Minis and Imps

[Reeceracer]

Old Imp's don't die - they just go faster...........[ATTACH]23564[/ATTACH]

[Grant Ellwood]

The Mini that.....senior moment - the deaf engine balancer out Kumeu way - Ted Thompson? - grafted a twin cam Ford engine onto the Mini gearbox. I can only vaguely remember it, but, does anyone know anything about that?

Bryan Bate must be haunting this thread (Vuyk Stilleto above), he also ended up with the Mini Ford, I don't think it was a twin cam by that stage though. Seaqnmac will know, his uncle Gordon was the spanner for most of Bryan's cars. Bryan Bate was a really forcefull driver too, got the most out of his machinery. Years before it ended up with Bryan I think Gordon Edwards or someone else (Masterson?)
raced it at Bay Park. Chug Hagitt could give us the history for sure.

[Mini.Mad]

I know a guy in Invercargill that has a Lotus Cortina Twin Cam on a Mini gearbox. He made up his own mould for the top of the gearbox to suit the Ford engine. Car was good for 131mph on the main straight of Teretonga. Needed 1m either side of it during a gearshift due to the torque steer!

[Jac Mac]

[color="#0000CD"]Was talking to Trevor on sunday, he is determined to get back on track with this car, has been busy with looking after some classic stuff among other things lately.[/color]

[Mini.Mad]

Yup was telling us that a wee while ago (built up an engine for my mate's Allegro). Last time I was there the head was off - would be so good to see it on the track again!

[ERC]

Yup was telling us that a wee while ago (built up an engine for my mate's Allegro). Last time I was there the head was off - would be so good to see it on the track again!

Allegro? There was well modified red one that competed at an MGCC Hillclimb a fair few years ago. Off topic a bit - just, but I'd love to know what happened to it.

[seaqnmac27]

Bryan Bate must be haunting this thread (Vuyk Stilleto above), he also ended up with the Mini Ford, I don't think it was a twin cam by that stage though. Seaqnmac will know, his uncle Gordon was the spanner for most of Bryan's cars. Bryan Bate was a really forcefull driver too, got the most out of his machinery. Years before it ended up with Bryan I think Gordon Edwards or someone else (Masterson?)
raced it at Bay Park. Chug Hagitt could give us the history for sure.

Will ask Gordon, his association with Bryan ended about 82/3 when the family moved to Mt Maunganui.

[seaqnmac27]

Bryan Bate must be haunting this thread (Vuyk Stilleto above), he also ended up with the Mini Ford, I don't think it was a twin cam by that stage though. Seaqnmac will know, his uncle Gordon was the spanner for most of Bryan's cars. Bryan Bate was a really forcefull driver too, got the most out of his machinery. Years before it ended up with Bryan I think Gordon Edwards or someone else (Masterson?)
raced it at Bay Park. Chug Hagitt could give us the history for sure.

Reply from Gordon.
The mini had a ford kent cross flow. I believe the crankshaft was turned from a steel Bilit by a guy in Masterton. We mounted it on a mini gear box and had a lot of fun. We towed it around with an escort van x Ron Law. Ron worked with Kerry Grant at Selwyn motors PN. We put a 1600 in the van.

[Graeme Farr]

I had a Ford Mini engine a while back. It had a non-crossflow 1650 Cortina and a UK Gordon Allen crank - but that was a replacement for the original. The old crank came with it and may have been locally made. I got it off Sandy Powell in a Mini - I mentioned this in an earlier post I think. I assumed the engine came from John Moynihans Meridian Mk1 - but didn't know that for sure. There was a green Mini in Palmerston North with a Mini Ford in the early 70's (?) and a Wellington car dealer had a white racing mini with a Mini Ford in it as well. Perhaps they were all the same engine? I think mine was built up by Ted Thompson. It went to a chap with a Mini Dejoux in Auckland.
My one had a Mini box with bits of the Cortina sump joined to the casting with silicone. Looked a bit rough. Sandy said it had 240hp and had a big Rajay turbo on it. It may have won the rallycross championship one year?

[Graeme Farr]

Allegro? There was well modified red one that competed at an MGCC Hillclimb a fair few years ago. Off topic a bit - just, but I'd love to know what happened to it.

There is a red club car Allegro in a friends warehouse in Tawa in Wellington - been there for years. Lives next to a beat up GTA Alfa which raced in the US - some famous car apparently.

[Spgeti]

All Gta's are famous and very valuable cars. They did not make many of them. I know who the car belongs to and I am sure that he would prefer it to remain confidential. Cheers, Bruce

[jdlaw75]

Interesting that you should post that picture with the Zephyr Ute. That was taken by a friend of mine many years ago at, I believe, Levin!

[seaqnmac27]

Interesting that you should post that picture with the Zephyr Ute. That was taken by a friend of mine many years ago at, I believe, Levin!

Yes Jeff, my father, Barrie McBride. There are I believe few of your photos as well. As he did not indicate specifically which one I have been unable to assign credit to you. check out the 4 Barrie McBride threads.

[jdlaw75]

Aha! I didn't recognise your nom-de-plume! Thanks for the heads-up.

[jdlaw75]

Back in the 'old' days, I had a 1960 850 Mini, which become somewhat tired in the engine department. In late 1964, I bought a brand-new 1100 engine (in it's original wooden crate) from the Wanganui BMC dealer, and fitted it to the Mini, with considerable assistance from my brother, Ron Law (he who is mentioned above in relation to his Escort van). With a Cooper cam and exhaust manifold, twin SUs, and a Hamlin and Charles head-job (beautiful workmanship) it was quite a little pocket-rocket. I did several hill-climbs and also circuit sprints at Levin - heaps of fun! It's one major failing was the pathetic, original Mini brakes but, as Ettore Bugatti famously said, I built it to go, not to stop!

[jdlaw75]

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No.7 (with reg.587 324) was taken by me at Ohakea (1962) I believe. It is G.B.A.'Doc' Cowie from Masterton.
I had the pleasure of competing against him (he in his Cooper S), me in my 1100 Mini, at a Levin Circuit Sprint. He had the speed on the straights, but my Mini handled like a roller-skate, so we traded times all day. Great fun!

[Roger Dowding]

This could be the original one that I know the " Ted Thompson " one from Kumeu in Auckland that ran 13 inch wheels on the front and 10 inch on the back, ran at a club meeting using the " small " loop circuit at Pukekohe that was broadcast on TV at the time as a live program so quickfire races, I have a couple of B and W photo's of the car [ which I know, I must now find] about 1969/70 I do believe, from other notes, there may have been a few Ford/Mini combinations in Mini's.. great

[Kwaussie]

Would this fit NZ rules and if so where ? Thanks for your help. http://www.my105.com/listingdetails.aspx?id=13387&latest=1

[SteveG]

This is my 64' 1071cc Cooper S. Black and white photos are when Donn Anderson owned it in 65/66 and Color photo is it now. Restoration nearly complete.

[SteveG]

The car now. Restoration nearly finished. Owned by Donn Anderson in 65/66 then Peter Sharp. Just trying to look into history. Richard Pugh owned from 67-69 and raced it around the country. He painted it all white with sponsors on and then all red before selling to Barbara Lang who used to take it to the port road drags and it did quite well clocking 114mph over qtr mile. I'd be interested if anyone has photos. I'm told it was in a support race for 68 Puke Grand Prix and 68 Levin Grand Prix among others. Driver then would have been Richard Pugh. Richard fitted a 1275 S motor in 67'. The car is now back to the original 1071cc.