GREY MATTER

Setting out the dream spec of your Mini can be tricky. Faced with a rusty, clapped out donor, or even more extreme, a bare shell and a pile of parts, seeing the finished car in every detail can be difficult. And sometimes, in the process of a build, things can change a little. Or a lot… Budget, trends and fashions, advice from friends – all can have an effect on how your Mini transforms from pipe dream to hard reality.

Charlie Mitcham strikes you as the sort of person who knew exactly what he wanted, even before he’d picked up a spanner. The 22-year-old electrician is clearly chuffed with how his Mini has turned out.

But he also admits that even though he knew where he was going with the project right from the very start, some areas needed rethinking at key points. And looking at the Mini now, we have to say we’re glad he did.

Charlie comes from a family of Mini owners so it was almost inevitable that he’d end