1969 Mini Cooper S - How Does An Italian Job Mini Actually Drive?

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  • Опубликовано: 28 сен 2024
  • Where did the Mini Coopers from the Italian Job film actually end up and were they as good to drive as legend would have it? Today I drive a 1969 Mini Cooper S and talk about how three 'restored' film cars are around even though all the cars in the film were destroyed.
    Thank you to Bidding Classics! Go and check out the website to see what’s listed right now! bit.ly/Bidding...

Комментарии • 560

  • @patrickhostler5939
    @patrickhostler5939 Год назад +8

    I absolutely adore the size, simplicity and sheer uncomplicated fun the Mini Cooper represents. I WANT ONE❤

  • @murrieteacher
    @murrieteacher Год назад +21

    Thanks Jack for the memories. I was 18 years old, I had a Mk1 Lotus Cortina with the A frame rear end and raced at club level. These bloody little things would slip past me in the corners while my inside front wheel waved in the air. We were all on German Dunlop Roadspeed crossply tyres. Crossply sounds terrible but these tyres were built on a race tyre carcass. there is a special sound that the A series engine had and as you drove away it all came back to me. Wooohooo!

    • @alanthomson1227
      @alanthomson1227 Год назад +5

      18 years old with mk1 Lotus Cortina ! I’m 69 and can still only dream of one .

    • @murrieteacher
      @murrieteacher Год назад +10

      @@alanthomson1227 I shake my head in disbelief when I think about those years. I worked in the family business 7 days a week 12 -15 hour days. 4 days off over Easter and half day off Christmas day. We catered for weddings too and there were events that had me on my feet for 30 hours. I raced 6 times a year (and had to fight for those days), lost 3 girlfriends, and Saturday night was hell. I walked out at 25 years old, went back to study and became a lecturer in maths. 5 day week, 7 hour day, weekends, public holidays and annual leave. I have a 10 year old Skoda and I hillclimb a 21 year old 2002 MGTF. I am 77.

    • @alanthomson1227
      @alanthomson1227 Год назад +2

      @@murrieteacher still mk 1 Lotus Cortina !

    • @Ralph2
      @Ralph2 Год назад +1

      Remember the Groundhogs when they came out?! Happy days.

    • @alanthomson1227
      @alanthomson1227 Год назад

      @@Ralph2 Blues obituary , Thank Christ for the bomb and their greatest Split

  • @Mariazellerbahn
    @Mariazellerbahn Год назад +91

    The registration plates were never issued which is why they were still available from DVLA. The plates were tenuously chosen as LGW 809G (London GatWick flight 809 ... their booked return flight) / HMP 729G (Her Majesty's Prison with 729 being Charlie Crokers prison number) and GPF 146G (Grand Prix Flag with 146 being the number of F1 points that Jackie Stewart had accumulated to date).

    • @phildavenport4150
      @phildavenport4150 Год назад +8

      Brilliant!

    • @charliechristmas5147
      @charliechristmas5147 Год назад +19

      Strangely enough…the funeral segment of The Italian Job also had HMP 1 as the registration on the hearse. This was done for a laugh by the set crew and was missed in the post production. This is mentioned on the directors version (talk over) available on the DVD as an ‘extra’

    • @brianiswrong
      @brianiswrong Год назад +7

      Thankyou for this information👍

    • @buxvan
      @buxvan Год назад +3

      Wow, I never knew that. Very clever.

    • @troytempest290
      @troytempest290 4 месяца назад

      Wowza..! Great information. 👏

  • @Laz_Arus
    @Laz_Arus Год назад +6

    Another trip down memory lane for me. One of my first cars, after I obtained my license back in the early 70s, was a Mini Deluxe with the 1-litre engine. Shortly afterwards after selling the latter, I bought a Cooper S that a previous owner had fitted with the 850's gearbox. Revved like stink in the lower gears and was fun to drive around town by somewhat noisy out on the highways. Fond memories indeed and such a lively chuckable car. Time to dig out the original Italian Job and watch that too. Thanks, Jack. 👍

    • @davidjb3671
      @davidjb3671 Год назад

      Looks like a trip down Harry Metcalfe's lane to me 😏

  • @Cchogan
    @Cchogan Год назад +3

    In the early 80s, I spent a summer in Portugal at a friend's villa. There were quite a large bunch of us aged between 17 and 70, I think. A local car hire company specialised in Cooper S Minis. They were cheap to hire so we hired five of them for the whole summer. Where we were was an area which is now heavily developed. But at that time, the massive developments were in a very early stage. There were kilometers of dusty, hardly used roads. We took these Minis everywhere. It was so much fun. And the few times we went as a group down to the coast, the five identical Minis got far more looks than even the Ferraris were getting!

  • @darylwalford8697
    @darylwalford8697 Год назад +12

    We used to say that driving a Mini Cooper was the most fun you could have with your clothes on🙂 A brilliant little car. Interesting that Australian Mk2 Coopers S had a wider track with flared guards and spacers built in to the drums and discs, also had twin fuel tanks.

