Very, very nice!
You're getting pretty good at whittling aluminum.

 

Your attention to detail is once again revealed! The tease continues... Thanks for sharing what you can Greg. And of course, I must ask, the weight delta is...?

 

Are you gonna remember how to drive when this thing's finally done? :D

I hope I get to see it whizz past me on the track at some point this summer. But we probably won't wind up in the same run group ever, so I guess I'll have to be content watching from a corner somewhere.

 

Hello Greg,
Nice work and attention to detail. I;m hoping I make my first BMW club race at MSR Fort Wort/Dallas end of April, wish you could be there. It's a great track for Mini's. It also will be the track for O'Fest in September there fore April will be a good practice session.
Good luck, hope you make it on track this year.
Regards,
Steve

 

 

Do I detect a shifter for a sequential gearbox??
Jim

 

Indeed, a sequential shifter in a MINI seems to me to be the bullocks. It's great to see what you've been up to, Greg.

 

Forgive the question.....but.....What happens on the track? I mean this is a super sweet project, but it has been over a year from the start. Seems to me like one crash and you are done for a year while you rebuild it again. Is that right? Or is this something that once you build it that you can get some sponsors and hire a build crew to rebuild the whole thing aqgain in a week?

 

As with any track car, on the track you drive with as much skill as you can call upon and do everything possible not to "break stuff" because you WILL be driving very hard and you WILL "break stuff".

You just want to catch the problems when they are small and you are going either relatively slow at the time or you are in the pit area. It's when stuff breaks at full speed is when you risk a big accident.

So number one - don't crash. Drive smart, the best drivers I know, the smoothests and most skilled, hone that skill on the track doing wheel to wheel racing.

And number two - Have either good sponsors or know a group of experts like the crew at "Overhaulin" (Chip Foose and the A team of 60- they can do a rebuild in one week).

Best wishes to Team Onasled and M7- great project MINI!

 

It is taking a long time because he is carefully choosing and testing each part that goes onto the car. He wants the ULTIMATE track MINI, and that takes quite a bit of work to accomplish. He also doesn't have any real dead lines... Which is most likely the main reason for this extended build time.

-Brian

 

This really great watching two people I know (Greg and HWSNBN) grow from newbies to becoming the vanguards of the Mini's spectrum...

 

yeah, dont get me wrong....Im not critizing. I just thought that anyone who does real wheel to wheel racing will total thier car at least once per year. The races I watch on TV always have several major crashes involving several cars and as I watch in awe of this build I am just thinking one crash destroys a years worth of work....So i am just curious whether this is a correct assumption or not?

 

Yes, it is taking a LONG time. I'm not all that happy about that, but it's just how it has to be. I'm trying to build one of the most radical race Minis in the US, yet doing so on a shoe string budget. Not real smart, but I'm having a blast and learning tons. Having the incredible support of a local race shop is the only way I'm able to do this. I'm a fast learner and it really only takes showing me once how to do something and I'm off doing it myself, though I tend to waste more then the really good fabricators

Crashing is always a huge risk. I will be racing mostly in BMWCCA races. They do have a strict rules against those involved in any kind of collision, as it Vintage. So this does really help keep the risk down. Even in NASA GTS they tend to frown on contact.
Yes, you do see big wrecks on TV, but that's pro racing with big money involved. It makes a difference.
Fact is that with all the work I am doing to my car, it will actually be easier to repair due to wrecks. Complete totals and major major repairs are just not that common as opposed to banged up body work or broken suspension. If you have a race shop. it's all a lot easier to repair.

As far as the shifter goes, yes that is a picture of the beginning of one for my car, though it's not sequential. That would be way too expensive to have built and to maintain, not to mention against most class rules. I will be using a standard late model 6 speed tranny, though this shifter will be completely adjustable in all throws. My driving position is not close to stock so everything had to be moved anyway. I have to tell you that the ergonomics are fantastic feeling at this time. We'll see how it is after 30 min of racing, but I think it will be incredible. I tend to like the wheel very close, and the shifter is right next to it. I'll have pics soon as I should be painting the interior by this weekend, weather permitting. Then we can start with final reassembly, .... I'm quite excited at this point. Have no clue if we can even get it started!!

 

Although this is dated info Bob Sharp a VERY successful SCCA driver in the 70's and 80's not only didnt EVER crash his car during a race ,he was thought to have never even spun out during his many years of racing. Now this is not the norm but it can be done . Totaling your car once a year is far from the norm.

Randy
M7 Tuning

 

In the years's Nuzzo ran two MINI's in the highly competitive Grand AM racing series, he had one major accident, to my recollection, and even then, it was very fixable, and nothing approaching a total, at least as I recall...

Can't wait to see the unveiling Greg! I want some drama... a video (with cover over car, with music, a drum roll... or not.

Looking forward to you making the dream happen! Your self-imposed pressures are more than the Community could ever impose. Spring eptomizes revitalization, and the beginning of life... and I can't wait to see what emerges from the cocoon in CT

 

Any new pics yet?

 

Greg...are you around? Just wondering if you got my PM from many weeks ago...

 

Just got back late last night from south Fla. Was spring break for my son so I took him down there. Did some GREAT karting at both Moroso Motorsport Park and VIR. The Moroso track is great, nearly a mile long. Karts are pretty good. VIR is a shorter track but somewhat more challenging. Best thing I learned was that my 15 year old son is about as fast as me. I was very impressed! So, looks like he may have a future in speed.

I'll get some pics of the Mini out here this week. Looks good.

 

Lucky kid. You don't want to know what it took me to get my Dad into a kart when he came to visit in October...

-Brian

 

Brian .... how about some pics and info on the car?

 

Well the cage was originally rescheduled for after the race in Vegas when I got hit with three intense projects at the beginning of March. I had a brake failure in Vegas and hit Waylen, damaging my hood and my steering rack. I am in the middle of fixing that damage right now, so the cage is still in limbo. I have already purchased the material for the cage, so it is just a matter of time (and most imortantly money) before I can get it put in. I am aiming for the middle of May...

I also REALLY need to work out my suspension issues. Both front and rear Ledas are now shot, and the car does not handle as it should. I had a minor failure on my prototype (not anodized) Webb Swaybar right before the race, and after getting the new parts noticed my endlinks did not match up. It is still drivable, but defiantly not as quick as it was last season (fortunatly the addition of the Quaiffe took up most of that slack, time wise). I will be talking to a few people at the dragon about my options.

Oh, and did I mention I need money .

-Brian

 

so, Greg, when is your car rolling out?

 

Do I have bad breath?

 

You didn't the last time we talked.

 

Hey guys....

Sorry, been away and then B***s out on the car since I got home. I'll write more later as I need to get dinner ready...

Here are a couple of cell phone pics I took today. I'm basicly doing 99% of the work myself these days so it is going slow. But I am determined to have it running this month.