American Reacts to What it's Like Driving a Classic Mini
Vložit
- čas přidán 22. 12. 2023
- 📦 Want to send me something?
Reacting To My Roots
P.O. Box 439
Jasper, Indiana 47547
USA
In this video I react to seeing what driving a classic Mini is like from a first person perspective. Before I started this journey I knew nothing about the Mini Coper, but I now know just how iconic this classic British car is. I believe the car that is driven in this video is a 1966 Morris Cooper, a beautifully simple automobile that looks like a blast to drive. Driving a classic Mini needs to go on my bucket list!
Thanks for watching. If you enjoyed this reaction please give this video a thumbs up, share your thoughts in the comments and click the subscribe button to follow my journey to learn about my British and Irish ancestry.
👉 Original Video:
• Driving a classic Mini...
👉 Buy me a coffee:
ko-fi.com/reactingtomyroots
👉 Join my channel membership: www.youtube.com/@reactingtomy...
👉 Subscribe to my channel:
/ @reactingtomyroots
The Italian Job 1969 film, shows why the mini is a British icon, watch the film if possible you'll love the mini scenes.
You really need to watch the 1969 film. The Italian Job. Then you will really see what a classic mini can do. No CGI, just pure skill of the drivers. Its a must watch film. Three Mini's racing through Turin.
The small silver bit at the top of the dash is the ashtray. I miss my classic mini, it was great fun to drive but scary on the motorways (freeways) when passing big trucks and you are looking at the center of their wheels.
When I was a Nurse, had a house officer( Junior Doctor) who used to drive a mini- he was 6 foot 8 inches tall! Brilliant little cars 🏴
One of my school friends was the same - 6 foot 6 and owned a Mini. He had to fold himself into it!
@@jamesdignanmusic2765ha ha- this medic would put the seat back as far as possible- think his knees must have been under his chin!
I did wonder if they had set the seats forward to make the car look cramped. The strange camera angle also made the car look smaller than normal.
I was really young but I think I remember John Cleese driving a mini, in an advert for mini or on Faulty Towers….I was single figure age so I may be mis remembering.
😂 We had a family friend almost 2 meter tall and certainly not the slimmest body. His biggest pride was his red/orange Mini. It was his first car and people always laughed when they saw in getting in or - out of that small car. Sweet memories. BTW it had seatbelts and was in the 80s.
I’ve had two original Minis & I can honestly say they were the most fun I’ve ever had out of any of my cars!!
They’re like driving a roller skate, they corner & stick to the road as if they’re on rails, you can do spanner work on them as you would a bicycle.
They’re small but back in the day they didn’t really stand out as there weren’t that many large cars around, these days they stand out as being tiny.
Fond memories ❤️❤️
Until you had to change the bypass
hose.
The door pocket that the driver used to close the door is is a very specific size - Alec Issigonis (the designer) loved to drink Gordon’s gin, the door pocket is sized so that you can get a bottle in there.
Memories of double-declutching. I had a 1966 Morris Minor and had to double-declutch up and down the gears. Fun
I had a 1958 Morris Mino 1000r , and I never had to double declutch , the only thing I had to do was come to as full stop , to put the car into first gear as there was no synchro on that gear
My first car in 1993 was a purple mini from 1975.I got it when i was 16 and loved driving it..
That door "opener" pull cord says it's an early 60's mini. Plus the instrument panel too. Ashtray? Heater vent for screen. Those two can't drive stick shift to save their lives. Clutch is easy. Teenage girls have no trouble. DO NOT, choose the the gear required, drive by engine revs required.
A Mini is the best for tight corners even on hills once you get use to the gears and pedals. Just listen to the engine tune to learn how and when to change gear.
As the car is low to the ground and small, you can feel the turns and every bump in the road, yet it can be very smooth driving as well. This thing won more Rally Races than any other car in history, because it was very good at turning and could stop very quickly. Loved driving my Mini 20+ years ago. Wish I had kept it.
There's no car better to get a new driver used to the way cars handle. You feel so connected to the road you can actually almost feel the texture of the tarmac through the steering wheel. The centre Speedometer made it really easy to make left and right hand drive versions.
This car is definitely a 60's model because of the sliding windows.
The rod used to move the bodyshell around the factory and paint shop went through the speedo hole and a similar hole behind the rear seat.
@@PhiyedoughYes, I remember the plate you could remove behind the speedo. In the 80's a friend of mine bolted on a side draft weber carburettor which poked through that hole so the air filter was actually inside the cab! It got a bit noisy and smelly!
