I just saw an episode of Chasing Classic Cars where Wayne had taken the bus to auction but alas it did not sell.

Ron

craig, I raid that bus #2 sold for $20K on ebay (missing engine) and went back to the UK.

Long thread here with some more BMC bus discussion and anecdotes:

//www.minimania.com/msgThread/100188/1/51/BMC_bus_on_Craigslist

 

Great to finally read some of the history of that BMC bus. What I'd like to know is what happened to be blue one found in Hayward, Californa around the same time Big Al had the red one. Was that the second one Wayne Carrini bought?

Malcolm

Yes, the whole experience was weird,the shifter in the bus was behind the doghouse and you had to shift "Blind"- Whereas in the "mini Mover" the shifter was backward and 5th gear was above your shoulder

Also had the clutch, Accelorator, Brake set up,top end in the MM was 50mph on a good day,never had a working wind shield wiper, front window was 100% flat,just used rainx

British engineering at it's finest

Big AL

Loving those old BMC flatbeds and busses!!! Thanks for sharing!!!        Mini Estate

Al didn't the BMC bus with the Perkins diesel have the weird pedal layout? Instead of the common clutch brake accelerator wasn't it was brake clutch accelerator ? With that quirk and a gearshift behind you it must have been a weird driving experience until you got used to it.

Great history, great people, great stories... Thanks Big Al,  have a nice weekend!

FWIW, The Captain demanded. That his name be placed on the side as "Captin JJ" for whatever reason, glad to see it still there

Big AL

Thanks for the. Pics, especially the one with the BIG BMC and the gang taken at Mid Ohio at the SCCA Runoffs , from the left, Scargo(VA), Neal(Se7en)NC, the late CaptinJJ (ONT),Robin!OH,Myself (ONT),Dan ONT- Just to clarify this post. It started out with the 1969 BMC ,J4 model and then some talk of my MINI MOVER , a black 1949 AUSTIN K-8,COE Diesel forward control cab, Lorry , this vehicle is now owned by a board member James Gocke in the Catskills mountains of NY,sadly James has never put it back on the road, a girl friend and a new job has more priorities-

The Red! white & Blue 1963 BMC,former Mobile technical training unit was powered by a 6 cylinder Leyland diesel, 5 speed, Hi/LO rear end, I owned two off these at one time, both were LHD units were operated by Leyland out of Burlington , one ran across Canada to service dealers while the other one stayed in Ontario , Once considered redundant, both were sold to two steel workers at Dofaco and converted to motor homes, these were operated for about 20 years before l bought them from the two separate owners, and for the record around $3k each- The salmon coloured one went to Mark Nolan Bank Garage,(3 In a box) in the UK, He did finally got it restored after a few years- I restored the 2nd one, it had a crappy brown and cream paint job, but it was solid, master bed room and all-It was stripped down to the bare aluminium and painted in its' present colours, the roof is one solid Union Jack from front to back, being a flag freak it was a pleasure to work on- After running it for 7-8 years, l sold it to Craig ? In Texas and he sold it to Mark Mitchell in California and then onto Wayne Carini in Conneticut Captin JJ was the designated driver of the BMC and his name still adorns the panel just below the drivers side window, everyone remembers the Captin, sadly Captin JJ (John Spittal) passed away a year after l sold the unit- I will try and post some more pics of these units if l can find them

One time the Captin took the Big BMC on a trip around Watkins Glen new race track on a Ceremony lap, it rather caught the play by play announcer off guard, he even blew by me, while driving my 1934 Morris 10/6 tourer on the track

Big AL

I imagine Big Al dressed as Santa, delivering me a fine pup in Christmass with that lorry

Al's lorry moving a MINI verysimilar to mine.

 

Picture courtesy, joltmini

I just watched chasing classic cars/Carini trying to sell the BMC bus on at auction but it did not sell.

What a great picture maj4479.  I did not speak with your dad but his popularity and friends sure were huge.

I am sorry I forgot to ADD "garage" to that.  You are right that is how it went.  I was talking about the story of how it was a BMC promotional/support vehicle for their factory race cars.

Mark Mitchell ended up with the BMC Bus who then sold it to Wayne Carini. He (Mark) also found the second North American BMC bus when he had the former Mini Mover up for sale at auction or somethingorother, so he bought Bus #2 to protect his investment in Bus #1. He then ended up selling bust #2 on ebay for somewhere's around $20K whereby it went back to the UK leaving Way Carini's (Big Al's former) BMC bus as the only one in North America.

 

I will beat my friend Big Al to it.  Jay Leno got it from him.  Love the story of this thing too.  I know we are missing a couple more in the pic along with my Dad.  Memories help.  Can't wait to make many more.

I thought I remembered you had something like this from the heydays of moving Minis Big Al.... Seems warm and fuzzy to deliver a Mini on an old BMC lorry!  Like going back in time...

l would recommend a Datsun 2.2 litre Diesel engine with 5 speed tranny bolted on

That is what l put in the MINI MOVER, a little under powered for the lorry but fit right in

They are very hard to find, they came out of Datsun pick ups that were roting away in the fields

My biggest competitor to finding these were the old order Mennonites who would buy them for stationery engine power, as they wouldn't use electricity , that is when l was living in the K-W area and at that time there were Mennonites all over the place

Big AL

Hmm... I was thinking a Nissan twin turbo V6 running gear from a 90s 300ZX my neighbor has collecting rain through smashed windows!  That way I can do wheelies on the way home when I pick up your broken Minis to bring them back to Cooper Road Mini for some TLC!!

If I emptied my garage, why would I need a Mini Hauler?  I think having a little truck like that would result in more projects finding their way home tho!

Bidding was at $5600 before auction was cancelled by seller.