I have to admit, this one might never be truly finished. I’ve been building it since well before this website or YouTube started even! As a recognized expert and builder of show winning classic Minis, this has been my “proof of concept” showpiece for improvements to the classic Mini Cooper. There is far too much to “list”, but you’ll get a good idea after you watch the 20 or so videos in the playlist below! Then you’ll still have questions.
It’s an intense and demanding car to drive. It absolutely will not be for everyone. The driver must understand and manage the high compression engine with skill and attention to avoid destruction. The close ratio gearbox is geared for ‘reasonable’ RPM at highway speed. First gear is tall making slow driving or starting on a hill challenging. More so with said high compression engine!
The pay off? This is one of the most exiting and exhilarating classic Minis to drive without resorting to Honda power (and weight). It sounds and revs and builds power like few classic Minis could imagine. The legendary Mini driving experience, enhanced with nearly two decades of my relentless (and documented) improvements make this one of the most remarkable MK1 Cooper S cars on the road today.
The trade off? It’s not original. Before you start telling me I shouldn’t have done this or that, or that it is a “hodgepodge” of parts, you better see a few “before” photos. You will notice how straight and rust free the body was even then.
That’s right, it came from a barn! And mostly before every phone had a camera. My lovely assistant had one of the first iPhones in 2006 for those pics. I might have some dusty prints of the original acquisition around 2002!
I never had any intention of being restrained by originality. Indeed I wouldn’t bother. Dare I admit that to a performance enthusiast like myself, most standard classic Minis are quite pathetic! There’s not much appeal in winding through several gears just to get through an intersection! No such trouble here.
This also could be a never-ending-post. I already have a long playlist of videos on YouTube, and dozens more to be edited of recent work as I built the car to it’s current state. There are a number of improvements to the suspension, steering, sub-frames, brakes, and engine that I have not yet mentioned. This playlist goes back many years, so I hope you’ll forgive the quality of my early “single take” clips. There is a lot of history here:
This is a chance to own this car and finish the interior to suit your taste, not mine or anyone else’s. It turns out that I’m much better at building the mechanical side and would much rather change sub frames than install door panels! You can see that I do not have the door sliding windows installed…. I personally find them absurd in our Summer climate! You can see that the velocity stacks are open to the sky. Another reason to avoid rain!
It also turns out I’m better at building cars and have several more in the works. Passing stewardship of this one will give me the attention span, the time and space to work, and some financial bandwidth for the next project. I built every single piece of this authentic California Cooper S, and the next owner will have my ongoing technical support and advice. And should you want the next engine to have the latest Multi-web crank and make even more power, we can do that too!
https://cooperroadmini.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Cooper-Road-Mini-Logo2-1.png00Jemalhttps://cooperroadmini.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Cooper-Road-Mini-Logo2-1.pngJemal2023-08-16 16:52:002023-08-22 11:49:23THE Cooper Road Mini, Jemal's 66 MK1 Cooper S For Sale?
Classic car guys understand how hard it is to turn down a project. Even when we have a garage full already, and find a new one under a tarp covered by spiders, our mind’s eye sees us driving in it’s fully rebuilt glory. We resist reality for as long as possible, but there is only so much time and space to work. Life has a way of shifting priorities, so it really is time to pass some on, to let fate decide, as I said just before COVID came along.
First the update, the 74 Mazda REPU survivor pickup, the 70 Mini Van, and the Yamaha R1 have indeed gone on to new owners. I was suffering some seller’s remorse, when I accidentally found the Porsche 911 in hibernation for 10 years. It was too irresistible for resurrection, and now that’s running great too and added to the mix!
So here we go with the list, the first time I have considered selling most of these:
1976 Porsche 911S Widebody Cabriolet conversion, 3.0 liter 5 speed 1974 Chevrolet K5 Blazer, owned 30+ years, Big Block, major upgrades 1971 MG Midget, new engine, 5-speed, big brakes, major upgrades 1968 Pontiac GTO. owned 40+ years and still a project, see what I mean? 1966 Mini Cooper S, THE Cooper Road Mini, Awesome but needs finishing 1964 Lotus Elan, S1, the 8th LHD US model, all numbers matching, only 27K miles
Obviously MUCH more detail is forthcoming about all these, but if something jumps out at you, get a hold of me and be the first to hear the scoop BEFORE I post it for all to see!