I drove one of these from England to Austria and back with my wife and 2 year old child in the back!! Hell of a journey!!
The 1969 (mk 3) Mini was the first to have wind-down windows instead of sliding windows. So this car is from before 1969.
I’ve owned two minis, they’re fabulous to drive. I’m not sure I’d want to drive one nowadays though because if you got hit by a large modern car you’d be screwed!
If I can ever afford a second car I might get one though. They’re so much fun!
it's a 1966 Mini.
@@RWL2012 So before 1969, as I said.
Australian Mk1 Minis had wind-up windows in 1965. With quarterlights.
@@michaelmclachlan1650 Well then the mini owners club I got the information from is wrong… although to be fair I’m still going to trust them over some random person online. 😉
This is a very early model because it had sliding windows and the wire pull door opener - this is a definite 60’s mini
The Gear Sticks on British Cars are simple and straight forward for British People. The Person Driving this Mini was American so I can understand why he had difficulty.
I think part of the problem is also the double declutching on 1st and 2nd gears.
I learned my basics in a Fiat 500 (the old one), so I had to master the technique. Many people simply can't get the coordination right.
I love mini cars my grandad had one when he passed away he left me it blue
John Wayne drove a mini in a movie he made in London with Richard Attenborough. I think it was called Brannigan. If John Wayne can fiit in one it shows you how deceptive the size was.
it was hilarious seeing them trying to use the gearbox , I used to have a mini and raced it at hill climbs and trust me when you drive it in anger they are super fun and fast as you can carry silly corner speed if its set up well.
My dad is 6ft 3 and he used to drive a mini
I’ve had two original Minis & I can honestly say they were the most fun I’ve ever had out of any of my cars my first was canary yellow with green roof & wheels !!
They’re like driving a roller skate, they corner & stick to the road as if they’re on rails, you can do spanner work on them as you would a bicycle.
They’re small but back in the day they didn’t really stand out as there weren’t that many large cars around, these days they stand out as being tiny.
Fond memories ❤️❤️
I’m 6ft 4in and can happily drive one of these (with headroom to spare) as you practically sit on the floor in the Mini!
The performance versions of this were the Mini Cooper and the Mini Cooper S. The Cooper S had a 1275cc engine instead of the 850cc. It also had twin carbies.
As a kid in the 70's, I lived a few streets away from British wrestling legend Giant Haystack - He drove a mini
No way! That's hilarious. He was enormous! Wide as well as tall. (A very nice man in real life, too, so I hear, even though he was always pitched as the baddie against Big Daddy, who wasn't a nice guy at all, or so I've heard from someone who was wrestling around the same time).
I had a 1967 mini in the late 80's as my first car and it was the best car ever. I used to park up and come back to find the door open, you only had to shuggle the door handle a bit and it opened. I'm assuming it was never nicked because they would get in and not know how to steal it! Push button start on the floor was hidden by a mat, and you had to put the key in the dashboard not the steering column. I easily got 3 grown adults in the car, once we'd welded the front passenger seat floor back in, otherwise it was a bit too Flintstones. Yep, wire string to open the door. The 'heating' was opening the black box under the dash and letting the engine heat in. It was so much fun, you could throw it about everywhere, into any gap. If I ever win the lottery you can keep your Ferrari's and Lambo's this would be my dream car.
The headlamp dipping was sometimes a choice between changing gear or dipping. As the button for that was next to the clutch. I usually chose clutch over blinding the other driver.
Seatbelts have been a requirement in cars I think in the UK and US since 1968. Although in the UK at least, it wasn’t compulsory to use them until 1983.
Based upon the lack of seatbelts, the sliding windows and sparse interior I think this Mini is from the early 60's. Probably one of the 850cc models.
Agree, 1965 or there abouts bar the automatic choke, mune was definitely manual choke, starter button on the floor, A blast to drive, ran on rails
In the UK, any car first used on the public roads on or after 1st Jan. 1965 must have front seatbelts fitted.
It's not an 850, it has a remote shift gearbox. Probably a 998 Super Deluxe, could be a Cooper.
It's not an auto choke. The owner showed the driver where it was & explained it wasn't needed as it had already warmed up.
it's a 1966 Mini.
Watch the 1969 film 'The Italian Job'.
My first car in 1975 was a Mini!
