More Minis and paint for OBie

摘要

We heard that the owner of a 1961 Mk1 for sale was open to offers and that it was supposedly in original condition. Happy to say the trip didn't disappoint as, after a good poke around inside and out, I was amazed to see that she's virtually rust free and in original condition. My cousin was looking for a project Mini and, after some negotiation, the deal was done and all those legal adoption papers are now completed. As her new custodian he has to think of a name, whilst we work out a restoration plan, but it's great to have another Mini back in OBie's old garage. Back at home, I show Mrs B a photo I've been sent by her dad. She'd always said that her family had Clubman Estates when she was a kid, in the 1980s, but I'd never seen any pictures of them. As she peers over, there's a muttered: "Oh great, this must have been a trip with the scouts, and look at that haircut!" Miss S, as she was then, along with her mum, dad, brother, cat and dog, would squeeze into the Clubby and make the 500-mile round trip from Suffolk to Dorset for their holidays. This was before bypasses and the M25, so it was a cramped whole-day journey each way. Back to OBie... her subframes are in good condition so will be re-used. I replaced the rear in 1991, when she was laid-up, so it's rust-free with no road miles. The fronts usually survive rust quite well as, over the years, they get protected with a coating of oil blowing about from the leaky engines and open engine breathers.