Bought an early Mini

I found an Austin Seven from my local club member. He owned it for 10 years and finally had to sell his spare cars. Glad I found it since it was built 8 March 1960. Original California car so very little rust or damage. The original color was Speedwell Blue with gray cloth interior. Even though the blue would be nice, I really like tweed gray and the car is registered as a '62 in California so it isn't too far a fetch for the colors. I want it tweed gray on the body with an OEW roof. The interior will be red. I have some Japanese Rose petal wheels coming for it. The car, as it sits, has a 850 with a 12G206 Cooper head and Cooper fabricated header. Cooper 7 inch discs and twin SU2's.
I plan on putting a 998 with a three synchro trans in it and have the goods to convert the remote trans to a magic wand shift to keep that part of the car original.

Very nice find!

Strange looking clutch and brake maste cylinders.

CamelotR wrote:Strange looking clutch and brake maste cylinders.

They do look different than most masters that I have seen. Pity only one of them has the metal lid on it. I plan on doing new ones and keeping the originals for posterity.
I was very pleased to find the car. My local Mini shop had it around for quite a long time and he needed to sell off his spare cars so I jumped at it. He knew it was a very early car due to the flat window surrounds and drain holes in the door jambs. He thought it was a 61 or so, but the heritage certificate puts it at very early 1960 so I was well chuffed at that. The production number is 18017 so it is a low number car for sure. The best thing is that the shell has only very light surface rust and the shell hasn't been cut up or irreversibly modified.

Strange looking clutch and brake maste cylinders.

59 type masters with removable tops to service the seals from the top.

http://www.1959miniregister.com/the-1959-mini/mechanical-changes/

About half way down the page.



http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1959-60s-Mk1-Mini-Clutch-Master-Cylinder-/260627199717?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3cae9776e5

bill773mini wrote:

Strange looking clutch and brake maste cylinders.

59 type masters with removable tops to service the seals from the top.

http://www.1959miniregister.com/the-1959-mini/mechanical-changes/

About half way down the page.

Bill, You sure get around. So what happened to MKI Performance Conversions forum, why did he change it? I had my full thread on the old site now i need to rebuild it again.
Are the old master cylinders able to be rebuilt? If so then I will just refurbish these ones to keep the car with it's original goodies.

bill773mini wrote:

59 type masters with removable tops to service the seals from the top.

I suppose there must have been a good technical reason for discontinuing those, but how much easier would that make life? I have a suspect clutch master on one of my Minis right now; we all know what a pig of a job that is so I've bled it and I'll see how it goes. If I could do the seals from the top like that I'd have done them tonight without thinking twice!

Bill, You sure get around. So what happened to MKI Performance Conversions forum, why did he change it? I had my full thread on the old site now i need to rebuild it again.
Are the old master cylinders able to be rebuilt? If so then I will just refurbish these ones to keep the car with it's original goodies.

Like a bad smell!

Mark moved the forum as it kept disappearing and was unreliable (have to say I didn't find it too bad) so lets hope this new forum is for keeps.

Yes they're not hard to rebuild, the seal kits are still available from most suppliers (or at least they were last year) and they are easy to do.

Look forward to watching the build progress.

I suppose there must have been a good technical reason for discontinuing those

Sadly I suspect it was a financial reason rather than technical. They must have been much more expensive to produce than the later taper topped ones.

Bill

Please desist from posting pictures like that!!!!!


........I'm going to have to buy a new wiring loom now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers

Alan

Sorry!

How about an original 50 year old wiring loom?

do i spot a 59 door

Yes Pat you do, on until mid May 1960.

bit of t cut an she be a minter