Anyone seen / made an R53 roadster?

I'm heading out on a 5 month odyssey, to drive from Germany to Hawaii. Once there, I'll be parking my beloved R53 and taking off for another year abroad.

A professional hot rodder in LA has offered to look after the car for me for the year, and to work on it while I am gone. The talk is at the "ha ha, that'd be funny" stage but really, it could happen.

See, he wants to flame it, and convert it into a roadster. Lay back the windshield, chop the top, take a whisk to the interior, etc.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that I have had some odd ideas about what could be done to a Mini. But a roadster? Wow.

My one real concern is having something to throw over the top; it rains in Hawaii. He's done other roadsters, the latest one having a re-shaped hard top that dropped and locked into place -- and easy one man lift.

This'd be more than just turning it into a convertible that lacks the closing top. New windshield, probably wrapped around to blend into the doors, rear seat delete, etc. It'd change the car a lot, I know -- and I'd love my already-installed USS all the more, I'm sure.

So, I'll ask -- anyone seen anything like this before?

 

Oh, and the wife wants to add -- anyone seen / made a Clubman Woody?