I’ll talk about each one of these in future posts. All have been built exclusively by me. Most have major mechanical upgrades over decades of ownership. If you’ve been with me for a while, you know I seldom just fix things when I can make them better!
https://cooperroadmini.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Cooper-Road-Mini-Logo2-1.png00Jemalhttps://cooperroadmini.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Cooper-Road-Mini-Logo2-1.pngJemal2023-05-31 07:47:002023-08-22 11:26:41Seriously, too many projects!
I was very sad to hear that one of my long time customers and friends passed away over the summer. Phil came by Mini Mania for many years when I worked there, and it was one of the pleasures of the job to go out and see this very van and help with whatever he needed. Phil’s wife is not so much a car-gal, and as we all know, it takes a car-person to own and drive something like this!
So we want to help find a new owner that will enjoy this lovely little piece of history, and cherish it like Phil did. It’s just about to turn 65, but not ready to retire! I’ll tell you some my own history with this 1959 Morris Minor panel van. I knew the previous owner as well! Watch the videos!
I’ll also detail it’s features and upgrades, and the extras included in the sale. Phil’s family contacted me to get the spider webs off and freshen up the mechanicals, and as usual, I did a lot more! Watch the videos!
The Mechanical stuff:
Rebuilt 1275cc engine sourced from an MG Midget, twin 1 1/4″ SU carbs, Pertronix electronic ignition, Alternator conversion, performance exhaust. Runs and sounds great. Watch the driving video!
Later Ribcase 4-speed transmission, also from a Midget, this one I personally built for Phil a few years ago. Watch the Videos on my YouTube channel, linked below.
Standard 4.55:1 ratio rear axle. Don’t let anyone talk you into changing this! Makes it a joy to drive.
Front disk brakes from a later Midget. Yes I mention that the entire running gear is mostly the same as the MG Midget and the earlier Austin Healey Sprite.
If you want any more details about any of this, please ask me. That goes for the videos as well. And anything else I haven’t thought of.
The photos:
Click on any to see full size image
The videos:
I’ve added new videos as I’ve made repairs and upgrades. The video below is the start of the entire playlist (about 6 videos) on YouTube, with several driving clips!
The Extras:
Like any serious British car enthusiast, Phil gathered all manner of extra “spares” as he improved the van with my help over the years. Some photos of all the extra goodies that are included for the new owner.
Yes, quite a collection of extra goodies: Full set of larger tires and wheels for “highway gears”, complete HS4 single carb set up with several extra intakes, A new speedometer with fuel gauge, extra starter and generator, clutch and flywheel, most of the available books for the Morris and the A-series engines, and a tub with tools and all the useful parts for roadside repair! Phil was never once stranded in his travels!
We’d love to find a new steward for this panel van. It will never cost less to own this. You could not build one to this state for anywhere near our asking price! It can be driven anywhere. And it takes full advantage of it’s QUARTER TON commercial rating! How about a travel companion and mobile garage for your MOTORCYCLE! Any small businesses out there that make “minor deliveries”, or perform “minor repairs”? Driving this van gets thumbs-up from people in new Teslas!
And of course, it comes with lifetime tech support from ME! Nobody will ever know it better! And I’d like to continue my decades of association with this van!
The deal:
If you already had a complete, original running van (like the green one I showed when I brought it back to life after 25 years in a barn!), it would still take more than $20K to get it near the level of this one. It is ready to enjoy NOW and would earn it’s keep just parked outside your business (and it has as a beer dispenser for “Cooper’s Bar And Grill” in a former life!). It makes a most memorable billboard!
