First purchased by me in 2008, I sold it in 2010 because I needed something suitable for a 150mile round trip to work every day.  After four years, it re-appeared on the same garage forecourt, and I walked straight in and bought it back.  After a complete body rebuild at a well-known local workshop, and an engine rebuild by Mini Sport (costing in the region of £12k), I ended up selling it again in 2018 because I couldn't find the time to use it.  Three years later, I called the guy that bought it off me, and within a week it was back on my drive.  Now I'm selling it for the final time because I'm moving overseas, and right-hand drive cars are not welcome where I'm going.

Having the luxury of working from home, I've used this as my daily driver for the almost the last three years, and it has never missed a beat.  It starts first time, every time and is an absolute joy to drive.

It's a real head turner, and one of my favourite things about it is that wherever you go, strangers wave and smile, and I've had countless conversations with people who want to come up and sit in it, or reminisce about their adventures in mini's.  I'll definitely be sad to let it go.

It's a 1992 Mini Cooper SPi - originally red and white.  The original engine is in place.  As mentioned, it was shipped to Mini Sport in 2016, where both engine and gearbox underwent a full rebuild.  Everything on the engine is standard, but at the opposite end of the car, a centre exit Cherry Bomb makes sure that everyone knows the car is there. 

The body was completely stripped back in 2016, and every bit of rust was cut out and replaced - with a complete new front end, driver and passenger side floor pans, outer sills and rear subframe mountings.  After the rebuild, the underside was sealed, and the car was resprayed in Candy Red (two coats) with a BMW Black for the roof and the Group 5 arches.

Externally, I went for a mk1 grille and moustache, but I preferred the Mk2 Morris Cooper S badges that adorn the front and rear.  New Chrome bumpers with over-riders were fitted for the classic look. The bonnet is removable, and secured with leather straps and bonnet pins for easy access during maintenance.

At the front, I've fitted LED headlamps which dramatically improve visibility in night-time driving, and the Angel Eyes act as both sidelights and front indicator.  In place of the original indicators, I've fitted LED lights which are wired to the ignition and act as Daytime Running Lights.

At the rear, clear lenses cover all LED bulbs, and the side repeaters have also been replaced with LED's.  To accommodate the switch to LED's a replacement relay unit handles the drop in voltage to solve the rapid flashing issue.

The Aston Martin fuel filler cap brings a touch of elegance to the rear end

Suspension-wise, high lo's and adjustable shocks allow you to tailor the ride to your own preference.  The front sits a little high because it was fitted with a set of 13x7 deep dish superlights that rubbed on the front arches during turning.  I corrected that last year by replacing the 13's with a brand new set of 12x6 JBW superlights - no more rubbing and looks better now that the profile of the wheels doesn't extend outside the arches... but I didnt get round to dropping the front suspension.  

Inside, a Mountney wooden steering wheel and wooden gearknob give it a classic feel.  All switchgear was replaced during the restoration with chrome/LED toggle switches.  One of the toggle switches is wired up ready for the installation of a heated windscreen, which I never got around to.  The others are for lights, fog light, hazards and heated rear screen.

The white dial kit with blue LED's gives the dashboard a nice touch and A JVC CD player with USB and two rear mounted 6x9's allows the connection of an iPhone for listening pleasure.  The dashboard and door panels were all replaced with new black panels, and a black carpet with sound deadening makes the ride a bit less intense on the ears.

Comfortable seating comes in the form of two red/black Cobra Bucket Seats which are bang on trend in a "Vegan Friendly" non-leather way, and matching red Securon harnesses complete the racing look.

Modern car thieves will of course be baffled by the innovative security device often known as a key, but just in case that wasn't enough, there is a separate battery cut off, which can also be triggered from the scuttle panel, should you be unfortunate enough to end up in an accident.

While other car manufacturers are encouraging you to do less while you sit in your car, the presence of manual driver and passenger windows offers you the chance of an in-car workout every time you stop at a drive-thru or enter/exit a car park.

The current MOT expires on May 4th, but I will renew it prior to sale and the car will be sold with a full years MOT.

The only issue I can find is that, 8 years after the restoration, some of the dreaded tin-worm is starting to appear on the front end in the usual areas.  Some bubbling is occurring on the wings and A-panels on both sides, and also at the join between the wings and front panel below the headlight. The rest of the car remains absolutely solid.

Had I been staying in the country, I had plans for a complete style and colour change in 2024.  Instead, I'm looking for it to go to a new home where it will receive the same level of care and attention that has been lavished on it by me.

I'm not in a hurry to sell, so no stupid offers please.  While I realise that my flawed man-maths will never give me anything remotely resembling a Return on Investment, I have had many miles of happy driving experiences and the price reflects the condition of the car.  

What you're getting here is a usable classic car that is ready to run for the summer.

You are of course welcome to come and view the car, and while you are here, I can show you the photographic record of the 2016 rebuild and a file full of receipts.  I've probably missed a bunch of stuff in this description too, but I can talk about this car for hours if you let me, so you'll be fully informed by the time you leave.

Please feel free to ask any questions.  You can see more pictures on instagram - @suburbanout.law

If you made it this far, thanks for taking the time to read my listing, which was not produced by AI and is all my own work.