A friend came out of work one day to find that as a prank her Mini had been shrink wrapped 😂
My mum had a mini in the early 80s, you don't know true fear until you've seen a truck wheel 3 inches from your face on a roundabout, and the entire car is vibrating.
@jezlanejl I was being facetious. Obviously being hunted by Lions is scarier than being in a Mini, Jesus Christ.
The first mini was produced in 1959 and gained massive popularity in the 60's. It was a terrific rally car and it won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964. I had one for a few years and it was the most fun car I've ever had, even more than my 50 year old MGB.
I was born in 72, and I remember waiting at the window for 'Nanny Mini Car' to arrive! She lost her husband weeks before I was born ( I was born on Xmas eve,) and she was the best nan ever! She passed away almost 20 years ago, and she is sorely missed. Her little Mini was green, and seeing it come into the cul-de-sac was the most amazing sight for me and my little brother! I remember shouting, 'Nanny Mini Car is here!' Man, I miss those days. She always had a present for each of us, which was in her little suitcase!
P.S - you should see the Bubble Car! My Uncle Nick had one.
Steve, the choke, if you have not experinced, was for cold starts, it was to help with the mixture of fuel and air, you would get the car started, and it would run higher revs, till it warmed then you would slowly push the choke in, it was a bit of a tech to get it right, with out flooding the engine.
best way to describe today, is probably your petrol chain saw or strimmer, which uses a choke on some models to start, just a basic view
My foster dad is wondering if get his ford popular estate welded again as it's so reliable even with manual choke
Lived in the countryside, route home included steep hill with village at its bottom. Got to top of hill, turned off classic mini engine, coasted down hill and on for quite some distance through village in complete silence. Brakes and steering all worked with engine off.
My 2nd car was a mini, I was 18 years old and I loved it.the car in the video looks like a 70s car to me, the earlier models used to have a longer gear leaver, which was shortened in the 70’s. They are a really easy car to drive, and was very popular with learner drivers schools at the time. The car handles so well, because it has a very low centre of gravity, the wheels are literally on each corner of the car with no overhang and the engine and gear box are over the front wheels giving extra grip. The engine would rev to 7,000 but had plenty of pull. I kept shouting and the video telling the driver to change into 4 gear . You will be extremely lucky these day to get to drive one, not that many left in the UK , and the ones that are available even in very poor condition in need of renovation would at least £10,000 about $12,500. You can still buy driving experience days in the Uk where you can get to drive classic mini’s , E type Jaguars and Aston Martins etc.
it's a 1966 Mini.
@@RWL2012I had a red saloon 1966 Mini. It was my first car. I learnt to drive in it. It had a long gear stick. It wasn't syncromesh on first gear. The heater was useless. But I loved it. The radiator froze solid one evening in a snowstorm when I was visiting friends. And I had to walk home. But it was totally fine when it thawed out. As I am only 5ft tall, I had to have a block of wood under the driver's seat to reach the pedals. The seats tilted for rear passengers.
@@susanwestern6434 thanks for sharing 😜
Everything in the classic mini is very exact. Brakes, clutch, accelerator and steering are very precise. Wonderful to drive compared to modern sloppy cars. Drives as if it is on rails.
Gene Reddington Thats a 60s mini .iv'e owned 6 in my life time and had great fun. They when converted to wide wheels and a smaller steering wheel makes it into a super quick car that can out drive any other car , When wide tyers are fitted , they drive like they are on rails with fantastic handling .In years gone by races were won by minis because of handling , check out mini racing on youtube. They were also super economical and go along way on a gallon lol merry xmass to you all love to your wife and daughter bless x
Early 60's very popular and easy car to drive in the 60's . Headlight dip switch was a press button on the floor operated by pressing with your foot .
My Cousin has a Mini Cooper S originally owned by Raymond Baxter (a TV presenter in the 60's-80's ) He was 6'2".
My first car was a Morris Mini Minor 850 (Morris minis were less common. Austin was the usual brand.) This car is a Morris as you can see from the badge on the steering wheel. Mine was made in 66 so it was a year younger than me.
The doors had a rope to pull close and you could put allsorts in the door bins. The gearbox on mine did not go to a junction box like this one. Instead the gear leaver came out from under the dash on an angle and to get into various gears was more of an pull up-push down movement as opposed to the one on this car.
The main beam was a push button on the floor. The indicator stalk had a flashing light at the end. The dashboard was in the middle and saved money when exporting as the dashboard remained exactly the same.