And Phil’s wife gets all the proceeds from the sale. Phil was not a wealthy man, and this is my way of honoring our friendship and helping his family at a time of loss. Please simply email me: Jemal@CooperRoadMini.com or comment on any of the videos on YouTube. If you want to see something specific, ASK ME!! I’ve owned and built just about all versions of the A-series equipped British classics (currently a couple of Classic Mini Coopers and an MG Midget), and very few people know them like I do. I’m easy to contact and talk to, and I guarantee you will learn something!
Thank you for looking!
https://cooperroadmini.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Cooper-Road-Mini-Logo2-1.png00Jemalhttps://cooperroadmini.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Cooper-Road-Mini-Logo2-1.pngJemal2023-02-10 16:49:582023-08-22 11:12:57Morris Minor Panel Van needs a new home
THE Cooper Road Mini, Jemal’s 66 MK1 Cooper S For Sale?
/0 Comments/in Cars, Classic Mini Cooper, For Sale, Special Cars For Sale /by JemalI have to admit, this one might never be truly finished. I’ve been building it since well before this website or YouTube started even! As a recognized expert and builder of show winning classic Minis, this has been my “proof of concept” showpiece for improvements to the classic Mini Cooper. There is far too much to “list”, but you’ll get a good idea after you watch the 20 or so videos in the playlist below! Then you’ll still have questions.
It’s an intense and demanding car to drive. It absolutely will not be for everyone. The driver must understand and manage the high compression engine with skill and attention to avoid destruction. The close ratio gearbox is geared for ‘reasonable’ RPM at highway speed. First gear is tall making slow driving or starting on a hill challenging. More so with said high compression engine!
The pay off? This is one of the most exiting and exhilarating classic Minis to drive without resorting to Honda power (and weight). It sounds and revs and builds power like few classic Minis could imagine. The legendary Mini driving experience, enhanced with nearly two decades of my relentless (and documented) improvements make this one of the most remarkable MK1 Cooper S cars on the road today.
The trade off? It’s not original. Before you start telling me I shouldn’t have done this or that, or that it is a “hodgepodge” of parts, you better see a few “before” photos. You will notice how straight and rust free the body was even then.
That’s right, it came from a barn! And mostly before every phone had a camera. My lovely assistant had one of the first iPhones in 2006 for those pics. I might have some dusty prints of the original acquisition around 2002!
I never had any intention of being restrained by originality. Indeed I wouldn’t bother. Dare I admit that to a performance enthusiast like myself, most standard classic Minis are quite pathetic! There’s not much appeal in winding through several gears just to get through an intersection! No such trouble here.
This also could be a never-ending-post. I already have a long playlist of videos on YouTube, and dozens more to be edited of recent work as I built the car to it’s current state. There are a number of improvements to the suspension, steering, sub-frames, brakes, and engine that I have not yet mentioned. This playlist goes back many years, so I hope you’ll forgive the quality of my early “single take” clips. There is a lot of history here:
This is a chance to own this car and finish the interior to suit your taste, not mine or anyone else’s. It turns out that I’m much better at building the mechanical side and would much rather change sub frames than install door panels! You can see that I do not have the door sliding windows installed…. I personally find them absurd in our Summer climate! You can see that the velocity stacks are open to the sky. Another reason to avoid rain!
It also turns out I’m better at building cars and have several more in the works. Passing stewardship of this one will give me the attention span, the time and space to work, and some financial bandwidth for the next project. I built every single piece of this authentic California Cooper S, and the next owner will have my ongoing technical support and advice. And should you want the next engine to have the latest Multi-web crank and make even more power, we can do that too!
Seriously, too many projects!
/0 Comments/in Uncategorized /by JemalClassic car guys understand how hard it is to turn down a project. Even when we have a garage full already, and find a new one under a tarp covered by spiders, our mind’s eye sees us driving in it’s fully rebuilt glory. We resist reality for as long as possible, but there is only so much time and space to work. Life has a way of shifting priorities, so it really is time to pass some on, to let fate decide, as I said just before COVID came along.
First the update, the 74 Mazda REPU survivor pickup, the 70 Mini Van, and the Yamaha R1 have indeed gone on to new owners. I was suffering some seller’s remorse, when I accidentally found the Porsche 911 in hibernation for 10 years. It was too irresistible for resurrection, and now that’s running great too and added to the mix!