    • @georgebettiol8338
      @georgebettiol8338 Год назад +3

      Interesting fact is the Australian New South Wales police used the Mini Cooper S as a pusuit vehicle in the late 1960s.

    • @darylwalford8697
      @darylwalford8697 Год назад +5

      @@georgebettiol8338 Yes and they were modified, twin 1.5" SU, different cam and ported and polished head. Wife's brother used to work for a BMC dealer and he got a copy of the Police specs, we then built his engine to those specs, it went rather well.

    • @petesmitt
      @petesmitt Год назад +3

      @@georgebettiol8338 NSW police cars back then didn't have police lights or siren; when they wanted to pull a driver over, they tooted their horn and pulled alongside showing a 'police' sign; Doug Mulray, the radio personality tells a funny story; he was a speed freak as a young tear-away in Sydney and got pulled over on occasion - he decided to have some fun, so the next time he was shown the 'police' sign, he put up his own sign 'lout'..

    • @nickturner2813
      @nickturner2813 Год назад +1

      _All_ Cooper S cars had twin tanks, whichever country they were sold in.

    • @nickturner2813
      @nickturner2813 Год назад

      @@georgebettiol8338 Many police forces used them.

  • @robo672
    @robo672 Год назад +3

    the italian job mini. they became a part of our lives as kids we all wanted one an iconic film does it really matter if the rebuild didnt have the original parts the three cars look great

  • @jamescoe764
    @jamescoe764 Год назад +108

    The Daily Mail printing lies? Well I never

  • @paulbrown7137
    @paulbrown7137 Год назад +4

    I used to have one in the 80’s while at University. I swapped the steering wheel for a chunky small one.
    It made the mini feel so much faster! 😅

  • @ryanmccormick2150
    @ryanmccormick2150 Год назад +9

    The Mini brings back loads of happy childhood memories for me, my parents had one when i was a kid in the 80's .... We used to travel all over the lake district and Scotland in it also trip's to Devon to visit my uncle..... It was just the standard 1000cc in a lovely metallic light Green..... Happy memories!
    Cracking stuff as always Jack buddy 👍

    • @Number27
      @Number27  Год назад +2

      Thank you old boy!!

    • @gazzertrn
      @gazzertrn Год назад +5

      Proper Minis in those days, not BMW rehashes .

    • @ryanmccormick2150
      @ryanmccormick2150 Год назад +5

      @@gazzertrn No it was a proper Mini ..... The BMW version I'm not a fan of at all! Bloated and overpriced!

    • @ryanmccormick2150
      @ryanmccormick2150 Год назад +2

      @@Number27 you're welcome Jack 👍

    • @gazzertrn
      @gazzertrn Год назад +3

      @@ryanmccormick2150 Cool cars in the day , i remember in the sixties everybody wanted one .

  • @oddjobtriumph1635
    @oddjobtriumph1635 Год назад +1

    One thing that can never be questioned about these mini's is the Handling ... i owned many Minis from my teens to my mid 20's ... and they all put a smile on my face

  • @martinlagrange8821
    @martinlagrange8821 Год назад +8

    I rewatched the movie a few months ago - and noticed that the Alfa Romeo Guilia's (the cop cars) were being deliberately driven slowly, so as not to catch up with the Mini's !

  • @GuyChapman
    @GuyChapman Год назад +2

    My original Min was welded up by a guy called Ken, who was a welder on The Italian Job set. My Mini was an H-reg 850 van, bought new by Dad in 1970 (he was also 6'2" tall). He gave it to me as a non-runner and I rebuilt it mechanically from the ground up, replacing synchro cones and everything, but alas after Uni it wasn't practical for everyday transport and I couldn't afford to store or restore it, so I sold it in 1989.
    You don't drive a Mini, you wear it.
    Also worth watching: Iain Tyrell authenticated the original Miura from the film, and was allowed to drive it along the Great St. Bernard Pass. There's a video out there of him driving it, accompanied by a recording of him singing "on Days Like These". A good day at the office!

  • @richardtrythall9586
    @richardtrythall9586 Год назад +1

    A blast from my past , with all the mini’s i had back in my younger days . Fond memories , thanks

  • @barrettwbenton
    @barrettwbenton Год назад +2

    Watching you sling that little jewel around made me think of the line "get your skates on, mates!" Great review, and story.

  • @gegenmiketom
    @gegenmiketom Год назад +1

    They just make you smile, simple! And you get lots of smiles back when driving.

  • @ExUSSailor
    @ExUSSailor Год назад +3

    I owned a '74 1000 for a while. It was a restored '92 body shell on the original '74 mechanicals, and, it actually had factory A/C. I never used it, because, when the A/C compressor kicked on, the car would automatically lose about 10-15 mph. Driving one in the States is quite an experience. You have to be prepared to answer a ton of questions any time you stop anywhere.