The dashboard had a speedo and fuel gauge in the large circle with temperature and oil pressure in the two smaller circles. More basic models had a smaller single circle dash with speedo and fuel gauge only. No temperature gauge and a warning light for low oil pressure.
The screenwash was a pump button which you had to pump rather than an electric motor. The water was held in a plastic / rubber like bag under the bonnet.
Driving it was exactly like a go kart and it hugged the road. In the bad winters in England in the early 80’s it would glide through the snow.
The blonde guy in the TV series CHiPs had a mini.
My first car was a 1965 mini. I loved that car, it could turn on a sixpence. It had hydraulic suspension! I once had 9 adults in that car (including one in the boot for a drive from one pub to another. On another occasion I had 12 people in and on it but it couldn't quite make it up the hill. I miss that car. xxx
My Dad was over six foot & drove a mini van, my brother & I used to sleep in the back of it on long journeys. Magical memories, thanks. (Had to say....the guy driving it gave me cringes at his changing down...second gear,!?) My daughter has had the same symptoms as you...been quite ill ....covid is definitely about. Hope you all fe4l better soon love & light from South Wales UK 💜🏴🌻
Hey Steve. The classic Mini is an absolute blast to drive. The pedals would probably take you a little practice with as they are very small and close together. This particular model here is not older than 1964, that was the year they went from push button start to a key start, which this one is, also the Gear lever changed, it used to be further forward and was shaped like a dogs rear leg. They changed it for the straight version that comes straight up like this one.
My first car was an original mini…my little orange dream.
It was like a legalised go-kart 😂 sooooo much fun and a dream to park!
Driving an original mini is an absolute hoot. There's nothing like it. They're hugely capable cars and tremendous fun, the joy never wears off.
My mate's first car in 1993 was a mini. Awesome times 😁
@@Rachel_M_ Mum's first car, brand new white mini in the sixties.
Sister's first car, brand new white mini in the nineties.
Brilliant little cars.
@@mickohara7268 friend's first car, battered old mini in the 90's., Maybe with a bit of a crabbing issue. Sound system was worth more 😂..
Missions were always better in a mini 😁
@@Rachel_M_ Hahaha, Betting it' was the subframe. No faults seem to matter in a mini, because they're so titchy and heroic. Completely agree about missions.
@@mickohara7268 your bet would be correct 😉 .. She got 3 years out of it before it went too far on piss 😂
Yes, that looks like a early-mid 60's Mini of the Austin ilk, most probably an 850cc.
My first car was a 1964 Austin Mini 850. Although when I bought it, it was already 12 years old. It was great fun!
Steve. My first car was a yellow mini I bought of my old Woodwork teacher’s son in 1969. It was a great car to drive but a bit of a rust bucket. I kept it for 3 years but there was no way it was going to pass it’s next MOT (the MOT is an annual test of all cars to ensure it’s roadworthy, for every car over 3 years old). It had the dreaded Tin Worm really bad, I had no choice but to scrap it. I had a set of Pirelli Cinturatos tyres and it handled like a scalded cat.
You really need to see the 1969 film “The Italian Job”, 3 minis, red, white & blue rob the Fiat’s bullion and a great chase ensues through Turin and the suburbs and up into the Swiss Alps. The later film is no where near as good. In the original film look out for the most repeated line, “I said just blow the bloody doors off!”
Our Police had them as beat patrol cars, usually white but some were very light blue and white. Nicknamed PANDA Cars. Better than the bicycles they had.
Most fun you can have in a little car. Three engine sizes, 850cc, 1000cc and 1275cc. They were all good and reliable if looked after.
My girlfriend whilst at senior school drove a 1961 Mini. It was a hoot to drive. Whilst at uni, my grandad died and left me his Morgan V8 Roadster. If you like the Mini, you'll have a life-changing experience driving the Morgan V6 for which I changed the V8 in 2005. My daughter now drives it with over 450,000 on the clock and still a dream to drive.
A Morgan? You lucky git!
I’m turning green with envy. I presume that your grandfather’s car was one of the wooden framed cars that pre-dated the tubular steel bodied/skinned with aluminium. What was the engine that was used and what was the gearbox make.?
My brother had a mini in the late sixties, he used to pick up from school sometimes. I loved that car.
I only ever drove one to the local shop and back but came back laughing!
Great fun.
