sold as Morris Mini-Minor... BMC kinda thought the name was just a bit pissy for the land of the big foldens and hords.. hence.. Morris 850..

But yeh, i guss that doesnt answer the question of where it crept into the australian psyche...

BTW, by the late sixties many cars coming from factory had PBR plastic mast. cylinders. When dad bought his K (new in 1971 mind you) both brake and clutch were PBR. My K however, 2 yrs earlier has double steel lockheeds... Yet ive seen some cars 67 on with either arrangement or one of both :S

Id like to know what grass they were smoking at BMC's Enfield plant... Whatever it was its probabaly rusted away by now anyway...

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The very last 850s built here (had windups too) for the `gummint', around `67, were badged as `Morris Mini Minors'.

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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.

or EVEN WORSE....... this is the one I hate...

You're telling someone about your new toy, and say "..its a mini..."

They reply with "WOW!!"

You say "Yeah, theyre cool.... I've liked em since i was little"

They say "No way - how can you afford a BMW anyway???"

Then you spend the next 10 minutes explaining how the REAL minis were made in the 60's/70's/80's, and the new Binis are not actually minis, etc etc....


OR when you mention your mini, and someone else says:

"OOH, 'so-and-so' has a mini cooper, i went for a ride and it was cool..."

And you ask "...does it have sliding windows or wind-up??"

And they say "na they were electric... whadda ya mean 'sliding'???"

Then you spend the next 10 minutes explaining how the REAL minis were made in the 60's/70's/80's, and the new Binis are not actually minis, etc etc.... AGAIN

EVERY FUGGEN TIME!!!!!

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

And you say you've got a Mini, and they say `ooh, do you know they're making them again now!'..............

And you spend the next 10 minutes explaining, "errr NO, actually.."

Hence my window sticker "Real Mini! No BMW parts inside"

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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.

Oh man the amount of times I get that too!!!

Them: "I like them new Minis"
You: "You mean Bini?"
Them: "No the Minis that BMW Make"
You: [after 10 mins of explanation] "... and that is why they are not Minis at all, a toyota Echo is smaller! They should be called Maxi"
Them: "But I do like riding in so and so's mini"
You: [Getting angry] "You mean Bini?!?!"



Or

"Wow you have a mini?"
"Yes"
"Is it a Cooper S with the supercharger?"

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

haha doc i can so sympathise with that.

"Do you like the new ones"
"The new ones are kinda cute!"
Umm,.... No not really?!

and my ABSOLUTE favourites..

"how does the new one compare to the old ones"
or
"did they use many parts from the old one?"

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consider this .... that mini for $34,000 has had 7 grand lopped off the price... it was up on ebay a few weeks back for $41,000!!!!!! It's a genuine bargain now!!!!

Actually the first Minis in the UK were solda as Austin 7 and Morris 850. They never sold the Austin badged models here, and the early Aussie assembled ones continued the Morris 850 badging. The Mini Minor tag was dreamed up by the media in reference to the Morris Minor also desigend by Issigonis. Eventually the marketing people had to give in and put the Morris Mini Minor badge on the boot.

I know. I've got a Mini Minor The body prefix is YMA2S3, which you would think is a deluxe. But it was sold from 1966 (the year of mine) until the Mini K came out i think. It was the base model with 850 engine, magic wand gearshift, starter button on the floor, and everything else was optional, including heater, seatbelts etc.

The website is under construction, so i'll make sure there is a close up photo of the boot badge so everyone knows such a thing existed

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the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page
66 Mini Minor sponsored by http://www.lifeonthehedge.com.au/ The Dog Harness Specialists
It was a pleasure ausmini. I'll miss all you misfits and reprobates

yeah mick that makes sense..

cos when the K came out there was the "1100 standard" for about $110 less which carried on the 850's mediocrity.... 1100 10Yj engine without hydro or cooper s dash and with pudding stirrer..

speaking of which.. anyone got an 1100 standard? seem pretty unpopular...

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poeee's got a 1100 in his van with a pudding stirrer

where as i have an 1100 with a remote change. i too have driven a pudding stirrer.

Every car back in the hey day was massive, that's how they made em. They're motto was, "if it weighs more than 2 ton its safe " (hence the valiant.) Then some pot smokers came out with a "little tiny car" and called it a mini. Then they got themselves some harder pills and decided to put an 850 in the mini. THEN, they managed to make the pills stronger, and they made the panelvan. THEN their found the needle, and made the ute! THEN after getting drunk and combining all their drugs, they dropped an A+ series 1275 worked off it's little red titties and dropped it into the sedan they called a "cooper s".

And that's how the mini came along

i didnt know alex was a drug user
but the guys at BMW... isnt that obvious

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

Hahahaha

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K