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May 26, 2020 18:56:26 GMT
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Wow,this thread is brings back memories and guilt. In 1998 when I was 18, I was hell bent on minis. So naturally metros were fair game for engine donors,especially 1275cc ones. I can't remember how it came about but I bought 2 metros from an old fella from a village near to where I lived. One was an X plate in Zircon blue. No engine but had a full Janspeed exhaust system and a Janspeed rocker cover thrown in the passenger footwell. I stripped the exhaust off and gave the rocker cover to a mate,it was damaged on the neck of the filler cap. But the other Metro was mint....on a V plate. It ran like clockwork but I wanted the engine for my mini. Yep I stripped the engine and sent the pair away for bean cans. But before I did that I rummaged in the piles of curse word in the back of the X plate metro to find a plus parts rocker cover like the one seen in these pics,but mine was blue. With the cars I got 3 brand new Unipart chin spoilers and arch extensions all still in the packs. It was only a few years later reading the inside rear cover of Mini Magazine that I found out what I had done,V plate metros were pre production. I kick myself every time I'm reminded of it...like now. One of the chin spoilers got fitted to my MG metro years later A912DAN,where are you? The rest got sold. I can't remember what happened to the rocker cover though . I'll have to look in my parents garage when all this covid stuff is over. nice story, yes you scrapped a rare metro there but back then it would have had no value, there are a few v plate metros that still survive they were either test/proving vehicles or possibly press cars the unipart spoiler/arch kit is very rare and sought after i have never seen any for sale and I've been on the lookout for 10 years this rally car is believed to be the development car for the unitpart spoiler kit, the kit was designed by BL Motorsport and sold under unipart, unfortunately this car lost its spoiler/arch kit back in 1981 when BL Motorsport sold the car   |
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Last Edit: May 26, 2020 19:57:53 GMT by vauxviva
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That's exactly how mine looked. Mine was a nice colour,my mate described it as looking like a fresh pot of copper slip grease. My Mum who had no interest in cars even commented on how nice it was. I also remember getting 128 petrol caps as well. All brand new still in the Austin Rover packs. The chin spoiler was really nice but the arches were really curse word.they were thin and offered not much of an extension. I'll watch this tread with interest.
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Jun 14, 2020 17:47:33 GMT
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another missing piece found for the rally car navigators map reading potti, plugs into dash and the socket still works after all these years   Austin metro dealer launch pack included in this pack is the brochure for the metroplus launch pack letter dated 15th September 1980 from what i have read on the internet the old Special tuning/BLmotorsport MG factory Abingdon closed in Oct 1980 and was re-established in slimmed-down form moving to Cowley. British Leyland was in turbulent times and it looks like the cost cutting move to Cowley killed off the metroplus/plusparts but they left it a bit late as brochures had already been distributed across the country to every BL dealer in this launch pack    |
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Last Edit: Jun 14, 2020 18:10:49 GMT by vauxviva
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Jun 22, 2020 19:32:21 GMT
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period smith steel wheels 13 x 5.5 inch they are not replacing the original cobra wheels, just spare set of wheels with normal road tyres fitted    |
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Last Edit: Jun 22, 2020 19:32:41 GMT by vauxviva
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milk
Part of things
Posts: 102
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Jun 22, 2020 20:40:16 GMT
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Ive only just discovered this thread but amazed. what cool car and history. what is the white thing that says terrain follower?
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Jun 25, 2020 18:30:01 GMT
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Ive only just discovered this thread but amazed. what cool car and history. what is the white thing that says terrain follower? Thanks the Terrain Follower is a rally Navigators Potti, it is used to Magnify the map and lights it up |
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Jul 11, 2020 15:23:47 GMT
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Last Edit: Jul 11, 2020 15:25:14 GMT by vauxviva
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Jul 11, 2020 20:50:05 GMT
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I bet that makes a rather satisfying noise now...
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Current fleet: 73 AC Model-70. 75 Rover 3500. 84 Trabant 601S. 85 Sinclair C5. 06 Peugeot Partner 1.6HDi.
