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When I built Mini Ha Ha, people thought I was nuts
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This car is such a unique car and it's got a lot of history and it's been an honour to restore this car back to its former glory
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Today's a great gathering of lots of Mini fans and it's great just to get together and go and see what other people are doing
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Just generally be able to chat about Minis all day. Driving minis is just an addiction, absolute addiction
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There's one car at this Mini convention that's getting a lot more attention than the others
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for being more Mini than the rest. This is the Mini Ha Ha, an infamous Mini customisation, created over 35 years ago
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I did the original build with Mini Ha Ha back in 1983
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Mini Ha Ha came about when I was at school. there was a group of four or five of us and we were all into cars and i just knew that this had
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to be built i was 19 when i built this i built a car to use every day which was its purpose i was
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very new to it it's had all the bumper brackets removed all the way around the bootleg was welded
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into the panel this section here is the section that holds the rear subscreen so when i cut it in
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half it was basically it was cut into three it was cut there and then the two foot seven was taken
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and then this was the second cut line. It is so strong, like it's coming up to 40 years old now, it's so strong
1:29
After building the Mini Ha Ha back in the 80s, the car was sold on and made its own journey
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leaving it in a rather unfortunate state. Andy sold the car to a car museum in Port Rush called Motorworld
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That closed down and then it changed hands three or four different times before I came across the car Luckily it was rescued bought and repaired by a new owner
1:53
This car is such a unique car and it's got a lot of history
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and it's been an honour to restore this car back to its former glory
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With no expenses spared, Andy worked tirelessly to restore the car. Whenever I first bought the car, it was not in good condition
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The body shell was OK, but it just was a rolling chassis, two subframes
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No glass, no interior, no engine. That was going to be quite a challenge
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The shell itself was in really good condition. So, stripped the car down to a bare shell
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sprayed the car, put it all back together again. It went really well
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As far as the restoration goes and how much it cost, I have no idea because it didn't keep the cost
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I just wanted to restore the car gradually. So I had no idea what it cost
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No idea. And his work has paid off as the Mini Ha Ha is still as popular as ever
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I think it's just, the colour's good, but it's the size of it
2:48
It's just an amazing piece to look at. Nothing compares to this. Anybody that sees Mini Ha Ha always brings a smile to their face
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and really, that makes me so proud and happy. It's a fantastic two-seater
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You get smiles every time it's out on the road, which is what it's all about
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It's an absolute pleasure for us to have you here on display
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Seeing it like this now as restored, it cheers me up no end
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To think, like I say, someone values my work and my design enough to actually restore it
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My long-term plan for Mini Ha Ha is to let as many people see it as possible
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because it's been lost for so many years. This is the ultimate small car because it's the first, the original and the best
