Original Mini Cooper

[mrmike]

As my Volkswagen project winds down, my new project is the Revell Original Mini Cooper and while this kit has 128 pieces, this car is tiny when compared to the current modern Revell Mini Cooper which had less pieces when I built it many years ago.  I plan on painting this Mini Tamiya TS-86 Pure Red with a Tamiya TS-26 Pure White roof.  If I can scare up the materials, I may try to produce a Union Jack roof decal for this Mini.  Other than the roof decal and maybe some engine wiring, this model will be built OOB.

More Mini Cooper to come...

[Pierre Rivard]

The body on this kit looks great with crisp details. This should be a great build.

Amazing the size difference between the 2 cars...like they are different scale.

[Dave72]

I have one of these waaaay in the back corner of the bench started quite a long time ago. I believe mine is the Tamiya kit. It’s a cute little car! The Tamiya kit is very detailed with a lot of parts as well. I gotta get back to work on that one of these days!  Meanwhile, I’ll follow along on yours!  

[Erik Smith]

Cool. Always like seeing a Mini. It is amazing how small the real cars are - we went to a small British car show last summer and they had old and new minis side by side. Yup, scale checks out. 

[rightrudder]

4 hours ago, Erik Smith said:

Cool. Always like seeing a Mini. It is amazing how small the real cars are - we went to a small British car show last summer and they had old and new minis side by side. Yup, scale checks out. 

Yes...the new one should really be called the Maxi.

[Mike C.]

I love the old ones. There was a guy around where I grew up that had at lease 2 of them. you would see them around from time to time. One day I saw one parked in a mini mart and was astonished at how tiny the wheels and tires were. They're like the wheels and tires on my snow blower. The old ones are really cool This should be a cool model. ?

[Mike C.]

It was mildly tricked out with those 8 spoked aluminum wheels.

 

[Mattilacken]

Sweet! These are cool, I rarely se them around here any longer. thinking of how much the Bad Obsession Motorsport guys have cramped in to that little body!! 

[Bainford]

Cool project, Mike. Always love the Mini. How does this kit compare to the Tamiya kit? I built the Tamiya kit a few years ago, and it's very good. The photos above look like a nicely done body.

[mrmike]

Thanks guys!

19 hours ago, Bainford said:

Cool project, Mike. Always love the Mini. How does this kit compare to the Tamiya kit? I built the Tamiya kit a few years ago, and it's very good. The photos above look like a nicely done body.

I couldn't say since I have never seen the Tamiya kit up close.  

I started with assembly of the basic engine and I painted some of the parts needed for it with PollyS Dark Green.  I also painted some pieces with gold, stainless steel, flat and semi gloss black.  The wheels got a coating of flat white around the rims.  I'll coat this with gloss clear in a few days.

More Mini to come...

[slusher]

Looking forward to your build…

[mrmike]

Thanks Carl!  

[Mr Randy]

love that Mini Mr Mike

 

[Andrew McD]

This looks like a  fun one .  I’ll be watching.

[mrmike]

Thanks Randy and Andrew!

[mrmike]

The engine has been assembled and ready to be installed in the chassis...when I get that built!  I must say that this engine went together very well and I haven't lost any parts yet!  These parts are tiny!

More Mini to come...

[slusher]

Nice engine Mike..

[bill-e-boy]

You think the kit is tiny. I have owned 3 real Mini's over the years and they are tiny to work on in full scale

I don't have any pix but the better of them was white with Minilite wheels like the blue car and a few other niceties but mostly stock. They were a fun car to drive especially on tight twisty roads

I have the Tamiya kit so must put it together sometime

 

[Oldcarfan27]

On 2/13/2022 at 12:06 PM, Mike C. said:

One day I saw one parked in a mini mart and was astonished at how tiny the wheels and tires were. They're like the wheels and tires on my snow blower. 

My friend had a 1/20 Mini Cooper kit and we pulled out the wheels from it and put them on a 1/25 vehicle - perfect size!

[mrmike]

Thanks guys!

I think one of the things that people see on a Mini are the small wheels and tires then the car size itself.  At least, I do.  

[mrmike]

I finally got some Tamiya Grey Fine Surface Prime on the Mini chassis and I installed the engine.  I painted the interior floor with Tamiya TS-29 Semi Gloss Black and the body parts got a coat of Tamiya White Fine Surface Primer.

More Mini to come...

[Bugatti Fan]

Over here in the UK Austin brought out a small hatchback named the Metro with an MG version too. Funny thing is that the two cars stayed in production side by side, but the original mini carried on being produced after the Metro stopped production.I

The original mini besides it's bog standard Austin and Morris versions had the 2 Cooper versions, the 1275 being the top performance road model of the two. There were two other badge engineered versions, the Riley Elf and the Wolseley Hornet. The Riley was the equivalent of the lower rated Cooper and the  Wolseley a more luxurious version of the standard Austin Morris cars. They had distinctive body features like stylised radiator shells and a protruding boot (trunk). They also brought out a leisure vehicle that was a bit jeep like in concept named the Moke. The Moke featured in the original TV series The Prisoner starring Patrick McGoohan. 

Of course Austin Morris looked at the commercial vehicle market and produced a Mini Van and a Pick Up.

Moto Bitz in the UK makes resins of the Moke, Mini Van and Pickup. I had a resin body trans kit of the Riley Elf some years ago but cannot remember who made it.

 

[Mr Randy]

Your Mini is coming together Mike.

[mrmike]

Thanks Randy!

Thanks for the history lesson, Noel!

[mrmike]

A little time this afternoon at the paintbooth!  I painted the body and other pieces with Tamiya TS-86 Pure Red, the roof with Tamiya TS-26 Pure White, A second coat for the interior platform with Tamiya TS-29 Semi Gloss Black.  Now to let this dry and maybe a couple of coats of Tamiya TS-13 Gloss Clear to be added.

More Mini to come...