It’s The Little Things In Life…
Petite Personality

The classic Mini is undoubtedly one of the most amicable cars ever built.

We’re cruising the streets of Birmingham on a cold Saturday morning in Nick Shaw’s unforgiving turbocharged 1973 Mark 3. It makes a hell of a noise: the loud whine of the straight-cut gearbox, whistle and crackles from the turbo and exhaust and occasional frequent sounds of loss of traction reverberates off the surrounding walls and buildings.

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Innocent bystanders – non-car people I tell you – spin around on their heels as we approach under a cacophony of mechanical sounds. They’re prepared to be offended, the scowls on their faces showing clear disdain for whatever it is that dares offend their eardrums on this peaceful morning in the city.

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But then they see it’s a Mini, and in an instant a smile appears. The raucous is forgiven, and people reach for their smartphones to capture a moment as we whizz past.

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We’re in Britain you see, and almost everyone has a soft spot for this great British classic.

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What they probably don’t know, and the main reason why I love this little scud missile as much as I do, is that Nick built the car largely with his own hands in his garage at home. It’s not the most powerful example out there, nor the most extreme, and he doesn’t obsess about making sure that it’s an immaculate show winner either.

He hasn’t built it by following any predetermined recipe, for internet fame or any other ridiculous 21st-Century concept. In fact, Nick’s pretty puzzled as to why his Mini has gotten so much attention since he finished it earlier this year.

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I know why. It’s just a good, honest build that strikes just the right balance – it’s extreme enough to be ridiculous, but not so ridiculous that it can’t be used on the road.

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This is the second Mini that’s been in Nick’s possession. The first, also turbocharged, met a rusty demise (as is often the way) and was replaced with this car in 2006. Nick turbocharged this one, and ran it until it popped back in 2012. A year later the big rebuild began, which eventually became the car you see in front of you.

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“At least I’ll have some cool memories to remember this one by the time it rusts away”, Nick comments, reflecting on all the attention it’s been getting.

Little Looker
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There’s clear influences that have been drawn from other areas of car culture in this build. If you don’t know your Minis then, at a glance, you might not realise just how much has been done, but the car tastefully blurs the lines between several subcultures – JDM, traditional Mini, track-inspired, drift-inspired, retro and modern at the same time.

Take, for example, his fondness for JDM machinery (Nick’s daily is an Evo V), which has clearly influenced some of the exterior styling on the Mini. The front lip, which Nick says “is a terrible fit but it had to go on, I like it too much” was sourced and imported from Japan, and is complimented by a similarly JDM-style rear spoiler. You could almost imagine them looking quite at home on a Starlet or similar.

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The plan was originally to utilise a full fibreglass round-headlamp front end – because lightness – however the fit was that unbearable that Nick scrapped the idea and stuck with the original British Leyland Clubman steel wings and front panel. This has, however, been modified so can be released quickly.

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The front panel was then smoothed and shaved of the bumper mounting points, sidelights and indicators. Nick incorporated the latter two into custom headlights that he built himself.

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A set of original Mini plastic arches (fenders) cover the Mini’s 165/70R10 tyres. Said rubber is wrapped around a set of SSR FLII 10×6-inch wheels, also imported from Japan.

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Lightness is the order of the day for the rest of the exterior, and every gram counts. Of course hinges and supports are unwanted metal, so a fibreglass bonnet is secured by four bonnet pins – it simply lifts off when access is required.

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At the opposite end the boot lid is single-skinned, although alloy hinges have been used to keep the cavernous boot practical. Below, a fibreglass rear valance houses a custom centre-exit exhaust and the rear is finished off with a carbon fibre rear bumper bar.

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Nick gutted the doors of all inner metal work, before adding aluminium outer skins, and polycarbonate windows all around remove almost all heavy glass from the little Mini.

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A full rollcage from Owens Fabrication adds a bit of weight, but is now a necessary precaution. It’s tied into the chassis at almost every point imaginable so adds rigidity too. In case you didn’t notice, the roof is carbon fibre as well.

Littered around the car extra weight-saving additions (or should that be subtractions?) jump out at you – Nick’s in his happy place when he has a punch and flare die in his hands, so there’s speedholes a plenty to be found. The tiny wing mirrors, for what they’re worth, are mounted on meccano-esque Swiftune mirror mounts.

