Yep, that’s the one. I really need to flush my brake fluid, so maybe I’ll just fix it then since I’ll already have the car in the air. I like having the skid plate, but it sure does make putting the car on stands annoying. I wish it were as easy to deal with as my van.

 

I adore how the bike almost dwarfs your Mini. Jeez your R50 is so nice looking especially in that color scheme.

 

Haha, thanks. I think the size of the bike is slightly illusory because the rack sits so high; the tray is several inches above my knees. I'm also running what I would consider really wide bars for an XC bike - 760 mm. It's a far cry from the bars I was riding 15 years ago, but even really high end XC race bikes have been trending to super wide bars these days.

 

I found an old photo that I always think is amusing. 175/65R15 on R81s on the left and 205/55R15 on 15x7 ET35 on the right. The skinny tires were actually pretty fun.

If it looks like the right side is sitting high, I think I may have not set the car down off the jack yet. Or, the rear suspension is still loaded funny from the parking brake.

 

It was a nice day to get myself stranded for 15 minutes on the side of the road while I cleaned out the fuel filter. I see a tank removal in my immediate future...

 

It was pretty nice here till about 2 then it clouded up. Spent most of the afternoon under the son in-laws truck.
Wow thats a nice Sportvan. Don't see many in that condition anymore.

 

Thanks. It's a good 20 footer or so on camera. An unrestored driver that was fortunate to have been garaged most of its life since my uncle bought it in '68.

I don't remember if the clouds rolled in here or not, but it was pleasant out. I monkeyed with the van a bit before helping my dad press out some bearings for a couple of other non-automotive projects. I keep looking at the tank and not wanting to deal with it. It's filled with crud - hopefully just ethanol sludge and not much rust, but what was on my siphon wasn't encouraging. Sometimes it idles happily, and sometimes it dies between shifts. And, since the sending unit doesn't work, it's hard to tell if I've run it out of gas or clogged the fuel filter up. I'm 99% sure the carb is all sludged up again.

 

It's not exactly Mini content, but I finally got around to pulling the gas tank out of my van. Now I'm waiting on the sending unit wrench to come.

 

Love your sport van. Always wanted one. Reminds me of my '67 VW split windshield bus (before I shortened it by 22").
I still hope to find a early sport van (junker), or a '68 VW "snub-nose" bus someday and chop it into a mini, 3 axle (6 wheel), cab over....complete w/stacks of course

 

That van of yours sounds like it was wild; that's one of the ones you posted a picture of a while back, right? I wanted a splitty for years after I saw a kombi in the infield at Road Atlanta. It was lowered with the usual narrowed beam and on Fuchs, and it had a not-quite-but-almost-VW sound (at least to my ears). And a little Porsche badge on the engine lid.

When I was training for Fool's Gold last year, I would pass a first gen Sportvan north of Dahlonega on my way to Bull and Jake. I never stopped, but it looked like the body was pretty decent from afar.

 

Yeah, that's the one ("sonic boom"). Bought it (in1989) for $200, in L.A., after an AT&T driver totaled my second (1/3) "road warrior" beetle (pictured in the same post). The bus was full length, bone stock, no interior when I bought it.. The original tranny went out 3 weeks later. Bought a rebuilt transmission = $250 from Pelican. That was my very first purchase from Pelican Parts. Conveniently close by to where I lived.

When I was a young adult in the early mid '80s, Chevy Sport Vans were still a common sight driving on the road.

Continuing the unrelated ; ' Don't think I'll ever expect to see the 'unicorn' from my youth - 1975 "Li'l Red Express" ....



Back on Mini topic: While I had an opportunity / contracted to go to Jamaica (1999/2000); Classic Austin and Morris Mini's seemed to be everywhere. I even saw a couple of Mini pickup trucks just outside of Kingston.

 

Oh - and back on the subject, kind of gas tank / Mini related: I finally had a chance to change the fuel filter in my Mini yesterday. The filter had never been changed (now @84k +).
After a smooth R&R - Of course - The top fuel line started to leak after putting it all back together. Disassembled and pulled out and replaced all the little 'O' rings in the filter housing cap.
Although I kind of like the smell of gasoline; Today finally dried out from all the torrential rain we've been having. I was finally able air out the Mini this afternoon.

