Hello all,
A bit long but please bare with me.

Im new to the mini world and have a few questions! Firstly, I have aqcuired what I think to be a 85 Mini Ritz. I would like to restore it to as close as original as possible.

My only problem is, I dont have access to the car at the moment, and the car looks to be originally Cream/off white in color with leather seats. I know the Ritz came in Metalic Silver only, with a "plush" fuzzy interior. Seeing as this car would be one in 2,200, I doubt I just so happened to stumble upon it. But when I registered the car, the Title showed 1985 Mini Ritz. I'm kind of in a predicament here, hoping a somewhat rare Mini Ritz ran me over, and also praying its not just a regular 1985 Mini because of its color and interior. The garage it is being stored at while I am away is taking a look at my paint codes and VIN to verify what it truly is.

Now, secondly,

If this car is indeed a 1985 Mini "Ritz", I will want to restore it to as close as possibly to its original specifications. (minus the engine I am planning on dropping in, more in a second)
The question is, does anyone know of ANY suppliers that specialize in original interiors? I am looking for reclining mini seats, with the muliticolor design the ritz came with. Or even a seat Company that specializes in custom Mini seats. Also, where would be a good place to acquire the red pinstripe w/ "Ritz" logo on it?

Lastly,

I also think I might have stumbled upon a 1994 John Cooper GrandPrix with the beefed up 1275, opening rear quarter windows, and leather interior. My only problem is, again, the car is not accessible for at least a month and the car would have to be one in 34. It is currently British racing green with white stripes on the hood and an italicized "John Cooper" on the hood. Also, the car was being reworked when i acquired it so it no longer has its leather seats or dash.

Before I realized what I had (hopefully) stumbled upon, I went ahead and sent the Ritz to a body shop to be restored while I am away for work related purposes for 4 months. The interior is not part of this stage of my plan so I have a bit of time on that. But, when I get back from this work trip, I plan to take the nice 1275 engine out of the 1994 car, rebuild it and drop it into the ritz.

Does this seem like a good plan? Am I wasting the 1275 because its not being kept in its possibly One of 34 cars? Or would it be safe to say that I can go ahead with this plan of stealing the 1275 out of the 94 "grand prix"?

Also, my original deciding factor in restoring one of these two cars is the main fact that one day I will be returning to the states, and the 85 is all too perfect for that. Its the right year and was in much better condition than the 94 "grand prix". And again, the chances of this being a "grand prix" is pretty much nill considering one in 34 is hard to come by haha!

Hopefully soon I will have confirmation of each of these cars, but until then I guess I'm just crossing my fingers.


Sorry for the length! Hopefully I can catch a few good suggestions, hints or tips!
Thanks!
Paul

 

Here's a couple links with some info about the Mini Ritz and John Cooper GrandPrix.

http://www.malaysiaminilover.com/mini-mk5-mkv-1985-1991

http://www.malaysiaminilover.com/min...mkvi-1992-1997

My guess is the GrandPrix is going to have some special badging or something that distinguishes it as such.

What leads you to believe the GrandPrix is in fact a GrandPrix? Does it have all the other bits that it should have?

 

Well,

A little more digging leads me to believe the Grand Prix is definetly not a Grand prix. They only came with injected engines, and the 1275 in my Mini is not injected. It does look like the Grand prix on the second site you posted, with the same paint scheme, stripes, and wheels. Although it does not have the 4 fog lamps. It is kind of wierd though, the Mini 35 was supposed to have the opening rear quarter windows, which my mini has. Seems this car was either majorly reworked, or in the process of being reworked. I will have to run the VIN when I get home.

The ritz I am certain is really a ritz, unless someone swapped the VIN number on it, which is not uncommon but still hard to come by. Like i said though, the title does show 1985 Austin Mini Ritz.

Thank you for the response!
Paul

 

Don't forget to check the wiper motor and the boot latch for date stamps. It's not the end-all final word, but it can help if you're trying to piece together authenticity.