Trimin - 1971
Trimin - 1971
Trimins were built by Kim Argyle. He built 3 Trimins, including a single seater version in order to attempt a land speed record. All Trimins have been located.
Click on the round buttons below to read all informations about each car.
GOM666D was originally fitted with an 850 cc engine. I don't really know its date of building as the date of registration on the V5 is the date of registration of the donor Mini used to build it.
I had an e-mail from Kim Argyle who told me that the engine (a 1275 cc Cooper S engine bored to 1400 cc) was being rebuilt to fit in the car!
There seems to be no big difference with the prototype (ABW5J) but I only have those three pictures. More pictures could reveal some evolutions.
If you have any information regarding this car, please, send me an e-mail.
UPDATE, June 2013: I’ve been in touch with James (Kim Argyle’s stepson). He told me that Kim has bought the car in 2006. When he bought it, it was stored in a barn for a few years after an MOT failure for rust on the chassis. As Kim still have the jigs and moulds, James has build a new chassis. It’s not finished yet but it should be back on the road in the next months or years.
More informations and pictures should follow soon from James.
UPDATE, February 2018: Paul S., the former owner of the car, has contacted me and sent me some pictures of GOM666D (see below): «Here are a few photographs of the Trimin I built in about 1978/9 using bits supplied by Kim Argyle and a donor Mini Traveler, GOM 666D. Kim Argyle built three as you said. Then he made a frame for me, with welded on lower body panels, and sold me fiberglass upper body parts. He also assisted me in making various minor parts and the rear half frame with its wheel. The result is that there is (or was) a total of four. Yellow, red and blue and the single-seater. I understand that Kim still has the jig for making the frame.
I originally had the 850cc engine from the donor car but later fitted a Cooper S engine - which was exciting. Alas it blew a head gasket on a weekend trip to South Wales. Luckily I was able to buy a new gasket, some tools and oil to do a repair job 'in the field' so to speak. But I no longer trusted that engine so fitted a long stroke series A engine from an Austin 1100.
The Mini was noted for its cornering ability and the steering geometry in a Trimin is identical. (roll centre at the rear of a Mini is central at ground level. Obviously a 'tadpole' three wheeler has the same). Since the centre of gravity in a Trimin is lower than a Mini its cornering is quite superb.».
Name on V5
Chassis number
Built by
Date of first registration
Actual registration
Original registration
Original engine
Actual engine
Actual owner
Number of previous owners
Actual location
Trimin
Paul S.
10/06/1966
(Donor car)
GOM666D
GOM666D
848 cc
1275 cc
S
J. Webber
2