 

I didn't do any Mini related stuff so far this weekend.
Firday I went and bought 4 new 6 volt batteries for the motorhome. The battery store guy said they were at least 11 years old. Replacing them didn't solve the aux generator from working. Looks like I have to get the control board fixed, with shipping it will be close to a thousand bucks. If it is fried beyond repair it is $2,400 for a control assembly. No generator no roof AC in the coach and thats not acceptable with the bride.

Yesterday I cleaned the gutters and removed all the Christmas lights from around the putside of the house. I think I went up and down the ladder 250 thousand times.

 

You seem to make good choices. What tires are wrapping your rims? I like the cut of the tread.
I've been running 205/45 R17 Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sport for the last 15 years. Great for warmer dry climates but never very good in wet conditions.
I'm looking at going with an all season 215/45ZR17 Continental DWS.
What are yours?

 

They're Yokohama S.Drives. I've been happy with them, but I'm sure there are better tires out there. Wet grip is pretty good, though it seems to be dropping off as they get close to worn out. They've never been as good in deep water as my skinny Continentals were, but I think that's to be expected. Dry performance is more than good enough for me. They do seem to flat spot from sitting, and they really don't like being cold. They're mediocre to awful if it's really cold and wet out, and you can forget about snow and ice. It's a summer tire, so that's to be expected. I have a set of Sumitomo winter tires on my other wheels.

Let's just say that the market doesn't spoil you for choices in a 205/55R15 summer tire, and I believe the S.Drive name has been retired and replaced by the Advan Fleva somethingorother. When I bought the Yokohamas, I think I had the choice of the Yokohamas, some Kumhos, a Dunlop, a hideously expensive Pirelli, and maybe a Nankang?

 

I can't say your creations are quite my style, but they're really impressive. What did you have powering those things? Modified VW engines?

There was a guy who I think was importing Innocenti-assembled Minis when I lived in south Georgia years ago. That may have been my first time ever seeing one in person.

I should probably change the fuel filter in my Mini sometime soon. It's still the original... Did you buy the lockring tool or just use a drift?

Oof, Chief. Here's to hoping that board doesn't need to be replaced, but happy wife, happy life, right?

 

I hope they can repair it and I do not need to buy a new one, fingers crossed!!
It's the only way to go on vacation, and with the COVID going around it's an even better way. New tires last year and now a control board this year.

 

Yeah, Not everyone's taste. I can agree. I was a "kid" back then living in a fantasy world of my own.

Caution: unnecessary long winded post. You may want to read this at bed time...

After cracking the blocks from modding two Type I engines. I gave up and started building motors from a more robust platform - All of my VWs were Porsche 2 ltr 914 blocks. Though similar; unlike the VW Type II & Type IV blocks (magnesium), the 914 engines were all aluminum and had windage trays/oil pan baffles.

_The motor(s) I built for the beetle(s); were pushing just under 100hp, 104 mm big bore, mild street cam, ported polished heads, oversize intake valves, Weber 44 carb, customdual baffled (too many tickets) exhaust pipes, Hurst short shifter, F/R sway bars, adjustable coil over dampers, rear steering brakes and a few other little "007" mods I made... Built 3 identical beetles over 25 years.

_The Bus had the original 40hp engine w/ original trans w/ gear reduction boxes when I first bought it..Top speed - 65mph (downhill). I drove that Bus from CA to FL (toting the salvaged remains of my beetle in the back), with that set up. Took me 3.5 days. Not long after; I built a 90+ hp 914 engine: w/96 mm big bore, ported polished heads, Weber progressive 2 barrel, custom dual (baffled) exhaust. IRS conversion trans axle., w/adjustable camber, adjustable coilover shocks, Hurst pistol grip shifter and more... In 2003, I shortened it by 22"- cutting out one of the side cargo doors and frame. Had the Bus for 23 years.

_The Karmann Ghia had pretty much the same engine specs as the beetle. Minus the cam. I really went all out on the Ghia. Sport suspension, big brakes, tilt steering, direct vented side air inlets piped to the rear brakes and engine bay. I extended the headers/dual exhaust to run towards the front of the car 16" at a uturn to the back. Wanted to keep this one quiet but still "throaty". Had the Ghia for 13 years.


My client seemed uninterested in my exuberance pointing out all the old Minis. They see them everyday. I had never seen so many....Let alone one!

 

Aha. That’s really cool. I had a suspicion you might have built some special motors, among other mods.

