Mini Magazine – September 2019

Our Minis

OOur Minis

stuff would do it all for a few quid.

Having cut the fabric to a rough

shape and purchased a couple of

cans of contact adhesive, your editor

and I set out one day recently to fit

it. The problem is that you really

need three people: two to hold and

one to cut but there is no way more

than two people can lie upside down

inside that car. Gez and I managed

to glue and cut it in the few precious

minutes before the contact adhesive

set and blood to the brain caused

one or the other of us to pass out.

Job done and in truth it looked

awful. The contact adhesive had

come through the foam all over the

place leaving dark stains. But 24

hours later they had disappeared

and the roof lining looked very

professional indeed. To fill the gap

between the cant rail and the roof I

have used square section foam, but

I’m much less happy with that. I’m

going to try again with a length of

the same material fitted around the

door apertures on the early cars.

The cheap foam looks good, costs

very little and is easy to fit if you

have an acrobatic temperament. So

far, it’s the only part of the rebuild

that has cost less than planned.

W

hen we stripped the

Downton out I was

surprised to learn that

the headlining had been put in the

proper way, with transversal

hangers holding the fabric up, no

mean feat in the cramped confines

of its coupé roof. When we released

the tension the whole thing

collapsed like a house of cards, and I

remember thinking that trying to

refit it wasn’t going to be a lot of fun.

I have an early XJ6 with what I

thought was ‘West of England’ cloth

roof lining, glued to a soft foam

backing and the edges finished with

the same cloth glued around f lexible

tubes, about half an inch in

diameter. Neat and easy to work.

That plan was favourite until I

found out how much West of

England cloth actually costs, at

which point I needed another

solution. Searching through piles of

automotive fabric at a show one day,

I found my XJ6 roof lining, and it

turned out to be a cheap light grey

foam with a natural looking finish

to one side. No need for expensive

cloth, no need for insulation: this

Everything about the Downton is custom made, even the headlining.

1. 
   

   (^) Cooper: changeover
   to negative earth.
   Improve soundproofing.

   
   


2. 
   

   Downton: Fire up the

   
   

engine (^) for the first
time in 10 years.
To do list
Final trimming of the roof
lining was a nailbiting process.
Will Finn
Contributor
‘It’s staying up for the
moment...’ Just how good
is your contact adhesive?
MINI LIFE Been into
Minis since before I could
walk (my child seat was
hooked over the back seat
of my parents’ Countryman).
Corgi and Scalextric
versions came next and
then the real thing.
I grew up a few streets
away from your editor, and
he’s kept me close to the
scene ever since.
MINI SPEC Standard
1964 Austin Cooper in
Tweed Grey. Downton GT
in Smoke Grey. More
Scalextric versions than I
would admit to.
MINIS OWNED
1979 1000, 1981 City E,
1963 ‘Morris Cooper S’
(probably an 850
originally), Downton GT,
1964 Austin Cooper.
Roofless
Looking almost professional...
Our Minis
stuffwoulddoit allfora fewquid.
Havingcutthefabrictoa rough
shapeandpurchaseda couple of
cansofcontactadhesive,your editor
andI setoutonedayrecentlyto fit
it.Theproblemis thatyoureally
needthreepeople:twotohold and
onetocutbutthereis nowaymore
thantwopeoplecanlieupside down
insidethatcar.GezandI managed
toglueandcutit inthefewprecious
minutesbeforethecontactadhesive
setandbloodtothebraincaused
oneortheotherofustopassout.
Jobdoneandintruthit looked
awful.Thecontactadhesivehad
come through the foam all over the
place leaving dark stains. But 24
hours later they had disappeared
and the roof lining looked very
professional indeed. To fill the gap
between the cant rail and the roof I
have used square section foam, but
I’m much less happy with that. I’m
going to try again with a length of
the same material fitted around the
door apertures on the early cars.
The cheap foam looks good, costs
very little and is easy to fit if you
have an acrobatic temperament. So
far, it’s the only part of the rebuild
that has cost less than planned.
W
henwestrippedthe
DowntonoutI was
surprisedtolearnthat
theheadlininghadbeenputinthe
properway,withtransversal
hangersholdingthefabricup,no
meanfeatinthecrampedconfines
ofitscoupéroof.Whenwereleased
thetensionthewholething
collapsedlikea houseofcards,andI
rememberthinkingthattryingto
refitit wasn’tgoingtobea lotoffun.
I haveanearlyXJ6withwhatI
thoughtwas‘WestofEngland’cloth
rooflining,gluedtoa softfoam
backingandtheedgesfinishedwith
thesameclothgluedaroundf lexible
tubes,abouthalfaninchin
diameter.Neatandeasytowork.
ThatplanwasfavouriteuntilI
foundouthowmuchWestof
Englandclothactuallycosts,at
whichpointI neededanother
solution.Searchingthroughpilesof
automotivefabricata showoneday,
I foundmyXJ6rooflining,andit
turnedouttobea cheaplightgrey
foamwitha naturallookingfinish
tooneside.Noneedforexpensive
cloth,noneedforinsulation:this
EverythingabouttheDowntonis custommade, even the headlining.

1. Cooper:changeover
   tonegativeearth.
   Improvesoundproofing.
   2.Downton:Fireupthe

engineforthefirst

timein 10 years.

Todolist

Final trimming of the roof

lining was a nailbiting process.

Will Finn

Contributor

‘It’s staying up for the

moment...’ Just how good

is your contact adhesive?

MINI LIFE Been into

Minis since before I could

walk (my child seat was

hooked over the back seat

of my parents’ Countryman).

Corgi and Scalextric

versions came next and

then the real thing.

I grew up a few streets

away from your editor, and

he’s kept me close to the

scene ever since.

MINI SPEC Standard

1964 Austin Cooper in

Tweed Grey. Downton GT

in Smoke Grey. More

Scalextric versions than I

would admit to.

MINIS OWNED

1979 1000, 1981 City E,

1963 ‘Morris Cooper S’

(probably an 850

originally), Downton GT,

1964 Austin Cooper.

Roofless

Looking almost professional...