    • @Number27
      @Number27  Год назад

      😆😆😆🙌 yes.. that’s all part of the ‘character!

  • @slartybartfarst9737
    @slartybartfarst9737 5 дней назад

    40 years ago I was lucky enough to have loan of a genuine full works BL vehicle special products 1430 Mk2 Cooper S for a week. It looked like a standard car, it went quicker than a Ford Capri 3.0 S, it handled like it had its own rails in the road. The moment you turned that key and the engine out of balance at tick over let you know it was there through its virtually solid mounts you knew this was something very special, what a machine.

  • @andyman8630
    @andyman8630 Год назад +1

    i had a '64 morris 850 with the gearshift mounted right up at the firewall, replaced tha with the gearshift next to the seat, fitted an 1100cc engine oversized 20 thou, put a 30/70 cam in it, twin SU's, headers and a straight through 2 inch exhaust - i also remove the mechanical advance stopper pin in the dizzy and tuned her by ear
    it was a beast! it idled at 1500rpm and sounded like rotary (people asked if i had a rotary in it), the back of the car bounced at idle and you could hold your hand 5 feet behing the exhaust and feel it blowing hard, at idle - she revved to 6,500 in every gear and could pull over 160kph - it also had rubber cone suspension, so she handled like nothing!
    wish i still had it, but it was stolen in the 80's

  • @luislealsantos
    @luislealsantos Год назад +2

    Daily mail. Titanic sunk, no loss of lifes. Accurate and coherent as always

  • @WizzardPrang
    @WizzardPrang Год назад +1

    Thanks Jack, that brought back some great memories! I loved my mini, brilliant fun.

  • @simongee8928
    @simongee8928 2 месяца назад

    Always loved the original minis, even the basic ones were such fun to drive- ! 😊
    A pal had a Cooper S and did that shift - ! 😅

  • @douglasbutcher7541
    @douglasbutcher7541 Год назад

    I've owned 4 Minis; 2 Rover Cooper 1.3i's and 2 Rover Cooper Sportspack's. Only sold my last 1 to buy a new Mk2 MG ZR back in 2005. I still have that ZR, but would absolutely love another Rover Sportspack.

  • @elkabongg2716
    @elkabongg2716 Год назад +1

    I remember the magic wand gearstick on my old 850 min. It would rattle away, changing gear was like stirring porridge and it would flex an inch or so if you tried changing too quick. Later had a 1275 Cooper S. The right front wheel would bounce up and down like mad if I took off too quick and when the engine stabiliser bushes went, which happened more than once, the engine would rock back and forth so much that the exhaust occasionally detached from the LCB manifold I fitted and fell on the floor. Them cars had character.

  • @The_BenboBaggins
    @The_BenboBaggins Год назад

    Miss my 1980 998 Mini City - bare bones, seized suspension and drum brakes all round - it was absolutely EPIC!

  • @pashakdescilly7517
    @pashakdescilly7517 Год назад +3

    It would be really interesting for you to do a review of the difference in ride and handling between the rubber spring cars and the hydrolastic ones. I don't know the dates, but I think the Mk1 cars were rubber, Mk2 were hydro. Later cars reverted to rubber springs, due to cost of the hydrolastic system.

  • @afam58
    @afam58 4 месяца назад

    I had a variety of minis. They all handled better than any other car especially with good quality tyres❤❤❤❤

  • @6ettinold
    @6ettinold Год назад

    I bought a newly restored 1967 Mini Minor 850 as my 1st car. I remember having a play with a 205gti on the A6 in the Peak District one sunny afternoon. Obviously the 205 sat on my rear bumper most of the time, but couldn't match the Mini through the bends. Immense fun.

  • @jonathandavies7462
    @jonathandavies7462 Год назад +1

    Currently have a 1220cc engine in my Mini. Small bore, long stroke gives it instant torque and about 80bhp….superb to drive .
    The future for 998’s in my opinion 😎

    • @andyhill6398
      @andyhill6398 Год назад +1

      Wow that takes me back. I built a 1150 from a 998 50 years ago. I seem to remember you could get 1220 with Imp pistons , or is my memory failing?

    • @jonathandavies7462
      @jonathandavies7462 Год назад +1

      @@andyhill6398 Calver ST pistons 👍

    • @jonathandavies7462
      @jonathandavies7462 Год назад

      @@andyhill6398 1275 blocks are getting harder to get for a 1380 conversion, and more expensive…while there are plenty of good 998 engines out there 😎
      And these make superb street fast cars

  • @od1452
    @od1452 Год назад

    As a Yank it was always a dream of mine to own a mini. Thanks for the fun look back . When I lived in Europe I was taken by all the small cars that were such fun to drive .My buddy had a Simca that you only had to push about 1 foot to start ! He never bought a new battery. ! I liked both Italian Job movies... but I question the possibility of hauling all that heavy gold in these small cars.

