Come on Eileen

[Colin]

My Mini now has a name - Eileen. The thread title is in anticipation of trying to coax an 850 up some of the monster hills around here, while having to carry her over-weight owner. I'm not going to post any pics in this first post, I'm just going to explain the recent history of the car.

I first heard of her existence about ten years ago while I was down the coast visiting a friend, and I got a phone call from a good friend (who I worked with at the time). He had been offered an old mini that didn't need too much work to get through the RWC and he wanted something small and cheap to drive around town in, saving his Audi for longer trips. Without really knowing what old Minis sold for, but knowing that a Mk1 was worth owning, I advised him to buy it, and he did. He spent a little money on it, and did some fiddling, but not too much, and before he could get it on the road, he was transferred to Gauteng, and didn't have space up there to store it. I offered to store it out on the farm I was staying on at the time, and he offered to sell it to me at the price he paid for it, and I could pay him whenever I had the cash, so I took it. I sorted the brakes out and drove her on the farm a few times, but didn't have the cash to spend on any fixing up or even the RWC, so she mostly stood on the verandah.

I re-married, and moved with her to Hilton, and there she stood outside under a car cover, which was not a good thing - the cover trapped the moisture in (and there is a lot of moisture in Hilton) and some rust damage occurred, mainly the boot and under the rear bumper. When I moved her after the divorce, I couldn't get her running, but wasn't stressed - I had no-one nagging me to work on other stuff and I'd have the time to work on her, or so I thought. Actually, she stood out in the garden for three years and I never touched her. Just after the move, I acquired a girlfriend, and spent a lot of time out of town visiting her, and even when I was at home, working on the Mini wasn't at the top of the list of things to be done. The rust got a little worse. When I left that house, a friend who has a panel beating workshop and who specialises in old cars (mostly a lot more valuable than a little Mini) offered to store her in a shed and suggested that instead of him getting his guys to strip her down and rebuild her, that I do it myself both to save money and to allow me to do it myself. I suspect he was hoping I'd be finished by now...

All this time the car wasn't registered in my name, as the registration papers had gone missing somewhere, and it was a bit of a mission to get a new copy. Kiru had kept the license paid for (I did mention that he is a good friend didn't I?), and I repaid him for that, and made contact with someone at the licensing department who helped out a bit with the schlep of getting the papers sorted out. As far as I can tell from the chassis number, she was built in 1961, and she has been registered since 1962. At some stage (exchange rate depending) I will see about a Heritage Certificate, just to see what the original specs were and to decide if I'm going to keep to that or just build a car to look good and to drive and enjoy.

So Dave collected the car and plopped her down in his shed, she was finally in my name and I started stripping her down. The work is very slow - I am slow and don't get there to work nearly as often as I was hoping. There just seems to be so much that take priority, and it is dragging out quite frustratingly. Being a member of the KZN Mini owners and following most of the chat on WhatsApp helps keep my focus on things Mini, and has increased my resolve to keep plodding on and eventually finish this. This forum is also good, not just for knowledge, but the support and motivation it provides. I have now got a donor body to get bits off that might be too badly rusted to repair, and really need to get some concentrated time in and have her stripped and ready for painting by the end of the year. If all goes according to plan, I might possibly have a running Mini by Cars in the Park. But don't put money on that happening.

For the record the chassis number is M-A2S4-132XXX and the engine number is 8AMUH 389XXX, although I never checked to see if the original engine is still in the car.


tl;dr - I have an old car with a name and no social life

[Miniac]

Nice write up Colin, a fair bit of detail given as well

[Jared Mk3]

It's never too late to start. I like the name

[Miniac]

I have to agree, it's a cool name for a classy ol gal.

[Colin]

Thanks guys.

I've been a little unproductive this morning, and spent a few minutes doing a little research.

From here: http://www.miniworld.co.uk/the-scene/new...f-the-mini

1959 – 1967
Production of Morris Mini-Minor
Details: 2 models available: Standard or De Luxe in either Clipper Blue, Cherry Red or Old English White. Super model launched in 1961 but replaced in 1962 with Super De luxe model. Hydrolastic suspension from September 1964. Automatic gearbox available from 1965.
Engine size: 848cc
Original price: £497 (Standard) £537 (De Luxe) £561 (Super De luxe) £606 (De Luxe Automatic)

I don't have a clue whether mine is a Standard, De Luxe or SUper De Luxe, but the colour looks mostly white with a hint of blue in it. I've decided I'm going more blue than white, so that leaves me with Clipper Blue BU-14 (Ditzler 12297)

So far the only picture I've managed to find of a Clipper Blue car is an MG Midget


I suppose I'm going to have to bite the bullet and get a Heritage Certificate and see what she was when new, and then decide.

Edit:- Just found a pic of a Mini in Clipper Blue - it looks nothing like the MG

[Miniac]

In terms of BMC and Leyland colours, take everything with a bucket of salt as you're bound to find around 3 shades of the same colour with the same code, yet none will look identical to the next.

[Sooper]

jeeez, lotsa girlfriends there Col, haha. if you choose to go with this color which is darker than the one you whatsapped me then im gonna go with the other blue.

[Miniac]

I quite like that darker shade of blue that you WhatsApped me of that Cooper racer Trinesh. If it wasn't for me keeping my Cooper as it was raced back in the day, I'd be going for that colour.

[Colin]

I'd prefer a light blue - that Mini is a good few shades darker than the MG, so who knows. I'll probably choose a colour from the paint swatch and just tell everyone it's Clipper Blue

[Jared Mk3]

I'd prefer a light blue

+1 on the light blue.