I’m going to drop a link to the photos of those VWs.

 

A good medium screwdriver and a mini sledge was all that was need to R&R the metal retaining ring.

Over the last couple of weeks I replaced a number of parts in hope to sort out my surging issues.
NGK plug wires, TMAP & MAP sensors, Smoke tested,...This alone solved the problem from my previous "Jerk" post.
Changing the fuel filter was the cherry on top of the sundae. What a difference!!

Can't wait to swap those injectors out w/ the Siemens 380's.

 

I finally swapped over to the winter tires just in case. Between not driving much and the winter being so warm, I hadn't bothered until now.

 

Your Mini looks so clean.
Smart move swapping out to snow tires - Given the unusual forthcoming (adverse) weather trend.. I heard about the year ATL was hit with snow and what a mess it was for commuters.
I was in Buckhead in 2017. An inch of snow had fallen and I couldn't even make it out of the parking lot to get to work on my Bridgestone Potenzas.

This is coming from a guy that learned to drive in Minnesota / 1'+ snow in winter weather.

 

Thanks!

Which storm?

2011 was pretty bad. A bunch of the east-west roads in Midtown were solid sheet ice. I actually had to take my girlfriend back to home park. All seasons aren't particularly confidence inspiring on solid ice. That was the same storm where I walked outside, and there was a guy hanging onto the building to keep from falling over. There was a taxi stuck on the slight grade at Peachtree Place and West Peachtree, among other things.

2014 was worse. Tech closed early, but not early enough. I went on a ten mile run around Midtown sometime that afternoon, and it was clear pretty early on that it was going to be bad. Midtown was already pretty jammed up. All the surface streets were clogged. Intersections corked. Yeah. Be glad you weren't in the ATL and trying to get home. I remember sitting in the Taco Mac there on Peachtree and watching bumper to bumper traffic just sitting, literally spinning their wheels and going almost nowhere.

I think 2014 was the storm where I walked outside the next day after it started, and the first person who walked past asked me for change...

 

Yikes - I'm glad I missed that year!
I remember going to college in Minneapolis during the winters (Minnesota = 9 months winter - 1 month spring - 2 month unbearable mosquito swarmed summers).
My siblings and I shared my dad's 'handmedown' '73 Buick Century until my brother slammed the rear end into a curb and folded the axle. I had to take the bus, 25 mi, 2' snow in -15° weather.
The winter of my sophomore year, I spent part of my student loan and bought a 1965 VW Baja Bug. On the third day of ownership, driving to school, the engine threw a rod on the freeway over pass. It was blizzard conditions. As I tried to push the bug out of the lane of traffic, (cars honking. people swearing at me), a cop pulls up and asked me what was wrong. I told him "I don't know. I don't know much about cars". He retorted in kind : "Just get that piece of s**t off the road!". My dad, an executive, (not knowing the difference between a screwdriver and a hammer) was even less than supportive. I was pretty insistent in keeping the bug. I bought a book; 'How To Keep Your VW Alive...For the Compleet Idiot" - I spent the next 3 months learning and rebuilding my first engine in my dad's basement den. At the end of my sophomore year, I hit the road and drove to FL - non stop.

While In Buckhead in 2017, when I first walked out to my Mini after that overnight snow fall, I freaked. I had thought someone dumped a bunch of garbage on my car.... I hadn't seen snow in 40 years!

Not surprised.
I get asked for change (or a cigarette) at least 2-3 times a day here in the ATL metro area...

 

I knew you’d have a good story or two. Though I suppose pushing a beetle with a freshly ventilated block off the interstate during a blizzard doesn’t really qualify as “good.” I don’t envy those northern winters at all. Rebuilding an engine is certainly jumping into the deep end. At least those VW engines are pretty simple. And light. I actually have a copy of that book somewhere, though I’ve never owned a beetle.

That 2014 storm was bad because it hit at just the right time and with just the right conditions to strand everybody on the road as they were trying to go home. I want to say that Chipper Jones went out on his four wheeler to rescue Freddy Freeman from the interstate. Atlanta doesn’t have the funds to keep snow plows sitting around doing nothing, and most Georgians run either all seasons or summer tires year round. Even if one guy’s vehicle was capable enough, he was stuck behind 50 people who didn’t have traction. Supposedly the city is better prepared now.