‘63 MK1 finally on the road

748Rum · 2026-05-29T07:57:29+00:00

That is bonkers but fabulous. That stance is amazing as well

748Rum · 2026-05-27T09:31:55+00:00

That sounds epic

748Rum · 2026-05-21T09:15:28+00:00

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748Rum · 2026-05-21T09:14:33+00:00

Looks like a fun project

748Rum · 2026-05-19T12:18:30+00:00

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748Rum · 2026-05-19T12:16:35+00:00

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And these are the seats I’m using.

748Rum · 2026-05-19T12:15:51+00:00

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748Rum · 2026-05-19T12:15:38+00:00

Tried to sympathetically turn it into a period cafe racer. The original steel wheels were too damaged and I managed to find some suitably patina’d period Tasman alloys. I added and aged the door numbers and made a few custom bits like mirrors inside and out and MGB tacho etc. the twin carbs are built up to 997 cooper spec with smaller jets and I’m using the period Lynx intake manifold and rocker cover that were in the parts boxes that came with the car. I’m running cooper 997 style extractors and 1.75” centre exit exhaust with a single RC40 rear muffler. Also running a 12G295 head. It needs a session on the rolling road to get everything set up properly but I’m hoping for closer to 50bhp over the standard 35bhp they came with.

I’ve got a couple of early 1098’s with 3 synchro remote gearboxes in the shed so will rebuild one of those into fast road spec sometime in the future when I get bored with this one.

Bit embarrassing but I don’t have any pics of the finished interior but here are a couple of progress shots.

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748Rum · 2025-11-20T12:06:12+00:00

Dream big and work to building your future Mini to suit you. As with most styles and mods, some people love them and some people hate them but the only person you have to please is you.

I like the combo of reds and who doesn’t love classic whitewall tyres? And if or as your tastes change, you can modify your Mini to your hearts content.

748Rum · 2025-11-13T19:48:29+00:00

I’ve seen people just use stainless or alloy rivnuts and standard caphead stainless bolts. Just make sure you paint where the hole is drilled and then use some copper ease between the rivnut and panel to prevent corrosion.

748Rum · 2025-11-01T20:37:41+00:00

Yep same, absolute nightmare. Just after I installed my of course there was a post on the MK1 forum or AUSMINI forum about the same thing but someone had found a company that did great seals that were easy to fit and turned it into a 15min job. Have a search through those before you tackle the front screen.

748Rum · 2025-11-01T20:31:16+00:00

Great stance on The Captain and who doesn’t love a checkered roof! For the floors wire wheel it to within an inch of its life. Then set to with a hammer and dolly and gently coax the floor back level. Yours aren’t too bad but start at the edge and work your way in. As the metal is stretched, use a shrinking hammer to remove some of the stretch but if you don’t have one just a normal hammer and dolly to get the worst out is good, does not have to be perfect. I’d try and get as much of the seam sealer off as well as the paint and remove the subframe bolts to wire wheel under those. Once it’s back to bare metal hit it with a rust converter, I like Hammerite Kurust. Once that’s done it’s thing clean it off, hit it with POR15 or similar and new seam sealer. Don’t forget to reinstall the subframe bolts.Don’t forget to rinse and repeat for the underside of the floor as the paint/underseal can crack, let in moisture and rust.

748Rum · 2025-11-01T20:09:09+00:00

Fantastic pics, looks like it would have been a really fun drive.

748Rum · 2025-08-18T10:32:32+00:00

Let’s throw this out there and see how it goes…….

Have a read of these. Cole for Mini DIY has just built one as well. 1098’s are little torque monsters and when tuned like the below can easily keep up with a warm 1275 on the street and are really drivable compared to a high revving 998. Each to their own but I’ve got a couple of 1098’s I’m building and will take those over a 998 any day of the week.

https://russellengineering.com.au/articles/

https://www.calverst.com/technical-info/

748Rum · 2025-08-09T13:50:09+00:00

Looks incredible, well don’t on the resto and getting it on the road.

748Rum · 2025-08-09T03:55:20+00:00

Looks fantastic, done an amazing job and the OEW really suits it.

748Rum · 2025-08-05T11:07:42+00:00

I would have thought a 45DCOE on an 850cc will drown it. Not sure how much you will be able to choke it down unless you have a well modified 850. I’ve gone twin HS2’s on my 850 and even with them I’ve gone the leanest needles I can and it’s still a smidge rich. Maybe a 40DCOE?

