wgormly wrote:
I was just skimming over the pages on your website.
Northern Mini Parts have really turned this car into something special.
The paint job is something rather different too; such high quality which sure turns heads.
Again, well done to NMP for transforming the car now known as "Mutant Mini"
Story of mutant.
My mini was started two years ago after MINISHOW 2002. A Grade Panels were commissioned to do the paintwork and did so very well indeed.
After the paint came the job of putting everything back together. The then owner of NMP, Henry Draper, was given the job and that is where it stayed until the new owner took over. Most of the car was put back together by David Walker (no longer at NMP) and the wiring was done by John Fitzmaurice (still at NMP).
All of the custom work I chased down myself. I had many things custom made, Nico Shined etc. In fact, I drove David crazy sometimes waiting for bolts etc. to be Nico Shined which sometimes took more than a week . This is why it took so long to complete (2 years in all). There are lots of little bits and pieces along with big bits and pieces which were Nico Shined and this held things up quite a bit. The engine was already quite new and the only thing we did to it was pull off the bits to Nico Shine them and it was sent to A Grade Panels to be painted Purple. Henry modified the exhaust system to fit on a mini and it was one of the Nico Shined pieces.
Interior was done by Straight Line Motor Trimming in Bayswater. The stereo install was Simon (now at Safe N Sound Werribee). Both are in my opinion excellent jobs (but then I guess I'm biassed).
The car left NMP when the now owner took over. It had the minor finishing touches done to it elsewhere and Henry helped with this as well.
In fact mutant was named by Henry Draper.
If you have every noticed there is a Northern Mini Parts sticker on the back of my roof. This was to show my appreciation to Henry for all of his help with mutant, unfortunately he sold the business before the car was actually finished and on the road. While the rebuild was taking place I spent a lot of time at NMP and became friends with most of the then staff. They were a great bunch of guys.
Without Henry's help I would never have been able to complete mutant to this standard. He now installs Thatched Roofing. Quite a change of employment wouldn't you say.
He is very sadly missed in the Mini scene.
Anyway, this is the story in a quick version. Hope you all enjoy reading it.
