Hi,

A while ago I was able to buy an 850 mini that seems was a former rally car so I'm chasing any information about it's history as I really know very little about it.

Here's some photos:







Someone had a sense of humour....


There's been a lot of effort put into preparing it including;

1. Cooper S brakes.
2. Twin Tanks.
3. front subframe reinforced with adjustable castor bars (homemade) and adjustable bottom arms.
4. Sump guard and under body protection.
5. internal battery, wiring and isolator.
6. horn under the passengers seat for some reason?
7. rally dash based around a clubman dash.
8. internally routed fuel and brake lines.
9. Halda trip gauges.
10. Map light.
11. extensive wiring to bring fuses (more than 2!) inside and all switches and gauges.
12. A strange cut underneath the centre of the grill to make it removable it seems for quick engine changes perhaps?
13. Aluminium roll cage (I think, it was the cage there than best lines up with holes in the floor).
14. mounts for Cibies etc.
15. Fibreglass bonnet and boot.
16. Black painted Clubman bumper (rear, front is missing).
17. Other stuff I haven't discovered or can't remember...

I have found this newsletter from North Shore Sporting Car Club requesting information about the car:
http://nsscc.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Wheelspin-Vol-10-April1.pdf(Page 4)

The car was formerly owned my Mike McGee (who some of you probably know) and the above request for information was initiated by him.
I did ring the number mentioned in the newsletter above to see if they got any info and got Mike's wife, tragically Mike was killed racing another mini and his wife wasn't able to tell me much about it and I didn't want to push it given the circumstances...

It's interesting because it must have been built or at least modified after the release of the clubman, it doesn't have an engine and I don't know what engine it had whilst competing.

Any information gratefully received, my plans are to return it to as close to original as possible but at this stage not a super shiny concourse but something more suited to the pragmatic approach that was taken when it was built and competed.

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Roads need more corners
A Deluxe(CG13DE), 2 Clubbies(998 and 1275) and 2 Morris 1100Ss

Those images aren't appearing. Suggest you upload them to the Ausmini server instead.

Instructions are here - viewtopic.php?f=25&t=96873

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

Done, should work now, thanks for the heads up.

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Roads need more corners
A Deluxe(CG13DE), 2 Clubbies(998 and 1275) and 2 Morris 1100Ss

Mike was from up around Inverell (Elsmore) so I would check with the local sporting car people...maybe even Bob Holden might know something as well...

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"Show me the Mini!"

That looks like a Halda Twinmaster on the parcel shelf. If it's an older metal case version rather than plastic it will be worth big dollars. I'd estimate between one and two thousand dollars.

The cables and adapter boxes are also valuable.

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

Yeah it doesn't look like much at the moment but there was a fair amount of money and effort put into it.
I guess everyone is building rally replicas... huh?
I'd like to get this not replica back to it's best.

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Roads need more corners
A Deluxe(CG13DE), 2 Clubbies(998 and 1275) and 2 Morris 1100Ss

Classic and Historic Rally is alive and well...

http://historicrally.com.au/

http://classicrallyclub.com.au/

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"Show me the Mini!"

Thanks, I will give them a try, I tried calling CAMS in NSW but they couldn't help without knowing who drove it (Mike never drove it) as it seems to work off logbook numbers.

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Roads need more corners
A Deluxe(CG13DE), 2 Clubbies(998 and 1275) and 2 Morris 1100Ss

If you have the Logbook - guard it with your life

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"Show me the Mini!"

Unfortunately I don't I don't think Mike or the owner before him had it either.

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Roads need more corners
A Deluxe(CG13DE), 2 Clubbies(998 and 1275) and 2 Morris 1100Ss

I love it. Recommission it but keep it as a time capsule.

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1960 Morris Mini Minor

There is a hint of a previous livery there (possible from when it was rallied)...try searching photo and motorsport history websites?

For example...

http://autopics.com.au/

http://aussieroadracing.homestead.com/

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"Show me the Mini!"

Took a while but no luck, relatively few rally photos but I went through them all just in case.
Any other sites you'd suggest? I found the autopics in a previous search.

I know Mike McGee(a previous owner) was well known is there anyone who knew him that might be able to share what he may have found out?

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Roads need more corners
A Deluxe(CG13DE), 2 Clubbies(998 and 1275) and 2 Morris 1100Ss

You could ask Graham Hatfield (on AUSMINI)...and, Mike was keenly involved in organising car rally's etc for the Soldier On group...

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"Show me the Mini!"

Thought it might have been my Dad's old one that was the same green. Unfortunately his was a different rego according to that request for info, had a few differences at the time he owned it in the early 70s when i was about 2.

Dad's one had 12" wheels on the front and a jesus bar on the outside of the roof for the copilot who was clearly not concerned about safety in a rollover.

Dad used to compete in rallies up at Hampton in it.

Photo below is from a khanacross out at Nirimba. There is only one other pic that i know of for this car, and i don't have a copy, but it is of me and my brother standing in the back where the roll cage was and obviously that was installed after the pic below.

Sorry i can't help with yours, it looks like a great resto project.

cheers
michael

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the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page
66 Mini Minor sponsored by http://www.lifeonthehedge.com.au/ The Dog Harness Specialists
It was a pleasure ausmini. I'll miss all you misfits and reprobates