LEARNING CURVE
Jake Willis’ Mini story started with an MPi saloon Mini but squeezing his 6’2” frame into its confines was only tolerated for a year. “I wanted something more practical but Vans were out of my price range. Being a carpenter by trade, I thought an Estate was ideal and, unlike a van, it’s got seats in the back,” explains Jake.
He looked at several, including one worryingly nicknamed Shakey Jakey, but it wasn’t quite what he wanted. In May 2014 he found a 1979 Russet Brown Clubman Estate, just a few miles away, which fitted the bill and budget. “It was so clean when I bought it that you could eat your dinner off it. The seller, who was a grass-track racer, had restored it with his girlfriend but sadly she passed away. The Mini had sat on his drive for a few years. The lady was called Patricia so my mate said: ‘well, that’s your car’s name then,’ and it’s stuck.”
With its 12 months of MOT Jake enjoyed using the Mini but, with a change of job, the miles started racking up as he had a 50-mile daily commute, including motorway mileage. “It was a good workhorse. I did about 20,000 miles in that year, come rain, sun, snow, sleet or ice.”
Frustratingly, in 2015 when Jake was 22, a driver rear-ended the Mini “I’d just done London to Brighton. The driver’s side was pushed forward.” This was the catalyst for the project you
