Coventry-built Cars

My first car was Austin Mini, I bought it new from the Longbridge factory as I was working for BMC and got the Employee discount; With all the Transfer mounted engines the Gearbox was also the oil sump and the sump draining plug had an inch long Magnet to collect any metal bits in the oil before being pumped round the Main and Big and Camshaft Bearings.

And for those who changed the oil, removal of the sump plug revealed what looked like a black furry rabbits tail on the magnet. If that didn't convince people regular oil and filter changes were vital, nothing could. As a rookie mech, the first job I ever did, was a fan belt change on an 850cc Mini van. Not easy, especially as the van didn't have a removeable grille. The grille was part of the front panel pressings. Another interesting job (one of a great many), replacing the stabiliser bar bushes between the engine and bulkhead. I soon learned that a scissor jack had bonus uses.....

I have lost count of how many Mini, 1100, 1300 1800's fan belts I have changed, once you had slacken the Dynamo/Alternator bolts and remove the belt from the 3 Pulleys just feed the belt over each of the plastic Fan Blades in the top right corner of the Radiator Cowling and slide the belt through the gap. When they brought out the corrugated belts they didn't squeal like the previous ones but didn't last as long.