  • @jocelynhurtubise2420
    @jocelynhurtubise2420 Год назад

    Thank you again for your in-depth explanation. May I had that all four Beatles owns Mini!

  • @barryphillips7327
    @barryphillips7327 Год назад +7

    LOVE Mk1 COOPER S!!!! HATE modern Minis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • @geoffrobinson7293
    @geoffrobinson7293 Год назад

    Great video! Great review of the late 60s/early 70s mini. Mine was not quit the same and heavily modified, but I drove it to and from work regularly and flogged it though hilly, rural B roads and lanes for several years. It was an absolute blast to drive. It is hard to describe the feedback from riding inches off the road, good steering, good handling, light weight car. It was different from, but as much fun as my 1968 Porsche 912. Everything you said in the review is spot on.

  • @andymos9
    @andymos9 Год назад

    I had a 1965 Cooper S(which replaced a Cooper) which was a 1275 bored out to 1300, twin Weber carbs, external oil cooler, wheel spacers, flared arches, steering wheel the size of my hand, competition clutch, racing gearbox, Webasto sunroof, but no power steering and one petrol tank was missing. It was huge fun but it hated idling in traffic and tended to overheat

  • @paulriggers1558
    @paulriggers1558 Год назад

    for 18 yrs i was a main dealer mechanic, i hated fixing those rusty, leaky minis with a passion
    but, behind the wheel, they were quite good...

  • @Gscalenut
    @Gscalenut Год назад

    I had a Mk1 1275cc model. The head had larger intake and exhaust valves than the later Mk2 variant, which unfortunately led to cracking between the valve seats in each cylinder. The fix was a modified 998cc Cooper head (12G295 casting from memory), requiring from memory an additional head stud to be drilled. This resulted in less power but at the time replacement Mk1 heads were like hen's teeth. An absolute joy to drive with my fondest memories accelerating up to 75mph behind a car infront and then dropping into fourth gear and accelerating away with the gorgeous exhaust note of a Mk1 at high revs as the car in front was overtaken. Drivers of the larger V8 Holdens and Fords hated the Mini as it was really just a modified go-kart and the "performance" V8 cars little more than shopping carts when it came to cornering.

  • @davidh2022
    @davidh2022 Год назад

    EXCELLENT as always fella! Great filming, great comment. Love that exhaust sound! Driven/owned many cars but still not an 'original' mini at 50yrs old!

  • @Mrtallguy76
    @Mrtallguy76 Год назад

    I’ve only had 80s and 90s Minis, but this one looks absolutely gorgeous and sounds perfect.

    • @stevecarter8810
      @stevecarter8810 Год назад +1

      Yeah I started driving in 89 and loved minis. I reckoned they went downhill after 68, mostly on account of adding more interior trim, and using larger wheels

  • @midge225
    @midge225 Год назад

    Best car i ever owned , miss it very much , wish i still had it , it was a 1.3 fuel injection model anthracite black metalic , silver stripes , silver and black leather interior and a strsight through pipe , brilliant

  • @jemor2143
    @jemor2143 Год назад

    A little bit of trivia for you that you may not know. NSW, Australia Police Force commission the mini cooper s, in the late 60's early 70's to use instead of the police bikes. At the time minis were the young crowds favourite car and there were always many in country towns to compete with the police. I had 4 myself over the years when I was young and loved driving them, 'though a little bit scary when you were caught between 2 "B" double trucks going down the Blue Mountain's windy road. What fun it was!
    Great video, thanks.

  • @kappeyne
    @kappeyne Год назад +2

    What a fine, evocative video! Focusing on the Minis featured in the original Italian Job makes it extra special. 'Very well done. Jack's engaging narrative and the shots taken from outside drew me in so much that now I want to buy a Mini and tear up the beautiful English countryside. Would anyone know which country roads Jack is driving on here, or at least which region of England?

    • @Number27
      @Number27  Год назад +1

      Thanks chap! The roads are in the Cotswolds but my Wes route is pretty short so not really worth driving up unless you’re already very close

    • @clooperman3745
      @clooperman3745 Год назад

      @@Number27 A lovely looking and sounding Cooper S, was a Ford fan when l was a lot younger with a 1971 Mexico but enjoyed all the hot cars of that time.

    • @kappeyne
      @kappeyne Год назад

      @@Number27 Thank you for your reply! 'Will make my way to the Cotswolds when I visit Holland, my own country. Cheers!

  • @johnthorburn3712
    @johnthorburn3712 7 месяцев назад

    My first car was a 1969 standard 850 Mini MK 2 (same colour as this one) bought second hand in 1972 in New Zealand for $1600 NZ. I used to say if someone gave me a Rolls Royce I'd sell it and buy a Mini!! I still feel the same way. I LOOVED it! Still mourn for too, and I'm 70 now.

  • @AnonymousCaveman
    @AnonymousCaveman Год назад

    A timeless classic the original Mini is!

