REVELL MINI COOPER 998 MK1

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Wayne Reed

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I have been in love with this my whole life. Not really sure why i have waited this long to build one tbh.

The Mini is a small economy car made by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s. Its space-saving front-wheel drive layout – allowing 80 per cent of the area of the car's floorpan to be used for passengers and luggage – influenced a generation of car makers. The vehicle is in some ways considered the British equivalent of its German contemporary the Volkswagen Beetle, which enjoyed similar popularity in North America. In 1999 the Mini was voted the second most influential car of the 20th century, behind the Ford Model T.

This distinctive two-door car was designed for BMC by Sir Alec Issigonis. It was manufactured at the Longbridge and Cowley plants in England, the Victoria Park / Zetland British Motor Corporation (Australia) factory in Sydney, Australia, and later also in Spain (Authi), Belgium, Chile, Italy (Innocenti), Malta, Portugal, South Africa, Uruguay, Venezuela and Yugoslavia. The Mini Mark I had three major UK updates – the Mark II, the Clubman and the Mark III. Within these was a series of variations, including an estate car, a pick-up truck, a van and the Mini Moke – a jeep-like buggy. The Mini Cooper and Cooper "S" were sportier versions that were successful as rally cars, winning the Monte Carlo Rally four times from 1964 through to 1967, although in 1966 the Mini was disqualified after the finish, along with six other British entrants, which included the first four cars to finish, under a questionable ruling that the cars had used an illegal combination of headlamps and spotlights.

On introduction in August 1959 the Mini was marketed under the Austin and Morris names, as the Austin Seven and Morris Mini-Minor. The Austin Seven was renamed to Austin Mini in January 1962 and Mini became a marque in its own right in 1969. In 1980 it once again became the Austin Mini and in 1988 the Rover Mini.

From Wikipedia,

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flyjoe180

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Superb little build Wayne. And Welcome to the forum, a very nice start to your builds here.
 
W

Wayne Reed

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\ said:
Superb little build Wayne. And Welcome to the forum, a very nice start to your builds here.
Wow thanks for the kind words bud :smiling3:
 
S

Stevekir

Guest
Yes, nice model, but a word about the car itself. In 1961 I bought my father's 2 year old Mini. It was very innovative and great fun to drive. BUT. The infamous gear box crunched every time a gear was changed. Rain soaked the distributer during anything greater than a shower, because it was just behind the radiator grille (!), and its seals were rubbish. We once stopped at a motorway petrol station to refuel when, coincidentally, it was raining. The attendant (there were attendants in those days) suggested we parked outside the workshop. When we looked puzzled he said he had assumed that the car had stopped because of the rain, it being usual so see minis stopping at petrol stations for help in wet weather. Our (and other owners' we found) solution was to tie a complete copy of a newspaper on the grille. Each of the ripcords used to open the two doors from inside broke, requiring the driver and passenger every time to open the sliding windows and use the outside handle to get out of the car. In frosty winter weather those sliding windows froze solid. It was common to ask a passing pedestrian to open the door. In fact, the problem was so well known that when queueing to get into the works carpark, all I had to do was knock on the window for a passer-by to immediately open the door without hesitation.

The top arc of the steering wheel obscured the speedometer dial at the critical 30 mph point. The flashing light on the end of the turning indicator was so bright that at night a hand had to be used to cover it to prevent being dazzled. The brakes failed completely and suddenly three times, once when going down hill to the T junction of a main road. The mini dealer had no success in curing these design faults.

When we decided to sell it, in two months time, we knew that one thing would pack up per month, the going rate at that time. Sure enough, in the first month the wipers failed, and in the second the gearbox started to have death throes. We sold it to a young lad thirsting for his first car.

For the first 15 years of its life BMC struggled to try one failed solution after another. Everyone I talked to had a similar experience. Lovely to drive, a nightmare to own. But that was Britain in the 1950s-60s, car-wise. How things have changed!
 
W

Wayne Reed

Guest
\ said:
Yes, nice model, but a word about the car itself. In 1961 I bought my father's 2 year old Mini. It was very innovative and great fun to drive. BUT. The infamous gear box crunched every time a gear was changed. Rain soaked the distributer during anything greater than a shower, because it was just behind the radiator grille (!), and its seals were rubbish. We once stopped at a motorway petrol station to refuel when, coincidentally, it was raining. The attendant (there were attendants in those days) suggested we parked outside the workshop. When we looked puzzled he said he had assumed that the car had stopped because of the rain, it being usual so see minis stopping at petrol stations for help in wet weather. Our (and other owners' we found) solution was to tie a complete copy of a newspaper on the grille. Each of the ripcords used to open the two doors from inside broke, requiring the driver and passenger every time to open the sliding windows and use the outside handle to get out of the car. In frosty winter weather those sliding windows froze solid. It was common to ask a passing pedestrian to open the door. In fact, the problem was so well known that when queueing to get into the works carpark, all I had to do was knock on the window for a passer-by to immediately open the door without hesitation.The top arc of the steering wheel obscured the speedometer dial at the critical 30 mph point. The flashing light on the end of the turning indicator was so bright that at night a hand had to be used to cover it to prevent being dazzled. The brakes failed completely and suddenly three times, once when going down hill to the T junction of a main road. The mini dealer had no success in curing these design faults.

When we decided to sell it, in two months time, we knew that one thing would pack up per month, the going rate at that time. Sure enough, in the first month the wipers failed, and in the second the gearbox started to have death throes. We sold it to a young lad thirsting for his first car.

For the first 15 years of its life BMC struggled to try one failed solution after another. Everyone I talked to had a similar experience. Lovely to drive, a nightmare to own. But that was Britain in the 1950s-60s, car-wise. How things have changed!
Wow you had some fun in the Mini young sir. I bet you was still sad to see her go to a new owner though. My dad learned to drive in one and to this day he wants to own one and it is for him like for me his fav ever car. Thanks you for sharing your cool story with us :smiling3:
 

Alan 45

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That looks very good I like that although I will say if you build a cooper it should be British racing green :D
 
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Wayne Reed

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\ said:
That looks very good I like that although I will say if you build a cooper it should be British racing green :D
Thanks bud :smiling3: . I did think about doing it green but we went to brands hatch for the mini festival about a week before she went into the spray shop and i see one in dark blue and white and i was like i love it lol
 

PaulTRose

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looks good to me

one of the most fun cars i ever owned was an old mini..................dont get me started on bmw minis.....got one at work, hate driving it lol
 

monica

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Superb little build Wayne. And Welcome to the forum ;) hope you enjoy it hear,
 
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Tone M

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this does look lovely mate :smiling3:

Can you tell me, is this their (fairly) newly released kit? (Austin or Morris Cooper, LHD or RHD options)
 
W

Wayne Reed

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\ said:
this does look lovely mate :smiling3: Can you tell me, is this their (fairly) newly released kit? (Austin or Morris Cooper, LHD or RHD options)
Thanks for the kind words :smiling3:

I cant say if it was new or not as i did not look at the sprue at the time to get a date. But from looking at it when i was building it it felt new. Flash was good and the only pin marks in the way are on the underside of the bonnet. It sure does come with the opotions of LHD / RHD.
 
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