An American in Brighton You may recall in an ancient issue of Mini Tech News, the picture of a strange chap in a hat, caught at a Californian Mini meet. the caption of 'Would you buy a used car from this man?' was particularly cruel, as Donald Racine Esq. is, in fact, the American agent for Mini Spares, with his Mini Mania shops based on the western and eastern seaboards of the United States. Read more
Northern Exposure Mini Spares North, the expanding northern arm of Mini Spares Centre, will be expanding still further before Christmas. After 9 months of operation, we are pleased to report that sales from our northern operation in Harrogate have exceeded all expectations. Manager Neil Booth is seen here, absorbing the finer details of his store's performance, against the local competition. Read more
Serious Rallying Success advertising it's called. Making the most of your victories, no matter how significant, by shouting about them very loudly. The formula Is simple: Get yourself a car that can finish, driven by someone reliabllsh, turn up and win your class, then shout about It from the rooftops. Read more
Wheel of Fortune If there is one aesthetic accessory that commands more debate, confusion, and disappointment it has to be the wheel. Since the inception of the Mini, if any manufacturers have produced a vast array of different designs and' sizes of wheel rim.Many are now defunct, although some of the rims still surface through garage clearouts and the like .. Many of the rims specifically made for the Mini generally fit with no problems, others have been adapted from a rim made for another vehicle. Read more
Archi-Types While we were compiling the arches page for the new Parts and Accessories catalogue (it will happen soon honest), we came across some interesting arch pictures, together with explanations: Bodywork has to be cut away for extra large wheels to be fitted, and wheel arches can also be modified as the fibreglass arches cover large areas.Some of these kits have ended up on road cars (might be illegal) but most are fitted to out and out racers on either space frame bodies or superlight shells. Read more
Mini Spares Centre News Two big rally stories have broken for this issue:- Our man Trevor Godwin's magnificent finish in 1000 Lakes rally (2nd in class, 42nd overall), puts those processional wins in the British Championships into perspective. He was competing against a class field in a seriously tough international event. Good on you Trevor, and Good Luck on the RAC! Read more
Min Comp Musings Well, the MINCOMP/MINI MANIA Mini ran at the national races held at Willow Springs Raceway over the memorial day weekend where it was severely hot. Not the hottest it has been, but still damn hot. I am quite pleased with the way the car ran. Read more
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.... Read more
Rally and Race This very basic looking adjustable suspension cone was sent to us by an Australian company who have been producing them by the bucket load since the mid 80s. At minimal cost, the bolt and nut are as basic as the casting, but function perfectly. In Australia, cars are tested (Mon to check that all corner heights of the suspension are equal and this is the cheap fix. As customers say: "You can't see the part under normal circumstances, and it keeps the car on the road"! It looks a very primitive pre-runner to all the types that have appeared on the European Market! Read more
Championship win for Nick Swift All fame is relative. Read more
8-Port EFI on the Italian Job When Mini World's Editor, Mike Askew tested our 8-port EFI Mini this summer, he was most impressed, not to say relieved that the car was so reliable compared to others he had tried. He was being a good boy by visiting his mum in the West Country, and the last thing he wanted was grief on the 303. Read more
Mincomp Musings Tested in the U.S.A. WILD BILL HICCUP AT NATIONAL RUN-OFFS Well ... This year's runoffs have come and gone, held this year at the Mid-Ohio raceway in place of the usual and much more familiar Road Atlanta in Georgia. I guess the best way to go into this story is to just start at the beginning. PRACTICE ... In Saturdays unofficial practice, Joe Huffaker Jnr. clicked off some lap times under the lap record driving Mike Kearney's Fortech Mini. Read more
Accessories after the facts The new Mini Spares Parts and Accessories Catalogue is well underway, with over 100 colour photographs"'already taken by ace lenseman David Darby (seen here flooding my photograph with light from his flash). Read more
Calver's Clinic Got a problem with your Mini? Well drop our Techncal Editor, Keith Calver, a line here at Mini World and we'll do our best to get you back on the road. Keith Calver has confirmed the faith of the Mini competition Mini. No doubt Mini World staff will Spare's selectors, by becoming Technical Editor have to give up their weekends for the onerous of Mini World magazine. duty of competing in Hillclimbs, Rallies, etc. His regular Calvers Clinic appears in Mini Glyn Swift,.... Read more
Cooper Body Shell The Heritage specialists fit a shell at the Classic Car show at the N.E.C. Only the latest type production bodyshells are available from Rover, who in their infinite wisdom have reduced the price from £1 ,700 to £950, which may help keep a few more cars on the road. Read more
NEW PARTS CATALOGUE By combining the AKM 2 Mechanical Parts catalogue with the AKM 3 Body Parts catalogue Read more
Calver's Clinic COOKING OIL This engine oil thing seems to have caught people's attention - which is good as there is nothing like awareness of what is good for your engine. Having done the 'Life Blood' article in Minitech News 6, and what oils to avoid in Mini Tech News 7. Read more
8-Port EFI Developement Programme (update) Following on from Keith Calver's excellent 8-Port development work Read more
Keeping Your Cool This is the time of year when people suddenly wake up to the fact that it is getting mighty cold, and had therefore better do something about the car's cooling system before it freezes up.... Read more
Cable Fault Finding Yes, Myk Cable had a miserable 1994 season by his standards. The three times Mini Miglia champion's expectations were high after a self-imposed year lay off. His 1293 spec had tested well in Spain, and he had been quietly confident that the 1994 engine was as good as any he had built before, and certainly as competitive as any of the others. Read more
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