Rugd1022 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Is this LHD or RHD? The Japanese seem to have a thing about insisting on imported cars being LHD, especially the premium marques. RHD... 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr2 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 What colour is that Nidge? Looks a little cracker! Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 What colour is that Nidge? Looks a little cracker! Keith Tis a little cracker Keith, colour is Rover Metallic British Racing Green, not quite as dark as the Jag version. Paintwork is as good as it looks in the pics, no sign of welding or respray anywhere (or rot!). Looking forward to picking it up and bagging some photos of the two Minis together. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted September 26, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 26, 2016 Is this LHD or RHD? The Japanese seem to have a thing about insisting on imported cars being LHD, especially the premium marques. I don't understand. Japan drives on the left, therefore RHD. Am I missing something? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted September 26, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 26, 2016 I don't understand. Japan drives on the left, therefore RHD. Am I missing something? As most luxury cars in Japan were imported during the 30's and the majority of those were American (Packard, Cadillac etc.) Left hand drive cars were considered a status symbol in Japan. This persisted until recently, 50% of Rolls Royces exported to Japan in the 70's and 80's were LHD. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanuts Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 (edited) Tis a little cracker Keith, colour is Rover Metallic British Racing Green, not quite as dark as the Jag version. Paintwork is as good as it looks in the pics, no sign of welding or respray anywhere (or rot!). Looking forward to picking it up and bagging some photos of the two Minis together. had a 1275gt this colour running a set off gold 13" multicrosswires off a metrogta had to have the calipers ground down to make them fit but looked very very cool Edited September 26, 2016 by peanuts 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohmisterporter Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 I think the Japanese preference for foreign luxury cars being LHD is so that the driver/chauffeur gets out onto the pavement to open the door for his boss, rather than get out into Tokyo's hectic traffic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold russ p Posted September 28, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 28, 2016 Very nice Nidge . Are you putting UK spec number plate lights of leaving it as it is? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 (edited) Very nice Nidge . Are you putting UK spec number plate lights of leaving it as it is? Thanks Russ, not sure what to do regarding the actual plates yet but the number plate light arrangement is typically Japanese, so if I do put standard sized UK plates on I'll have to do something with them (I've got plenty of spare bits to do this anyway). The 'L672 MEP' reg' number itself is just a random age related one doled out by the DVLA in January this year and wasn't on the car when it was new back in '94 as it was shipped out to Japan straight from the factory. I'd like to put an older or ageless plate on it now I think about it.... I was sat at Bescot for about four hours last night awaiting relief, skimming through some old Mini mags mulling it over and a 'plan' is coming together. I like the idea of giving it an early '70s customised look with some Wood & Pickett / Radford touches inside and out, nothing as radical as deseaming it but maybe a dark green vinyl roof, slightly tinted glass (groovy '70s brown maybe), Cooper style chrome trim round the tops of the doors, a spotlamp grille similar to the one on my Mk2, go to town on the interior etc. Minis with a contrasting white roof are ten a penny round here so it'd be nice to do something a bit different, I've found a firm in Staffordshire who specialise in this sort of thing and they also do bespoke interiors so I'll be going up there to have a chat soon. There's a Mini show on at Stoneleigh a week on Sunday so I might pick up a few shiny bits there. There are some nice touches which can be added without going over the top using non Mini items, a while back I saw an early Mk3 that had chrome edged Ferrari side repeaters on the front wings, a BMC 1300GT badge on the bootlid and a few other bits 'n' pieces which worked really well. Ignoring the partial deseaming at the back and the VW Beetle lights, it could end up looking something like this... Edited September 28, 2016 by Rugd1022 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold russ p Posted September 28, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 28, 2016 I like the 70s custom idea. Not keen on that vinyl roof especially on the pillars as any rust in the seems is A not going to show itself until it's got advanced and B would be a sod to put right, and you certainly don't want to de-seam it. Insurance companies get a bit funny about that. I've seen some where the car is almost held together with filler! