Ok a short bit from history or how not to learn to drive in a Mini too.
Right I inherited the family Mini, it was a badly neglected (it was my
sisters car first, but her then boyfriend/later husband now divorced used to
drive about in it mostly and it hadn't been serviced/oil changed for years,
it had no brakes, the battery was knackered and it was in an overall bad
shape) 1975 Tahiti Blue MKIII Mini 1000, as soon as I got hold of it my
father and I sorted out the problems, carried out a full oil change/service,
we even decoked the engine and adjusted the tappets etc and soon it was
running like a watch and had brakes that worked too. Right I was learning
to drive in a school of motoring horrible silver Vauxhall Nova but as I had
the Mini I was having lessons in that too, plus a friend of mine could drive
so he'd sit next to me also. Anyway I was getting very cocky and I'm not
proud (damned embarrassed now really) but I'd go off to Porthcawl (seaside
town about 30 miles from my house) and on one road leading out it was a long
down hill sweeping sort of country road that ended with a bend and as it was
around Easter the road was pretty quiet. Okay I was driving, my friend who
could drive was sitting next to me and there were 2 other friends in the
back and we ok I used to drive down that road, flat out and the speedometer
which read up to 95mph on that Mini, anyway the needle was going past that
and heading for the F for full on the fuel gauge and I did all this wearing
L' plates and we'd get to the bottom, go around the roundabout and travel
back up the hill to do it again, several times! Well it was like riding on
a roller coaster I guess. But as I said earlier, this was around Easter
time during 1985 and the BBC had shown The Italian Job on TV in the January
and i'd taped it and had been watching it quite a few times. Anyway I then
passed my driving test in that Mini and I can remember back then the firm I
was working for had a sort of day trip to Porthcawl and we took our cars, so
my Mini was full with a bloke in the passenger seat and two young girls in
the back. When we headed off home I took a different route to everyone else
and drove down that road and yes put my foot down and watched the speedo
needle shoot around, well when we got to the bottom and hit the bend it
really was like being on a roller coaster ride because the girls in the back
were screaming.
Yes I was a Mini hooligan and i'm not proud, but I got my comupance one
night or early one morning really when I went with my friends to follow a
local car rally around the Brecon (heard of the Brecon Beacons? Well it
wasn't far from there really) area and at about 3am I drove off the road and
straight into a tree, well I had only just passed my driving test a week or
so and was inexperienced, but I was really trying to get out of the way of a
rally car (bloody MKI Escort) that was charging up behing me and I thought
the folk in the road ahead was a turning, but it wasn't it was the muddy
entrance to a farm. Okay I bent the front subframe but the Mini eventually
got fixed (in fact I got it sprayed in it's original colour but added a
white roof like a Cooper and it got all new shiny brightwork too), but
comupance number too was around the corner. I found myself once again in
Porthcawl, alone this time though as it was a blazing hot summer day and I
just fancied a drive, anyway on the way home whilst travelling down that
road, yes the fast country downhill road I was tootling along at say 50mph
which seemed like nothing when I was used to doing around the ton (there's a
speed limit there now and signs stating 40mph!) and I had my window open
because it was quite hot and as the sun was in my eyes it didn't occur to me
straight away that the lorry in front had suddenly stopped on the hill, so
by the time it registered and I hit the brakes, which locked up (they were
drums all round of course), I just skidded straight in to the back of the
lorry and sort of bounced off! What happened was a taxi pulled out in front
of the lorry, the lorry smashed into the back of that, completely wrecking
it and I just smashed into the back of the lorry. Well I wasn't too happy,
but what could I do? My poor Mini needed yet another new grille, headlight
rings and some unbending of one front wing.
Well I thought I was jinxed, but once the Mini was fixed again! I just got
back in it and got back on the road, but I did learn to respect speed limits
and to stay well back from vehicles in front, well whilst I was driving a
Mini with drum brakes anyway.
Ok sorry that was meant to be a short bit from my own personal history, in
fact it was a snippet from 1985 and I could tell many more stories too, but
I think I've bored you all enough for now?
Taffy
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