  • @barry7608
    @barry7608 Год назад

    Re Minis and Alpha's on my roads I'd have a go at anything and win, but in our big national race the Gallagher 500 in 1966 Cooper S Mk1's claimed the first 9....nine places OUTRIGHT and this was a fast track. In the following years the Alpha's (1750GTV's ) always finished in front of the Minis but I believe on the same lap. The big advantage of the Mini was less tyre changes and fuel stops, but man could they come down that mountain. Gotta love these gems. So back in 1967 on the right road I'd have money on the Mini, but with any stretching of the straights would see the Alpha on top.

  • @ajvonline
    @ajvonline Год назад

    Sitting position like driving an old bus or lorrie... exactly! Quite regal once you get settled 🙂

  • @andybowie8590
    @andybowie8590 Год назад +4

    The bit in the original movie always cracked me up when one of the guys is under the rear end and tells Michael caine there's a problem with the diff...
    The first car I remember being in was my dads mini, not a cooper I think just an 850, I remember the huge side storage bins, the sliding side windows and the red interior. I also remember it broke down a lot, shocker!

  • @bernardh9994
    @bernardh9994 Год назад

    That story fits with with my general impression of the Daily Mail - ' never mind the facts give them a good story'..

  • @barry7608
    @barry7608 Год назад

    My very first car was a 1967 Australian Mk1 1275 Cooper S, I still have the front and rear badges and the motor but sadly not the gearbox, some glass boot and bonnet. Where I live has some exceptional 'Cooper country' roads very twisty, up and down and goes for about 80Km's, scenic to boot. I knew every corner off by heart and learnt to do all the driving tricks, heel and toe, double shuffle (no synchro on first). Light blue with a white roof. There is a lot of confusion here in Oz as to what you got in an original Mk1 or Mk2 and I have had a few arguments on Cooper S specs and won, I was there and lived Mini's. In Oz the Mk 1 had Overrider stainless steel bumpers front and rear, twin fuel tanks, 1 1/4" twin SU carbs and NO flared guards (were not available). The run years were 1966 to 1969 Mk1 and 1970 to 1972?? for the Mk 2. When the Mk 2 was released it had flares as standard, smaller valves (Mk1's had tendency to crack between the seats) and an oval front badge, whereas the Mk 1 had the Morris Oxford metal front badge with the small metal 'S' above. Some other details like prismatic rear view mirror, electrical improvements etc were added. Anyway thanks for the vid and I'll say even today on my local roads a Cooper S will make a good show of it's self, extremely fast in the twisty's if you know how.

  • @bobwyman3743
    @bobwyman3743 8 месяцев назад

    i had a '66 MG Austin 2-dr coupe back when,,,loved that car,,great in the snow, good heater,,always dependable,,but the Maine winters just ate it up and it rusted away!

  • @martinharris5017
    @martinharris5017 Год назад

    I think the Mini was my favourite car to drive. i had a hotted up example with rare dual single Dellorto sidedraft carbs and a tiger-stripe paint job. It was like a go-kart on steroids. So much fun and always got a thumbs-up from other drivers.
    I'm now into VW Beetles which i love working on, but for a driving experience the Mini wins hands down.

  • @static-san
    @static-san Год назад

    My first car was an Aussie-assembled '71 (I think) Mini 997cc not-quite-Cooper. I even remember the name of the colour: "mustard". Great close feel with the road, and forgiving steering. It did like going around corners, something I never grasped until several cars later when I had something else that loved corners: a Porsche 924.

  • @williamellis3961
    @williamellis3961 Год назад

    I had a Mini. I loved it handling.

  • @brianmilligan1787
    @brianmilligan1787 Год назад

    My father prepared those minis for the film he used to work Park Lane
    Motors.
    He used to be a royal air force
    Engineer prior

  • @oliabid-price4517
    @oliabid-price4517 Год назад

    If you want to experience truly light and very direct 'go kart' steering, along with a nice revvy engine of the same era, try an early Sunbeam Imp Sport.

  • @nickaustin8334
    @nickaustin8334 Год назад +1

    Are you seriously suggesting something reported in the Daily Mail is less than accurate?

  • @rx6180
    @rx6180 Год назад

    The accounts I read online and in magazines about the three most ‘genuine’ Italian Job recreations, which might have been 2011 or might have been 2009, since I owned different Minis in those years, were that they were being built from Mark Two shells so they could genuinely carry the 1969 ‘G’ reg plates and be legal, but they were being made to look like the Mark One cars used in the film even to the extent of having the size of the rear window aperture reduced, just like a Mark One Mini. The film crew had started using Mark One Minis and given them fictional ‘G’ plates to make them look current for the expected 1969 film release - then BMC or BL threw them a curved ball by introducing the Mark Two Mini with the bigger grille and rectangular rear lights. The Italian Job Minis I personally saw at the Goodwood Revival in 2009, the Mini’s 50th anniversary, were not the Mark Two cars I’d read about online. They were recreations wearing the Italian Job number plates but bearing tax discs with their original C, D or E registration numbers. Also I’d read the first three letters in the fictional ‘G’ registration plates in the movie cars were ‘in’ jokes, letters meaning something to the actors and crew, or initials of names, and not original numbers issued by the DVLA.

