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This is the story of “WOODYS” a MINI in a
class of its own.
A mini that started its life in the high
society upper
Class. 3 decades later almost died before
it was
Rescued.
I first heard roumers about the Wood &
Pickett mini owned by famous Danish designer MARGIT BRANDT
many years ago from other car enthusiasts. How she was
driven around by her chauffeur in an impeccable white
uniform to all celebrity events. In 1997 while drinking
coffee at a fellow mini collector’s home we talked about
exclusive minis and if any ended up in Denmark? He confirmed
the existence of this car. He also informed me that it was
not just a W&P built mini, but that it also had a genuine
JANSPEED turbo conversion. He saw the car on one occasion
while it was in for service at a local garage soon after it
was built at JS. The original bill from JS was in the car
and he remembered it was big (app £8000). A couple of
exploded engines later the turbo was eventually removed from
the car by the next owner, and as he knew the builder of the
replacement engine the turbo parts ended up in his
collection of mini performance parts.
I saw the car first time in 1999 when it
was for sale. It was running and with fresh M.O.T but in a
sad state. One of the special tinted W & P windows was
smashed the day before, bubbles and rust showing its ugly
face all over. The car was too expensive for me so it ended
up being sold to another buyer. Some days later seller
called and asked if it was ok to give my telephone no. to
him so I could maintain it for him, I said ok (one of my
better decisions) He called 4 weeks later and asked what was
wrong when the car had stopped with “front wheels locked”
and “black stuff was poring out of a big hole in engine”? I
said “new engine/gearbox” was the answer. I heard nothing
for 10 months then he called and asked about getting it
running again? I told him if its been standing outside so
long the brakes needed fixing, that was not an option so
instead he asked if I wanted to buy it ? I said no (I
remembered what he paid 11 months earlier?) The next day he
called again and offered me the car to a fair price. I went
to see it, it was now in a very bad state after a whole
winter outside on grass with flat tyres (water was dripping
from all windows on the inside) the floor mats soaked, and
all 4 wheels rusted solid, and the body even worse now
rusted through .we agreed on a good price. I had it
transported home the same day. The first job was to connect
it with jump cables and open the windows a little so it
could breathe, and take the thick W&P carpets out to dry
them. Next day I took the registration off and that was
pretty much it for the next 7 years. Later I sold the
head-carburettor and exhaust as they were not a part of the
original car.
A couple of years later I took my nephew
and niece to the circus. There I saw Margit and her husband
Erik Brandt I went over and introduced my self and said I
had something that use to belong to them, oh and what might
that be he asked? Its small has smoked windows and tan
coloured leather inside I replied -Ah that sounds like my
wifes W&P mini, they thought it was long gone (hadn’t seen
it for more than 25 years) I could inform him that it was
now in my garage and even though` it was in a bad state I
planned to restore it. He told me that it was a very
expensive car when he had it built in 1973 for his wife and
gave me his card if I needed further info.
One night at work a guy asked what I was
doing in my garage. I told him and to my surprise he said I
sat in that car on its third day back from W&P. He also told
me about its life and the accidents it had. All this
information matched with the repairs I found when it was
stripped for painting.
After I got the car I tried to buy the
original JS turbo parts back and after he once showed me the
parts there was no return, they had to go back on the car.
But there was no way he would part with them so the car
staid in its corner. Many people asked why I didn’t restore
it but I wanted it to be
right.
Page 2
October 2006. I had a phone call and was
asked if I wanted to play as a DJ at IMM 2007 I asked who
was hosting it? He said Denmark was. Now I had a dead line
so I called the owner of the JS parts again and made plans
to see him, I called another mini collector who had a
genuine SPEEDWELL alloy head up for sale and arranged to buy
it to swap for the JS parts as I knew the other guy was
missing that in his collection, I also went to the bank and
took out a big amount before going to see him. But after 6
hours of talk there was no deal he just didn’t want to sell
as he knew how rare it was. I even pointed out to him that
he didn’t have all the parts as there were many JS parts
left on the car with numbers matching to the JS parts in his
possession. He was sorry as he could see it from my point of
view as I had the original car from where it was removed,
but he did say if I could find another set he would swap
part for part as matching numbers is what all classic car
owners want.