Mum had a 1959 original mini…quirky and kinda fun. It felt faster than expected. The steering was direct and instant. High beam was on a floor switch by the clutch peddle and the starter was a push button on the floor. I still have her original registration plate on my car.
The Mini was introduced in 1959. This is the first version of the car so I would say 1960s. There was no synchromesh on 1st gear in those days so you had to double de-clutch to down shift. Later Mini's had wind-down windows and door handles. There was no dash as that was an open shelf in front of the driver with just the central console with the speedo and switches. Seatbelts came in late 1960s but were not compulsory for many years.
This is a 1966 Mini (your previous Mini video had a much later 1992 Mini).
The sliding windows were replaced with wind-up windows in 1969, so you got the right idea with 60s.
In the UK, seat belts did not have to be fitted to new cars (and cars made from 1965 onwards) until 1968, and they did not have to be worn until 1983.
This being a left-hand-drive 1966 example though, I'm not sure of the reason for it not having seat belts.
My first car was a Mini in 1966. I bought it new. It was a van and the heater and passenger seat were extras! Vans were cheaper as they didn't have purchase tax.
I started driving in '69 and my first three cars were classic Minis (I was 250lbs but only 5'7"). This looks to be mid to late Sixties. It has the central binnacle and switches, the cable door handles and the non-self-cancelling turn signal of the early Minis but the the key start and remote gear change of the later cars. The original 'pudding stirrer' gear change was a long rod that went through the firewall and directly into the gearbox. This required a lot of movement to change gears, if you didn't warn your girlfriend that you were selecting second she might insist that you had to marry her ;-)
The 850's were huge fun, so low to the ground and so loud and bumpy. You really felt you were driving. And you could do most of the servicing right in the street. Drive one side up on the kerb and there was enough space underneath to slide under to get at the oil change or ball joints. To work on the engine you disconnected everything, undid the bolts on the subframe and two people could lift off the body and wheel it away on the rear wheels. Or for top engine servicing just remove the bonnet (hood). Single SU carb, dynamo with mechanical voltage regulator. No fancy electronics unless you fitter your own radio. Great cars :-)
They also used to make a "Classic" Mini van, a Mini Estate car (a van with back seats and windows) and a Mini pick-up truck. The Police used the cars and vans. The original Mini doors were hollowed out on the inside for extra space. As they did not have to accommodate roll down windows.
I had a 1968 Morris Mini Countryman, which had decorative woodwork on it. Some of the estates had woodwork, and some didn't. It looked similar to the Morris Minor estate.
I think the gauges on the centre consul are speedometer, oil pressure and water temperature. I think it’s the battery charge in front of the bloke on the rights knee.
There is also a manual choke.
The string “wire” is for pulling out the door latch to open the door.
As to the punchy acceleration, it has a lower than 1000cc engine but don’t forget it doesn’t way much.
memories of hotboxing a mini in a blizzard on a remote highland road with a big strobe light strapped to the front. it was like star wars. the hood was held down with rubber toggles, and would pop open randomly creating quite a hullaballoo
Your comment that it reminds you of a go kart is right, I learned to drive in one but a more modern version, the dash had been changed to being in front of the driver, I also learned on its replacement the metro, the shape and interior really didn't change much just updating the interior like I said wind up windows, a different front end for the clubman model a estate version and a van version of the estate. It was also a rally car as well it won many races.
From my experience with my old mini (a rotten tin can) that looks like a 1964 onwards, this is when they changed from the older curved gear selector and went from a push button to a key starter
This was my first car. What I remember the most about it was how scary it was driving next to a lorry😅
The driving seat areas of Minis and other little cars are usually spacious enough to take a pretty tall person. I'm about 6 foot 2 and my first car was a Mini.
I am 5ft, so as the whole seat tipped forward, I had a block of wood under it so I could reach the pedals.😂
😊 Steve, I dont know if you've seen 'IWRocker' on his Reaction channel here on YT but he (Ian) has driven a left-hand drive Mini car...and I think he's really tall, like 6'4" or 6' 5" but he managed just fine and I know he's what we Brits call a real "Petrolhead" really into all kinds of motor vehicles, trucks (lorries) of different types, emergency services / first responders etc, so you may find his channel of interest, especially as he loves the Mini 🇬🇧, (and the Citroen 🇫🇷, a French car too!)😊 ❤️🖖
I had a Mini 1000. In th 1980s. Needed a peg to hold the choke out and got as you could see the road through a spot in the floor and stopped when i drove through a puddle. Put a rubber glove on the distributor cap to keep it dry. But i LOVED my little Emma. You could turn round on a ten pence piece
I think Paddy Hopkirk's performance in the Monte Carlo rally with a mini tells us a lot about why drivers love a mini.
