1962 Morris Mini-Cooper

Original Mk1 Morris Mini-Cooper bodyshell, stripped and totally rebuilt

A+ Block and gearbox bored to 1380cc. Lightened and balanced crank and flywheel

Photographed and documented rebuild to the very highest standards

Build cost in the region of £45,000. Very little use since completion

Absolutely fabulous in every respect

The Mini-Cooper has been a mainstay of the Motorsport scene around the world for over fifty years. From enthralling battles with much larger competition in period to latter-day giant-killing performances in Historic Touring Cars, the Mini Cooper represented (and still represents) an opportunity to compete at high levels for privateers with cars not far removed from the works entrants, enhanced by a plethora of emerging tuning companies and race/rally parts. Driven by names such as Hopkirk, "Whizzo' Williams and "Smokin' John Rhodes, the Mini Cooper firmly cemented its place in motorsport folklore.

XFF 780 is as close to a brand new Mini Cooper rally car as you are likely to find. Every part has either been comprehensively restored or replaced with new. The car comes ready to compete in any Historic Endurance Rally Event, such as those run by HERO or HRCR, or simply as an amazing 'café racer' road car. Had the build been carried out commercially, it would have cost in the region of £40,000 + the original MK1 Shell and outsourced paintwork. A full spreadsheet of work and associated costs can be located in the accompanying paperwork folder.

This build has been completed, as you can see, to an extremely high standard by a team of trainee motorsport engineers under the supervision of the highly experienced and professional team at 'Project-shop'. All of the funds raised in this sale will be channelled directly into the next project to ensure a further group of young engineers learn how to build and manage classic sports car projects from the ground up. This excellent build includes;

Drivetrain;

A+ Block and gearbox, bored to 1380cc, lightened and balanced crank and flywheel, new shells, pistons, conrods, push rods and bearings, stage 4 Mini Spares cylinder head, roller rockers, fast road cam. single 45 DCOE Weber carburettor with Airflow filter, RC40 free flow centre exhaust, high capacity water pump and radiator, 13-row oil cooler, programmable 123 Ignition, competition-spec clutch, quick shift gear change.

Shell;

Original MK1 Morris Mini-Cooper body shell: Completely stripped, sandblasted, rust affected areas repaired/replaced including new: Battery box, A Panels, Front panel, Both front wings, Inner and outer sills both sides. All bodywork prepared and painted in original Surf Blue. Safety Devices roll-cage painted body colour, subframes, fuel tanks etc painted gloss black. Cavity waxed.

Interior;

Custom made wiring loom, works-style dash with all new dials/clocks, custom seat mounts to fit 6 foot 6 “ driver. Lowered steering column, Corbeau Classic leather seats, 4-point harnesses, fly-off handbrake, fuel and electrics isolators, Branz II rally clocks, navigator lamp, 2 x power sockets, custom heating system, new headlining, front carpet.

Subframes and suspension

Completely rebuilt using all new components including Cooper S front brake discs and servo, Minifin rear drums, braided brake hoses, internally run brake and fuel lines, sump guard, adjustable Hi-Los, GAZ adjustable shock absorbers, original 10" Minilite wheels (5 fully refurbished by Pristine Wheels) all on matching Yokohama A008A tyres.

Electrics

70 AMP alternator, air horns, rear reverse lamp, race battery, box and storage charger, H4 headlamps, KC High-lite 130W front spot lamps.

Exterior

Twin tanks, Aston Martin Caps, Speedwell arches, new grille, bumpers, door seals, window seals.

This Mini-Cooper is not an out and out competition car, although it potentially could be quite successful, it's more an amalgamation of all the best components and modifications you could ever wish to find in a specially built Mini and hugely desirable as a result of that. It's admirable that the proceeds of this sale will be used to fund another project designed to enthuse the next generation of racing car engineers and, if they can achieve a similar standard to the team that built XFF 780, they can be justly proud of their efforts.