Slow day. Been studying the PDF version of the 2005 Owner's Manual which I downloaded from the Owner's Lounge. To be honest, I didn't notice this on my test drive, but I just found a major whoops! on BMW's part:

Hey! - I thought this was a British sports car!!!

(Did the original Minis work like this or did they have real, genuine "fly-off" handbrakes like a proper British sports car?)

 

I agree. But in todays market, fly off handbrakes won't fly!
I can't recall if my 1966 MCS had one, but I sure recall it in my TR3B. Man, that was fun.

regards,
Red

 

I don't remember what the 68 Mini handbrake was like either.

 

Parts were always flying off my 69 Spitfire! Once the speedometer fused at 105 MPH! Snapped that speedo cable like a twig!

 

My recollection is that in order to lock the brake on the Mini in the '60's you had to push the button after you positioned the handle. to release it all you did was pull it and let go.

My 49 MG work the old fashioned way as well, pull handle and brake releases, push button to lock.

Drive safe
Phil

 

Right - that's what I'm talking about. A "fly-off" handbrake.

Glad to know the original Minis had 'em!

 

None of the Classics had 'em - you still had to push to release ... but they did have the Fly-Off as a Factory Option from the Special Tuning Department at Abingdon.

 

Wow - that's really interesting. Never heard of "fly-off" as an option! Thanks for the info!



(too bad it wasn't an option when I ordered my MCS!)

 

As I recall, my both my '62 cooper and '67 S hand brakes were pull up to set and push the button to release. Same for my brother's '61 850.

 

The Special Tuning fly-off is my favorite mod on my Classic Mini - handbrake turns are hoot! I bought a Mini with it already installed, and the seller didn't even realize how to utilise it! I transferred it to two other Minis over the years - don't leave home without it.

BCNU,
Rob in Dago

 

Yep, I have four classics and they all came with the convential "push the botton to release" hand brake, but it is very popular to convert to fly-off for the e-brake, or hand-brake turns.

 

OK! How do we go about converting our ebrakes to the way Jolly Olde England intended them? Is there an easy way to convert?

regards,
Red

 

All 5 of the Australian-built classics I had, the hand-brake worked just like on my current 03 MCS. Of course, I had to use the other hand...

 

Its Easy to use the current hand brake to slide around turn's jus have to remeber to hold the button in so you can put the lever back down. But converting it over to a "fly off" hand brake would be pretty sweet.

 

Got the "fly-off" on both of my MGs. Also have real "knock-off" hubs too. The safety ***** would have a field day with my old classics.

 

By definition a "Sports Car" has to be a 2 seat only coupe or preferably a open top convertable.

The Original and New MC are not sports cars. No matter how small those back seats are, they disqualify them as Sports Cars.

 

Wow, my wife's going to be really disappointed to find out her Austin Healey 3000 wasn't a sports car. Coulda fooled both of us!

 

Hey LombardStreet, somebody also forgot to tell the SCCA!!!

 

I think the gentlemen at STi and the makers of the Mitsu Evo8 would disagree! Not only 4 seaters, but 4 doors! Street legal racecars!

 

Here's a nice definition of "Sports Car" from About.com:

Sounds like they had the MINI in mind when they wrote it!