I was in the garage cleaning out my tool box and my son had picked up my feeler gauge. He asked me what it was for, and I demonstrated the different thickness sleeves and that I used it to set the points on the MG I used to have.
"What are points?" he asked, and it suddenly struck me how much time I used to spend puttering around in the garage doing these little maintenance chores on my cars that are totally unknown to most young drivers today. We simply get in and turn the key and go.But I remember the jokes we used to tell around the parts store where we used to congregate on Saturday mornings... Why do Englishmen drink warm beer? a FIAT owner would ask a Triumph driver... Because they all have Lucas refridgerators! was the reply from the back of the store where they were aligning and tightening the spokes on a wire wheel.
The British were the Kings of the sports car world back then, Triumphs, MGs, Austin Healeys, and the rare and beautiful Lotus, but the all required constant maintenance. Adjusting twin sidedraft SU carburettors, refilling shock absorbers with oil, filing and adjusting points and plugs, adjusting rear drum brakes, setting valve clearances. All these things we used to do, just to have fun on Sunday morning at the Autocross. These things were many times done in the back parking lot of the parts store where the owner would usually give you advise and lend you his tools, along with the 10 or 15 other guys that were standing around drinking Cokes and bench racing. Every time you got in your car was an adventure, wondering if it would start when you turned the key, and how far would it go before it died by the side of the road. No wonder we went in groups!
But thats all gone now, cars last more than 100,000 miles, we get more miles out of an oil change than we used to out of a valve job, and we do our bench racing on a computer at the speed of light with people around the world.
This little MINI that I've had for 2 years brings all of that back for me, oh, not the reliability issues, but the fun I used to have, the camaraderie I enjoyed so much. That when I mention the sweet spot at 4300 rpm, you all know what I'm talking about and have felt it too. This is what I enjoy about this website and it is why this will be the closest I will get to making a political statement on these forums. I leave that world behind when I log on and I hope that I can bring some joy, or thoughtful discussion to these forums, about the MINI and motoring enjoyment. I doubt that any of you could change my political views, or that I could change yours, these are things that are developed through life experience and in most cases are based on core beliefs that will not be altered by e-mail or epithets.
Now, if you will excuse me, I have whitworth wrenches to sort and clean.
Motor On

 

Sigh. Yep, those were the good old days. I worked in a foreign parts store in the early 70s and sold many a British car part. I knew many of the part numbers by heart.

A big surprise was when there was a Mini station wagon behind the store one day when I arrived. It had broken down the previous night and they'd had it towed there so they could get the parts to fix it.

Lucas electronics and Girling hydraulics...

My wife laughed at me when I opened the bonnet of the MINI in the showroom to make sure there were no Lucas parts anywhere.

 

Remember the Lucas motto " Home before dark " Great post !

 

I never went anywhere in my GT6 without a tool kit, a quart of oil and other assorted spare parts. Can't remember how many times the speedometer cable broke.

The worst scare I got was once while driving down a country road out in the middle of Nowhere, Wisconsin, I looked in the mirror and could see nothing but blue smoke; my heart practically stopped. It turned out to be an overtightened oil filter canister and the gasket had worked itself out blowing oil onto the exhaust pipe. That quart of oil came in handy that day.

I agree, the memories of the joys of motoring are alive in the soul of the MINI. It's British my name, not by nature.

 

Great Post! I've had a jag XJS and a Triumph Spitfire. I trully loved both cars even though it cost on average $1,000 to open the hood of the Jag and that was doing all work myself. You haven't lived until you change all 12 plugs on a Jag V12. I allways referred to the spitfie as the funnest piece of crap I ever owned! My friends found me stranded enough times to start calling it the S#it Fire! I still believe Lucas to be the Prince of Darkness. And one more tip: You can uprate your old lever arm shocks by filling them with heavier weight motorcylce fork oil.:smile:

 

Quart? LOL. I had a case of Castrol GTX 20-50 in my TR6. Toolkit, some wire and a flashlight.

Would I trade my Mini for a mint TR6? In a heartbeat. But I dont have to do that, just waiting to start restoring my TR6.

Crazy tools? THe carb synchronizer tool. Crazy procedures? Removing the steering column to change the oil. (Done religiously 3k miles), Tried to get jiffy lube to do it. Nope


Paul

 

How about removing the air conditioner compressor to change two of the plugs on the jag motor. My jag once just died and I diagnosed that the ignition module had burnt out. Of course the module box said Lucas on it . The dealer wanted almost $500 for a new one. I opened the box and found a GM module inside:smile: . I went to the local parts store and bought a new one for $35.

The Spitfie had a bad habit of spinning rod bearings, so the tools I brought along didn't help much. What I needed was a bigger trunk that could hold an engine hoist.

 

:smile: Lovely post and new thread, MINISQL! Well, let me just mention I owned a 1972 Fiat 128 Wagon.....bought it brand-new and drove it until 1984!!!

