Has 1969 Mini Cooper S 1380 Engine
| Sold - look for it at the Mini Nationals in Victoria B.C. in August 2003 | |
| What may be the only example of an
Innocenti Bertone Mini Cooper in North America.
Has 1969 Mini Cooper S 1380 Engine
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What you are looking at is a very unique car for a number of reasons.
This is the only example of an Innocenti Mini with their top of the line
Bertone body in North America. It is a car we have owned since 1978. It is
also completely and properly rebuilt and restored. The car is heavily modified
where it matters without any changes where it matters. It has been carefully
recreated to still represent it's originality ahead of it's time. Great looks
while improving the comfort, safety and performance of the working parts.
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A settling immigrant brought the car to Canada from Italy in 1978. These 998 Cooper powered cars were produced under license in Italy along side the regular-bodied Innocenti minis. The car has just about the same dimensions as the regular mini but with a far more useful and sporty hatchback. These cars were produced from late 1974 through the 1976 model year. It was sold in two forms, the 998 Cooper 90 and the 1300 GT 120. The 90L version you see is a luxury trim version of the 90 model. The body was offered with various running gear right up until the year Innocenti was bought by Fiat in 1989. The car was produced using all British Leyland parts, primarily that of the mini through to 1979. At that point BL severed ties with Innocenti, as they wanted to sell their new Metro in Italy themselves. Still having a strong market for the popular body, they partnered with Daihatsu of Japan to offer the body with 3 cylinder engines. These cars were imported in this form into Canada from 1982-1985 at which time the rising Lira made them non-competitive with the other imports of the day. What you are looking at though, is the only example of an Innocenti Bertone Mini Cooper in North America.
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This car has serious muscle AND show detailing. How many minis do you see for big prices that even want to show you what's under the hood? This cars high performance 1969 1380 Cooper S engine is the cleanest, most detailed part of the car. Everything is new, quality and very carefully assembled by myself, an instrument machinist. It has most of the dream engine parts you read about in the books such as the S forged nitrided steel crank, polished S rods, belt drive Vizard VP3 cam, 45 DCOE Weber carb, K&N Filter, lightened steel flywheel, forged pistons, Aeroquipe steel braid lines, all carefully balanced and assembled. Every wire and hose has had planning and test fits to route them in the most tidy and reliable location. The transmission is completely rebuilt with all new bearings, shafts, syncro rings, seals etc. It is running a rare 3.765:1 final drive through a completely renewed front-end with all new wearing parts.
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The car has its original huge MG disc brakes up front and minifin aluminum race drums on the rear. The car has Hi-Lo adjustable height suspension with adjustable Spax race shocks. It has a new performance exhaust with a large tube LCB header, 2.5" pipe and a very intimidating sound! The car comes with five new tires and 12" BWA sport mags. It has new Corbeau Race seats, new custom sewn carpet and new Luke quick release four-point race harness. It has a Mallory race tach with built in shift light and rev limiter. I've relocated the two under hood fuse panels with the unreliable European type fuses to a street rod style panel that is rewired safely and discreetly under the dash.
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This car came with
a rear bench seat and cloth buckets in the front. I have carefully removed
and stored all the original parts that were removed from the car including
the seats, Cooper engine, wheels etc. These items are included if the full
price is agreed upon.
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Links and Information on Innocenti
Autos: Tony's Great Mini Page Innocenti Club of France 
Nice Turbo Innocenti Site 
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Rebuilding Process |
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