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Nick’s choice of finishing hue is Harvest Gold, which sounds like a delicious cereal bar, but is actually an original Mini factory shade.

Tiny Temper
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There’s a lot of custom work that’s taken place out of sight too, such as the flat boot floor and tubbed rear arches. The roll cage passes through and ties to the rear suspension mounts, which have been turreted to strengthen the rear coilover setup.

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Up front, Nick modified the front subframe himself and converted the suspension to a Protech coilover setup – he fabricated custom bottom brackets to kick the bottom of the units out as much as possible, before remaking the tops of the inner wings to position the top mounts as high as possible for an improved operating angle. The rear beam was then modified for better operation and geometry too.

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Inside, which is coated in a contrasting charcoal grey, a pair of Driftworks Cobra Evolution FIA seats occupy the vast majority of the interior – I’m not sure how Nick got those seats in there, but I doubt they’re coming out.

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The gear linkage has been moved inside the cabin to provide more room for the exhaust underneath, while a custom-mounted centre binnacle houses Smiths tacho and boost gauges and a custom wideband AFR gauge. Inside the driver’s door panel Nick has access to all the necessary electronic controls. Custom wireless steering wheel controls sit where you’d expect to find the flappy paddles on newer cars too.

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A Wilwood bias pedal box helps to bring the Mini to a stop. Cooper S calipers up front with grooved 7.5-inch discs and modified alloy rear drums make sure of it. Stomping on the furthest right pedal brings the smiles…

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Nick’s no stranger to turbo Minis and, bar the machine work, has built each of his engines himself in a modest home garage. This is the second engine that this particular car has had – the last one, running around 200bhp for 40,000 miles, was given a fitting send off sans bleed valve at Santa Pod in 2012.

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Thankfully, with a wealth of both his own experience, and a vast aftermarket Mini tuning industry at his fingertips, rebuilding for more power wasn’t an issue. SH Engineering (no association) supplied a race crank and machined the block, which Nick then assembled complete with forged 18cc Omega pistons and a custom camshaft. A Turbo-Mini flowbenched head was bolted down with ARP studs, complete with Rimflow valves, Piper springs and titanium top caps.

A modified Metro turbo manifold carries the exhaust gases through a 2.5-inch custom exhaust, crucially spinning a Garrett GT2056 turbo along the way. This sends 20psi (1.4bar) of lovely boost through a custom intercooler setup and into a Fusion Fabrication plenum.

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Nick thinks it’s around 250bhp when all is said and done. His last dyno session in a friend’s garage recorded 236bhp up to 7,000rpm at which point he was knocking on the dyno’s speed limit. There’s an extra 1,300rpm that’s not been measured before the rev limit, so 250bhp sounds about on the money.

Add that number to the svelte 600kgs (1322lbs) kerb weight and you’re looking at around 417hp/ton – that’s more than some pretty imposing supercars.

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The straight-cut, close ratio box makes the most incredible noise when out on the road, but the biggest battle Nick faces is grip. An AP Rally clutch plate and Quaiffe ATB LSD helps to put the power down, but even with the sticky Advan A032R soft compound, the Mini has little trouble lighting them up in the first few gears.

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Nick’s keen to stick with a 10-inch wheel to suit the Mini’s aesthetics, but faces the struggle of being very limited on tyre options at this size – 165 is the widest road-legal tyre that he can run at this size. Jumping up a wheel size or two opens up his options, but I agree that it does look very cool on the 10s.

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Nick says that the end goal for the build, if there is such a thing, is for the Mini to run a 12-second quarter mile. He suspects there’s a bit more power, a bit more weight reduction and – somehow – a bit more grip to be found before he gets there, but he’s enjoying the journey along the way.

Having experienced this thing for myself, I don’t blame him – I can assure you that it’s absolutely hilarious from inside. A very cool car indeed.

