New Zealand based Classic looking to set new records at Bonneville

Discussion in 'Classic Mini' started by Nathan, Aug 24, 2011.

  1. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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    Two Nelson men backed by a bevy of supporters hope to push a modified 47-year-old Mini Cooper S to over 212kmh on Bonneville's famous salt flats.

    Gary Orton and his business partner, Guy Griffith, came up with the idea over a beer.

    "We thought we should go and take a look [at the Bonneville Speedway]. Then we thought it would be quite a laugh to take something over to race and even more of a laugh to take something that shouldn't go fast."

    So they decided to next year launch a 1964 Mini Cooper down the speedway on the salt flats in Utah, in the United States, the venue for numerous land speed records, and try to break some themselves in the 1000cc class.

    The idea quickly gained traction and the $100,000 project took off.

    The pair procured a 1964 970cc model, spoke to sponsors, hired a father and son engine builder and driver combination and got members of the Minis in Nelson Inc club to lend a hand with the bodywork and organisation.

    Engine builder Bryan Hartley has adapted the 970cc engine to take a BMW motorcycle cylinder head; it has been supercharged and sports a modified twin overhead cam engine with four valves per cylinder.

    "Bryan's confident the engine will produce around 250 horsepower and peak about 9000 revs a minute. Our calculations say that with the gearing we are running and at top revs it will produce 244kmh (152 miles an hour) on paper – then we still have the elements to deal with, like wind."

    Palmerston North driver Nelson Hartley will next August see how fast he can push the severely modified 1000cc Mini down the timed track.

    Mr Orton and Mr Griffith hope to run the car in a number of classes, from stock petrol-propelled form, complete with indicators and bumpers, to being methanol powered and sporting spoilers and air dams.

    "The current record for a 1000cc stock run is 194kmh (121mph), but one of the class records we want to have a crack at is 212kmh (132mph)," Mr Orton said.

    Currently the primer-grey body shell is sitting in Vanguard St's Automotive Vision shop waiting for its final top coat in time for its public unveiling at a fundraising event at the World of Wearable Arts and Collectable Cars museum on September 10.

    Source - Old Mini destined to go flat out in Utah | Stuff.co.nz
     

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