Here's a very interesting video about the original Mini. It talks about how it shocked everyone with its speed. I thought you might be interested. http://jalopnik.com/how-the-original...ayer-869626415

 

Nice piece. The v-tec powered car would be a fun toy.

 

Thanks, ChicagoRus. That was interesting as well as entertaining.

 

Nice. Very forward thinking putting one of the best FWD engine setups (Honda) into one of the best handling chassis (MINI). Its too bad that the newer MINIs are starting to lose the type of character that made the MINI the MINI!

 

Thanks ChicagoRus for posting this!

A most entertaining video. Love the classic Mini... Also that Honda powered Mini must be a real hoot to drive!

 

OP,

Thanks for that Link to the Video it was Awesome

Man the Honda powered ones I bet are Killer Machines.

 

What Honda would that engine have been in? If he said it I missed it.

 

The ones I've seen footage of had B16 engines, good for 150-180 HP out of 1.6 liters. (They really rev up!) I imagine that they've put the 1.8 liter B18 engines from the later Integras in them too.

Not sure about any D-series motors, though.

 

Great video Chicagorus!
Before I got my R56, I was going to purchase a Honda powered Mini from Mini Tec based in Royston, GA. Only opted out since I really needed a daily driver. Maybe down the road this could be a nice track car!

 

Wonder how much fun a classic MINI would be modded with a SPOON Motor

 

I don't think you could close the bonnet!

 

You can close the bonnet just fine--but you have to widen the car!! The swapped Minis almost always have boy-racer-looking fender flares, because the Honda drivetrain is wide enough that the wheels stick out from the Mini fenders. I've heard of one car where they actually did widen the rest of the car, but that's an expensive option what with custom-made glass and all.

Oh, BTW--Porsches were considered giant-killers as well. They got that reputation in the 50s, when they were running 1100cc four-bangers, and really cemented it in the early 60s, with the 1.5 liter to 2.0 liter "Fuhrmann four-cam" motor. Even the early 911 was considered a giant-killer, especially once it started dominating the Trans Am under-two-liter class, and occasionally beating the cars in the over-two-liter class...

Nowadays, they are the "giants" of course.

 

Graham is the king when it come to classic minis. I've been up to his shop a few times.
The stock drive shafts on a honda motor are the reason why most converted minis run really wide fender flares. But with custom drive shafts you can run stock sized mini wheels with no to very little flares. But until just a year ago most subframe kits for the honda conversions required the front end of the mini to be extended, specifically the front fenders and hood. Now company called Mini Tec out of Royston, GA has modified their kit which relocates the radiator and power steering pump so you no longer have to modify the mini body. Check out thier site. It has a bunch of killer videos. http://www.superfastminis.com/index.htm

 

Thanks Ratkiller. I loved the videos on superfast. I couldn't figure out why he was lifting on takeoff until I watched another video that said the engine was moved to the rear.