Jordan Butters
Instagram: jordanbutters
jordan@speedhunters.com

Nick Shaw’s 1973 Mini Clubman Mk3

Chassis:
Owens Fabrication custom multipoint T45 rollcage, tubbed & turreted rear arches, flat aluminium boot floor

Engine:
1293cc A+ block, forged 18cc Omega pistons, Specialist Components forged rods, SH Engineering race crank, custom camshaft, steel main strap, alloy adjustable timing gear, Retrosport timing case, water pump inlet plate, alternator bracket & dizzy blank, custom-mounted Nippon alternator, electric water pump, Swiftune oil pump, alloy fuel cell, custom fuel feed with original external filler retained, aluminium internal fuel hard lines, Turbo-mini.com fully worked and flowbenched offset valve 12G940, Rimflow valves, Piper springs, titanium top caps, 1.5:1 full roller rockers: custom spaced, Retrosport heater take off & stat, ARP 11 head studs, alloy rocker cover with breathers, modified Metro turbo exhaust manifold, GT2056 Turbo, turbo carb, Fusion Fabrications plenum, Megajolt ECU, home-made loom, alloy front mount radiator, alloy front mount intercooler, 2.5” turbo back custom exhaust, under wing oil breather catch can

Drivetrain:
Straight cut, close ratio gear set, Quaiffe ATB LSD, straight cut drop gears, centre oil pick up, Ultralight steel flywheel & backplate, Grey diaphragm, AP Rally plate, custom internal gear linkage

Steering/Suspension/Brakes:
Protech coilovers, custom front subframe, KAD alloy radius arms , Minispares alloy rear beam, rose-jointed tie bars, rose-jointed bottom arms, rose-jointed track rods, custom alloy brace bars, internal brake lines, Cooper S calipers, grooved 7.5-inch discs, modified alloy rear drums, Wilwood bias pedal box

Wheels/Tyres:
SSR FLII 10×6-inch wheels, Yokohama A032R softs

Exterior:
Full restoration, original mk3 shell, Harvest Gold exterior, Charcoal interior, polycarbonate bronze tint windows, JDM front splitter, rear spoiler, carbon roof, fibreglass bonnet, lightweight doors w/ aluminium skins, no inners, alloy hinges, single skin steel bootlid w/ alloy hinges, fibreglass rear valance with custom silencer exit, custom turbo bulkhead box, Carbon Weezel bulkhead blanking plate, Carbon Weezel rear bumper, removable steel front end, smoothed & shaved front panel, custom headlights incorporating indicators & sidelights, Swiftune mirror brackets

Interior: Custom mounted centre binnacle, Smiths PROLED tacho, Smiths boost gauge, custom wideband AFR gauge, electronic boost controller, custom wireless steering wheel controls, custom drivers door panel with wireless switchgear, Driftworks Cobra Evolution FIA bucket seats, Driftworks 4 point FIA harnesses, rear seat and bins removed

Cutting Room Floor

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1

i really thought I was on the wrong website, with that big spiderman ^__^

2

ow wait i'll go start the story now, see you.

3

Cars like this are why I keep coming to Speedhunters to read and write.

4

That first picture couldn't have been laid out more perfectly, like it literally looks like he popped off to grab it.

Also holy hell. 10 inch wheels? That's barely larger than my hand length from base to tip of middle finger. Almost go-kart wheel status. But then again this is really just an enclosed go kart, i mean with 400hp/ton sounds crazy as hell.

5

very cool car indeed, plus it looks like so much fun to own and drive and have a blast everyday.

6

Scrolled all the way down before reading to say that is the coolest cover shot on any story ever. Awesome work.

7

such an awesome little rocket! bet that thing is a blast to drive!

8

What kind of grip issues is he having? As in grip issues induced by wheelspin? Or just the regular torque steer? Torque steer van be overcome by altering front castor, and changing wheels to lees ofset (scrub radius is to big). Grip can be had by changing to Super softs, as they are made as well by yokohama. Changing to a longer first gear of you have to, or just limit boost in the gear thats experiencing the grip issues.

Raced these things for years....

9

Most likely wheelspin. The Yokohama’s are pretty much the best (road legal) tire you can get for 10’ wheels in that size, and even those are easy to light up. He’s also running a SCCR box so 1st is already longer than normal

10

They are the best, period. At least grip wise by a long shot. In the pouring rain it's a differnt matter though, as puddles are nightmare. There isn't any better tire in that size out there. But they are available in different compounds. Most you can buy are medium and soft compound, but there is a super soft compound. Won't last long (even the medium barely gets 10.000 Km), but does give the extra grip.

