Belper to Duffield (the back way)

A back road drive from Belper to Holbrook to Makeney to Milford to Duffield, Derbyshire. 22nd February 2009.

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Night Scalextric Italian Job

I bought a 40th Anniversary of the Mini Scalextric track in 1999 and today was the first day that I got it down from the loft for my son to play with. The Mini's on the track are the BMW Italian Job Scalextric Mini's.

Rover Mini Cooper Racing (RC Mini)

I've got a load of big boy's toys that I'm just dying to share with my kids - this one is a radio Controlled Mini Cooper replica of my real full size Mini that I built with Jane's brother on Christmas day 2001 (wow, 7 years ago!) It is a Rover Mini Cooper Racing Model 58211 - M03. There wasn't enough space to go anywhere near full speed, plus I don't have the skills to control it properly! but here is a quick video of my kids and I messing about with it on the drive yesterday ...

My Mini Video

With the latest change to YouTube and the ability to display higher quality widescreen video's (and also HD) I thought I'd re-edit My Mini film made in 2001. I've also updated the slideshow at the end to show the restoration photo's. It's not in HD as it wasn't filmed in HD, but it can be viewed in High Quality mode. (to embed high quality add the code &ap=%2526fmt%3D18)



Here is a list of the specifications of my Classic Mini Cooper 1.3i ...

Dunlop SP Sport 290's (165/60/12)
Rear spacers
ITG cold induction air filter
Maniflow Injection LCB
White lens kit
Quadoptic Headlamps
Stainless wipers / arms / jets
Steering drop bracket
New style Rover dashboard
Alloy rocker cover + Tbars, Dipstick
Alloy Gearknob
Stainless Steel Interior mirror
Grill Buttons
Painted Head/Block, Sills/Arches
Alloy door steps
Play Mini large bore stainless exhaust
Group2 Arches, rubber seal, delux chrome trim
KYB Super Gas, 30% uprated shock absorbers
Bosh Silcone HT leads
Bosh Super4 Spark plugs
70 BHP - 90+LB TORQUE

Defrosting my Mini Cooper S

It's October 2008 and 0.5 degrees in Derby, UK. The Mini is frosty and I've had reports that the credit crunch is allowing people to use their credit cards as ice scrapers. Luckily I just press a button. Then I drive to work in four minutes at warp factor nine. Filmed using a Sony PSP.

The Italian Job scalextric

The Italian Job (remake) was on TV again the other day, what a great film. Not as good as the original of course but being a 'classic' Mini and a 'new' Mini owner/fan I can appreciate the need for progress! Anyway, It made me remember my Italian Job Scalextric models in the loft - I got them down and placed them in the display cabinet with the other classic Corgi mini's (shock, Horror)

• Limited Edition - Only 7,500 Made
• SW Mabuchi Motor
• LED Head Lights
• Working Rear Lights
• Magnet

Hopefully my boy will soon be getting to an age where I can safely get my Classic Mini Scalextric track out of the loft for him to play with! I'll also have to show him my Scalextric trophy :)

British Classic Mini Cooper

A short film about a man and his Mini. Richard Mackney talks about his pride and joy and takes it for a short ride in the Derbyshire countryside in Britain. Filmed in 2001.

The need for speed

The time has finally come when the warranty has run out on my Mini Cooper S (I've had it nearly 3 years now!) and I've always thought that once that happened it would be open for abuse in the area of tuning mods! Although this time it won't be a DIY job as it's not my 1992 Cooper with an A Series engine! this time it's tuning mods for GEEKS!

Gone are the days of listening down a piece of tubing for the slight changes in noise coming from the twin carbs as you tweak the mixture ... now we attach a handheld computer to the diagnostics port in the cabin and hack the ECU! This doesn't even involve soldering or removal of any seals to void warranty (if you had one) you can even set the ECU back to it's original state whenever you want. As the 'S' of Cooper 'S' means SUPERCHARGED, there is a popular modification that does require a spanner and this is the fitting of a smaller pulley, this increases the boost of the charged air.

So we combine the two and get the following:

	Standard Cooper S	Pulley fit and re-program
	Weight: 1140 kg	Weight: 1140 kg
	Power: 163 bhp	Power: 200 bhp
	Power to weight: 143 per ton	Power to weight: 175 per ton
	0-60mph = 7.20s	0-60mph = 6.70s
	0-100mph = 21.90s	0-100mph = 19.00s

Of course, do you really want to do this and hike up the insurance, not to mention the possible detonation of a 20k spec car! hmmmm, the need for speed or the need for sensibility that is the question.

MiniTalk Re launched

MiniTalk has been live since May of the Millennium year 2000, MiniTalk is Mini Chat for Mini enthusiasts. Re-launched in June 2005, with a new forum to enable greater scope and future development. In the move we have lost over 23213 posts and (possibly) 170 registered members! The old forum will still be available to view until the 'paid for' hosting runs out. Check it out ... www.minitalk.co.uk