Maybe a crazy idea...but I do know what to make the capsule out of and would like to have it organized for the 50th.
Question One: What Mini related items would you put in it?

Question Two: Where in Australia would be best to "plant" it?(ie Zetland)

Question Three: When to dig up? ie next 50years or 100years

Thanks.

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Anything mini will probably rust away in 10 years!
I'd say maybe some mags, pics of minis, GT centre wheel caps(imagine what they would be worth in 50 years!)

Ask Watto really really nicely and see if he can give you a cd of "the mini experience" at the right price to put in it , it'll last better than paper in case it leaks or anything (worst case scenario , if it leaks there will still be something there) .

Maybe a cd with a copy of the ausmini backup so they can see what we were doing to mini's now (like we troll through 60's magazines) ?

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might not use cd's in 50 years, might be like a cassette tape these days.

Good point , my brother in law is a programmer at the Mt Stromlo observatory , they have a room full of some old results on a type of computer tape that hasn't been used for 40 odd years . Nothing is availible that can read it so they are looking at having something made that can

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its a bit late to make a mini time capsule, unless you mean digging one up or making a bini one?

Yes it does make you think a bit harder about what type of recorded information you would place in it.
I've got some of my old Cooper S bonnet and boot badges.They would last another 50years.And what about the Mini dinky cars,they would be okay.

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CDs or more or less any media is pretty marginal for long term storage. I know we think they're indestructible, but printed media stored well has a better chance - even if it degrades a little it will still be readable. If digital media gets corrupted, there's a good chance nothing will be able to be extracted easily.

Having said that, videos are going to be the most entertaining, so cover yourself by putting the videos on at least two different types of media. I'm picking DVD and a memory stick like a 8GB USB stick, as generic as possible.

You want to put in something indicating the price of fuel because that's the thing that is most likely to change radically in 50 or 100 years.

How about a litre of oil(crude) and some of the lucas wiring gas?

Hooroo

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Rob Forsyth
Miniot!!

Actually , I don't know if it's possible but how about a sealed sample of regular unleaded fuel (100ml or so) along with the price , might be of interest to someone to see the makeup of it and also why it was so important .....

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agreed.... well the cd might not work, but perhaps a usb drive? in the shape of a mini some cooper 's' wingnuts.... hahahahaha this thing is gonna make people millions in 50years time! (hopefully ill be the one digging it up )

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Here am I sitting in my tin can far above the Moon
Planet Earth is blue and there's nothing I can do...



“A turbo: exhaust gasses go into the turbocharger and spin it, witchcraft happens and you go faster.” - Jeremy Clarkson

And a copy of the documentary "Mad Max 2"...

I got three gt center caps im happy to donate

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Petrol in the time capsule? We want the stuff to be there in 50 years, not on fire!

Provided the storage is air and water tight, you can put anything in and it should last.
In America, they've dug up land fill from the 50s, and they discovered that rubbish only de-composes when exposed to the elements. The rate they compact landfill means everything under the surface actually lasts. I mean, newspapers are not only in one piece, but still perfectly readable.

Digital storage media won't be a problem, there will always be a market for devices being able to read ye olde cd thingamajiggies, or dvds, usb, etc.

Still, maybe a flip book of the videos will suffice. Im sure that yellow khana mini will somehow end up in there.

They also buried a Plymouth Belvedere in 1957, but apparently miscalculated on the air and water tight ratios, with amusing results

http://telstarlogistics.typepad.com/telstarlogistics/2007/06/well_now_its_of.html