Fairly new to mini scene... a few questions...

Hi all, my girlfriend recently put her mini back on the road and we
have both fallen in love with it again ... we are planning to
customise it a bit, but I would like some advice and some answers to
some questions if you can.

We are in the UK btw.

The car in question is a 1989 Mini City E 1000cc auto. The car is
black with alloy wheels, chrome trim and flared arches (I think, they
may just be extensions).

Everything else is standard on the car (I think), but we would like to
make a few changes

I have recently fitted 4 spots to the front, which I have yet to wire
up.

We would also like to do the following (in no particular order):

- Change front sets to sports style
- Fit sports seatbelts
- Remove back seats and replace the backrest with a hardboard sheet in
which to place the speakers for the stereo
- We would love to change the engine to something bigger, even a 1300,
I read somewhere that a Metro engine a gearbox woiuld go in, is that
right?
- Fit a dashboard
- Custom paint job
- various cosmetic changes.
- Install seperate temperature / fuel gauges

My main question lie in the legality of some of these jobs (ie
removing the rear seats), but I would also like to know the best way
of going about some of these as well.

If you have some pointers to some decent sites and suppliers that
would be great also.

I aim to stick a website up with a set of photos showing the progress
we are making.

Thanks for your time, sorry if I waffled , and looking forward to
becoming a participant in this group.

Cheers.

Andy and Marion

Hey there, Andy and welcome!

The participants to the group are a very knowledgable bunch.
They have helped me out loads in the past with the odd tip or two.

I hope I can pass on some of their good advice.

All the modifications you list are fairly easy and also as cheap or as
expensive as you want them to be.

For instance, some dealers can charge over a ton for a decent walnut
dashboard, but you can always have a go at making your own from MDF, and
readily available plans. (Google is your friend.)

The only mod which concerns me is the removal of the seat back/rear bulkhead
panel. This may be a structural area though others more knowing may prove
me wrong. The alternative is to put a speaker board under the rear seats
with a decent pair of 6x9s or components sounding adequate for most ears.
Again, plans are available on Google.

Ebay is a good source of spares and the odd donor car or two.

Another good source of tips and stuff is at www.minifinity.com This is a
free to join web-based mini club who meet up at many, if not all the Mini
events. Well worth a look for dash and speakerboard plans, forums, owners
galleries, events guides and FAQs etc. (Shout out to the boys and girls!)

Buy the HBOL (Haynes Book of Lies), there's loads on ebay.
You WILL swear at the author's lack of common sense, and you WILL hurt your
head on the bonnet catch! (Bonnet quick-release kits cost about a tenner.
Again a shortcut is available. Drill two 3mm holes through the bonnet
hinges BEFORE you undo the nuts. Now when you put the bonnet back on, you
just line up the holes and hey presto! No more banged heads lol )

Don't be tempted by those cheap bullet-type mirrors. I was and they are not
worth the trouble. They sit too low on the door and you can't see through
them. Avoid!

Don't ever, ever mention the modern impersonation of the Mini. It will make
you no friends (sorry to the regulars but someone had to mention it)

Above all, enjoy the best car ever made! (And don't forget to wave!)

Hope this helps and look forward to your contributions

Karen