  • @ronmullard5718
    @ronmullard5718 Год назад

    In my younger days built a 1340 cooper s engine with a Piper cam and fitted a DCOE 45 Webber (had to cut bulkhead and make a fire proof box as was using a long inlet manifold) numerous other mods including servo assisted brakes ,suspension lowered ,wide alloy wheels etc I built my own dashboard for it with all the usual items had a speedo and rev counter specially built by smiths (some one said it looked like an aircraft flight deck).It was very fast and handled very well but was also quite thirsty . Sadly it had to go as my kids got bigger just wasn't roomy enough...At one time a guy I knew wanted to swap his MK1 lotus Cortina for it but didn't(in hindsight having to get rid of it ....maybe I should have....

  • @SiCrewe
    @SiCrewe Год назад +1

    This reminds me of how Carroll Shelby used to conveniently "find" a handful of original Cobra chassis' and build them into cars whenever he needed to top up his bank account.

  • @paulchurchouse4585
    @paulchurchouse4585 Год назад

    Fantastic car. Cooper S Mk 1 / 2 /3 all amazing

  • @Michael-yd5ry
    @Michael-yd5ry Год назад

    My favourite RUclips channel by far.Thank you.

  • @LeChave
    @LeChave Год назад +2

    What?? The Daily Mail being accused of not accurately publishing an article??? 🤣

  • @brianiswrong
    @brianiswrong Год назад

    At 6 ft 5' tall, i wasnt able to fit in and drive a mini built in the 80's
    A shame at the time, but with my terrible driving as a teenager it was probably a good thing.

  • @davebaker9128
    @davebaker9128 Год назад

    My first 3 cars were minis, a 1966 mini cooper S and a 69 and 70 for parts, ran a twin carb 1275 with a header, it would embarrass Porsche 911 guys in the canyon where i lived because i could take corners at full throttle, and the 2 lane road was like a highway in width for the mini, so much fun, but i would break driveline parts regularly, like twisting the center out of the clutch plate, or stripping the pinion gear in the final drive, had to special order, pay up front then waited 6 to 9 months for the parts to arrive, only to break something else within two weeks, drove me crazy

  • @mikeroz6549
    @mikeroz6549 Год назад +7

    First Cooper's were small bore engines, essentially a long stroke version of the 850cc engine. 850 was (62.94mm B x 68.26mm S) whilst the 997 was (S 81.28mm). There was a later 998cc Cooper which was 64.588mm x 76.2mm an altogether much sweeter engine, but still classed as a small bore block. All Cooper S's used the large bore block configuration of one std bore of 70.6mm but different strokes. The 970 was 61.91mm, 1071 was 68.26mm & 1275 81.33mm.

    • @jimclarke1108
      @jimclarke1108 Год назад

      i owned a 1964 Cooper 997cc, disc front brakes, i was 17, P plate licence totaled it in 2 weeks

    • @phildavenport4150
      @phildavenport4150 Год назад

      @@jimclarke1108 Let me guess - understeered off the road into something a lot bigger and harder after those crap brakes didn't slow you down enough. Or maybe backed off in a fast corner and the back came round on you.

    • @jimclarke1108
      @jimclarke1108 Год назад +1

      @@phildavenport4150 All the above, had front discs as well ,nothing to do with my 2 week old license...

    • @mikeroz6549
      @mikeroz6549 Год назад

      Oh yes the 997 discs were a lot less capable than the much thicker "S" 7.5 inch brakes. My 2nd mini a modified 61 Austin 7 came with them fitted. I soon swapped them out for a st of S hubs discs & calipers. I actually still have the cooper 997 disc some 38 years later.

    • @jimclarke1108
      @jimclarke1108 Год назад

      The 64 Cooper i has wasn't a cooper s, maybe different here in ? oi oi oi

  • @timkoch5039
    @timkoch5039 Год назад

    i never knew the italian job from 2003 was a remake, always took it for a rather bad copy of ocean's twelve which came out around the same time if memory serves. thank you so much alerting me to it. i love michael caine movies from that era.

  • @markchopping
    @markchopping Год назад

    Great review of the car and loved the info on the movie cars. I miss my old mini!!!

  • @daviddesert3132
    @daviddesert3132 Год назад

    Its so cool when Jack drives a car you have...

  • @goodwood-rc4nx
    @goodwood-rc4nx Год назад

    never owned a mini and only sat in one at a motor show but love the Italian job film is in my top 10

  • @ImissSaganCarl
    @ImissSaganCarl Год назад +2

    Great video. I would really like to see you review the Autobianchi A112 Abarth version and compare that to the Mini Cooper!!