So I went home to make ads and as I knew
it were rare parts I wanted I had to put out gold for swap
as most people don’t want to sell for cash. I made ads to
buy/swap my HALDA twinmaster and speedpilot for JS turbo
parts.
February 2007. My UK friend Richard was
in the garage with me and the phone rang. It was the owner
of the JS parts he asked if I was gonna do the car and if I
had any plans to sell when it was finished. I told him no,
he said ok I am not going to be the one to stop you from
making it right.
I was so happy to hear it and asked for
his price? He then started about how rare it was. I said yes
it’s very rare just tell me what’s your price? He told me
and I said ok. We agreed that I could come on Sunday to
collect it because he needed time to locate the JS boost
gauge.
Sunday 11 of February. When I arrived he
had laid out all parts on the floor. I was pleased to see a
genuine JS valve cover as this was not a part of the
standard metro set up. We put all the parts in my car and
went to see his friend who had the micro ignition box for
the set to fix. When there I made a template to locate its
original position in the engine bay. On the way back I asked
about the boost gauge? He told me it was lost long time ago
when he loaned it out? I was sad to hear that, said ok I
have to find another. He told me that it would be
impossible. I then said ok I put another make in. Then he
started about how nice the JS gauge was. He was really
teasing me. Back at his place he asked if I remembered we
had a talk about Alzheimer’s. I said yes he then gave me a
plastic bag and inside was the JS boost gauge from my car. I
was very happy and paid him.
Monday 12 of February, Richard came over
from Sweden and we had a test fit on the car. Pleased to see
all fitted perfect (I also found out that the little bracket
on the firewall was for the clutch hose) we then just had
one thing left? that was to find the original place for the
brake servo and ignition box? But after searching
extensively we gave up.
I could now finally start the
restoration. We then took the whole car apart and put all
nuts - bolts and fittings in small boxes before they went to
zink plating so all could go back on its original place. The
original heat shield was carefully removed to be used as
template. It was not my plan to take out the complex W&P
dashboard but after the doors came off it was clear that
there was no turning back, both inner wings, a posts, and
door pillars were gone. From the outside this was not
visible because all was covered with a stainless plate glued
on with fibre glass and sealer. I found the same type of
repair under the boot floor. Behind the dash I found the
original W&P body no.
Thursday 15 of February. The engine had
just come out of the car. The phone rang.
It was the first and only reply on all my
ads. His name was Robert Feen and he had tried all his
contacts all over UK to find JS turbo parts but there was
not a nut or bolt to be found anywhere. I could then inform
him about my luck and that I had all I needed (I thought).
The only thing he did find was a guy who use to work at
JANSPEED and asked if I wanted his number? I said yes as I
knew anyone who had worked there would remember a Danish
left hand drive W&P mini. I called the number and asked for
Simon? He said speaking; I then asked if he had worked for
JANSPEED?
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He said yes for 17 years. I then told him
that I called from Denmark and that I had a car with a JS
turbo conversion – yes he said “its a mini its got 2 fuel
tanks with 16mm fuel outlet, engine is moved two and a half
inch forward and tilted 5 degrees and I built it”. Happy to
finally speak with one of the original guys who built my car
I asked him all kinds of questions.
He told me about special parts they had
to make for it and asked about certain hand made parts were
there? I said yes, he also asked about the emblems? I said
they were missing- he then told me that he might have some
new ones somewhere in his garage? After talking for 20 min
there was just one thing left, I can see from pictures that
many things have been especially made to fit my car, and I
know the conversion was made for the metro so my question is
how many minis were built with the JS turbo conversion? He
then gave me a breath taking answer “YOURS sir -----yours is
the ONLY one we ever made” it was too complicated and far
too expensive a build so there was newer going to be
another. The next time I spoke to him he gave me the story
behind it?
