1968 Austin Mini Cooper

For sale by auction on Saturday 29 August 2015 with Historics at Brooklands. Brooklands Motor Racing Circuit. Weybridge. Surrey. Call 01753 639170
Designed by Alex Issigonis in 1959. a new concept in car design
was born. With a monocoque shell. transversely mounted engine
and front wheel drive. the new 'Mini'. as it was commonly known. br/>soon became popular across a broad spectrum of the
population. The potential for competition use was soon
realised by John Cooper and. although Alex Issigonis was less keen. br/>BMC were finally persuaded and worked together with John Cooper
culminating in the birth of the Austin Mini Cooper and the Morris
Mini Cooper in 1961. Victories in the 1964. 1965 and 1967 Monte
Carlo Rallies set the Mini on the road to fame but probably the
greatest publicity was gained from their (somewhat unfair)
disqualification for lighting irregularities in the 1966 event
after coming in 1st. 2nd and 3rd.

This 1968 Mk II Cooper has been considerably well cared for
throughout the last decade; starting with a previous owner who
raced historic Minis and bought UAB847F to prepare and compete in
historic rallies. The works undertaken at that stage involved a
full restoration of the shell including A panel wings. front end
panels. complete floor and sills. To the interior upgrades included
laminated heated 'works' rally front windscreen. GP2 arches. br/>fibreglass bonnet. works dash. 100mph speedo. internal battery cut
off. a full roll cage with welded. strengthened plates and new
carpets. Further to this extensive list the owner added new or
refurbished suspension. fully adjustable front/rear camber and
tracking. up-rated shocks and refurbished sub frame. front Cooper S
7 ½ discs with rear minifins. quick steering rack. S-type track rod
ends and a rear mounted Lucas lamp.

After this significant and no expense spared build. the former
owner had a change of heart and. before he went about changing the
car to a 1275cc engine rally monster. decided to part with the car
which then ended up in the hands of yet another enthusiast who
decided to keep this as an original 998cc engined Cooper and create
a road going car that would still be competitive in the Historic
Race/Rally scene. Upon purchase. he set about rebuilding the 998 cc
engine with the engineering work carried out by Thurstones which
included a resleeve back to standard bore. checking and polishing
the crank. balancing crank assembly. end to end balance pistons and
rods. cutting new valve seats and fitting new guides. dummy
building engine to measure deck height before then machining head
for desired competition ratio.

The engine build was carried out by the owner and specified to
provide a little more power but. more importantly. a reliable small
bore engine capable of keeping up with modern traffic while still
being smooth and driveable at low revs. The cylinder head was
ported to Stage 2/3 with new valves/springs and a lightweight
flywheel. Megadyne 266 cam. new pistons. bearings. clutch. oil pump
and water pump installed with twin Su's fully stripped. sonic
cleaned. then rebuilt. A new exhaust system from the manifold back. br/>double core radiator. new starter motor and alternator were
completed while a full quick shift gearbox rebuild by Essex
transmissions and a central oil pick up were also fitted at that
point.

After completion and a new MoT certificate. the services of Peter
Baldwin at Wilshire's Garages were called upon to set up the car.
Whilst the engine was not built with 'power' at the forefront of
the build. the car showed 67 bhp at the wheels. and Peter suggested
that a re-run after some more miles would show 1 or 2 more.
Immediately after that came a geometry set up at Regency Autos in
Cambridge. where it was found that the front end had been losing a
further 1 or 2 hp through the tyres resulting in a perfectly
'planted' car that can be driven either in a spirited manner when
the roads allow or if necessary. at a crawl in slow traffic.
And with the full roll cage able to be fitted in a matter of
moments. you could even try your hand at historic race or
rallying.

Offered with a valid MoT test certificate. Heritage certificate
and an impressive history file. this well restored and hugely
enjoyable Mini is certainly one to have and. with prices for early
Coopers on the rise. also one to hold.



Also published at eBay.co.uk

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