I actually went through the process of getting a heritage certificate for it from the UK Heritage Trust, so I have a lot of history on it.
It's a legitimate 1959 US import Morris Mini-Minor built ** (Edited... built, not shipped) in December. Keep in mind Minis were not sold in the US until April of 1960, but there was a small number of car produced as demo cars for dealerships to try before committing to carrying them for the "formal" launch here in the US. Apparently '59 US imports are a very rare thing, as many of these cars were used as freebie cars, parted to repair other cars, or scrapped when done. Also, there were issues with titling on the demo cars, as they were never intended to be sold to the public.
This car's history goes dark for many years after import, and then was found in the side yard of a lady in Dayton under a canvas, quite literally embedded in the ground. The Central Ohio Mini Owners group bought it and a 64 Cooper at the same time. The Cooper was past repair, and parted out to support several other car builds. The 998 engine and subframes from that cooper ended up with the '59, as it was truly roached, and had no engine.
As found by the COMO Guys:
Being "Excavated"... rumor is a groundhog lived in it.
If anyone was curious what sitting on the ground in Ohio does to a car? Here ya go:
Front end and BMK markings:
And here's the hidden hand stamped code that was under coats of paint and primer that revealed the car's past:
![[IMG]](https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xlt1/v/l/t1.0-9/12079283_10153374884418025_2751096403815368565_n.jpg?oh=3b98895d4a9e5da429404fe35fb6aad8&oe=570D4FE2)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Welcome to M/A!
My very first car [I was 17 yrs. old at the time] was a 1959 Morris Mini Minor...sure wish I still had it now, but, alas, college loomed and fixing the car grew to be too costly.
Even so, I'd have never learned and loved driving cars with stick shifts, chokes and impulse floor mounted starters were in not for that car...my "cheesebox on wheels"!
-
-
-
![[IMG]](https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/12118725_10153375362768025_5893485420692385117_n.jpg?oh=c89064c34c139a2f497e70264b5d2248&oe=57171015)
![[IMG]](https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/12096210_10153375362773025_4507378063334149587_n.jpg?oh=da94067040251def614c847344470912&oe=56DC959A)
![[IMG]](https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/11811441_10153246224048025_1763471761238088134_n.jpg?oh=14585eaf842f3ca99a7863ae2e351259&oe=5710BD5E)
![[IMG]](https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/11742809_10153214994343025_6594911616203680122_n.jpg?oh=74bd72bab53e917d0939e7b5ede1747b&oe=5719030C)
![[IMG]](https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/11781798_10153223958173025_1558547835518190051_n.jpg?oh=a1b831bd27a9e5630a46e1404753cbaf&oe=56D42398)
![[IMG]](https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/12096443_10153374884318025_6954868578271129978_n.jpg?oh=f03ff8966e7496cd4f92c966cf3466d8&oe=56D51B3E)
![[IMG]](https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xta1/v/t1.0-9/12143273_10153374884368025_5573404576343992647_n.jpg?oh=a32bae2fbf73e6f9be0f0f2e0a2679ce&oe=56DC595D)
![[IMG]](https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/12391931_10153491142708025_7545753438474287902_n.jpg?oh=ec650dc91cc0c4f1bc759d51140ecee8&oe=56E0DDCA)
