Rush's Rover Mini Cooper
Photography & Words By Wynn
1997 Rover Mini Cooper
The year is 1997, Apple Inc. releases their “Think different.” advertising campaign, which produces one of the most memorable commercials narrated by the late Steve Jobs. The commercial begins with commentary on those who go against the grain in society, leading into a line that still rings true today..
“They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them,
glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them.” - Steve Jobs
..Rush’s Mini Cooper reminds me of that commercial. His car doesn’t play by any “purist rules or status quos”. There may be those who disagree with some of the choices Rush has made, and others (such as myself) who dig it all. Regardless of where you may stand, one thing is for sure, it’s definitely not boring and you definitely can’t ignore it.
“I wanted my first car, to be something a little bit different.” Rush began as the Surf Blue Mini Cooper parked next to us. As with many first car purchases, it’s always a back and forth game, but the idea was to stick within a reasonable budget and get something that was easy to work on and fun to drive. With the only car he could use to get to and from being his Father’s F01 7 Series, a locomotive of a vehicle, Rush was after something with more of a “Go-Kart” feel. This is when the idea of a Mini came into play. So the goal was to try and find the cleanest classic Mini Cooper, ideally in British Racing Green, that Rush’s budget would allow for. However, with the harsh Winters here in Canada, the pickings are slim for clean Mini’s and pricey for good examples. So Rush turned to an importer to help with sourcing a Cooper from Japan, where the majority of examples are in pristine condition. This is when this ‘97 Rover Mini Cooper popped up and although not British Racing Green, it was a good deal and in great condition, so the deal was made and this little Cooper was imported.
With the car finally imported, Rush was able to get down to work on getting it up and running. Thankfully however, the list of needed maintenance was short. So Rush was able to focus on making the car a bit more of what he wanted. The first order of business was to add the original fender flares that were supposed to come on the British Cooper Sports of this year, but didn’t as this is a Japanese version. Without question, the transformation of these flares have added a much more aggressive stance to this little Cooper. The next order of business was to fill up those newly acquired wheel arches with some new wheels. Rush switched from the 12”x4.5” originals to a much beefier 13”x6” set of Revolution Racing wheels to help fill out those arches. It definitely gives the little gem a much wider stance and meaner look. As with many things when owning a classic Mini, sourcing parts can often be a struggle. For instance, Rush is unfortunately forced to import the tires from either the UK or Japan whenever a new set of rubber is needed. There’s something special about having a car that can turn heads and is also utilized by its’ owner for day to day errands. Rush is one of these owners, you may have noticed that his Mini has a roof rack on it. This decision was born from needing to bring home a Christmas tree. Therefore, Rush threw on a set of rails to accomplish this task and ended up liking the way they looked on the Mini so he left them on. As you walk around Rush’s Cooper, you begin to take in all of the subtle little additions and changes that he’s added to the car. Take the subtleness of the side mirrors for instance, Rush decided to switch the originals to a set of the Bullet Mirrors and then decided to reposition them towards the front fenders as opposed to the sides of the doors. You’ll also notice the addition of the Carbon Fibre hood that was custom made for this exact Mini and even includes a functioning air vent. Around the rear, you’ll find a twin piped Maniflow full catback exhaust to give this little Cooper a sweet soundtrack while it’s weaving through some twisty roads. The whole car just keeps surprising you the more you look at it. It’s the little attention to detail that make this Mini unique, whether it’s the LED headlights upgrade or the addition of the revised rear tail lights. Rush has done a fantastic job in keeping his Mini not only OEM feeling but added his own flare and style to add even more interest for this little Cooper to stand out at any car show. As for future plans, Rush is currently debating the idea of parting ways with his Japanese gem. His current day to day schedule has him driving the Mini to and from school in highway traffic for long hours and for Rush, this kind of driving is the complete opposite of what he wants the Mini for. Therefore he’s debating switching it up to something with a bit more comfort and highway mannerism. When talking to Rush I realized that this idea wasn’t that crazy, especially when I found he’s seriously considering something like a BMW E39 or E60 M5. The change would definitely be significant, but if this Mini is any clue into the mindset he has with his cars, I’m more than positive he’ll make the perfect decision. His Mini is in no way another run of the mill classic car, Rush has taken his time in making the right decisions with what he does to this car. Classic Minis’ have become few and far between within Ontario and when you do see one, most of them are in great condition but lack a bit of charisma (apart from the fact that it’s a classic Mini). Rush’s Mini has overcome that issue with noticeable additions of his own flare and personality, with not only what he’s done to the car but more importantly how he uses it. It’s something different and you honestly can’t help but give it all the attention it deserves.
