Lemmy(all classic Minis have names), started life as a white 998cc automatic. He had done 70,000 miles by the time I bought him a few years ago and he’d got quite tired, very little rust but the interior was rotten and paintwork was dull and covered in burn marks from nearby welding. BUT, what a bargain for £350!
A 998cc engine mated to an automatic gearbox is never going to break land speed records but he was still fun to drive - you just needed to keep the momentum and not slow down for bends...
The tiny 10” wheels meant handling was amazing.
I wet-flatted the thick 1970’s paint and polished it back to a respectable finish, and I completely gutted the interior ready for new seats, doorcards, carpet, steering wheel, and eventually, dashboard.
A 998cc engine mated to an automatic gearbox is never going to break land speed records but he was still fun to drive - you just needed to keep the momentum and not slow down for bends... The tiny 10” wheels meant handling was amazing.
I wet-flatted the thick 1970’s paint and polished it back to a respectable finish, and I completely gutted the interior ready for new seats, doorcards, carpet, steering wheel, and eventually, dashboard. To finish the exterior I added black Cooper bonnet stripes and an Ace Of Spades roof decal - He’s named after Lemmy Kilminster, lead singer of Motorhead who are famous for “The Ace Of Spades”.
Lemmy ran perfectly for a while until he developed a misfire. Turned out he hadn’t been converted to run on unleaded petrol so he burnt out a valve. I found an excellent and cheap 998cc Cooper cylinder head and replaced the original plus new valves. This spruced things up for a while but when the Auto box started playing up there was not going to be such a cheap fix...
I bought a 1275cc engine and manual gearbox from a 1985 Metro for £200. With the addition of spacers fitted to the front subframe, the engine swapped over easily. I sourced a bigger carb, alternator, big bore exhaust, manifolds, clutch cylinders, pedals and gear selector all from eBay or Mini Owner internet forums and for very little money. In two months, I had fitted the new engine, converted to manual, and replaced the front bodywork with a fibreglass one-piece removable front.
The fact that I had previously very limited experience with car mechanics is pure testament to how easy the classic mini is to work on.
Replacing the front bodywork meant a paint-job was now required, but this was meant to be a low cost project so £2000 for a professional job was out of the question. Instead, I spent £80 on a tin of Nato Green Military paint and two rattle cans of matt black and did it myself. Those to who I explained my intentions, told me I was mad and that it would look rubbish. I thought I could get away with it, and I’ve got to say, I’m very pleased with the end result...
I got a bargain on some brand new Cobra Monaco seats from Bobby at work, and I finished Lemmy’s current look by making an aluminium dashboard from scratch.
Lemmy is now a very lively little car and really does turn heads. Aceleration is surprisingly good, especially as I’ve kept the 10” wheels rather than upgrading to 12 or 13”, and he still handles like a go-kart.
So what’s next? Well maybe an upgrade to brake discs instead of the drums. Apart from that he’s pretty much how I want to keep him.