RADICAL CUSTOM
Although it had been off the road
since 2006, and lived outside, the Mini
was in a pretty decent shape. The only
structural work Rhys had to do was
repair the inner sills, and replace the
outers. The front end was a little mouldy,
but Rhys wasn't perturbed, as he had
something special in mind for up front,
he was planning to run an A-Series.
"Originally, I was going to run a 1275
SPi engine, and I bought a rough donor
car which I cannibalised for parts. I even
went as far as fitting the engine, althoughMini 1000 Automatic. R hys bought it in
2015 from a neighbour, having originally
tried to buy the other Mini he owned: a
1992 John Cooper 1.3.
"He wouldn't sell me the Cooper," sighs
Rhys. "But he did agree to sell me his
Mini 1000 Auto on the agreement that he
could have the engine and transmission
for a kind of beach buggy project he was
planning to undertake. We pushed the
Mini the half a mile to my house and I
removed the engine, which I then
pushed, on a dolly, back to his house."“They 'encourage' me to push
boundaries - perhaps I'm too easily led!”
another, although it's fair to say that H62
EKO has undergone the most extreme
transformation. One which tends to
polarise opinion.
"I know some people hate what I've
done with H62 EKO, but there are plenty
who love the transformation, and follow
the car on social media," enthuses Rhys.
"And, my previous Mini was a 1966 Super
Deluxe that I treated to a period correct
rebuild and restoration. So I do have a
thing for standard cars too.”
"Mind you, for the most part, I do
tend to get carried away. It doesn't help
that a lot of my mates in my club, Mini
Freakz of Sussex, have similarly-
modified Minis... and that they
'encourage' me to push boundaries.
Perhaps I'm too easily led!"CIVIC DUTY
Easily led... I'm not so sure. Rhys, who is
extremely capable, certainly acts on some
of his mates' 'suggestions' but from then
on, he follows his own path and it's very
obvious that he also subscribes to the
'built not bought' philosophy.
H62 EKO, which rolled off the
production line in 1991, actually started
life as a humble and rather pedestrianBonnet hinges were salvaged
from an electric armchair, and
give unprecendented access!Even the boot hinges have been modified.RADICAL CUSTOM
Although it had been off the road
since 2006, and lived outside, the Mini
was in a pretty decent shape. The only
structural work Rhys had to do was
repair the inner sills, and replace the
outers. The front end was a little mouldy,
but Rhys wasn't perturbed, as he had
something special in mind for up front,
he was planning to run an A-Series.
"Originally, I was going to run a 1275
SPi engine, and I bought a rough donor
car which I cannibalised for parts. I even
went as far as fitting the engine, althoughMini 1000 Automatic. R hys bought it in
2015 from a neighbour, having originally
tried to buy the other Mini he owned: a
1992 John Cooper 1.3.
"He wouldn't sell me the Cooper," sighs
Rhys. "But he did agree to sell me his
Mini 1000 Auto on the agreement that he
could have the engine and transmission
for a kind of beach buggy project he was
planning to undertake. We pushed the
Mini the half a mile to my house and I
removed the engine, which I then
pushed, on a dolly, back to his house."“They 'encourage' me to push
boundaries - perhaps I'm too easily led!”
another,althoughit'sfairtosaythatH62
EKOhasundergonethemostextreme
transformation.Onewhichtendsto
polarise opinion.
"I know some people hate what I've
done with H62 EKO, but there are plenty
who love the transformation, and follow
the car on social media," enthuses Rhys.
"And, my previous Mini was a 1966 Super
Deluxe that I treated to a period correct
rebuild and restoration. So I do have a
thing for standard cars too.”
"Mind you, for the most part, I do
tend to get carried away. It doesn't help
that a lot of my mates in my club, Mini
Freakz of Sussex, have similarly-
modified Minis... and that they
'encourage' me to push boundaries.
Perhaps I'm too easily led!"
CIVIC DUTY
Easily led... I'm not so sure. Rhys, who is
extremely capable, certainly acts on some
of his mates' 'suggestions' but from then
on, he follows his own path and it's very
obvious that he also subscribes to the
'built not bought' philosophy.
H62 EKO, which rolled off the
production line in 1991, actually started
life as a humble and rather pedestrian
Bonnet hinges were salvaged
from an electric armchair, and
give unprecendented access!Even the boot hinges have been modified.