VJA 462K
Morris Mini 1000 Automatic (Mk3) · first registered 7 December 1971 · one family since 1973
An attractive, much-loved, family-restored early Mini 1000 automatic with a documented history stretching back over fifty years. Aegean Blue · ~52,343 documented miles · reluctantly offered for sale.
At a glance
- Model: Morris Mini 1000 Automatic, Mk3 — first registered 7 Dec 1971 (K-suffix)
- Engine: 998cc A-series — professionally machined bottom end, home-assembled and rolling-road tuned
- Gearbox: four-speed AP automatic — professionally overhauled
- Mileage: ~52,343, supported by a documented history from 1992
- Ownership: same family since 1973, when nearly new
- Colour: Aegean Blue — a deep metallic teal / petrol-blue pearl
- Tax / MOT: Historic Vehicle class — exempt from VED and the MOT, though MOT’d voluntarily (current, last tested Dec 2025)
- Engine/box no.: 99H285E-H9674 · Chassis/VIN: XA2S1NH510794A
- Location: Tealby, Lincolnshire (LN8 3XS)
The story
The Mini came into our family in 1973, second-hand but nearly new (around 7,000 miles), and became my mother Myrna’s everyday car for two decades. Years later, my father George — an engineer by profession — gave her a complete, ground-up restoration as a labour of love, doing the welding, paint and wiring himself and bringing in specialists where it mattered.
He also made a photo-book, documenting the rebuild from strip-down to completion; it comes with the car. His final touch was an automatic gear-knob hand-engraved with her name, still fitted today. Both my parents have since passed, and I’ve cared for the Mini ever since.
What’s been done — restoration, ~2006–2009
A thorough, close-to-new-shell rebuild, documented by supplier receipts and my father’s own photographs. She was sensibly improved beyond the standard specification for reliability and easy use.
Bodywork
- Shell rebuilt on a home-built rotisserie with fresh steel throughout: front panel, A-panels, both inner and outer front wings, windscreen pillars, both floors and heelboards, and a new rear valance
- Underside comprehensively sealed (Waxoyl and underbody seal)
- Resprayed during the restoration from the original yellow to Aegean Blue (Macclesfield Paints); DVLA notified of the colour change
- Brightwork and small steel parts professionally re-plated (R&S Electro Plating)
Engine
- 998cc bottom end professionally machined by MSE Machine Shop (Feb 2008): rebore with new pistons, crank polished with new bearings, new cam bearings and core plugs, block refaced; new gasket set and starter
- Gas-flowed, unleaded-converted Mini Sport cylinder head — happy on modern premium unleaded
- Stage 1 SU HS4 induction (rebuilt HS4 carburettor and matching manifold), K&N cone filter, LCB manifold with Mini Sport Superflow sports exhaust
- Distributor with electronic ignition and coil; new HT leads and cap
- Rolling-road tuned at Mini Sport, January 2009
Transmission
- Four-speed AP automatic gearbox and torque converter fully overhauled and resealed by The Automatic Gearbox Co Ltd (July 2007)
Brakes
- Cooper S front disc conversion with Cooper S-type rear drums; new rear backplates and disc-type front hoses
- New master cylinder, servo/booster and one-way valve; all new pipes and hoses
Suspension & steering
- SPAX RSX 520 28-stage adjustable coilover dampers front and rear, ride-height adjustable (owner handbook supplied)
- New bushes throughout (lower-arm, tie-rod, upper-arm shafts, rear radius arms); new track-rod ends; 65mm extra-long studs with 6mm spacers
Wheels, tyres & arches
- Four 12″ Ultralite polished alloys on Yokohama A539 165/60 R12 tyres, under a “Monte Carlo” flared-arch kit front and rear
- Spare: original-type 10″ steel wheel with a 145 R10 radial
Electrical, cooling & interior
- New wiring loom and fuse box; heated rear screen; new washer pump and starter
- Cooling renewed throughout: water pump, 82°C thermostat, heater valve, electric cooling-fan kit, silicone hoses and 13psi cap
- New alternator August 2020 (Darren Wood Ltd, at 51,956 miles); conventional Halfords lead-acid battery (HB030, 68Ah / 550 CCA) with battery isolator
- One-piece walnut centre dash with 52mm rev counter and dual auxiliary gauge, a charge indicator and fresh-air vents
- Matching black vinyl seats, presenting well with light age; new headlining, Dove Grey trim, new grey carpet set and full sound-deadening (Milford damping and barrier mat)
- Hand-engraved MYRNA automatic gear-knob — my father’s final tribute to my mum
- Exterior detailing: Cooper Mk2 grille, twin driving lamps, chrome bumpers and overriders, bullet mirror, Union Jack badge, rear mudflaps and pressed plates
Documented mileage history
- 1973 — acquired at ~7,000 miles
- 1992 — 47,767
- Aug 2020 — 51,956
- Mar 2024 — 52,245
- Dec 2025 — 52,312
- Apr 2026 — 52,323
- Now — ~52,343
Recent servicing (Youngs Garage, Tealby)
- Feb 2024 — new fuel pump and choke cable
- Mar 2024 — both front CV boots, carburettor / mixture adjustment, oil flush, tracking
- Dec 2025 — MOT plus full service, including fresh brake fluid (this is the current MOT)
- Apr 2026 — replacement coil, check-over and tune-up
- Jun 2026 — new horn and washer rewire
Condition
A comprehensively restored car that presents well, drives well and draws admiring looks wherever she goes — but the restoration was completed around 2008–09, so she’s a well-kept older restoration rather than a fresh one. Inspection is warmly welcomed for serious buyers, the flaws I can find are:
- Fine “crazy-paving” hairline minor cracking of the paintwork on the small triangular panel just ahead of one door, where it meets the front wing – see photographs
- A thin strip (~2mm) of the blue paint has lifted along the top edge of one door, showing the original yellow beneath — noticeable at very close range – see photographs
She’s not quick — she never was — but she’s always fun to drive, mechanically cared for, with a current MOT and regular servicing. Kept indoors under a fitted cover throughout.
Videos & Images
Recent videos of the engine running can be found here
Photos of the refurbishment project can be found here
What comes with her
- V5C (Historic Vehicle tax class)
- The full restoration receipt archive and recent servicing invoices
- The original 1973 purchase receipt and BMC owner’s handbook, plus workshop manual
- The “Myrna’s Automatic Mini” restoration photo-book
- A tailored car cover and the original-type spare wheel
Reason for sale
I’m genuinely conflicted about selling, but having looked after her since 2020 I’ve accepted that — fond as I am of my mum’s Mini — I’m not a classic-car enthusiast, and she deserves more use and a proper home. I’m about to overhaul the workshop where she’s stored and will no longer have the space to keep her properly. I’d far rather she went to someone with the room, and the affection, to use and enjoy her than sit unused.
Price: £5,250 ono
In line with the British Mini Club valuation. Genuine mileage, real history, and a car with a soul. Viewing very welcome and, frankly, encouraged. Serious enquiries only.
Tealby, Lincolnshire · Nige — 07796 948 957
