G'day all,

Chris from Sydney signing in. Miniless at present, but hoping to fix that soon.

My FIRST car was 1970 Cooper S! Learned to drive in it, even though had no fluid in suspension( handled well but wondered why I kept shearing off wheel bolts!), had 1" accelerator pedal travel so was hard to hill start (didn't know just needed new spring!), Had leaking right fuel tank which I replaced myself (wondered why it smelt of petrol so much and why I never got blown up!)

Starter motor was broken, so used to park on hill above a driveway so could clutch start - on the flat could push start and jump in!

My Baby (BBY755) finally died when the big end bearing went, so Dad sold it to the mechanic at the Esso petrol station next door who plundered it and put the engine and most bits into his Mini van.......

Yes, this was a long time ago......

Keeping an eye out for a replacement......

Don't feel too bad BBY, many a story like that on this forum.

Hope you get the S experience back real soon. Plenty of ausmini expertise here at your fingertips.

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1967 Cooper S - new front bearings to do.
1965 Cooper S shell - Slow progress. No time or money!
1966 Deluxe- next rustoration!
Mk 2 & XJ6 Jags. Less said the better.

G'day Chris, good luck in the hunt and welcome home!

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Flute - 68 MK I Cooper S
Member: VMCI #2474
Member: International Mini Model Collectors Club

Welcome. Many of us committed similar sins in the past which we wouldn't think of doing now.

In 1970 many Mini Cooper S owners I knew wanted to convert to the new clubman tail lights and dashboard. Add bonded in wheel flares, roof aerials, different badges, painted on windscreen top strips, rear wipers and so on. It was called customising or personalising your S. I even cut the front of my '67 Mk1 and used a fibreglass flip front for a while.

The thing is these cars just seemed so prolific then, nobody really worried about them becoming extinct. How times change!

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Slide
1965 Mini Van (1360)
1970 Mk2 Cooper S (1310)
1978 Rover SD1 V8 (4.6)
1996 Land Rover Discovery V8 (4.0)

Thanks all for your warm welcome.......

Look forward to sharing my new Mini experiences and learning from all the people who have done it before!

Yes I have a mini ss that someone thought would look good cut down to a convertible (one of 500 built), they couldnt have used a plentiful clubby. Now my 78 clubby has had more owners than Susan Sangster!

I am hoping to get it right this time with my newly acquired 1965 Mk1 Cooper S

Let us know when you find yours!

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1975 Mini SS converted to a Mini Miami
1978 Clubman S
1965 Mk1 Cooper S
2005 BMW 318i (Well at least its a real BMW)
"Dont take life to seriously, you may never get out!"

Thanks for that - will let everyone know for sure!

Looking at a couple.....a Mk2 and a Mk1.......

One is in the area, so possible to get it checked out by an expert (been years since I had mine - it was a genuine one for sure - with extractors and hot dog as only extras), but other is miles away - and is a MK1 so hard to get checked out..........

ummmmmm........

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Cooper S Mk2
Cooper S Mk1
ex Cooper S Mk2, various Morris 1100s, 1300s, 1500s, Leyland Sherpa!