Longer then normal isn't anything thats special, because of all the different diffs used on the cars throughout there life. And I'm not talking about ordering parts in a catalogue: Caster cant be changed unless welding on the subframes and suspension. But when you have the gearbox disassembled (which is in the sump) you can change gears. My first gear could reach 92km/h in my race mini, although I must say thats also because of RPM (being about 9200 RPM at 92km/h, with a redline far higher). So when the parts bin has been used up the engineering just begins....

11

The only other option I can think is Hoosier slicks? But obviously they aren't road legal! No need to tell me about Mini's, I have a 110BHP NA one myself. Even I can struggle to put the power down in damp conditions, and I'm on 12's! I wish we had the AO32 in our size. I'm on A539's and I've done a fair few burnouts and they haven't worn that much...for now

I thought caster could be changed using adjustable tie bars? Even with a 3.4 diff, 1st is quite long. I can reach around 75-80kmh before needing to change. There was some news of Swiftune & Quaife developing a 5 speed sequential but it's gone all quiet. Probably due to the £6k price tag!

12

12" is way to heavy and not needed. But it is also the worst choice in availability of good tyres. 13" is even worse, but they do make better tires for those sizes. I raced a 165 NA "Smallbore", although I also drove it on the streets, since it was road legal, registered and insured. But haven't had any issue. Then again: I've engineered the issues out of it. Best tyres on 12": Falken FK-06G. Try them, especially in the rain. Should be a slight bit cheaper as well....

Why would you need a five speed? 4 are just fine? Only really used for low RPM highway speeds. I was talking about about a 3.65 from a pickup with 92km/h on the speedo. And even that is still streetable. I only used the tall first gear as a form of launch control.

Your probably confused with toe-in and out? Thats what you alter with tie bars. I'm talking about Caster angle (not the wheels under a shopping cart). You cant alter that unless you cut and weld, or buy a subframe with a different caster angle build into it (which as far as I know isn't available). for your info:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caster_angle

13

For the record Kevski I am personal friends with Steve Nichols. You're out to lunch on several of your points, but that's neither here nor there.

My guess is Nichols' brain is worth a lot more than yours, but cheers. You're the man...

14

12 inches is way too heavy? Please.

Go to 15s with a solid 1 piece forged wheel like SSR. 10s are shit, 12s are shit and 13s are shit unless you're dealing with a formula car where they are 13x14 or 13x16.

Wider wheels are always faster. If this guy is having wheel spin issues with that power level its not magic. Buy the right stuff.

Author15

15s on a classic Mini? Have you ever SEEN a Mini? 15s would be hilarious, even if they would fit.

16

Try not to lose your shit guys...I know it can be difficult.

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17

your clearly a turd if you think 15's look good on a classic mini

18

It's been done...

19

Wider wheels is the correct answer, but what has that to do with bigger wheels? Nothing. Formula 1 runs on 13" (and are actually no more then 380mm wide on the rear on a 14" rim). Other than that: A mini is designed to run on 10", and you don't need the braking capacity to run larger brakes: It's about 620KG stock. An F1 car is heavier I might ad.

So yeah, there to heavy if every gram counts. And the same rules applies for almost every other car. In my eye's every car that uses a wheel bigger then they absolutely need to is called "a Donk".

You have honestly never driven a mini? Try finding 15" wheels that will fit the arches and the bolt pattern. Good luck!

But humor me: how much does a SSR 15" wheel weigh? For comparison my daily driven Dunlop Magnesium 13" 5.5J wheels weigh 2.250 gram without a tyre. Manufacturing date is from the 70's. I will bet you your car the SSR Wheels don't even come close. Let alone in comparison to the 10" ATS classic that I ran under my mini: 1450 gram without a tyre. And also daily driven.

So the next time try using your brain: I lighter wheel is a better wheel. You can tune a sidewall where you can't tune a wheel....

20

Also checked your background...automotive photography. Lol. Stick to snapping picks Ace.

Cheers.

