A MINI FOR BEN

Invercargill’s Ben Leathwick, age 25, is part of the younger generation of car enthusiasts doing up a modern classic in the tradition of many other young car enthusiasts — aiming to hot an older car up to make it a bit more exciting and a reflection of their own skills and personality. Ben is the 10th owner of his British Leyland (BL) Mini 1000, and, by the time he acquired it, it was well worn. His restoration so far has included stripping down and rebuilding the engine with new pistons, rings, valves etc. — no stone has been left unturned on the motor, with that particular original part now looking brand new and waiting to be reinstalled. The original BL Bold as Brass paint has gone and the body has been blasted back to bare metal. Rust has been removed and the panels repaired by an old-school panel beater.

It’s from this point that the purists will raise an eyebrow. Its old rubber-cone suspension has been replaced by coil-over-shock, while the tired old brakes have been replaced with discs. From the outside, it won’t look any different, but the car will ride and stop more easily.

The inside is also in for an upgrade, with new bucket seats, new door trims, and steering wheel. It will sound special too, because of the special exhaust, a recognized Mini modification, but one that breathes more deeply. A more distinctive change is the addition of LED lights, which will mean that it will be seen, and see, a good deal better than before.

So, while Ben is perhaps not quite doing up a modern classic in the way that someone who is older than the car would, in Ben’s case, the car is older than him, and he is doing it up according to his vision for this particular maturing classic.