My first car was a 1960 mini van, with what was referred to as a Magic Wand gear lever, came straight out of the back of the gearbox unlike the car in the video which has a remote change, the starter button was on the floor by the handbrake, the dipswitch for the headlights was a button on the floor by the brake pedal, sliding windows, cord to open the doors, dead easy and light clutch! The car in the video is from about 63-68 so early! Handling was like no other, definitely like a go cart! If you want more power and speed, a 1275 Cooper S will show you how a mini can go! A tip, if your in neutral and need to go into first, pull back into second then into first! I did that for so many years, I find I still do it in my modern car!
Oh yes the choice between braking or dipping the headlights. I remembered wrongly, I thought it was the clutch side.
@@susanwestern6434my mistake, you are correct! That’ll teach me to check my comments!
The thing above the speedo is an ash try. Everybody smoked. My dad had a mini. Six of us once drove to the seaside, I was six years old. I sat on a plank between the front seats. Dad told me when to change gear..
This is a very early mini, it has the Austin cars shield on the steering wheel boss, sliding windows and exterior door hinges. The 2 gauges either side of the speedo are water temperature and oil pressure. This particular car does not have a heater, in the very early days it was an optional extra! Mini's were a clever design, small on the outside but lots of space on the inside, this was achieved by turning the engine so it was transverse and diving the front wheels hence no transmission tunnel , a flat floor and a relatively high roof line a 6 foot plus person can easily drive a mini.
Handling is superb, it goes round corners like it's on rails because the wheels are right on the corners of the car. Alex Issigonis was a genius designer.
I believe I’m right in saying that they put all the instruments in the middle of the dash so that they could keep cost down by not having to produce different right- and left-hand drive versions.
My first car was a MK1 mini 1963, to start it you switched on the ignition with the key and pressed down the solenoid button situated on the floor to power the starter motor. Hydro elastic suspension what was quite hard, great for cornering at high speed.
I have had a total of three Minis over the years.
Cabin heater was a optional extra.
Best car ever made, I had two of these cars....its early 60s because of the draw string opening...I just love these cars..
As a youngster my Dad had a mini that I still remember the number plate for to this day - HHC 492. That puts it at pre '63 . Mum had her own too and I have fond memories of helping my Dad who did all his own servicing - well I pumped the brakes when they needed bleeding! We went on regular holidays from Bath to Teignmouth in Devon (around 110 miles) in the days before the M5 was a thing, with our luggage strapped to a roof rack as the boot was tiny, and me and my two brothers in the back. Thanks for bringing back such fond memories. Merry Christmas to you all 🎄
My first car Mini MLL916D. Red Austin Mini saloon.
I had a mini about 30 years ago. My late husband was given it by his friend as a project because it wasn't running at the time. He was very good with cars and he got it working, spruced it up etc. It was like being in one of those roller-coaster cars when you were driving it. I think it was registered 1984. Not exactly a family car. We had 3 kids and did a private swap for a Ford Granada. A big family car. The mini was a novelty but was packed to the rafters when 4 of us had to go out in it. A very tiny boot as well. You could only fit a small suitcase in. 😂
The 1st car I owned was a classic mini countryman ie opening back doors, trimmed in wood , what we would call an estate car in any other car but , unique to the mini it was called a Countryman ! I loved her, called her Harriet (the chariot) 😂
Mine was a shade they called Almond Green. I called it Sophie as it had SPH as part of the number plate. 1968.
My first car was a mk 4 850cc Mini, had Wolfrace 10in wheels, bucket seat, small steering wheel and nudge bar with 4 spot lamps. Was so much fun to drive and didn’t need to brake for corners, being front wheel drive was great in the snow but had to watch out for flooded roads😂
They are great fun inhave driven one about 20 years ago, they rot like mad 😢
This is a very early model, I had a 1966 Mini and it was fitted out more like the cars you would have seen, proper door handles and the rest, but what was interesting was the car had a Positive Earth set up not the normal Negative earth, don't know why? I hed my Mini when I was in my early 20's in the mid 70's and just loved it and is still my favorite car. I am 6ft and was about 15Stn back then and could fit in quite easily. The best thing about this car was the handling and how Hand Brake turns were a real treat.