  • @gaccutler9526
    @gaccutler9526 Месяц назад

    Early Coopers were 997... an odd size. This was soon changed to upgraded engine based on Mini 1000, at 998cc. Cooper S was 1275, with special versions for racing with shorter stroke to give 1070 and 970cc to meet capacity regs.

  • @g0fvt
    @g0fvt Год назад

    Not sure that I have ever been in a genuine Cooper, but I did drive a lot of Minis back in the day. My brother had a 1275GT, a fun little car but he did do a lot of welding on it.
    Another bit of strange trivia, I remember reading that a few cars used in the Italian job used 1800 "landcrab" engines and gearboxes for a scene where the cars went up stairs. An 1800cc drive train intended for 13" wheels must have pulled very well although limited top speed. I am not sure that the scene was even in the completed film, another scene with the Minis and Alfas on an ice rink was lost in the edit too. No great loss, maybe you should look out for the red E-type, it has been restored and has been driven back to the alps where the painful scene was recorded.
    Another bit of IJ trivia, when the Aston gets pushed off the cliff the bonnet opens the wrong way during the fall, it was not really an Aston that went off.

  • @stevefuller1779
    @stevefuller1779 Год назад +1

    The cars in the film were mark ones but had the later registration numbers that should have made them Mk2"s

  • @michaelpegasiou4531
    @michaelpegasiou4531 Год назад +1

    My uncle had one and it had a water leak on the way back from the seaside,we had to take it in turns to piss into the radiator opening,fun memories 😂

    • @Number27
      @Number27  Год назад

      🤦🏻‍♂️😆😆😆😆

    • @rogersimmons8788
      @rogersimmons8788 Год назад

      I bet your aunty wasn't too impressed!

  • @dazlad1972
    @dazlad1972 Год назад

    Power ti weight ratio is unreal esp with a Downton tuned engine. So want to drive one of these

  • @whfowle
    @whfowle Год назад

    Your video brings back great memories of the Mini Cooper I owned. I had a 65 with the 998cc engine. It had been worked over my March racing garage. The engine had shaved heads that brought compression ratio to 11.75, the SU carbs were rejetted, a tri-wye tuned exhaust header running thru a glass pack and the valve springs were doubled up. The cam was replaced with a high rise to suck in more air. Dampers were installed on the hydrolastic suspension and the track was increased by 2 inches so the wheel wells were flared to cover the Dunlop SP tires. It had to run on Amaco white gas rated at 101 octane. The coldest spark plugs would burn up in about 2,500 miles. Below 3,000 rpm, the car was pretty docile but at about 3,000, it was like an afterburner was turned on. It ran really well in the rain and cornering was very good. Looking back, I'd say it was my most memorable car to drive.

  • @andrewkingdon2000
    @andrewkingdon2000 Год назад

    Interesting comment you made about comparison between the 1275 mk2 cooper and a later mpi mini cooper with wide wheels etc. Well i have a 1999 mini cooper mpi on the last narrow wheels with normal (not wider) wheel arches and I feel the last mini coopers in that specification are probably the best as they have a more refined engine and rhe wheels are not oversized and ride slightly better as they are 12" instead of 10". I also say this having driven a mark 2 mini cooper s (twin tank) on a track day and I almost felt I was driving my own car, the only real difference was the slightly less refined engine tbh. I also have 3 others minis and they all have their own virtues and quirky attributes. Currently rebuilding a 1975 mini clubman estate which will be on original 10" wheels so thats going to be interesting to see how it performs...

  • @notsohairybiker
    @notsohairybiker Год назад

    'Go-kart' steering was never about how heavy the wheel felt, it was always about how fast the directional steering reacted.

    • @dorothythelabskeleton80
      @dorothythelabskeleton80 Год назад

      Type 'bonobo sex' into youtube search bar. Bonobos are similar to chimpanzees. There's a great video of a big ugly one bonking a little ugly one. The female is screaming and flaring nostril. She enjoying it. His

  • @glpilpi6209
    @glpilpi6209 Год назад

    Just to correct the narrator here on points he mentioned almost immediately . The car he's standing next to is a mark two mini , they used mark one's in the film, probably BL did a deal for the film maker's. I think other's have mentioned that error.
    BL obviously didn't see any advantages of product placement in a film.
    Ford did and regularly gave the products to film and TV companies for free.
    By 1969 Austin Morris were controlled by British Leyland a process started almost three years. earlier . They may have had the Downton company to perk up the engines , a popular modification at the time. I read many years ago in another article about the Coopers in the film that the stunt driver's broke 32 SETS of four Minilite wheels during the bouncing around on concrete pavements. The standard Leyland steel wheels fitted weren't up to the job. They broke quite a few drive shafts during the filming too.

