Mini Cooper Sport 5 Ferring Street, Worthing Sussex England

As seen on Top Gear

1996 Mini Cooper Sport 5

I located this rare Mini Cooper in Belfast, the only problem I lived in Suffolk. So I could not let this one get away, So one cold and wet Tuesday morning my wife and I boarded a plane (Ryanair) at Stanstead Airport set too for Belfast. We landed at around 12.20pm and boarded a Taxi to the location of this little beauty, the rain still lashing Down. Well I wasn't dissapointed there she was in her original state excluding original spots. So we had a cup of tea and a Kit Kat, handed over the money and set off on our way to Belfast City centre for tea. Having looked around the shops, the weather had turned much worse, heavy driving rain, we drove out of the carpark and headed to the Ferry, the rain driving hard against the fron of the car. The Scuttle panel was badly corroded, and mastic had been applied where it met with the screen, unfortinately it was not doing its job and my wife exclaimed "My feet are getting wet"

We arrived at the Ferry and waited 2 hours to board, I thought at least Baz (the name we gave the Mini while waiting) would finally get some shelter, no not the case! We boarded the Ferry and drove to the top deck where Baz sat all night during the crossing in high winds and rain. You can imagine what we thought, will he still be there in the morning?

Anyhow, bright and early we rose to find Baz had made it through the night, and to our surprise started with the first turn of the key.

We left the ferry and drove through liverpool and out the otherside stopping at Middlewich for a cup of tea with the wife's mother. After about an hour we set of again down the M6 using all FIVE gears of the Jack Knight gearbox finally arriving home in Suffolk at around 3.30pm.

Baz is now being fully restored retaining all panels and fittings replacing only the very neady of items. He will appear on the show circuit next year to show himself of, do come up and say hello.