Berkeley T60 Build

Alright, alright, I know I said at the start that this would be a long term project but even I can't believe that my last post on the P4 build was eight years ago give or take a week or so - about the same time as the launch of the iphone 5 ! Where the bloody hell did that time go? Well,...

The bonnet that came with the car has seen better days. It has a lot of crazing and the vent has been glassed-in. Fortunately I have a new (repro) one that I bought years ago from a feller who was remanufacturing Berkeley bodies. It fits OK on three sides but the windscreen scuttle side has too much curvature........ ........ and because of...

Just four bolts secure the engine to the subframe so it's quite quick and easy to remove it - even when it's all fitted in the car. Here's the bare subframe with every component removed. It's quite light but the Honda engine is probably less than half the weight of the Mini so it could probably be lightened even more.  Drum brakes...

Considering the subframe is from a 1960's Mk1 Mini, it's in remarkably good nick with only surface rust and no major corrosion. The modifications that have been done by the previous owner are mostly unpainted but again, with surface rust only. I began preparation by improving and strengthening the welds on the mods, dressing them down and removing all the sharp edges...

After a computer wobble (probably my own fault) I accidentally deleted this whole post. Fortunately I still have the pictures but it'll take me a few hours to re-write so, here I go again.One last, little job on the engine before I bag it up again. The CX500 was not equipped with an oil pressure gauge - just a warning light that...

Many Berkeleys have been rebuilt over the years with Mini engines which, in my opinion, are just too big for this pretty little car. They invariably sit too high and usually have an ugly bonnet bulge. However, the previous owner of my car had already made a start on the project and had chosen Honda's, water-cooled CX500 'V'-Twin engine. It's 1982 vintage but...