1969 South African Austin Mini Mk3

Introducing Puck, my 1969 South African Austin Mini Mk3. I have just found this forum and am pleased that Mk3 owners seem welcome
I have had my car for about 15 years now, having bought it from Laurie Leroy who used to be chairperson of the Mini Owners Club of South Africa. It has had one previous owner who got too old to drive, and the car has 53 000ml on the clock. When I bought it, I had a new steering rack fitted, redid the interior (now non original materials but close as possible to original). The car was resprayed in original cream over grey two tone. Over the years I have had to replace or repair a number of worn out components, most notably the brakes every few years. Recently it needed a new water pump and its had a replacement dynamo a few years ago. The engine remains untouched and original. It took me ages to find some of the correct badges and emblems. Hard to find an untracked steering wheel locally too, years of scratching around Cape Town scarp yards yielded the one now on the car.

I love the originality of the car, it was 576 built out of about 3700, and was first registered in November 1969, two months after the South African launch. It still has its K & M Dymo tape on the inner right rear wing - this was a marking applied at the factory in Blackheath which meant my car was destined for sale through K & M Distributers, the largest Mini Salesroom in Pretoria at the time. The wiper motor is stamped Apr 69, the radiator has its original Silverton South Africa sticker and the rocker cover has a BMC South Africa sticker. Non-original parts include the voltage regulator, I could not source an original one, and the 10 inch Minilites.



I will try add some pics but am having technical difficulties.

KevCT

Welcome to the forum!
Have a look at this and see if it helps with posting photos. https://elf-hornet.forumotion.com/t1153-posting-photos-on-the-forum

Red Riley wrote:Welcome to the forum!
Have a look at this and see if it helps with posting photos. https://elf-hornet.forumotion.com/t1153-posting-photos-on-the-forum

Thanks - getting the hang of it.

Just love that first shot with that mountain in the background. Car looks great too! lets have some mor shots like that

Nice looking car you have there

Your car is totally stunning, love the paintwork, just gorgeous.

Coco_ChanElf wrote:Your car is totally stunning, love the paintwork, just gorgeous.

Thanks so much! Coco is extremely cute too. There's something about these little cars that kinda gets in your blood and captures your heart.

KevCT

true! when i seriously started looking at buying a mini, only knew one thing:

i wanted a variant (estate, van, so on)

but the "sedan" one was low on my list, but i saw i nice one and fell in love! and the more i have it, the more i like it.

yours is looking very nice! stange paint job! never need a 2 tone mini before....

I have some pictures from a 1969 Mk3 test by Stuuvwiel magazine that show one in two tone like mine. My car was reprayed about 10 years ago and an attempt was made to match the original colours. The beige is correct but the grey is a shade too light.

The car is now due another respray and I will try again to get it right!

Kev

looks nice like that with the wrap-around two tone going on - best of luck with it