  • @simongee8928
    @simongee8928 2 месяца назад

    A story I'd heard was that BMC reluctantly sold the Minis to the film makers, but when Fiat was approached, it was 'Yes of course, how many would you like to HAVE - ?' 😅

  • @jamesgraham6122
    @jamesgraham6122 Год назад

    Several of my girlfriends owned minis back in the 60s.. One being a Cooper, huge fun, the problem I have with them is that they just beg me to drive them everywhere with the accelerator buried into the carpet./. There's no other way to drive them.. and most of the time I'm laughing out loud. It would be exactly the same if I drove one tomorrow.. :>)

  • @MrTallpoppy58
    @MrTallpoppy58 Год назад

    I miss my Mk2 .... was so much fun.

  • @markburton3306
    @markburton3306 Год назад

    30 odd years ago myself and a couple of friends built a tuned up 1380cc A series engine. We couldn’t get a reasonable mini so ended up putting it in a bog standard Metro City. Surprised a few Golf GTIs at traffic lights :)

    • @MrAdopado
      @MrAdopado Год назад +1

      I had a very hot 1380 mini in late 1980s ... instant ... I mean INSTANT torque! Genuine Porsche embarrassment from the lights.

  • @rhettcorcoran2879
    @rhettcorcoran2879 Год назад +1

    Brilliant car and film.

    • @Number27
      @Number27  Год назад +1

      Thank you buddy, hope summer is treating you well!!

    • @rhettcorcoran2879
      @rhettcorcoran2879 Год назад

      @@Number27 thank you, it certainly is, Classic Le Mans in just over 2 weeks! :)

  • @scatmanjohn895
    @scatmanjohn895 Год назад

    I’ve had several, they may not steer like a go-kart, but they handle like a go-kart

  • @lesscotford1419
    @lesscotford1419 Год назад

    My two cousins had Coopers when I was a kid. 85,90mph two inches off the road seemed really quick.

  • @chrisdavies3572
    @chrisdavies3572 Год назад

    The three cars filmed at crystal palace racing track were all written off during filming.

  • @nigelmchugh5541
    @nigelmchugh5541 Год назад

    You'd have to laugh watching them splash through the storm drains...
    The buggers got it hard to start on a damp morning!

  • @eljayr4669
    @eljayr4669 Год назад

    Back in the day as a teenager I had a mini and it was a fabulous fun car but unfortunately a truck run into the back of me and wrote it off. A few years later when married I said to my wife let’s buy a mini. At the dealers I got out of it straight away and thought to myself, how on earth did I drive one of these. My first car and what memories.

  • @daveofyorkshire301
    @daveofyorkshire301 Год назад

    With 31 international rally victories and 4 championships, the original Mini was an excellent rally car... It proved itself in racing in its day...

  • @MarkARhodie
    @MarkARhodie 7 месяцев назад

    It's got twin SU carbs and it's known as rubber donut suspension, not blocks. Your video is making me miss mine from1994-2004.

  • @jeffreystorer4966
    @jeffreystorer4966 Год назад

    Lovely little cars ,me Mum had a few including a van lwb model

  • @Dan-gk7ti
    @Dan-gk7ti Год назад

    Can definitely say this presenter knows nothing about Mini and even less about driving one. But, Those cars are LEGENDS !

  • @andybrown4284
    @andybrown4284 Год назад

    I'd take an original mini over one of the modern things anyday, very fun to drive on Scotlands twisty windy roads.

  • @rhiantaylor3446
    @rhiantaylor3446 Год назад

    I bought a new Mini City (998) in the late 1980's, my other car at the time being an Alfasud 1.3 Super. I liked the Mini a lot but found the front wheels ran completely out of grip worryingly easily, understeering with the car running wide of whatever I was trying to do. Perhaps an unfair comparison but it showed me how far car design (and standard tyre sizing) had come between the two designs.

    • @captain007x
      @captain007x Год назад

      My first car was a Mini Clubman, my second an Alphsud 1.3. Loved both.

  • @lesklower7281
    @lesklower7281 Год назад

    I have seen the three minis that were supposed to be used in The Italian Job with the number plates that were on the cooper esses that were used in the film and each number plate had something to do with The Italian Job as for the Mini in Australia they got the nick name of the brick because it was in reference to there very good handling they stuck to the road

  • @courier955
    @courier955 Год назад

    The Daily Mail got it wrong? Now that's a shocker.

  • @VWT5Alive
    @VWT5Alive 4 месяца назад

    They won the Monte Carlo rally in 1966 but the French didn’t like it because it beat the Citroens and was disqualified on a technicality (headlight bulbs I believe).

  • @daves3893
    @daves3893 Год назад

    The tunnel scenes were filled in the new sewer pipes in Coventry UK so they never went anywhere.

  • @curiouscrandall1
    @curiouscrandall1 Год назад

    You can tell it's freshly restored. No transfer gear whine!

  • @nickturner2813
    @nickturner2813 Год назад

    5:25 What is "hydro-elastic" suspension? These Minis had Hydrolastic suspension.