Hi there,

Does anyone know if there are any 1959 minis here Australia.


Cheers

The article in the first issue of "The mini Experience" about Australia's oldest mini is about a car built in February 1960.

http://www.miniexperience.com.au/fileadmin/filemount/mag/01_issue/p18-25%20The%20Old%20Nail.pdf

There may be older cars brought in since that article was written, but I don't know of any. There are definitely some '59s in NZ, but they started importing them immediately, whereas BMC Australia delayed until they could be built here.

Tim

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1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian

Ivan Glasby from mini spares and repairs @ Castle Hill Sydney has a 1959 850.

It's running but not restored, and he is bringing it to the zetland gathering as far as i know.

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You're so square
Baby I don't care

Hi Adam,

I am asking on Ivan's behalf if there are any others besides his.

Cheers.

Damn, I thought i had a nice snippet of unkown information to share

_________________
You're so square
Baby I don't care

I'll ask Bill Bell if there are any other Aussies on the '59 register in the UK.

Tim

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1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian

I thought i remember a story Watto did about 3 demonstrators that were bought over for testing purposes. I thought these were 59 models.

Nope just went and checked they were 60 models and about 6 of them were bought over. (from a quick squiz)

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Thankyou Tim

Ivan would appreciate that very much.

Is Ivan aware that there is a register of 59 cars?

If he was wanting info to restore it, everything he needs to know i reckon he would find here:

http://www.1959miniregister.com/


Brenton

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Hi Brenton,

Yes Ivan does know, his car is on the register.
He is just curios to know of any others in Aus that may not be on the register.

Cheers.

Bill Bell tells me that the 1959 Mini Register has only Ivan listed from Australia. I would expect most '59 owners out here to know what they've got and to register, so fairly likely he's the only one.

I'd love to see his car one day, but won't be able to get to Zetland.

Tim

_________________
1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian

I will make sure to take lots of photos of it, he said its quite different to the 60' model.

He mentioned something about the sills being inverted? So the car filled with water instead of it draining out

And lots of other small things, sounds terribly interesting!

_________________
You're so square
Baby I don't care

I think the story goes that they overlapped the floor and firewall panels so that the floor panel was on the outside, so any water running down the firewall would go through the joint. Once they realised they started doing them the other way

I'm keen to see it too, but won't get to Zetland, will it be at Wakefield?

The sills are different too, on the early cars. They aren't as complex and are really just the edges of the floor bent up with an inner sill spot weled inside.

My January '61 Traveller still has them like that, as well as the dodgy seams where the firewall meets the floor.

The other big difference on the bodies of the '59s is that the recess around the front and rear windscreens is missing, the panels are just flat around the window openings.

Its all pictured on the '59 register website.
http://www.1959miniregister.com/the-1959-mini/bodywork-changes/

Tim

_________________
1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian

I dont believe Ivan is going to wakefield no, that's tomorrow and sunday isnt it?

He's currently putting together his old race mini from the 60s, trying to get that done for zetland too, so i doubt he's going to wakefield, let alone taking the 850 sorry

But i will take lots of photos!

_________________
You're so square
Baby I don't care