It's been many hours of work but it's finished.There is still some cosmetic work to be done like making custom fender flares and a bull bar,but the main point here is whether you like how it looks or not,it can be done.50 hours of work and one hospital visit later and she's driving down the road like a boss.If anyone has any questions don't be afraid to ask.And please don't hold back,I wan't to know what you really think about it.

 

rally yo ho ho

 

some soap, and water, and cool wheels and I think it will be a thumbs up !!!!

 

Thank you.And the rims are just some steelies painted black.I'm gonna take it up some trails this weekend so I can see how it does.

 

I LOVE IT. If i had the need to do that i would. Without even a second guess.

 

Won't it rub the hell out of those fenders? Not much space for the suspension to move!

 

The fender flares have actually been trimmed a bit since that pic.It only rubs the side lugs of the tires on the inside of the wheel well when the wheels are at complete lock.And the suspension itself still maintains its full travel without hitting the fenders.

 

Is this meant to give you off-roading abilities? Because there is like 0 extra suspension travel so all you get is ground clearance. As it is now, I don't like it because it seems pointless but just my opinion of course.

What was the hospital visit for?

 

The sway bars are completely disconnected so you actually get a little more travel then you would think.It's really only to get through snow and to do some occasional trail riding.It's a weird feeling not worrying about bottoming out in speed bumps in this thing.I'll try to get a video up doing a little bit of mudding when I get a chance.

 

I think it's great! Props to trying something new and making your MINI unique.

 

Congrats on completing the project but a few observations. Camber wear is going to be an issue, that is quite the lean going on. The larger diameter tires will zap power, decrease brake effectiveness and throw off the speedo. The CVs probably ain't gonna be happy with the increased operating angle and might vibrate and require frequent replacement. The suspension and underbelly are quite tender and will be easily damaged by rocks, roots, ruts, etc. But I gotta admit, it is unique!

 

Yep, time for some heavy duty camber plates on that.

 

Reminds me of the Baja Bug look. Very cool!!

 

The camber in the back actually relaxed a bit once I drove off in it.It was just because I had just lowered it off of the jacks.You're definitely correct on the speedo though,I think it's off around 5 or 10 mph.The cv axles surprisingly aren't at too bad of an angle,but you're right I probably will go through quite a few in it's life time.Braking actually feels the same though which is weird because that's one thing that I really expected to change.

 

I like it! The stance thing is fine for people who live in civilization. There have been times I wished my car was more suitable just for dips and speed bumps.

I've seen a VW Golf jacked up on Flickr, can't find it now. But here is a Toyota Celica, should be good inspiration for you:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53074154@N00/6199201002/

 

Nice, I want to build one up to deal with the snow packed unplowed Denver side streets for winter use, and the fire roads in the mountains in the summer.... Hmmm, it's on my list now!

 

I'm glad you all like it.Oh and the hospital visit was because I had a few pieces of steel in my eye from cutting out the lifts.Needless to say,I wear safety goggles now .I like that celica it looks pretty cool.And if anyone was thinking about doing it,do it!The thing feels like a whole different beast now,and it's a good thing.It cost me $30 for a 4x8 sheet of 1/4" plate which the lift was made of (thank you craigslist).The tires were the most expensive thing at $146 a pop.It's a 3" lift in the front and a 1.5" in the rear just incase anyone wanted to know.And I've already had a photographer for in automotive blog stop me in traffic to take some artsy fartsy pics of it.Although I admit it isn't really pretty enough to put in a blog yet,it's on its way.

 

Here's a bull bar:


and side rails:

 

Ooh I do like that.That would save some time and energy making one.I am most definitely mounting a winch on the front of that.

 

oh wow...thats uhmmm...different. i guess thats one way to make a mini drivable on horrible local roads.

 

Never thought I'd see a MINI so equipped.

Looks like some nicely thought out work!

Expect some Internet viral travel with your photos, though!

"Hey Joe...didja see this 4-wheelin' MINI? WTH is up with that?"

 

Haha,after seeing what people were writing about the Dsquared mini,it's to be expected.And I appreciate you saying it was well thought out but in all honesty we picked a reasonable lift size,made it,and threw it in lol.What took the most thought was how big of tires we needed and what size spacers.When it came to the tires rubbing,it was nothing a big *** hammer couldn't fix :P

 

Wow

 

 

I'd like a few shots with a front/rear wheel off.