7-PORT MOKE 7-PORT MOKE THE MIGHTY MOKE What’s more exciting than a Moke? A Moke with a 120 bhp 7-port screamer under the bonnet... Hold on tight!

Words Martyn Morgan-Jones Photography Adrian Brannan

lthough Finlay Duncan admits that his Moke is nowhere near as practical as the 1968 MkII Mini 1000 he owns, or his early 250 bhp AMini Sport BMW MINI, or indeed the 1991 Mini Cooper he used to own, when it comes to pure unadulterated fun and for turning heads, the Moke beats them all hands down!

72 73 7-PORT MOKE

Flat seats, the exposed driving position and 120 bhp make for a fun drive!

“I wanted to personalise it, to put my spin on it so to speak”

“There is something very special about owned this 1969 Australian Moke since a Moke,” says Finlay laughing. “It has a 2008. Not that it was a planned-for quirky charm and attracts so much purchase, and it’s not always looked like attention. Whenever I’m out in the Moke, this either - or had such a turn of speed. people are always keen to stop and chat. Not everyone knows what it is, but IMPULSE BUY everyone seems to like it.” “Ever since I’ve been into Minis, which is “It was in excellent condition; the I’m not surprised that Finlay’s Moke quite some time, I’ve bought all of my bodywork was perfect, the paintwork stops people in their tracks... or that it parts from Mini Sport, and they do the shone, and it even had a freshly-built elicits such positive commentary. With its major mechanical work for me too,” Stage 2 1293. But, although it looked gleaming black paintwork, satin silver enthuses Finlay. “They’ve been brilliant great, and was very quick, I wanted to bull bars and grille, purposeful rollcage, to deal with. In fact, the Moke came from personalise it, and modify it further. To Satin silver accents have wide Ultralite alloy wheels and grippy, them. I kind of bought it on a whim! I put my spin on it so to speak.” been carried over into low-profile Yokohama A048 tyres, it spotted it during a visit and simply had to “I’m a member of the Caledonian Mini the interior - it’s subtle... makes quite a visual statement. Finlay has have it.” Club, and have been for quite some

74 75 7-PORT MOKE

No worries about the engine bay being big enough to house the 7-port head and dual Webers.

Finlay has got plenty The perfect vehicle to do 100 miles of reasons to smile! per day on German Autobahns...

TECH SPEC

BODY 1969 Australian Mini Moke. All-steel. Wing mirrors, bonnet straps, bull bars, tow bar, rear mudflaps, splashguards, quartz halogen headlights, headlight protectors. ENGINE 1293cc, fully-balanced and lightened, Mini Sport 7-port Stage 3 head, 948 camshaft, twin Weber 40DCOEs, LCB, Playmini stainless steel exhaust system. High-capacity aluminium radiator. SUSPENSION Mini Sport Moulton Smootha Ride suspension kit, poly bushes, rear camber brackets, negative camber front lower arms. “It can be quite terrifying, due to its TRANSMISSION Standard four-speed manual, cross-pin differential, competition clutch, very exposed driving position” Quickshift. time. So, with a nod to the Moke Moke is as I bought it... with the BRAKES Four-pot billet alloy calipers, 8.4inch vented discs, Superfin drums, Californian, I decided to have some exception of the engine modifications!” “A little while back, I was chatting with was enough room. So, I ordered a 7-port and the head was modified to Stage 3 braided hoses. Caledonian bonnet stickers made. It was Chris Harper about tuning my engine head, and a pair of Webers, and took the spec. Even so, the engine still produces also around this time that I decided to fit HEADS UP and we talked about the Mini Sport Moke to Mini Sport to have them fitted 120 bhp. Which as you can imagine, can WHEELS AND TYRES 13x7 inch Ultralite alloy wheels with 175/50/13 Yokohama A048 tyres. the 13x7 inch wheels, which really fill the The modifications Finlay is referring to, 7-port cylinder head conversion,” recalls and get everything set up.” be quite terrifying in a Moke due to its arches. Also, I had Mini Sport fabricate include a brace of deep-breathing Weber Finlay. “I mentioned that I’d like to fit one “The 7-port heads are tailored to very exposed driving position! It is great INTERIOR Improved seating, lap and diagonal me a sturdier roll-over cage from scratch. 40DCOE carburettors - quite an upgrade of these heads to my Moke. At first, Chris individual requirements. I could have fun though.” belts, Motolita steering wheel and gear knob, Smiths instrumentation, rubber mats, It originally had a half-cage, but this from the single 1.75 inch SU that was wasn’t sure there’d be enough clearance. gone for a full-race specification, and a “In addition to the astonishing rollcage. wasn’t particularly good and it tended to previously employed. Better still, they are In fact, the Moke’s engine bay is wilder cam. But, because I wanted acceleration, the best thing about this get in the way. Everything else about the attached to a rather special cylinder head. physically bigger than the Mini, so there driveability, the 948 cam was retained conversion is the induction roar. Put

76 77 7-PORT MOKE

It may look tough, but the ride has been tamed by Smootha Ride suspension.

it this way, this car certainly announces its arrival, even when I’m not pressing on. And, the head breathes so voraciously, I worry about the Webers swallowing small children and animals! Fabulous.” Fabulous indeed. The 7-port sits atop the Mini Sport 1293 bottom end, which is “I worry about the Webers swallowing well up to the boost in power, and spent gases are rushed into the atmosphere via small children and animals” an LCB exhaust manifold and a Playmini centre exit stainless steel exhaust system. contained the tent etc. The trip was great idea to get Mini Sport to fit a set of their Other upgrades include a bespoke Aldon fun, if a little tiring.” 8.4 inch vented, alloy four-pot disc electronic distributor, Sports coil, high- It’s a journey that would have been even brakes, along with Superfin alloy drums performance leads and a Filter King. more tiring had it not been for the fact at the rear.” The gearbox is the original, although that this Moke is fitted with a Mini Sport A good idea indeed. In fact, this feisty Mini Sport did a precautionary strip and Moulton Smootha Ride suspension kit. and fabulous Moke is chock-full of rebuild, swapped the original shifter for a which for various reasons never either. He even drove it to the 2010 “The Moke isn’t the most comfortable car Finlay’s good ideas. What’s more, even CONTACT: Quickshift and fitted a cross-pin happened,” smiles Finlay. “So it was fitted International Mini Meet in Germany. at the best of times, and switching to though it has been significantly upgraded differential in order to cope with and help to the Moke. It cools really effectively.” “You have to be a bit mad to do this,” 50-profile tyres doesn’t help,” admits and improved during his tenure and is Mini Sport tame this very potent power unit. confesses Finlay grinning. “But we Finlay. “However, this system is very undoubtedly much more hardcore than www.minisport.com Then there’s the improved cooling THE LONG HAUL travelled in a group, stayed off the effective plus it really takes the harshness the day it left the factory, or Mini Sport 01282 778731 system, notable for its rather sizeable Although the Moke tends to go into autobahns and limited the distances to away. The suspension has also been even; Finlay has ensured that RAW 780H Caledonian Mini Club aluminium radiator - one of the few items hibernation during the late autumn and around 100 miles per day. Because there’s polybushed, so everything is nice and has retained a great deal of its original www.caledonianminiclub.co.uk on the Moke that wasn’t sourced from winter months, Finlay does use it on a not much in the way of storage space in taut. It stops very well too. Due to the identity and Mokish charm. It’s an 01738 638416 (evenings & weekends) Mini Sport. “I bought it for a project regular basis and not just for short trips the Moke, I towed a small trailer which increase in power, I felt that it was a good absolute gem.

78 79