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Jul 11, 2020 23:00:28 GMT
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That is nice...  The original Minifin's are not reproduced, right? Only the ones with the cast-in spacer? |
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Jul 12, 2020 10:06:33 GMT
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That is nice... The original Minifin's are not reproduced, right? Only the ones with the cast-in spacer? Yes, you're correct. They also have hollowed out in-between the stud holes to save weight, so you can't mill the spacer off  |
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555 
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Jul 12, 2020 10:30:20 GMT
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Ive only just discovered this thread but amazed. what cool car and history. what is the white thing that says terrain follower? Thanks the Terrain Follower is a rally Navigators Potti, it is used to Magnify the map and lights it up I've got one of those, I bought it new in 1986 and used it on many road events in the late 80s. They were actually repurposed.....made from a job lot of pipe reducers normally fitted to guttering to reduce the pipe size for the downward-facing drainpipes on houses. True story! I got chatting to the guy who runs rally navigation supplies firm The Basic Roamer Company at a road event a few years back and he told me the story whilst looking at mine. Pretty rare now! Mine was the 'Deluxe' model which had a rheostat on the side for you to turn the brightness up when your eyes got tired. Still on its' original bulb after 34 years! |
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Jul 12, 2020 20:53:28 GMT
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I bet that makes a rather satisfying noise now... yes is sounds great but not set up correctly yet, it needs tuning/re jetting on a rolling road session, its runs great but just bogging down a little on full throttle |
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Jul 12, 2020 20:55:35 GMT
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That is nice... The original Minifin's are not reproduced, right? Only the ones with the cast-in spacer? yes as timmy201 said minifins are no longer made and are hard to come by in good condition, they are prone to warping if used on the front, copies of the superfin are still made with the added spacer by several companies with varying quality |
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Jul 12, 2020 20:57:12 GMT
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Thanks the Terrain Follower is a rally Navigators Potti, it is used to Magnify the map and lights it up I've got one of those, I bought it new in 1986 and used it on many road events in the late 80s. They were actually repurposed.....made from a job lot of pipe reducers normally fitted to guttering to reduce the pipe size for the downward-facing drainpipes on houses. True story! I got chatting to the guy who runs rally navigation supplies firm The Basic Roamer Company at a road event a few years back and he told me the story whilst looking at mine. Pretty rare now! Mine was the 'Deluxe' model which had a rheostat on the side for you to turn the brightness up when your eyes got tired. Still on its' original bulb after 34 years! interesting info i did wonder why it was white and looked like a pipe fitting, now i know why because it is i think mine had the rheostat when new but looks like the bulb got too hot and its melted the surrounding area so its had a replacement bulb holder fitted |
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Jul 12, 2020 23:00:54 GMT
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I bet that makes a rather satisfying noise now... yes is sounds great but not set up correctly yet, it needs tuning/re jetting on a rolling road session, its runs great but just bogging down a little on full throttle Really hope we can get some decent video of it on the go once that's done. Just the gearbox in a Metro is addictive enough, but with a big old twin choke carb barking away up front that will be quite the recipe for big grins I'd think. |
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Current fleet: 73 AC Model-70. 75 Rover 3500. 84 Trabant 601S. 85 Sinclair C5. 06 Peugeot Partner 1.6HDi.
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Jul 14, 2020 10:04:19 GMT
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yes is sounds great but not set up correctly yet, it needs tuning/re jetting on a rolling road session, its runs great but just bogging down a little on full throttle Really hope we can get some decent video of it on the go once that's done. Just the gearbox in a Metro is addictive enough, but with a big old twin choke carb barking away up front that will be quite the recipe for big grins I'd think. I was there when it was running , sounds mint.  |
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Jul 14, 2020 11:14:12 GMT
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The sight of a "Barrymore" Turbo brings back painful and expensive memories of my own D-reg one. I thought I'd got over it, but seeing this has set my recovery back decades.
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eBay Rare
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Jul 14, 2020 18:28:59 GMT
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The sight of a "Barrymore" Turbo brings back painful and expensive memories of my own D-reg one. I thought I'd got over it, but seeing this has set my recovery back decades. All white 😂 |
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Jul 31, 2020 10:40:02 GMT
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Absolutely love this got a keen interest in pre production metros but also rallying so this must be a good one to own.
Josh
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Aug 18, 2020 19:18:41 GMT
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Absolutely love this got a keen interest in pre production metros but also rallying so this must be a good one to own. Josh Thanks, yes its a great car to own i just fell lucky when it came up for sale locally, i went to view it with the idea of buying it to break it for parts until i realised what it was its just frustrating i haven't really been able to use it this year but hopefully it should be at the mini/metro show at the British motor museum in Sept |
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