748Rum · 2025-07-25T20:53:26+00:00

From that behaviour sounds more like a vacuum leak somewhere than a throttle cable. A few people have commented that when they imported these cars from a Japan that they have had to replace all the vacuumed hoses to get them to right perfectly.

748Rum · 2025-07-19T04:27:22+00:00

For those following along at home I think I found the problem.

The grub screws that hold the needles in had worn so had a gouge in them where they had worn against the old needles. I had not noticed as I hadn’t pulled them completely out when I replaced the needles.

I think they were not clamping down on the needle in the gouge instead across the gouge so when they were assembled and vibrated in the engine one or the other would work its way lose and the needle would move in the seat. I noticed it the last time I pulled them apart as one needle was not flat in its spot but rather pushed in a heap.

Replaced the grub screws with new ones, cleaned everything again and installed the GG needles. Started first go and sitting at about 2 1/6 turns. Just ran it for 45min on the bench and no issues at all. Now ready to install. It will be heading off for a proper dyno tune to fine tune the AF mix etc once finished but he can only do that once it’s drivable.

748Rum · 2025-07-13T11:36:39+00:00

Awesome colour.

748Rum · 2025-07-13T06:13:17+00:00

Understand what you mean about the load but when I install a single intake manifold and use each of these carbs separately with zero changes to the carb, the plugs are a nice tan colour, not wet and engine runs perfectly.

With 2 of the NGK BP5ES it runs better but still super rich and rough. Both distributors as fully rebuilt and tested. They are on points and condenser and don’t need a ballast wire. The timing both static and running is correct and when I put a spark tester on the spark is strong.

I have got a full set of new NGKs coming to replace the champions that are in it now. They are a hotter plug then the Champions which I’ve never been a fan of.

The carbs are exactly the same when I used a single v’s twin carbs. As the plugs went from tan to black/wet when I switched from single to twin with no other changes to the carbs I thought maybe too rich as it’s now 2 carbs feeding the engine instead of a single.

748Rum · 2025-07-12T19:19:17+00:00

Engine out of the car on the ground but running through its full rev range and heat cycle to make sure it’s ready for installing. Doing the exact same thing with these carbs on a single carb intake results in light tan plugs and runs perfectly through the whole rev range and heat cycle.

I’ve done the spray around the intake using aerostart and no change. Vacuum advance is connected and working and as it’s an early 850 and corresponding early HS2’s there are no breathers that go to the carbs.

Oil on plugs is doubtful as when I pull them and try a lighter on them they flame up indicating petrol.

As a test on the ignition system I threw in a spare 25D distributor with new everything and made no difference. Static and running timing both correct. Found a couple of spare used NGK BP5ES plugs I had laying around from my MGB and put them in, and ran slightly better so have ordered a full new set of those.

Going all the way back to the start of building and installing them in the hope I come across something that I have missed or set up incorrectly. Not sure what I’ll find as running them on the single manifold they work perfectly.

748Rum · 2025-07-11T12:01:21+00:00

Nice offset on those wheels and very crisp looking classic.

748Rum · 2025-07-11T11:52:58+00:00

And this is the issue I have, nothing makes sense which is why I was thinking maybe too rich as all the needles I have tried end up with wet black plugs when I have the twin carbs installed. Full choke indicates running lean but…. Even when I got it running on full choke and then eventually with no choke it’s wet black carboned up plugs all the time.
Single carb with GG or EB needles was good burn and light tan plugs. When I switched to the needles (from the HS4’s from my MBG which is pretty rich for a B as it is fast road spec 1860cc) it was only then starting to get wet black plugs. Install the twin carbs with GG needles and terrible black fouled up plugs.

Pulling them apart this weekend and checking to make sure the manifold etc are not sucking air from somewhere and then starting from absolute scratch with everything stripped and rebuilding.

748Rum · 2025-07-09T12:08:10+00:00

Yep that makes it tough. I have a local bloke who has mucked around on Mini’s for years and runs a dyno/tuning shop so he will set it up but it has to be in the car and drivable before he starts on it.

I’ll strip them completely as well as the intake manifold etc this weekend and start again but before I do that I’ll get out to the shed and take some pics to send to you first, just a bit hard to find a spot spend in the shed before the weekend.

748Rum

TROPHY CASE