Lightness = circle cutouts? Agreed. If other, please note.

 

The illusive shock towers...here they are:

Notice that the tower is supposed to be perfectly straight

Before surgery:



After the motor has been pulled:





Here's the mock up for the tower alone:



Even though the pictures shown are not the same side, you get the fair perspective of how much those things moved.

Car might be done by Friday...we've all heard that before though, right?

 

Bent shock towers? EEEK!! I was beginning to get jealous that your mini got the new-fangled, spiffy tube-frame-and-shock-tower treatment and the Franknmini got the square tube old-school low-tech frame. Now I'm not so envious.

Lance, so with your blower you're getting 204hp? What's the torque?

Franknmini update: The steering column is back in and I'm waiting for minitec to send me a new column wiring harness (the twin 8-pin rectangular blocks). supposedly they'll have heavier contacts. We'll see if the Prince of Darkness has met his exorcist . . .

 

I think the "Smallzilla" moniker is perfect for your wee beast. I will certainly take you up on your offer to take her for a spin next time I'm in beautiful metro Sacramento.

Looking out the window right now, Detroit is in the process of getting coated in a shiny candy-coating of ice.

Why do I live here???

 

Hey you guys, quit distracting Norman already. I'm trying to get a pickup done by next spring, ya know?

Keith, good to see the rack & column advancing. When the north thaws, you'll be ready to hit the streets.

 

Keith - Torque at the wheels is 158 at 6500 rpm - HP at the wheels is 204 at 7200 rpm. Heavier contacts nothing. I had that adapter methinks and it failed eventually. I think Mike at Seven ended up just using some sort of wrap on the wires to better "insure" survival which makes disconnecting a major hassel. How come some one like you who is a wiring aficionado can't come up with some ultra sweet fix? I'm losing faith in your electrical skills. Oh and when you drive the little wretch you might want to get one of those mouth pieces athletes use to protect their shiny grill as the spring tension along with California road maintenance standards are enough to make your fillings rattle and ping like a diesel motor.

 

Yeah, I've been on the 110 recently. It's childs play compared to the pothole infested nastiness that the Michigan department of transportation passes off as "highway."

As for wiring of the Franknmini, I just wanted to see what the boys from Royston might be able to come up with. I'm seriously considering a 24-pin Socopex connector (a theatre-rat connector) (also known as a plug and screw Amphenol to our proud members of the US Military) to fix this thing. Given the state of the weather here in the upper midwest, I'm not exactly in a hurry; which, oddly enough, puts me right on schedule for an appropriate solution from our 33 & 1/3 rpm friends in the deep south.

 

Love it. Well said. Now that's Keith!

 

Well one thing can be said: Sears Point progress is quite a bit faster than that in Royston. (Ouch!) But it's true. Here's what we have today.

 

i like the design. similar to what i did to mine old schoo b-frame on the second install.
I just may have to rebrace to keep the front from moving.

 

Lance,
This looks really good. This should solve the problem.

 

Lance,

What brand / model no. is your air intake?
What brand of muffler did you finally end up with?


My engine / frame is mounted to the car. Trying to fit everything and then remove it for painting.


LOTS of pictures coming soon.

travis

 

Air intake? I don't know and the car is not here otherwise I'd step outside and look. I'm supposed to pick it up tomorrow at Sears Point if I can hitch a ride with one of my buddies who doesn't have a real job. If he can find time in his busy schedule, I'll be able to tell you tomorrow.

The muffler is a dynaflow, if I recall correctly.

So it's in hand, eh? Good for you. I think you're going to have a much better package than me. The sub frame pictures you posted show a significantly different frame at sides, rear and the obviously boxed shock towers.

Gee, Travis has his in hand already meanwhile Dmini is chewing fingernails and throwing back Remi Martin waiting for the Ty Cobb country boys to get sober enough to work on his rig. We wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a Merry Christmas.......(Dmini give us your best Dylan Thomas) "Rage, rage against the dying of the light...We wish you a Merry Christmas. Rage, rage.....Oh the psychosis! I can feel it over here. Like Brando, "The horror...the horror..."

 

Hey I am in the NorCal area, if you need I can pick up the car for you.

 

 

Thanks,

please lemme know.

T 10 In.

 

Very nice, Meno. Glad to see they painted those rascals. They blend right in. Man, with that first picture you posted, I feared they screwed up and installed your engine upside down. Be thankful of the flip front on this job. Hope I don't end up with any engine-pullin' DIY's or I'll be regretten' the classic front, if I ever get it.

I was going to pay them a visit, but nobody answers the phone when I call to verify a date. Hmm, if I were 17 and askin' that girl to the prom--I'd be guessin' there ain't a snowball's chance in...

 

Travis - my intake has no name on it so i called MiniTec and they said they fabricated it themselves. Sorry but no help.

Drove the car back today and it drives quite a bit differently than it did in a good way. I didn't do anything on the paddock before I left as I was in a hurry to get back to town. Once I dropped my other car off, I headed to work in Smallzilla down the normal corridor (3.2 mile commute from house to work). I hammered it a good blow and it did something really quite weird. The normal LSD / torque steer sensation was followed by a crazy left hand floating sensation in the steering wheel. Oh, boy. I pulled over and couldn't see anything so I drove on and that's when I noticed that the steering wheel is 15 degrees off to the left now. What the heck? And the tires are making a slight squeal as I drive. I popped the hood once I got to the office and still couldn't see anything that looked the culprit. Called Mike at Seven and have an appointment with them tomorrow. His response was, "Well that can't be good. Bring 'er in."

Any guesses? Steering box a la the Irtenkauf syndrome?

The saga continues...

 

Well your day sounds like my week. Minitec has a few important items on back order or just left out of my shipment. (some of both).
The boys down at the shop (Hellbilly Kustoms) that are doing a bit of work for me are very stoked about working on the car. They are hard core hot rod guys/chopper guys and have taken a bit of a liken to the ole' mini. They are as excited as I am now that the engine is here and mounted. They are on the fast track with the build so I'm lovin it.

Money is leaving my account faster than a virgins panties on prom night!

More to come......

 

We might as well be hooked on heroin. Bank accounts are mysteriously thinning, blood-shot eyes during work hours, new found friends build choppers, we look danger in the eye and say why not... the horror. Horror.

 

Good God that thing is gonna be sick fast.

Looks like it's coming along.

I cannot wait to see it finished.

The secret to making a small fortune in racing (and in modding cars)...





Start with a big one.

 

Bent upper steering arm - apparently the part didn't like going sideways under heavy acceleration. Go figure? Norman at Minitec is looking for the upgraded version to send me. So no Mini for a week or so. It seems the car is away more than it is here.

Joy.

 

OH guad so much R&D on the flight. Hopefully it's all for a good cause.

 

Lance,
I hope I am not looking into my future by reading your posts.
Everything is going so good with mine it kinda seams like the calm before the storm....

T.T.In.

 

i think there are always gonna be bumps in the road when doing coversions like this.......maybe not ten years down the road when it is more advanced but this is still something very new, and should prob. be expected in most cases