Most liked posts in thread: Rally Mini Cooper

Carbon fiber panels are expensive(look good ) and sometimes weigh as much as the panels they are replacing. For the door panels I did this faux carbon fiber look. Weighs about the same as the rubber strip that you can see on the un-finished passenger door. I just need to add a door handle. I used plastic sheet, covering that with carbon fiber look vinyl. I going to do this for some of the panels around the dash. Also the whole heater/blower unit will be replaced by a lightweight Suzuki swift blower. I just need demist in Costa Rica. We can replace the hatch glass with plastic and cut away any metal not needed. The seats are fiber glass weighing around 20lbs each. Just driving around now with one seat and no interior I can feel the difference. Once I mess with the engine and transmission the R50 should fly!

 

I thought about the 6 speed but cost put me off. I have to spend at least $2500 on the conversion then that again on the Minisport low final drive which is not low enough so call me nuts but I prefer to go with the Midlands. only because I can get a 5:1 final drive and LSD for this box. The Swift I run now uses a similar crappy box which if rebuilt every year works great. I run a 4:4 final drive on the Swift and never use 4th! with a 5:1 the Mini should be good for around 107 top speed in 5th but should get there pretty quick.

The Midland is Peugoet box so there should plenty of up-grades from the rally 106's

 

For real serious weight loss I told my co-driver to go a diet! that's commitment!

 

Nathan,
Yes, for now until I get the cage in I will mount the seats on the original seat frames. In rally the seats have to be fixed but seeing as I'm going to use RO/RO to transport the car the Costa Rica the seats have to be adjustable. Once down there I'm going to attach the seats to the cage, co-driver going to be on the floor! hahaha

 

I keep ordering strange parts! hahaha WRX wagon rear roof spoiler, A pair of Mustang V8 race mufflers and a F150 heater matrix!

 

Back working on the Mini. I have the SES light on with Reject sticker for the state test. The scan check says #2 cylinder miss fire and igniton fault so I swapped the igniton coil thingy and some O2 sensor issue so I swapped that too although the engine runs very well. The WRX wagon spoiler is the correct size and looks the biz, I just need to fabricate the mounting. Photos to come when it's fitted.

 

Super happy with the roof spoiler! Cost me nothing apart from bolts and paint!

Slowly the Mini is "turning Japanese" AKA Subaru

 

I'm just in the process of moving house so I had to step up the work as the new home does not allow car repairs! I was itching to get the Subaru STI fitted which took 2 days to fit both along with the EBC front brakes. It took some thinking but the end result was the Struts fit and the Mini seems to handle even better. Now I have a good choice of inserts and springs from Subaru.

Now I won't be working on the Mini until it reaches Costa Rica at the end of August.

Strut top



Strut differences



Fitted with EBC brakes

 

I hope so.hahah I will add this is the draft version just to see if the STI work which they do so once the Mini is in Costa Rica I plan to have my welding sponsor do a real strong strut tower attached to the cage. Lucky the Mini strut top is a very thin metal which made it easier to make a bigger hole. Actually was amazed how thin the metal was! Also I found the right side brake pad not attached to the backing plate??? I wondered why that side squealed.

 

Friggin awesome photo!

 

Ready to ship to Costa rica!

 

Yes, a one way ticket! but I know another Mini being built at no expense spared to rally on the East coast. It has Hotbits suspension, Willwood 4 pots and a host of other goodies.

 

Not much has happened to the Mini since I came back from CR. The SES light went out after I replaced the coolant pressure cap. The 1/4" steering wheel play became 1/2" so I swapped the steering column U/J joint which was really bad, now I have a Mini that steers! Sunday the Mini starts the journey South to arrive in Costa Rica on Sept 4th

 

The Mini is on its way to Costa Rica!