I had the whole thing done, top to bottom, punched, sleeved and stroked, positraction dif, header, beefed clutch, intercoooler, pretty much everything. This was more a case of having more money than common sense and getting caught up in the early (new model Minis) craze...back when there weren't many on the road..anymore, they've become the VW's of the 60's - one on every corner. It's a fun car and I can get you all the specs when I get ahold of Jan later this week. I raced some in my much younger years but frankly, I've rebuilt this to give to my grandson for his 21st birthday (a while yet) because he's loved Minis since I think before he was born. I still like a good run with someone but I'm also getting to that point where the reflexes aren't what they used to be, nor the eyesight...best to leave autocross to the kids (anyone under 55).
I'll still eff around with someone on occasion and I rarely miss a shot at the Dragon each year, but with 145,000 miles on mine that's about the size of my outings anymore. By the time the kid hits 21, this will be in the same antique category as the last Mini posted on here...but still a heck of a lot of fun. For some reason, I've managed to leave my Clubman S alone. Maybe my brain got bigger than my wallet.
Just for the record, there's a Mini in So Cal that does a 9.6 1/4 mile. I think there is still a youtube video on it. I think he's running twin Rotrex Superchargers. It's a beast.
1. I'm interested to see.. sounds like an awful lot of work but maybe the mini engine requires this much work for the gains. It will be educational.
2. I bought my recent car in 1999 as a 'happy divorce' gift to myself (highly recommend as therapy and probably cheaper than buying women drinks) with the hope my youngest would develop an interest and maybe even a love for the car during the years before he could drive. He was eight when he saw it for the first time, barely tall enough to see in the windows. He walked all around the car, did it again, opened the door and looked inside, and then came and stood in front of me with what I now know is his best bargaining face.. and asked "promise to not sell this and to save it for when I can drive?"
I promised and through the years we worked on it together, some serious work, some maintenance work, ran it at the local drag strips, he watched me run the track at SCCA events.. and there were long periods it went into storage while I lived overseas. This last year I returned from overseas to set up house where he could live while going to his university and I had the car all serviced, shined and ready for him.. he couldn't believe I kept my promise. For insurance reasons its still in my name, but it's his when he wants it. Until then we share it. And we spend a lot of time discussing what I'll replace it with. A Boss 302, a new 662hp GT500, maybe a GT-R.. It will be my "happy he's done with university" present..
3. Hey I resemble that remark.. and I'll have you know my son and I were only a few hundreds of a second apart at the last Autocross. It will still be a few more years before he beats me more than I beat him.. hopefully the downhill to that one isn't too steep.
4. There was a Youtube of some kids in a local shop class who bought a $800 Rabbit.. bolted on a straight 3" exhaust pipe, tore out the extra weight, added a really huge turbo, and then with the stock trans and rear end and tires and all that.. proceeded to turn high 8's. The funniest sight I ever saw. Big slicks on the front, small tires on the rear. Of course drivability isn't there.. it idles at 3800 just to keep it running.
Which is the crux of a build. You spent a bunch and got mild performance, and you drove it 140,000.. perfect. I spent a bunch an have 500rwhp+, power seats, A/C, big stereo, leather with massage, and you can drive it all day without getting sore with the 8 way elec seats and pneumatic lumbar adjustability. I already have 51,000 and I suspect we'll get 200,000 because we built it very strong and run a very mild 500+ tune instead of the 600+ tune we use at the track. Now.. when I get that new GT500 and pump it's 662hp up to 950+ I'm sure it will have that same nice drivability.
On the other hand I'm also looking at the new Subaru BRZ and thinking 450+ would be a nice finishing number.. of course with the chassis upgrades, suspension, brakes, and all that other stuff to handle the power. This is why I'm interested in 4-bangers recently. A 2600 hundred pound car with 450+ on what is reported to be an exceptional chassis is very hard to resist. The BRZ comes with leather, heated seats/wipers/mirrors I need here, for 25,000.. There are two power upgrade paths. Get an STI turbo 300hp engine and mildly modify it from the last 5 previous years WRZ/STI.. or massage their newest 200hp boxer that comes with it. We might pick up a junkyard STI engine/tranny/complete wreck this winter and spend free time together building the engine ourselves.. and then when I get he BRZ it will be ready.. or if I decide to go the original engine route I can put the build STI engine
in this really fun looking kit.. Factory Five makes really good kits and this is their newest.