21

That the best you can come up with? I've talked to this and that. Don't going into details. Talking about the only American in F1 that has ment something? And only because he robbed the designs of Gordon Murray, as it is almost an exact copy of the Brabham?

Yes I'm also a photographer as a side job, and yes I also write for a couple of local magazines and an international one. I also run a business as a dayjob. So does Gordon Murray. Your point being? Oh, and for your info, I do have a Masters in Engineering. Losing face is hard isn't it, when someone disagrees. Come on man, get a life. And while your at it, educate yourself on how things really work.

But thats the thing is it: When you can't win on facts because your wrong? So go start trolling someone else. Because in all honesty, I could do a checkup on who you are, because thats my daily work. But I will refrain from doing so. Peasants are not worth it....

22

Well, now that I've hit a nerve haha. You mouthed off so I just met you on your level. Typical engineer: you'll argue about 5 grams and forget all about the human element behind the wheel.

As for the comment on Murray I just laughed. You haven't had drinks with him while over looking the city skyline of Austin Texas. The world's a big place kid. There's a lot more to this than meets the eye.

This is my last comment. Have a good one.

23

Oh, and one more thing: I didn't mouth of, I was right. Big difference. I put you in your place, and you couldn't handle that. And then you started to get off topic, anybody who can read can also read time and dates. Except for one person apparently....?

24

One: Don't call me a kid: I'm 36, probably older then you....
Two: I've worked with the man. You haven't. And when we do see each other on events whe both attend we always talk. About his escort for instance. Enough said....
Three: Why of all places would I even consider going to Austin? Of all places? You do know that there are way more interesting circuits around me right? Nurburgring, Spa-Francourchamps, Zolder, Monza, Zandvoort, Assen, Barcelona. You know, tracks with actual meaning and history....
Austin as it stands is just a cheap ripoff of Silverstone, Interlagos, Istanbul, crammed into one. And lets not forget the attitude of the locals: Richard Rawling is the perfect example....

But lets try to stick to the actual facts the next time? Oh wait, you haven't posted one....? Lets see if you'll keep your word....? Maybe you can at least show your actually worth something....?

25

lmao Kevski...the 15" SSR I used to run weighed 9.8lbs a piece. If you're actually going to sit there and say a couple pounds is the make of break deal for a build I would have to respectfully say I don't think youve done much racing. Sounds like you're a college kid in an engineering program.

26

A larger circumfence had everything to do with wheel speed: But that tyre circumfence, not rim circumfence. As i said, a tire is tunable, a wheel is not. And i know the name, but wassen't in F1 yet, as there a Time difference of about 5years and a different team. One of the few Americans in F1. Mostly run by Europeans I might ad.
But where your way of: My skills have nothing to do with getting a bigger wheel on: Thats different laws to abide by. Your rules are lax to say the least. Ours are stringent. More the half of the cars that are deamed roadworthy arent allowed to drive here.
And yeah, every kg counts. The weight you mentioned is double that i mentioned. It makes a shit ton of difference. And lets face it: The proof is in your comment: Otherwise you would have run steelies in 15" and be done with it.
NASCAR runs them so they must be good right

27

Had a long conversation with Nichols about this (3 world titles in F1). Got a lot of clarity on the issue. The guys I race with have over 180 years of experience from Le Mans to Indy.

You're not as smart as you think bucko...sawwwry.

28

Larger wheels have everything to do with gearing in a sports car. Zero comparison to F1 since you are talking about a mini not an open wheel formula car. F1 has discussed the idea of going to bigger wheels. Doubt they would get slower.

All depends on the track, but generally speaking the gearing with 10s 12s and 13s is horrendous. If you can't get a 15 to fit under there you might not be working with a full set of car building skills ;)

29

Interesting knowledge shared. Maybe you could give me a few pointers with my mini build Kevski

30

Depends on what you want to know? There isn't a surefire way to build a mini the right way. Especially not when you are relying on the parts catalogue alone. Because mismatching parts is quite easy. If you have specific questions just shoot?

31

Parts wise I am all sorted. I was specifically interested by your reference to modifying the sub frames & body tub wise to make a competitive small bore racer? I am well informed with minis but first hand experience of hacks to gain a competitive edge are welcome. I don't want a specific recipe just a few common things that may not exist in the parts catalogue.