My 1966 Mini earthed through the accelerator cable one night going home. It was stuck doing more than 35mph along twisty narrow Devon lanes. Terrifying, but I made it home in one piece. I couldn't change down the gears as I wasn't able to slow down. 1970s. No phone boxes for miles.
Yep it’s exactly like driving a go kart!! Much fun throwing it round corners on country lanes 😅
The central speedometer/instrument panel, combined with the huge steering wheel and indicators that didn’t self cancel, and were inaudible when driving, used to mean I often couldn’t see the flashing light which meant that the indicator was still operating. But while Minis were basic, seat of the pants driving, it was so much fun. I sold mine when I was expecting my first baby in 1991, and I still miss that car. Luckily for me, my 23yr old daughter has a 1997 Mini Cooper and sometimes lets me drive it 😊
My mum had one when I was a child, it was bright orange, was bored out to 1000 cc and mum used it to go rally driving, good old days. It was also a right hand drive. I think this is the MK1 built between 1959 and 1967.
I had a 1975 Mini as my first car, only the 1000cc version so it wasn’t very quick. It was a fun drive but thinking back to it makes me realise how far we have come. When it was cold or wet it was a pain to start, the heater was useless at de-misting the wind screen, and I had to manually pump the water for the windscreen washers with a button on the dash (Before I fitted an electric pump). Still it was a great first car and it made you had learn about car maintenance for sure :)
From the position of those side mirrors this is most likely a Mark 1 Mini so that means it will be between 1959 and 1967. These WERE road legal Go Carts!! They were noisy, had rock hard suspension and sprung seats so you bounced around when you hit bumps. This is a car you either loved or hated to drive. I love Minis! These are road legal Go-Carts.
Once you figured out the "Crash" gearbox you have to drive it like you stole it! Minis were designed for British roads so 55mph on a Freeway is terrifying!! Get it on a tight, narrow, winding back country road and these little cars really come to life!
The clutch was usually heavy but to add to that the gearbox didn't have a thing called a "Synchromesh". This is an extra set of teeth on each gear to allow for a smoother, easier gear shift. All modern vehicles have them now.
If you love Minis so much you have to watch _The Italian Job (1969)_ starring Michael Caine. You'll love them even more.
Steve, the Classic Mini was a 1960s model, and you’re right about it being similar to a go-kart in terms of driving. They are very nippy through gears and fun to drive, although top speed would probably be about 70 mph. If driven on long journeys on a hot day and especially in heavy traffic, they would have a tendency to overheat. A few years ago there were competitions to see how many people could fit in a Mini with the car actually being driven (a short distance). I believe the record was 17 people. The person driving the Mini in your video, in my mind, didn’t have a clue in how to operate the clutch and gear changes.
As someone has already commented, watch the 1969 movie version The Italian Job 😊
Vivid memories of going over Pennies on the M62 in early hours in one of these 60's Minis with the chord door pull and the sliding windows. You are so close to the ground, all the coloured cats eyes... it was like low flying in a Victorian space ship. Impossible to forget.
Had a few mini’s in the 70s and they were like driving a go cart so close to the ground that when you were doing 50 mph it felt like you were going at 100 mph lol and it was brilliant for doing handbrake turns
My first car was a Mini, I loved it. It was much more luxurious than this model though. This looks like a very early model more of a classic car. They are quick and easy to drive and maneouver, can go places others cannot. The early ones had problems with the sub frame rotting.
Your really need to watch the Michael Cain film 'The Italian Job', he and his gang carry out a heist using a fleet of Mini's.
I am 6ft 3 and I fitted in one as passenger back in the early 80s, remember us during handbrake turns on the local beach.
My first car in 1969 was a Mini, an October 1959, it was red with white roof. It had a floor mounted starter solenoid, it also had a had a straight thruu Woom-bahhh exhaust straight out the centre, which sounded magnificent.
Sadly the car was a rusty heap of pooh, but I loved it. Very exciting to drive. Always wanted a Mini-Cooper but never did.
My wife drove the real mini made in William Morris factory in the Midlands. My son has a Christmas pudding factory called georgeporgiespuddings. When he first started the business his van broke down so he asked if he could borrow his mums mini. We said he could but only for going back and forwards to his factory and he was not to load it up with puddings. Well what did he do he stacked her tiny mini from floor to ceiling and from the front seat and floor to the ceiling as well to deliver to a local shop. You can guess it he crashed the car and had to be cut out of the car by removing the roof. Well we were never so pleased that he did pack it with puddings because the fire service and the police said that the puddings saved his life as they held him in rigid when he crashed. Both the fire service and the police were given Christmas puddings that year as a small thank you for what they did.
