Engineering Success

A little bit about us, and what we are about!
Mini Spares Centre Ltd is the holding company for the following companies:-

• Competition Silencers
• International Ltd
• Minilife Ltd
• Special Tuning Ltd
• Leyland Special Tuning Ltd
• Special Tuning Abingdon Ltd
• Mini Spares Ltd
• Network Hardware Ltd

Mini Spares Ltd, the engineering division, holds BS5750 approval IS09002, but most of our turned machined products are subcontracted out to specialists. ie. Gears are made by
specialist gear makers, brake calipers and brake discs by specialists in that field.
All parts that are safety critical are tested to extreme limits. ie. Lower negative camber arms are heat treated and crack tested.
Performance parts are tried and tested on designated racers, or our own staff cars.
For well over a year,a set of roller tip rockers without bushes have been run on Keith Calver's and Gary Pattinson's engines.
Deleting the bush would not drastically change the unit price, but as hardened alloy seems to wear well on Motor manufacturers cars such as Ford, it seemed a natural progression.
During the period of use a new rocker shaft was fitted ,as it showed signs of wear at engine rebuild time. With this proof of reliability on a road tuned engine, the time has come to try it
on a well tuned or rally engine.
Another part which underwent the same crucial testing and production delay was the cross pin differential. A few companies who had seen and heard of the project ,manufactured a differential unit which consequently failed and gave the part a bad reputation.
The reason we had not manufactured the differential at that time,was because it would never last unless certain technical changes were incorporated. The first differentials were used in the Monte Carlo Minis and a few special stage cars in 1993, and proved to be working 100%.  The next target was to produce then not quite as elaborate ,and much cheaper.
The new specification model was tested up until Summer 1994 and proved perfect, but the word was still around concerning another similar type of differential that constantly failed.
We now had a twin concern:-
i) to get word about that ours was fine and
ii) to copyright the design to safeguard all our work, testing and funding.
All of this was done in October 1994 and since then they have been used in Mini Miglia cars and sporting events without failure, with average sales of 12 per month.
Our other big concern other than quality of parts, is the supply problem. Since the recession ,many large and small companies have either disappeared or changed trading techniques, or stock holdings, and increased prices in line with raw materials, such as rubber and alloy.
The biggest problem we have is getting a steady regular flow of certain parts,so a further programme of re-tooling and new suppliers is taking place. Companies who have become poor
in supply or quality are being replaced by better equipped, more efficient companies who honour their delivery times and new tooling, paid for in some cases to improve quality or speed of production. An example of this is the roller tip rocker which is now made from an extrusion,creating less machinery times,which makes up for the extra material cost of alloy. As we sell 25 sets eveIY month ,it means we can hold the price steady and supply for demand for six months at least.
New parts or parts that have been unavailable for a long time ,we now have in stock :-
27H7880
Hardy 5picer coupling assembly as used on Cooper 'S' driveshaft and racing differentials for remote control type gearboxes.
2A3601
Clutch return spring anchor on clutch arm pre Verto.
11G176
Blanking sleeve for replacing thermostat in hot conditions.
14A7608
R/H rear door seal for Mini van and estate.
C-AJJ3316
Group 2 works arches for use with chrome moulding and fit better than most available in this particular style.
C-AEG620
Ultralight flywheel with correct ring gear for using a pre-engaged starter.
8B12507
MKl/3 grille using the original Austin wavy slats from the MK 1 design.
37H61 00
MK 1 wiper wheel box.
We also make a few parts for the Sprite,such as limited slip differential, gear sets, layshafts rear hub conversion kit to 2 bearings.