32

Right, but then again, I need to have all the specs. It's not a change this- change that formula. And it needs to be precise, so you need to build a jigg, and do measurements. The thing you need to look out for is scrub radius. Getting wider tires is one thing, but getting offset tires is another. Tires need to be ofset on the inside, otherwise bump steer will become a nightmare. And the more power you have, the more pronounced it gets. Hi-lo's are another no-no. Great for lowering, but you'll increase the scrub radius as well. Lowering a car the right way is done on the hub side of things. That way the suspension geometry is the same. Widening is done by widening the subframe, or lengtening the suspension arms on the front.

As for the block: always and only use a 1100 shortblock. They're higher. With the 998 crank installed you can use longer connecting rods, making higher RPM a possibility.

Caster is used to reduce bump steer. It'll mean less fighting the wheel when on power exiting a corner.

All the above isn't strictly mini related (other then the 1100 of course), and isn't what you call changing parts. Its proper fabrication and knowledge of suspension geometry on an engineering level.

So to help you further I'll first need to have every spec or part used, with every geometry parameter., and the application you want to use it for. Then I can help you further.

33

Thank you for the feedback.
Current recipe is 6x10 deep dish wheels (not sure on offset but it’s approx 50mm wider than the standard body line) red dot rubber cones & hilos all round. Adj lower arms & tie bars. Adj rear subframe camber plates.
Finned with integral spacer rear drums 4 pot front disk brakes. All polyed. Having a quick look engineering wise it’s probably a good idea I sus it out on cad sooner than later. Looking at the likes of the swifttune minis that seems to be much more like the way to go & is similar to your description. At least it’s not too late to change it!

34

Deep dish is a no go. Just measure the ofset, can be done in about 10 minutes including taking the wheel of the car. Hi-Lo's are a no go.

Red dot rubber cones: whats the compression on the first cm of compression in KG. Or half inch and pounds? Because thats just what I was talking about: Stuff out of a catalogue. It won't work unless you have exact measurements like corner weights. You never ever lower a car the right way by lowering springs, which the hi-lo's do. It may be the cheapest solution, but it it's the worst. You have to cast new hubs if you want to do it right, or weld them in a jigg.

Start with 2,5 degeee negative front measured at the wheel, not at the arm. All mini's are crooked one way or the other. On the back a half degree to non at all should be enough. Thats only a starting poit though.

But let me guess: You aren't close to being an engineer are you? Because an answer like I don't no my wheel ofset isn't used in our vocabulary. So unless your willing to do the time to calculate everything (which I asked for) I'm not going to take this any further, since it won't make a difference without actual data. Because this is just guesswork. Put in the time to measure everything, then I can help you. But it doesn't work the way with those parts. All custom made, and on par with the stuff KAD produces pricewise. It's doens't have to be beautifull, it's just faster....

35

Going to have to disagree with saying hi-lo's are a no go. They're a fantastic and efficient way to lower the car. Admittedly, lowering too much will ruin the suspension geometry but this is sorted by fitting a spacer between the hub and lower ball joint. Saying lowering the car by using hi-los, is like springs is untrue. That would be more like cutting the cone in half which you would never do. You can also lower the car more by removing the spacers between the body and front subframe. This way, the subframe sits higher in the body while retaining the suspension geometry.

All that I have said above is what the Mini Miglias use. Which is essentially the Formula 1 of Mini Racing. These also use deep dish wheels. I would suggest searching forums for information, as there is plenty around.

36

I have to highly disagree with you on that. Mighty Miglia's dont even come close to F1. As en ex-f1 engineer i should know....

Mighty Miglia are fairly tightly regulated. You cant widen a subframe for instance, and there are heaps more restrictions.

I you ever loked into suspension geometry you know you are wrong. Wheelbase actually changes on the back of a mini when you lower it (trailing arms). In the front your scrub radius increases a lot. To prevent that, widening should always be done by lengthening the suspension arms, or by widening the car as a whole. Since the mini had a subframe you can widen that.same goed for the backside. Using spacer or wheels with an ofset to the outside of the wheel will only worsen scrub and induce torque steer. Thats just physics and applies to any car.