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 (edited) I like the 70s custom idea. Not keen on that vinyl roof especially on the pillars as any rust in the seems is A not going to show itself until it's got advanced and B would be a sod to put right, and you certainly don't want to de-seam it. Insurance companies get a bit funny about that. Dunno, I rather like the deseamed look - it strikes me as smoother. I've seen some where the car is almost held together with filler! I once watched a secondhand car programme where the presenters examined what appeared to be a tidy-looking Golf Mk.2 with some cosmetic additions. They removed the rear bumper and discovered that it appeared to be made entirely of filler. Edited September 28, 2016 by Horsetan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 I like the 70s custom idea. Not keen on that vinyl roof especially on the pillars as any rust in the seems is A not going to show itself until it's got advanced and B would be a sod to put right, and you certainly don't want to de-seam it. Insurance companies get a bit funny about that. I've seen some where the car is almost held together with filler! Oh I definitely won't be deseaming it Russ, the shell is far too good for that! I know what you mean though, I went to view a '67 Radford that had been re-imported from the States about eighteen years ago, from ten foot away it looked fantastic but on closer inspection I could see cracks in the paint where the vertical seams had been folded, and hammered down and disguised with copious amounts of filler, a typical bodge of the period sadly! If I do put a vinyl roof on it it'll be fine as it will live in the garage and get used for Summer shows etc. With another four hours to kill at Bescot last night I wrote down a list of all the bits I want to buy and fit on and in the car, it's quite a long list... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium uax6 Posted October 1, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 1, 2016 Sat opposite the box here is a bloke who nominally runs a boat yard, but is a petrol head. He has had all sorts of classics in the 8 years I've been here, from MGBs, dolly sprints, Austin gypsys etc. He has a sideline in being the only person in the UK that repairs Britax sunroofs, and he can also provide vinyl roofs kits... This week he has done tops for two Austin 1300 ones, I can't remember the last time I saw one of those, but sadly as they are kits, I don't get to see the cars ;-( Andy G Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Londontram Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 He has a sideline in being the only person in the UK that repairs Britax sunroofs, Andy G Back in the day when I was in the trade I went on a course to learn how to fit and repair Britax sunroofs, it was all new stuff back then and at the time I worked for Renault I can tell you what though it took some guts to take a drill and jigsaw to the roof of a new fresh out the showroom Renault 25. At the height of the 1980s there were two at our garage trained to fit them and we were each doing two a day. I recall one scam where a memo came through from head office saying that a certain batch of sunroofs were faulty something to do with the seal not bonded on a few pf them so we had to recall every car fitted with glass hatch within this batch and replace it. In the end we had a store room full of perfectly good glass hatch sunroofs then a man came down from head office and after we were credited with them said "smash the lot in the your skip" I tell you what a part from a token few very few made it in the skip nearly all went in the back of my and my mates cars and I was still flogging them to mates or down the pub a couple of years later. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandwich station Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 There was also a car sold in Australia badged as the XR8, but that was the sporty version of the Ford Falcon. That also had a 5.0L V8 engine in it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium uax6 Posted October 1, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 1, 2016 Steve, Gary does the fabric Britaxs, not the glass ones, for which I don't believe anyone does. He only started doing them as the one on his MGB needed replacing... He recently did one for one of the car mags, they brought a very doggy MGB round to fit it to.... Andy G Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Londontram Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 Steve, Gary does the fabric Britaxs, not the glass ones, for which I don't believe anyone does. He only started doing them as the one on his MGB needed replacing... He recently did one for one of the car mags, they brought a very doggy MGB round to fit it to.... Andy G I guessed that you numpty but it was such a good story I just thought I would share it. There was not much call for the folding type back in the 80s I only ever replaced the vinyl on one folding type on an XJ6 and I recall it was a sod to get taunt. I think I recall it came as a semi complete kit and once on you had to adjust (stretch it) to fit snug Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold russ p Posted October 1, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 1, 2016 I had a maestro EFi back in the 80s which had the largest sunroof britax made, it used to leak so I took it to a britax specialist and was told the hole was too big! I cot it too seal in a fashion with a load of silicone but really it required a new roof panel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 .... it took some guts to take a drill and jigsaw to the roof of a new fresh out the showroom Renault 25..... If factory sunroofs eventually developed leakage / drain hole problems, I can't imagine what an aftermarket one might lead to. Hopefully Britax remembered to design drainage channels, etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold russ p Posted October 1, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 1, 2016 (edited) There were no drainage channels with most if not all aftermarket sunroofs as they actually sit slightly proud of the roof unlike the factory ones which sit flush and can retract under it. Peugeot 205s and 309s had glass panels which slid along the top of the roof Edited October 1, 2016 by russ p Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
royaloak Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 Peugeot 205s and 309s had glass panels which slid along the top of the roof So did some very early 106s, my 1.4D has one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJS1977 Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 Amazing what a difference a vinyl roof can make to a car: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C8xyiddv0Q Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
royaloak Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 (edited) Amazing what a difference a vinyl roof can make to a car: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C8xyiddv0Q The Cortina in that advert survived until 2003, so 29 years which is a good innings for one. It might still survive in a museum though if it hasnt been taxed or MOTed since 2003. Edited October 1, 2016 by royaloak Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 (edited) Steve, Gary does the fabric Britaxs, not the glass ones, for which I don't believe anyone does. He only started doing them as the one on his MGB needed replacing... He recently did one for one of the car mags, they brought a very doggy MGB round to fit it to.... Andy G Andy, I don't suppose you know how much he charges do you (it's something I might consider for the green Mini), does he supply and fit or just fit them...? I picked up the green 'Dinky toy' this morning, it was a bit wet coming home but everything worked as it should, especially the demister and wipers which were much needed in the heavy drizzle along the A4074! Now that I've got it home I've noticed a few things which didn't quite register before, the steering wheel which I thought might be a cheap copy is actually a genuine Italian made 'Nardi' item as fitted to numerous Ferraris in the '50s and '60s. I found a couple of plugged up but carefully drilled holes in the front valance just below the grille which means it probably had some spotlamps fitted at some time in the past, I'll probably use these holes to mount some '70s style rectangular fog lamps, a la Radford / Wood & Pickett. Being an automatic it's obviously not as peppy as a full on 1275 Cooper S, but it seemed to cope with modern traffic very well considering I had a set of four heavy steel wheels and tyres on the back seat and a full tank of fuel. The rear seat belts are a bonus but the velour 'Mayfair' style seats will go in favour of some tasty leather replacements, likewise the matching velour door and rear quarter cards, pocket liners etc. The 'Rokee' dash will have to come out and be refinished and I plan to cover up as much of the interior painted metal as possible, easy enough to do with some black vinyl and some strong contact adhesive. I was hoping to bung in a full centre console kit but the plumbing for the Jap spec air-con takes up most of the space under the dash so I'll have to knock one up myself, just big enough to take a CD player and not much else. All in all it looks like a good buy, the yellow 1000 auto I looked at previously was very nice, but this one seems to have more potential for modifying and all round 'poshing up'... The other half said she heard me coming long before I drove into our road, from the inside the exhaust doesn't seem that loud, mind you I did have the heater on notch eleven...! Edited October 1, 2016 by Rugd1022 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium uax6 Posted October 1, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 1, 2016 Nidge, He generally just does repair kits for them (see http://www.littleportboathaven.co.uk/britax%20sunroof.htm ) but he MAY have a complete kit (NOS) sitting about, but I think the ones he had were GT6 or MGB sized ones, whether these will fit a Min I'm not sure. I doubt he'll fit it, he hasn't got a drive in workshop, and I'm guessing you don't want it done outside in the pouring rain! Give him a bell and ask (he can probably do a vinyl roof to match too). Andy G Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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