I hear what you say Steve, however it is all too easy for something like this to slip in to a private collection and never see the light of day again, or worse, as it sounds like it needs restoration, be pulled apart and then left to turn to dust.

There is a big private car collector near to me. I know he has at least 1 Brabham Car. He doesn't display them or take them anywhere for public show or to the track. Apart from his imeadiate family and friends, these cars may as well no longer exist.

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This car needs to come to Wakefield next month...

I'm drooling here. Surely someone can post the pics if they're emailed. I concur, I'd love to see it next month at Oz50. I'd be glad to offer 50k for it (like everyone else!!!), but a deep pocketed collector should and will pay what this car is truly worth.

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http://www.rylstoneclassic.com

Watto will be collecting pad and pencil and putting new batteries in his digital camera for a feature article methinks.

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

Guys...the car has some value to someone....but I can't see the international market whipping themselves into a bidding frenzy over a car that was driven in a little known race (at the time) where Paddy had a guest drive...."works" is being used a little loosely here.

Good luck...the main thing is that someone sensible gets hold of it, understands its place in history and looks after it by keeping its originality (and lets Watto do a feature on it!!)

Agree...it would be nice to see it and maybe have Foley sign it somewhere...

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"Show me the Mini!"

Thanks for the info on posting photos.

Yes - the car will need a lot of restoration but I don't know how much. It has been sitting in a shed on a dirt floor for 23+ years. It is next to the walkway though so I see the driver's side every day. There are rust holes in the bottom of the door but the rest seems OK.

My son and I only uncovered it (and the one sitting next to it) a couple of weeks after my husband died and that was mainly because he wanted to see the Kawasaki 750 triple that was parked between them and the back wall for the same length of time (but that is another story).

I was hoping to get Paddy out last weekend while my friend Phil was here but we ran out of time. He rewired the granny flat and shed (where all the bits are stored) for me and put in some new lights and that was a much longer job than anticipated.

Would not like to try by myself as I don't want to risk any damage to either car when getting one or both out or when putting them back. I do have photos "in situ" but would like to at least give Paddy a clean up and take some better ones.

I am intending to set up a web site with the complete history of the car along with photos and paperwork as soon as I put the whole story together.

As to who buys Paddy that is totally up to me and nothing will stop me from making sure it is the person I choose. Yes I would like to have it restored and keep it for myself but also think it is time to let go.

Yes I would rather it be restored and available for all to see (and driven) and not just shut away somewhere for just one person's pleasure.

I've only just started down this road and think it is going to take a bit more time for me to work it all out. The amount of interest generated has been truly astounding - way more than I thought possible and in many ways it is very gratifying as proof that I'm now doing the right thing by "going public" which is something I wasn't going to do while my husband was still alive.

I am going to Zetland on 27th and had already planned to do that before starting on this quest. I've been going to all the big Sydney mini displays for many years.

The car will not be at Wakefield Park because it is not leaving here and I couldn't possibly get it down there anyway.

Mick, see this page on the IPRA forum - you seek Yoda

http://www.ipraforum.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6962

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http://www.youtube.com/user/Hanras

Wow! I hope you're not being swamped with offers Maybellene.
Well, I hope you are, but not to the point of driving you mad!
I really hope this car ends up with someone who will let us see it
at special events. It is fantastic news that it has been saved all
this time. Best wishes and I hope it goes well for you.

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Flute - 68 MK I Cooper S
Member: VMCI #2474
Member: International Mini Model Collectors Club

Well, those photos turned up pretty quickly.

The second last one is "Paddy and me" at the NSSCC Driver Training Day run by Nick Leddingham on 28th January 1975.

The last one is the change over rego papers, which was done the next day. Both my name (once) and address (several times) have changed since then.

I've just received three more photos from Paul Merry showing the car in action at Warrick Farm - two in May 1969 and one in May 1970.

Along with that he has sent me a scanned copy of the log book.

This quest for information is definitely progressing.

Don't suppose anyone out there would know how I could get in touch with Harvey Lane (son of Eric Lane who was half the "Vaughan and Lane").

I have the same surname as the person you bought it off, in fact I've known him all my life ; )
I know he has some photos in his photo album in the loungeroom, but getting him around to scanning them might be harder going.

In the old forum, there was some discussion about this car in relation to what is the "true" colour for "Castrol green"

I actually thought the car was written off after purchase from Lindsay?
Kevin Byron.

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Yes - Lindsay did say he had some photos and will scan and send them to me. With regards colour there are several schools of thought - Castrol green - British Racing green, etc. I had it repainted in 1975 but it was repainted according to the "official" colour code. Will have to have a look to see what that was as I can't remember off hand.

No it was definitely not written off and none of the body parts have been replaced (just repaired) since I've owned it. I did give the front passenger corner a pretty hard thump and that was at the Drive Training Day at Amaroo Park.

Not a good thing to do but I'd neveer driven a front wheel drive car before and certainly not driven any car anywhere except on a public road. I was having a very good time and learning a lot until late in the afternoon then - wham.

According to the witnesses at the time and the experts afterwards a front tyre blew and that was why I couldn't control the car and the bank (thankfully only the dirt one - I missed the concrete) came up before I could do anything about it.

That caused much consternation as I only had a phone cover note (from GIO) for the car and had not even changed it officially over into my name. Thankfully it was an official training day and Nick Leddingham was running it and he was a solicitor so all was well and I've stayed with GIO ever since.

In case it helps the BMC Australia colour cards are here:

http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=66469

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

Thanks for that link. I shall investigate further.

The repaint was done at West Ryde in Sydney and it was somewhere off to the left of Victoria Road (heading from Ryde to West Ryde but maybe a bit further on), but I can't remember the name of the company that did it.

It was organised by my husband after the front corner was repaired and only the green was repainted, not the roof.

I'm sure the quote or receipt or whatever is here somewhere but it may take me months to find it. He was a compulsive hoarder of everything and in some ways that is now working to my advantage.

Just wish I could go back and tell the 23 year old me what the 58 year old me know knows. Should definitely have paid more attention!!!!