Pooh was built in July 1979 in the Longbridge Works of British Leyland (BL Cars Ltd. now BMW owned Rover) for the Canadian market with crash bumpers, side impact beams, lefthand drive, etc. Pooh was (and remains) a quite undistinguished little car, with a meager 998ce (<1 litre) engine, except for two facts - Pooh was amongst the last Mini's to be sold in Canada and was originally purchased by an owner who took care.

Rick spotted the car in the original buyer's carport in White Rock, B.C. during the summer of 1995. It had very low mileage (<37,000 kms.) and had not been driven for 2 years. Rick and Elaine's eldest son Tyler was returning to school and wanting to downsize. Rick encouraged Tyler to buy the car and promised to take it off his hands once he was on his way. So, in August 1995 Tyler became the 2nd owner and Elaine quickly dubbed the little 'russet brown' Mini 'Pooh'. Pooh was in very good condition and served Tyler well - to and from work, militia and, after graduation, his employment in Langley, B.C,

On June 26, 1999, when Tyler and his fiancée bought a new 'VW Golf, Pooh found its 3rd new home with Rick and Elaine. With the 40th" Anniversary 'East Meets West Mini Meet' scheduled for Colorado Springs in early August, Rick set about major servicing, upgrades and minor repairs. As Rick bit off more than he could chew in 5 weeks, Pooh stayed home on jackstands, while Rick and Elaine set off in the Jeep for Colorado, but Pooh was soon on the road again.

In summary, Pooh still sports a 998ce engine with the original bottom end. It inhales through a K&N filter on a Hitachi 1½” carb and Sportex intake, and exhales into a medium bore LCB and single box exhaust. The engine has a Shadbolt ground, scatter-pattern cam (with MG Metro openings 252in/268ex) after D. Vizard, a fresh Cooper head, 9/1 compression, duplex timing gears/chains and Ignitor ignition. A 13-row oil cooler was installed. A new S clutch diaphram works with a new disk and release bearing. The suspension is rebuilt with adjustable height and camber, both front and rear, on hard-mounted powder-coated subframes. The brakes have been serviced as required, with braided stainless lines at all four-corners and S drums at the rear. A tachometer is mounted on the steering column.

A new windshield was put in. Bodywork involved minor repairs to the front floor. The roof was painted black. The wheel arches were cleaned up, painted, gravel-guarded and flares were installed. Various body chips were "touched up". Bumpers and other bits were cleaned or blasted and painted. A rebuilt yellow/black wood dash was installed, with the centre section in black vinyl to match the recovered parcel shelf panel. Seats were dyed black and the headliner was re-dyed. A used grill was freshened-up and installed as a quick release, and the parking/turn signal lights were mounted on the front bumper (versus the grill).

Pooh's Millennium 'Expotition' is a long run at relatively high speed for a little car designed following the Suez Crisis. It was to be small, but "big" inside, economical to buy and operate ...in cities and towns. The original 848ce motors delivered about 20 hp at the wheels! It was not ever intended to be a freeway cruiser. Aware of that, Rick has been heard to mutter, "I must have fallen on my head earlier in life."

The Diary of the Millennium 'Expotition' will begin with the pre-trip, daily plan, note what occurred, report interesting happenings, include facts and figures, provide a driving tip and the service or modification tip.

JOIN Rick & Elaine ... and POOH on the road!