Fortunately, I met hubby in 1978, and he is a brilliant mechanic who kept Sofiat going, way beyond her "natural" life! HA HA HA!!! Pesky little overheating hatchback....but I loved her dearly, and rue the day I sold her for $300 at a garage sale! LOLOLOL!!!

Clo/Wanda

 

funny and quaint ha! ha! ha!
I'll have you know that mah proper race car (as good a time to casually drop it in that ah WON an SCCA NATIONAL at Mid Ohio last weekend)gets to have those wonderful maintenence chores EVERY race weekend....to wit:

Set the f..... points.....or check them....once a weekend.
Set the f..... valves.......TWICE a weekend
Adjust the g...d...d brakes.....FRONT AND REAR......twice a weekend.....
Funny ha ha.......

 

Great thread! I still have boxes of points in the original Lucas packaging along with hundreds of pounds of assorted British parts and body panels in the garage. It is funny how we take for granted that the MINI actually starts every time we want to go motoring.:smile:

 

Being an old British sports car owner/slave (Jag, MGB, Spitfire), I didn't quite know what to expect from Hollywood when "LucasFilms" was formed in the 70s!

Theo

 

hey pc norton
we have something in common, check out my gallery

 

My MGB was "being worked on" more than driven. My '74 Beetle could only be started by pushing it and throwing it into gear... and I drove it everywhere, always knew someone would lend a hand. Talk about rattles, with my '67 Mustang you had to keep one hand on the shifter at all times, or it would rattle right out of gear!

Godspeed.

 

I've had two MGB's, a 1970 when I first got home from Nam and just reccently a 79 rubber bumber. Both cars always needed working on , my wife hated to drive the 79 because, she said you had to drive it , meaning you had to push in the clutch and step on the gas to make it go .

Once in the 1970 MGB, driving down a freeway late at night the hood decided to release , it folded like a piece of paper over the front windshield and right on top of my head, it wasn't so much the pain , but it was kind of scary driving down a freeway at 65mph and not being able to see where you're going.

I really like the MGB but not as much as the MINI.

Motor on.

 

Sniff,sniff, Jesus Man , you really got me goin on this one.In 1968 I bought a 1958 Morris minor woody(for a buck!) that had a blown engine.Whoosh...........off to a friend's Garage for a fast engine change with an engine purchased from Harbor Auto in Lynn Ma. for $75 .Late night, shakedown........chipped tooth in first/reverse gear.Back to harbor....Tranny that went with the motor I'd bought........$50.perfect!Had that car for 4 years and only had to replace the engine 3 more times .At the end, I was putting a quart of stp with every engine fill up, and sold the car, as was, to a chick at college with the full knowledge that the car would never see a highway.Her first trip-Maine to Boston, threw a rod coming through the toll gate back in Maine.Car was sold to a local for twenty five bucks, sawed in Half and the *** end became a trailer What a sad end to a cool car,wish i had it today great nostalgia thread!Thanks for the memories. Jock

 

Chronic automotive anglophile here. If I were a Brit, they would refer to me as an anorak, I prefer the side curtains or better yet tonneau cover of a roadster over a set of wind-ups and hardtop of a drop-head coupe anyday. Currently own two MGs along with my MCS. Once owned a Lotus, 'course you know what that stands for: Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious! Still dream about Aston Martins and E-type Jags. Its uncurable I'm afraid. Well at least I'm in good company on this forum.

 

How do you get to your gallery?

Paul

 

Sorry, forgot which MINI board I was on! That is of course my MINI2 gallery.
http://www.mini2.com/gallery/persona...iMiniKupa.html

Brent

 

If Lucas made weapons, war would be impossible.

Scott
76 Triumph -> 02 Cooper!

 

Well, I have an exception to the rule. I've owned a 1964 Healey 3000 since 1974 and never had an electrical problem!

Now, let's talk about how many times I've taken apart the Laycock De Normanville overdrive...

This is why you don't mix countries in one vehicle.

 

Nice TR6. Mines BRG also. 1976. Hardtop? DO you have ac also? I have seen a nice Targa top done with a hardtop down in texas.


Paul

 

Anybody know why a new car like the MINI has a canister type oil filter ? I was amazed to find this. I'm still trying to find the carbs so I can top off the oil!

 

I could have sworn that the phrase was: Lucas, the people who invented darkness! When you say adventure, I couldn't help but think about the electrical dash fire...after dark, in mid winter, miles from anywhere, and miles to go! This was in a AH Sprite, interesting, not the last!

 

I was in Utah heading towards Colorado going 70 mph+ at about 1 AM in a 1953 Jag XK120 Fixed-head coupe. Hit a bump and all lights went out. I was damn happy there was a full moon that night and I had young eyes or I wouldn't be here to laugh about it.

 

When of my favorite T-Shirts read:

"Doc, what do you mean Lucas pacemaker?"

I'm still a slave to the old British iron, owning an often reluctant Lotus 7.