Description
This is a bit special. Completely rebuilt and substantially modified over a 14-year period to create the ultimate road-legal racing Minor, this little car is all about pedigree. The long-time plaything of National Street Car Challenge Winner, Phil Winstanley, this 13-second car has a build-spec to die for and comes with 2 files of history not to mention numerous online videos and references documenting its story. With bills for mechanical parts totalling in excess of £6000 alone, it would likely cost more than 3 times this figure to recreate this car today and indeed represents possibly a unique opportunity to acquire a highly competitive contender with proven track record. All serious enquiries welcome.
A classic of automotive design, the Morris Minor was a product of Sir Alec Issigonis`s leadership and went into production in 1948 with a run spanning 23 years. The first British car to sell over one million units, it was available as either a 2 or 4-door saloon, convertible (Tourer), estate (Traveller) and in small commercial form as a van or pick-up. Issigonis wanted to create a practical, economical and affordable car that was easy to drive and its popularity today only goes to prove that the brief was met. From 1962 onwards, the Minor had developed to earn its own development number - ADO59 - with engine capacity increased to 1098cc, stronger gearbox, bigger drum brakes and revised interiors.
But our car is no ordinary Minor. First registered in Manchester in April 1967, little is known by way of early history but it is understood that by the late 1980`s, it was off the road and probably destined for the scrapyard. Around this time it was bought by Phil Winstanley, an enthusiastic Morris Minor collector and restorer from Bolton who evidently put it back on the road and used it as a run-around until 1994. A house move prompted the car to go into storage for some fettling - but this ultimately evolved into a 6-year rolling rebuild with complete replacement of all under body panels and a full bare-metal respray. The Minor returned to the road in 2000 and was featured at the National Rally at Harewood Hall. But it was next 8 years that saw the car being developed into the full-blown race car it ultimately became. The specification is extensive and is best listed as follows:
Bodywork: All wings, bonnet and boot lid replaced with GRP panels and remaining steel drilled out for strength and weight-loss.
Engine: Morris A Series bored to 1430cc modified with 11 head stud fitment. Gas-flowed and ported Metro Turbo head. Offset ground crank. Powermax pistons (73. 5). Cooper S rods. ARP bolts. Vanderveil bearings. Owen Burton oil seal. Lightened flywheel. Kent high capacity oil pump. 286 scatter pattern camshaft.
Ignition: Aldon Red distributor with Lumenition Silicone Blue leads. NGK plugs. Flame Thrower coil.
Fueling: Facet Silver fuel pump. Twin Weber 40 carburettors with custom needle. MG Metro manifold.
Exhaust: Morris Minor Centre (Birmingham) twin box stainless steel system and manifold.
Transmission: Ford Type 9 5-speed gearbox with Modified Minor propshaft. Morris Minor Centre hardened half shafts.
Brakes: Morris Marina front disc brakes.
Suspension: Owen Burton Telescopic Damper Conversion with Marina 21mm Torsion bars. Lowered 2 splines.
Wheels and tyres: Front 15” painted steels with Toyo Proxes 185/ 55/ 15 tyres. Rear 15” painted steels with Toyo Proxes 225/ 50/ 15 tyres.
Comfort/ Safety: Full cage. Jaz black vinyl racing seats with A. J. S. 3-point race harnesses. Two ignition cut-off switches.
At the completion of the build, the Minor, nicknamed “The Wanderer”, was Dyno-tested at Mini Sport Ltd in Lancashire with printouts confirming around 140BHP at the flywheel. Not content with this, a decision was then taken to take it to the next step - Nitrous Oxide. A full 2-stage set up was installed with boot mounted tank and full ancillaries. In 2009, the car took to the strip at Shakespeare County Raceway and was quickly running low-13`s on the quarter mile run beating a highly tuned Ford Mustang GT to take top spot in class at the season end. Online videos show the Minor in action and there are many references to the car and Winstanley on the NSCC webpage.
But this was more than just a race car. It was built with fast road use in mind and had to be properly engineered and safe. Safe enough to go easily through an MoT inspection as indeed the car did every year from 2007 to 2015.
In 2017, the Minor was sold to a commercial garage proprietor in Wednesday, West Midlands only to disappear for the next 6 years gathering dust at the rear of a lorry workshop. In February 2023 and needing the space, the Minor was reluctantly sold and we were fortunate enough to acquire it. After some minor fettling, a comprehensive check-over and good clean, the car is now on the button and ready for its next adventure.
The photographs hopefully tell the story. This is a ground-up, purpose-built racer. Underneath the custom paintwork is a fully restored car with later GRP panels whilst the interior is completely stripped-out and race ready. Climb aboard, strap in and turn the key. Wow! The car fires up instantly and settles down to an unsurprisingly lumpy idle. On the road, the power to weight ratio is immediately evident with astonishing performance. It is incredibly quick with smooth gear changes and super-positive steering. Not for the feint-hearted and certainly not district nurse material, this little car is a handful and in the wrong hands could cause some embarrassment but to an experienced driver or better still, racer, this represents about as much fun as can be had on four wheels.
The Minor comes with 2 large files of history with a substantial quantity of bills and receipts for parts covering the period from the late 1990`s through to around 2009. In addition, the history contains information regarding the Nitrous Oxide installation and use, old MoT Certificates from 2007 to 2015, a National Rally 2000 Programme with photograph of the car, rolling road printouts, various catalogues and hand-written notes.
A unique opportunity to acquire a scratch-built, road legal drag racer with fantastic provenance.
Shore Classics is based on the West Dorset coast within easy proximity of both Weymouth and the County town of Dorchester. As classic and vintage dealers, we offer full brokerage facilities. So if you require some help and guidance with selling your classic car or motorcycle, just give us a call today.