So here we go with the list, the first time I have considered selling most of these:
1976 Porsche 911S Widebody Cabriolet conversion, 3.0 liter 5 speed
1974 Chevrolet K5 Blazer, owned 30+ years, Big Block, major upgrades
1971 MG Midget, new engine, 5-speed, big brakes, major upgrades
1968 Pontiac GTO. owned 40+ years and still a project, see what I mean?
1966 Mini Cooper S, THE Cooper Road Mini, Awesome but needs finishing
1964 Lotus Elan, S1, the 8th LHD US model, all numbers matching, only 27K miles
Obviously MUCH more detail is forthcoming about all these, but if something jumps out at you, get a hold of me and be the first to hear the scoop BEFORE I post it for all to see!
I’ll talk about each one of these in future posts. All have been built exclusively by me. Most have major mechanical upgrades over decades of ownership. If you’ve been with me for a while, you know I seldom just fix things when I can make them better!
Morris Minor Panel Van needs a new home
/0 Comments/in Uncategorized /by JemalI was very sad to hear that one of my long time customers and friends passed away over the summer. Phil came by Mini Mania for many years when I worked there, and it was one of the pleasures of the job to go out and see this very van and help with whatever he needed. Phil’s wife is not so much a car-gal, and as we all know, it takes a car-person to own and drive something like this!
So we want to help find a new owner that will enjoy this lovely little piece of history, and cherish it like Phil did. It’s just about to turn 65, but not ready to retire! I’ll tell you some my own history with this 1959 Morris Minor panel van. I knew the previous owner as well! Watch the videos!
I’ll also detail it’s features and upgrades, and the extras included in the sale. Phil’s family contacted me to get the spider webs off and freshen up the mechanicals, and as usual, I did a lot more! Watch the videos!
The Mechanical stuff:
If you want any more details about any of this, please ask me. That goes for the videos as well. And anything else I haven’t thought of.
The photos:
Click on any to see full size image
The videos:
I’ve added new videos as I’ve made repairs and upgrades. The video below is the start of the entire playlist (about 6 videos) on YouTube, with several driving clips!
The Extras:
Like any serious British car enthusiast, Phil gathered all manner of extra “spares” as he improved the van with my help over the years. Some photos of all the extra goodies that are included for the new owner.
Yes, quite a collection of extra goodies: Full set of larger tires and wheels for “highway gears”, complete HS4 single carb set up with several extra intakes, A new speedometer with fuel gauge, extra starter and generator, clutch and flywheel, most of the available books for the Morris and the A-series engines, and a tub with tools and all the useful parts for roadside repair! Phil was never once stranded in his travels!
We’d love to find a new steward for this panel van. It will never cost less to own this. You could not build one to this state for anywhere near our asking price! It can be driven anywhere. And it takes full advantage of it’s QUARTER TON commercial rating! How about a travel companion and mobile garage for your MOTORCYCLE! Any small businesses out there that make “minor deliveries”, or perform “minor repairs”? Driving this van gets thumbs-up from people in new Teslas!
And of course, it comes with lifetime tech support from ME! Nobody will ever know it better! And I’d like to continue my decades of association with this van!
The deal:
If you already had a complete, original running van (like the green one I showed when I brought it back to life after 25 years in a barn!), it would still take more than $20K to get it near the level of this one. It is ready to enjoy NOW and would earn it’s keep just parked outside your business (and it has as a beer dispenser for “Cooper’s Bar And Grill” in a former life!). It makes a most memorable billboard!
And Phil’s wife gets all the proceeds from the sale. Phil was not a wealthy man, and this is my way of honoring our friendship and helping his family at a time of loss. Please simply email me: Jemal@CooperRoadMini.com or comment on any of the videos on YouTube. If you want to see something specific, ASK ME!! I’ve owned and built just about all versions of the A-series equipped British classics (currently a couple of Classic Mini Coopers and an MG Midget), and very few people know them like I do. I’m easy to contact and talk to, and I guarantee you will learn something!
Thank you for looking!