1974 Mini Cooper Classic

1974 Mini Cooper VIN XL2SIN-124421A

I bought this car in 2006 as a non-running (no compression on number 3 cylinder) but complete car.

After I got the car home and did a little troubleshooting I found the #3 piston had a hole in it’s top. The odometer showed about 92500 KM when I got it. I pulled the engine for a complete overhaul. It was reassembled using new pistons, valves, springs, timing chain, camshaft, lifters, bearings and seals. The crank was turned .010 under. The cam is a street performance with a slight increase in lift and duration. The SU HIF 44 carb, starter, alternator, and distributor were overhauled. The water pump, fuel pump, clutch, pressure plate, and throw out bearing were replaced with new units. I added a K & N air filter, stainless tubular headers, and a free-flow stainless exhaust. This gave a small boost in performance while keeping decent fuel mileage and a smooth idle.

The steering and suspension were freshened and the rubber cones were replaced with Mini Mania coil springs front and rear. This improved ride and handling greatly. The interior needed little except cleaning. It is all original, the seats are covered in cloth “racing crayons” fabric. Somewhere in its past, a $1000.00 Burl Walnut dash and door wood kit was added. It has a few cracks, please see photos. This car came from the factory with 3 point belts in the front and back seats.

The DPO added a high end (at the time) stereo system that sounds great today. There is a dash mounted Alpine CDM 7874 Compact Disk Receiver. 2 Canton 6” coaxial speakers and 2 2” Canton tweeters were installed in the doors. 2 6” Profile SF520 coaxial speakers were added to the rear package shelf and 2 Alpine 8” subwoofers were installed under the rear seat after that area was “boxed”. A trunk mounted Soundstream MC 245 240 watt amp with 2 ADS crossovers round out the install.

When I got this car I intended to do all the rust repair and replacement as required to bring it back to first class, but when I finished the mechanical work it proved to be too much fun to drive that I decided to put off the body work. Replacement of the driver’s door and all sheet metal forward of the firewall would take care of most of the rust. The floor (tub) is solid and both A and B pillars are sound, the doors close well with that “MINI” sound.

This car has front disc brakes and rear drums and is fitted with factory 4.5 X 12” Minilite wheels, the spare is a Minilite as well. All 4 tires are old and would need replacement, they do hold air, but I would not trust them for a long trip. The windshield has a crack and all other glass is original and undamaged. The wiring harness is original and unmolested. The instruments and switchgear are original. A 3 power port pod has been added to the lower edge of the dash just left of the steering column.

This car has a lot of rust. Please see the pictures. Even with the rust, it is structurally sound and could be enjoyed as is, or it could have the rust repaired to be a first class car. The L/H axle shaft output seal drips a little oil.

The following maintenance was done in the past 3 months: R/R brake slave cylinder was replaced, the brakes were blead and the fluid changed. Carb was overhauled and the float was replaced. Both rear tire stems were replaced. The fuel sending unit was replaced. The fuel filter was replaced. The throttle cable was replaced. The upper engine steady rod bushings were replaced. The battery was replaced. The upper radiator hose was replaced. The last oil change was done Dec 7th 2017, at 103969 Km.

Note: Car is sold AS IS and buyer is responsible for vehicle pickup or shipping arrangements.