Owner: Terrell Nievera
TP: So Terrell, how did you come to own your Austin Mini Cooper? What were you driving before?
TN: My Dad and I collect old classic British & German cars and it was a car that I had wanted for years. I finally stumbled upon it out of no where. I was actually driving a 1991 Honda Civic hatchback and a 1993 Isuzu Rodeo at the time.
TP: Right on. So what's the story behind your purchase of this car? Were there other cars that you were considering when you bought this one?
TN: I came across this Mini when my Father was buying an MGB from a private seller. The guy had a bunch of old classic cars sitting around and so I asked him if he had a Mini Cooper by any chance. Luckily enough, he said he had two. One had a good motor but a rusted body, and another was a clean shell with a straight frame. He told me to make an offer so I told him $500 for both and he accepted. What a steal!
TP: Wow that's amazing. So how long have you been working on this particular project, what would you say your build philosophy has been?
TN: I had been working on the restoration for about a year before the car hit the show scene. I got tired of what it looked like before then, so it was time for a complete make-over. This particular phase took over three months of straight work, roughly 7am to 11pm every day. As for the build philosophy, I didn't really have one. I just went ahead and started building. If things didn't look good, I just tried to do something else. It worked out pretty well in the end.
TP: We would definitely agree, the car looks amazing. Is this your daily driver? What else do you have in your garage?
TN: No this isn't my daily driver. It's more like my giant paper weight. I actually drive a 2002 BMW Mini Cooper and a 2007 Mercedes ML350.
TP: What was the first modification that you made? Tell us about your build process and some of the major milestones.
TN: My first modification was swapping in the new engine. As for the build process, it was a Father and Son duo. We worked our asses off to build my Mini into what it is today. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into it, as well as major arguments on what should go where, but that's what happens when you don't see eye to eye at times. At the end of the day though, we always made it work and came together to get the job done.
TP: Haha. Sounds like American Chopper. So who would you say does most of the work on your car? Is there a specific person or performance shop(s) that you take it to?
TN: No shop really. I would say that my Dad actually puts in the most work on my Mini. I trust him because he has a lot more knowledge in building classic cars. It's about 60:40 between the two of us.
TP: So what do you have planned next? Is this car going to see any more major cosmetic or performance changes?
TN: I plan on adding wooden door inserts, and maybe a classic surf board on the roof and a classic beach cruiser bicycle. Other than that, nothing too major, the car is basically the way I want it to be.
TP: Interesting. Are there any other unique things to your car that you would like to tell us about?
TN: I think the unique part about it is that this car was actually built and painted entirely in my garage. So my garage now has tons of different colors all over the floor and walls. Other than that I would say that I enjoyed having this being my very first classic car to hit the Import Scene.
TP: Well Terrell, we'd like to thank you for sitting down with us. Any last words before we wrap things up?
TN: Thank you guys for finding interest in my car and thank you to everyone who appreciates what I have accomplished, especially my Dad, for dealing with my bullshit in regards to building my car. I love him for that. Also thanks to my Mom, Sister, and my girlfriend for all the support. Love y'all!
Car Year: 1961
Car Make: Austin
Car Model: Mini Cooper
Car Color: Candy Pagan Gold
Modifications:
Engine & Drivetrain:
1275cc Austin Motor
Kent Cams
Kent Cam Gears
Rover Rods
Vandable Pistons
MiniSport Header
Custom Dual Straight Pipes
MiniSport Coil & Distributor
Champion Ignition Wires
Spitfire Spark Plugs
Vernier Ken S12
Electronics:
One 17" Accelevision Monitor
One 12" Accelevision Monitor
Three 7" Accelevision Monitor
Two 4" Accelevision Monitor
Sony Playstation with LCD Monitor
Alpine IVA-D105 In-dash DVD
Two 10" Audiobahn AW1006T Flame Subwoofers
Audiobahn 2 Farad Digital Capacitor
One Audiobahn A1500HCT Amplifier
One Audiobahn A8001DT Amplifier
Two 6.5" Audiobahn ABC600V 2-way Component Speakers
Two 5 1/4" Audiobahn ABC5002V 2-way Component Speakers
Suspension & Brakes:
Koni Shocks
Adjustaride Coilovers
Wilwood 4-Piston Forged Billet Calipers
9.5" Vented Disc Rotors
Custom Adaptor Plates
High Performance Disc Brake Pads
Steel Braided Brake Hoses
Wheels & Tires:
13x5.5 Ultralite Wheels
BFGoodrich 175/50/R13 Tires
Exterior & Interior:
Exterior:
Datsun 280z Hood Vents
Porsche 911 Air Duct
Aerogear Body Kit
3" Fender Flares
Toyota 4Runner Roof Wing
Custom Fiberglass Trunk Lid with Mid-Wing
Plexiglass Rear Windshield
Shaved Door Handles
Shaved Emblems
Shaved Side Mirrors
Custom Polished Side Splitters
Interior:
Modified 4-Point Roll Cage
1995 Honda Prelude Bucket Seats
HP Racing Steering Wheel
Ignited Toggle Switches
AC Autotechnic Fuel Gauge
AC Autotechnic Temp Gauge
AC Autotechnic Oil Gauge
Custom Wooden Flooring
Photo credits belong to Official TunerPlayground Featured Car Photographers: Jeff Cabacungan and Chad Freeman from Photoshootmycar.com
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