MY MINI A Brief Introduction

My Mini was given to me as a Christmas present from my parents in 2001, and ever since then I have been taking it to different events each year. It doesn't get used much in the week as both myself and my partner commute into London on public transport. This keeps the mileage (and wear-and-tear) to a minimum, and over the three years I've owned it the Mini has been very reliable and cheap to run. In 2002 it suffered from a warped cylinder head but since sourcing a replacement it's been as good as gold. In 2003 it needed some oversills welding on because of rust in order to pass its MOT. However, 2004 was a very good year and the car had only minor problems including a worn fanbelt, a dead battery and a knackered rear wheel cylinder. It even completed it's first Riviera Run without incident.

As you can see below the changes I've made to the car since acquiring it are mainly cosmetic and most have been cheap to do. I do have a grander plan for my car (which is top secret) but until I can afford several thousand pounds for the work I'll keep it as it is and only make improvements as I go.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Manufacturer	Austin Rover
Model	City
Engine Size	998cc
Registration Year	1989 (G) - First registered with DVLC on 16/09/89
Paint Colour	Diamond White
Transmission	Manual 4-Speed
Fuel	Unleaded Petrol
Mileage when bought (Dec 2001)	63,327
Current Mileage	2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MOT Records	1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

CHANGES MADE TO CAR SINCE DEC 2001

Stainless wiper kit	Wood & Pickett
Clear indicator kit	MiniSport
Chrome bumpers	2nd hand replacements for the standard grey ones
White 'Cooper' mirrors	2nd hand mirrors on both sides replace the original black one from the driver's side
Stainless narrow-slit grille	2nd hand grille to replace the original matt black one
Chrome-look number plate surrounds	Shiny plastic accessory on both the front and back to brighten things up
Angel-eye headlights	Replacement headlights with a cool 'halo' to replace original items (MiniTrailers)
Stainless door lock set	Shiny new locks for both doors and the boot
Rover Cooper alloys	Well, 3 Rover alloys and 1 Minator. 2nd hand and thankfully all the same size
K&N cone air filter	(MiniSport)
Astrali sports steering wheel	12" diameter vinyl-covered steering wheel (Midland Wheel Supplies)
Securon front seat belts	New black seat belts for both driver and passenger
Rover under-seat speaker board	Black carpeted speaker board with 2 standard 6x9" speakers
Black leather gear knob	A more stylish upgrade needed because the stainless 'ball' one got too cold!
Opening rear quarterlights	Goodbye to the non-opening windows and hello to ventilation (eBay)
New needle in carburettor	A more suitable needle was fitted to improve bhp (MiniSpeed)
Rover 200 Coupe sports seats	Far more luxurious than the standard ones (eBay)
Custom mounting frames for seats	Pricey, but ultimately worth it for the improved comfort (MiniSpeed)
Black carpet and underlay	Bought to tidy the car up before setting off to Spain (MiniSpares)
Under-bonnet felt	Used to quieten the noise from the engine bay (MiniSpares)
Pioneer 10cm 110w speakers	Mounted in the Metro door pockets as planned to improve the stereo setup (Halfords)
Black front and rear footwell mats	Plain with no bright edging or over-the-top pictures of Minis (Mini Sport)
Fully automatic electric aerial	Cool toy for those too lazy to put the aerial up and down by hand (Wood & Pickett)
Hi-level brake light	Make sure you're seen by the car behind - especially in the winter darkness
Mini 'special' arch set	Black replacement wheelarches following an 'incident' in London (Somerford Mini)
Drilled and grooved front brake discs	Performance-orientated braking surfaces (fitted with EBC Green-Stuff pads) (MiniSport)