As for hi-lo's. Why would you want to use a shim and hi-lo's at the Same Time? Shims would be the correct wat of doing it, so long as it is done in a structually sound way.

A hi-lo is just a way to visually lower a car. Just as much as that a wheel with an ofset to the outside is done for visuals. Not because it is vaster. Unless your saying that your not racing on earth, and the normale rules of physics dont apply?

Im also not talking about cutting springs, but about lowering springs. So a higher rare spring which is lower, and compairing that to a hi-lo. Although I must say: A hi-lo is nothing more then a lowering device without changing spring rare so in a way its worde. Luckaly rubber springs are progressive springs, getting harder as the compress to infinity. There will be a failing point eventually, but thats after the suspension or the whole car shatters.

37

And lets not forget: Hi-lo's are there since the 70's. Knowledge about suspension is an ongoing proces. 50 years later there is a lot to learn. Hi-lo 's where just a means to an end, but that doesn't mean its the right wat of doing it.

And lets face it: There are heaps of products that fit that bill....

38

I never said Mini Miglia is on the same level as F1 in terms of engineering. But it’s pretty much the highest level of mini racing at the moment. Of course it conforms to regulations, but what race series doesn’t? If you’re building a track mini with no regulations you’d build your own subframe with custom geometry and coil overs ect. But if you’re stuck with within regulations, using the set up as used by the miglias you won’t have any problems. Although it’d be a pain on the road.

I feel you’re slightly out of touch in terms of how a serious track mini is set up. I highly recommend you look at the set up of a miglia and see how they handle.

39

I can relate to that. The problem lies in the fact that that isn't always possible. Road rules and all. Otherwise it would be a spaceframe car althougether. You can get away with altering parts with stock appearance, but you cant just build your own subframe.

A pain on the road and mini's: They aren't the most comfortable to begin with, so not really an issue there. And I've actually driven on older miglia car. Most people now his name, and untill recently had a collum in the magazines. You know the one. But the same rulebooks prevent further development of the car. Torque steer/bump steer are a nightmare on those cars. And thats only with about 110 to 140HP nowadays in the miglia championship with 660KG. I had 165HP with 465KG. The one this article is about has 200+ and 600KG? So in a way I expirienced more issues than the Miglia guys (and cant do anything about because of regulations anyway). Its all about taking it a step further then that. Miglia's is all about creating a level playing field and keeping cost down. Hillclimbing have much faster and better developed mini's for instance. But you need to have lax regulations for that.

And as for out of touch: I'm more of lax regulations kind of guy. It needs to be road legal (unless where talking about a formula car of course), it needs to be safe, and it needs to be the best possible you can build. But I do make the decisions on doing the best, and not doing it if it isn't done the best. Normally that does come with a big budget unless you can do the work yourself or taking years in development (which is always the better decision to make).

40

(Insert thumbs up emoji)

41

Hugely cool !! Must be a blast to drive

42

Mine was a MPI version and stock but already a lot of fun.
I had to sell it following some trouble with my back (and emission trouble too ) but it miss me a lot.
Sure it was not a monster power but what a laugh to drive it on small country roads.

43

So cool. Sounds, looks and is amazing.

44

A piece of art! Brilliant balance of styling and performance. Every angle looks amazing and THAT NOISE! No suprise its taken the mini scene by storm this year. Hats off to Turbo Nick!

45

Could not help read this without smiling!

Great work Jordan.

46

Really miss a classic Mini in my life!
That is a nice car - Nick should be proud given how much he's done himself.

47

Really good feature & credit to the owner. Thanks for sharing!

48

*goes through article*
Haha, cool nice Mini, love the JDM touches, cute lil' tireslayer and all. Must sound like a firecracker...

*watches video*
Sweet mother(s) of God(s) this car sounds amazing!

Anyone who would hear this would picture a larger car showing up. It's like hearing a roar and seeing a little mouse come your way...

49

I've always had a soft spot for older minis epsecaly modifed ones even though I'm a japensese car guy.

50

What a weapon. It sounds mental with those straight cut gears. Looks spot on and I'm so glad he kept the ten inch wheels too. Its a pity these are now prohibitively expensive (in Australia at least)! I'd love to own one one day.

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