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 Posted: Sep 29, 2015 09:46PM
Total posts: 398
Last post: Apr 28, 2022
Member since:Nov 12, 2008
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Yes we are and I have taken your advice and bought a 3.2 diff for my new engine.

 Posted: Sep 29, 2015 11:49AM
Total posts: 138
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Member since:Jul 22, 2013
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It was great fun, hope you folks are doing well and having fun as well.Smile

 Posted: Sep 28, 2015 11:08PM
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Hi Ed, good to see you have been out having fun, Grant.

 Posted: Sep 27, 2015 07:19PM
Total posts: 1716
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cup Cake

There's no reason to change history. The Cooper S was  a factory production race car designed for road rally competition on gravel and moutian roads NOT the A roads or the lanes of England or any other country. Indeed it was not intended for the unwashed public like you and I but was only sold to the public in numbers required to homologate it for production car classes. I have the announcement from BMC somewhere in my records that states the Cooper S is is to be sold only to qualified drivers. Compared to modern vehicles, the Cooper S nothing special but back in the day there was nothing like it as testified by its success in international road rallies and circuit racing.

I've also seen that said..however..  I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when the production specs were being finalised.  It would be fascinating to know why, for a car intended as a "pure" competition vehicle, the spec was so mild.  The various tuners showed what could be done but they chose to pull well back from what could have been...

As the Works mostly competed with modified cars (Groups 2+ etc) I suggest they had a strong weather eye out for price and normal road use as well...

Tyres is one area where the mini was well ahead of the competiton in the day but this has turned into a bit of an Achillies heel...

Cheers, Ian

 Posted: Sep 27, 2015 07:05PM
Total posts: 138
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How did you know I was completely unwashed? I have read the piece about the target market. My car sat unsold in St Louis, Mo for 10 months before my friend bought it in Oct 67. It looks like they lowered standerds abit in seaking $.Cool

 Posted: Sep 27, 2015 06:35PM
Total posts: 2022
Last post: Jan 14, 2022
Member since:Mar 8, 2002
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GR
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cup Cake

 I have the announcement from BMC somewhere in my records that states the Cooper S is is to be sold only to qualified drivers. Compared to modern vehicles, the Cooper S nothing special but back in the day there was nothing like it as testified by its success in international road rallies and circuit racing.

wow nice piece of info Larry

 Posted: Sep 27, 2015 06:27PM
Total posts: 10335
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There's no reason to change history. The Cooper S was  a factory production race car designed for road rally competition on gravel and moutian roads NOT the A roads or the lanes of England or any other country. Indeed it was not intended for the unwashed public like you and I but was only sold to the public in numbers required to homologate it for production car classes. I have the announcement from BMC somewhere in my records that states the Cooper S is is to be sold only to qualified drivers. Compared to modern vehicles, the Cooper S nothing special but back in the day there was nothing like it as testified by its success in international road rallies and circuit racing.

The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it. G.B.S. Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit. Oscar Wilde

//www.cupcakecooper.ca/

 Posted: Sep 27, 2015 05:50PM
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GB

Having watched the first St Marys race from the bit of no-mans land between the end of the pitlane and the assembly area exit - there's a little wooden hut there with timing screens and stuff for the Competition motorsport lads - it became very clear very quickly that Kristensen was going to win the race, despite starting from the pitlane, from the first few lap times.
I had a rather entertaining conversation with the eligibility scrutineers about a couple of the cars in that race.

Funnily, I had no idea at all that the PA was broadcasting my "cat herding" until Fred & Betsy True told me they'd heard it.  I vaguely remember the commentator, who I'd just given the finalised list of starters and numbers to, waving a mic about, but had no idea he was intercepting me.

 Posted: Sep 27, 2015 03:23PM
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I was there, heard you on the PA. Hats of to any one who has the pleasure of driving the moors with any great regularty. Watching Tom Kristensen move from last to first in the St Mary's Trophy race on Sat was quite a treet. I think the car was a little out of place in the race, a bit of over kill.

 Posted: Sep 27, 2015 02:35PM
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GB

If you were at Revival on the Sat & Sun you would have seen me on the screens, and heard me on the PA on the Sat, as I herded the J40s around.

The speed limit on most A & B roads is 60mph - which doesn't mean much until you've had the pleasure of hammering down a narrow twisty lane full of dips, blind corners, humps, hidden turnings and traffic doing the same in the opposite direction.

 Posted: Sep 27, 2015 01:24PM
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GR

when the Mini came out the M1 motorway opened three months later..

 Posted: Sep 27, 2015 01:15PM
Total posts: 138
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Member since:Jul 22, 2013
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I just got home from spending 3 wks on the English back roads and now fully understand why my 67S had a 3.44 dif from the factory. We stayed a few days in Haworth, Yorkshire driving the moors and dales. Two way traffic on one lane roads, maby 45 to 50 mph tops. On to Shorpshire and more of the same, this is a beautiful country. Through the Wales country side and more of the same. The Heritage Motor Center was time well spent. A high light of the trip was watching Nick Swift hustle his mini around the Goodwood track at the Revival meeting. The A and B roads are what I would describe as wagon roads which have been paved and the dif's that came in the mini's were just right for the roads they were to be driven on. I found the people nice, the food ok, take lots of $ it is expensive.Smile