The “dash “ in your example is the slightly later deluxe version with an oil and temperature gauge either side of the speedometer. The original had just a speedometer. The starter button was on the floor by the driver’s seat. Similarly with the ashtray. The doors were opened with a cable that gave you more room in the door so you could have a big door pocket. A 6’5” person would fit - certainly as a 6’ person I fitted just fine.
There was no synchromesh on first gear (that was common on most cars of that time so once off the mark you tended to treat second as first!! )
The thing with the original mini with its 850cc engine was not that it was fast - it wasn’t- but it had amazing handling.
That’s probably an early 60s mini - not that I ever saw them in yellow!!
Those guys are making really hard work of driving that poor car!!! Why on earth didn’t he use fourth??
No the clutch is fine - those guys were just making hard work of it
Seatbelts became compulsory in the U.K. In 1982 but were generally fitted from mid 60s on.
You say they were like a go cart to drive and that’s a good description!!!
The latest BMW Mini is nothing like that. My wife had a new Mini Cooper S in 2021 and it was awful. She only kept it a few months. Bought an MX5 (Miata). That was brilliant.
I has a 1969 mkII 998cc minivan. it was the 1st to have synchro on 1st. It was also the 1st minivan to feature a passenger seat and heater as standard
No it's a fuel gauge and water temp gauge. Oil temp was generally only fitted as original on the Coopers.
Paddy Hopkirk winning the Monte Carlo Rally three times in a Mini also helped its popularity
When I was a teenager long, long ago, the Bishop of Whitby had a Mini. He was 6 feet 5 inches (?) tall.
I had a B reg mini 1965 I think, identical interior but a right hand drive. Distributer was in front of the engine, it cut out in heavy rain, had to keep it covered, the suspension was called hydro elastic I think, during a service they would pump it up, Had to have it pumped up a couple of other times. Pretty easy to work on, apart from a small hose that connected the water pump to the cylinder head, a so-and-so to fit. It only had two throttle positions off and fully open. As for the size of person who could get in a Mini. I played rugby with a second row forward who stood 6' 5 " 6'7" and shoulders to match, he had a Mini Cooper S.
Steve my last mini was a rally cross racing mini that my husband re-shelled and put back onto the road. It was still full spec race engine and there was nothing more satisfying than being sat at the lights with a couple of young men revving their engines next to me ( me being old) than to leave them standing when the lights changed lol.
The mini your looking at looks late 60’s early 70’s basic model, 4 gears + reverse.
See if you can find the Lenny Henry sketch in which he plays a US detective called Nathan Gunn visiting the UK and has difficulty getting into a classic mini.
Hi Steve. I commented on your last mini video - I had the 1988 Red Hot Mini with the 6 ft 6 inch tall boyfriend. The 1988 version had bucket seats which helped with him fitting in. 😂. Yes, the mini in this video is an early one - I would guess 1960's as my Mum had a mini van when she was pregnant with me - in 1974 - and it was 2nd hand when she and my dad purchased it (they used to take the family camping - hence van for the gear). The dash/doors/windows/controls of the mini in this video are all the same as on the van. One marked difference - the van had LEATHER door hinges! Only reason I know that is one of the doors fell off the van when my Mum was pregnant- she had to sling the door in the back and drive home. Dad had the hinges replaced with metal ones after that. No kiddies car seats or seat belts back then - I remember as a young child sitting on the spare wheel in the back when we went out. 😂.
Steve, i'm 6'3" and 250lbs and was surprised that i fitted quite comfortably into the classic mini.
if i could drive i think i'd be looking for one to own. that mini looks 70's to me.
That’s an early 60s mini by the windows doors and other features hinges on the outside of the door is also a giveaway. I had a 1972 mini in the 80s it was brilliant fun to drive, reasonably comfortable and I wasn’t small .
My mum and dad had a classic mini when i was a child in the early 90s as well as a mk5 ford cortina. I always looked forward to going places in the mini. I think it was primarily my mums car.
With the windows and door opening cord I would say this is a mark 2 up to 1968, the van carried on with same windows up until about 1972 . The gear change is something to get used to , 68 onwards were mark 3 had wind up windows