Early 80ies the second owner was in UK
for the Birmingham or Earls Court Motor Show? There he saw
the JANSPEED METRO turbo engine on display and thought that
would be nice in the mini back home.
He wanted to order one but they told him
it was not something he could have wrapped up in a box to
go. It was a complete conversion where brakes-suspension-fuelsystem-and
gearbox was upgraded. He said ok signed a contract and
called home to Denmark to have the car sent over to JS in
Salisbury. When it turned up at the workshop they said oh no
it’s a mini. We cant do that, the turbo setup is for a
metro. He then persuaded them to do it on a “build to order”
spec, JS agreed as it was a clubman with its bigger engine
compartment. The car had a special setup build with same
spec as Nigel Mansell had in his JS metro. I also asked
about the ID tag plate? (I had seen one on the Internet). He
told me that he designed those for JS and that he might have
a new one for me. He also told me about the second owner. He
was a rich Danish doctor and investor. Nothing was too good
for his mini. He drove his Aston Martin when he came to
visit JS to see the progress on the mini. We agreed I should
send pictures and a list on all JS numbered parts to verify
it was the right car. He would then try and find what I
needed.
March 6. Rust was now removed in big
quantities, and replaced with lots of fresh metal.
Doors-bootlid-bonnet-floorpans-innerwings-frontend-rearvalence-hingepanel-bootfloor-schuttlepanel-
and loads of handmade repair bits. We then stripped the
whole body for paint, then the holes for the brake pipes and
servo hose turned up. JS had put the servo out in the inner
wing. We also found the org position for the ignition box.
April 18th the body was
transported to the painter on a rolling frame. He was not
happy to see bare metal all over. He told me he needed more
time to do a good job as black is a difficult colour. While
the body was away Richard came and helped with the gearbox
and rear sub frame. In the meantime I had tried to track
down some of the old owners. That got me in touch with the
mechanic that use to maintain the car when it was still
running with the JS turbo setup. He told me it was awesome
and that he once took it on the motor way were he had a race
with a Mercedes SL. The Merc driver was very surprised when
the mini left him in its rear view mirrors. Some of the old
paper work also put me in touch with owner number 3. He
told me that the original JS head was sold off to another
part of Denmark. After some time it was traced. I could now
see what colour JS painted the engine. It also had a JS
number stamped into it as the rest of the JS turbo setup. I
could now build the engine. When I took the turbo to have it
rebuilt the guy looked at me if I was crazy when I told him
to keep the old ID plate, and not to polish the outside of
it. I wanted to keep all the JS parts with org colour and
patina as found. I now had the side window and headlining to
fix. In Sweden I found a company that could fix the missing
window. Only problem was they needed a sample to match the
colour perfect. There was no way I would risk any of the org
W&P windows in the post.
Page4
In the bottom of the door I found pieces
of the original W&P window. I send them with a paper mall. A
few weeks later I was delivered the new window personally by
boat from Sweden. New headlining was made by K&N upholstery.
They had exactly the same type felt and colour as W&P used.
The old headlining smelled so bad; they put it in a sealed
plastic bag when I gave it to them to copy. Now it was the
front subframe – heater etc, all were cleaned for rust and
repainted.
June 30th finally the body was
“back in black”. I now had 3 and a half week to get it all
back together before IMM. That meant a lot of long
nights/weekends.
July 25th . Finally the car
was ready for IMM after many days with almost no sleep.
Whilst at imm I met up with Kevin Card that brought me the
box from Robert Feen/Simon Lee inside was NOS JS turbo
emblems, ID tag plate and org keyring . I don’t think it
gets much better than this as far as restoring old cars?.
( NO ITS NOT FOR SALE )
THE END.
A Big thanks to all the guys who made it
possible.
RICHARD
LENNART
JESPER
KENNETH
FUTTEN
JIMMY
MY BROTHER
MADS
ROBERT
SIMON
KEVIN
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