'75 Mini Clubman 1275 GT gets a Honda V6

I bought my Clubman from a guy who had installed a Vauxhall C20XE 2.0L, seemed like a great way to get into the Vtec mini game even if it was a "british vtec".    The C20XE is fast, plenty fast for a Mini but at track nights all my friends are driving vettes and mustangs and left me sucking wind in the straights.   I contacted Minitec/Superfastminis about their MIDI kit that provides front and rear subframes and motor/trans and a pile of odds and ends to convert my car into a mid engine/rear wheel drive with a J32a2 Honda V6 and a 6 speed manual.   It has trailing arm rear suspension, has big wilwood disks and QA1 dual adjustable shocks in the rear.   The front will now hold the aluminum radiator, 10 gallon fuel cell and also has QA1 dual adjustable coil overs and big wilwood disc  brakes.   According to Minitec I have effectively reversed the weight distribution now from a 60/40 front split to a 40/60.   The kit is amazing and it's now in thanks to Jesse Prather Motorsports.   I initially wanted to get this whole project and do the entire install myself but a lot of things have gotten in the way and I am really wanting to get it out to track nights and some autocross this spring....so Jesse knocked out this big chunk in a surprisingly fast manner.  

Here it is with the front and rear subframes installed.   Have some toe in issues that will soon be sorted.    Have to get some different wheels for the rear with more of a negative offset to clear the calipers.....while I'm at it may as well set the wheels out for a good wide track(going to try to get to a 60" track).  Fortech style flares/arches just arrived from the UK.   Going to set the car as low and as wide as possible while also being somewhat practical for driving around town....as practical as  280hp in a 1400lb car.   

This makes me happy  

This is crazy! I love it. 

Have a set of Proxes R888's ready to go on after I find a set of 13x8" wheels and figure out what backspacing I want.   New guage cluster and a Wilwood pedal assembly will go in soon.   Running the coolant underneath down the center hump in aluminum tube that just showed up.   Biggest concern I have right now is figuring out how to make the AEM stand alone ECU/EMS work with my wiring......not my forte but I aim to figure it out.   

These are the flares I have for it and this is the look I'm going for, can't decide if I want to Dzus them on or rivet them on.   

Side note, if anyone is looking for a freshly built Vauxhall C20xe/5 speed on the modified subframe, radiator, ecu, dual side draft webers, guage cluster, rear subframe that has new brakes, new anti sway bar......I just happen to know a guy that recently removed such things from a mini.   

This right here makes more sense to me than the Project Binky series. Awesome project!!!!

SLGGR said:

Have a set of Proxes R888's ready to go on after I find a set of 13x8" wheels and figure out what backspacing I want.   New guage cluster and a Wilwood pedal assembly will go in soon.   Running the coolant underneath down the center hump in aluminum tube that just showed up.   Biggest concern I have right now is figuring out how to make the AEM stand alone ECU/EMS work with my wiring......not my forte but I aim to figure it out.   

These are the flares I have for it and this is the look I'm going for, can't decide if I want to Dzus them on or rivet them on.   

Love me the Clubman.

For my flares, I used rivnuts with stainless button head screws. Means they look like rivets but you can easily remove them.

Way, way more ambitious a build than I expected when I clicked the link.  Hats off to you, Sir!

I would love to get my hands on the red top and put it in one of my Opels, but being rwd I couldn't use any of the rest of the parts.

If the bolt pattern is 4x4" on that thing I have a pair of 13x8 slot mags I could probably be talked out of.

This is very cool.  It must be an absolute riot to drive.

This is cool.  It's a shame Mini shells tend to be hard to come by in the US.

If anyone is as curious as I was, I googled up a parts list and pricing PDF although I have no idea if it's currently accurate.

759NRNG said:

This right here makes more sense to me than the Project Binky series. Awesome project!!!!

You dare impugn the mighty Binky?

In reply to Ian F :

Rogue Se7ens is creating fiber or carbon shells, Minimania has many shells for sale on a regular basis.  

In reply to Keith Tanner :

Thanks for the tip, THAT is what I'll be using!

759NRNG said:

This right here makes more sense to me than the Project Binky series. Awesome project!!!!

Project Binky is what put me on the hunt but I opted for the RWD instead of AWD....maybe the next one will be AWD.   

SLGGR said:

In reply to Ian F :

Rogue Se7ens is creating fiber or carbon shells, Minimania has many shells for sale on a regular basis.  

OK... I guess I should have been specific - Cheap Mini shells.

jstein77 said:

759NRNG said:

This right here makes more sense to me than the Project Binky series. Awesome project!!!!

You dare impugn the mighty Binky?

Let me clarify..........the execution of Binky's creation is extraordinary, I'm always amazed .....when it is all said and done IMHO, what the boyz at Bad Obsession have is still a nose heavy toyota celica sporting a proper tweed hunting jacket with leather elbow patches.........whereas this is, borderline Ken Block hooniganism  x2......and yes this  is the path I'd pursue if all this 'kit'  resided behind my fence.....   

SLGGR said:

759NRNG said:

This right here makes more sense to me than the Project Binky series. Awesome project!!!!

Project Binky is what put me on the hunt but I opted for the RWD instead of AWD....maybe the next one will be AWD.   

Should you pursue the AWD version please consider leaving the bullet under the rear parcel shelf......what this might impose is an entirely different powertrain  allowing power to be sent to the front end from an EVO , perhaps?  Yes it's one thing to  present scenarios......it's another to actually put pencil to paper(anybody still do that?).....I do    SLGGR this is awesome!!!

Wow, builds here never cease to amaze me!

759NRNG said:

jstein77 said:

759NRNG said:

This right here makes more sense to me than the Project Binky series. Awesome project!!!!

You dare impugn the mighty Binky?

Let me clarify..........the execution of Binky's creation is extraordinary, I'm always amazed .....when it is all said and done IMHO, what the boyz at Bad Obsession have is still a nose heavy toyota celica sporting a proper tweed hunting jacket with leather elbow patches.........whereas this is, borderline Ken Block hooniganism  x2......and yes this  is the path I'd pursue if all this 'kit'  resided behind my fence.....   

While I’m nowhere near finished with this one, I’m trying to acquire a clubman bodied traveler.......just a bit longer and I think opening the barn doors in the back to an engine would be pretty cool.   I’ve always thought an evo or sti drivetrain in a classic mini would be my personal ultimate.  It will happen one day.

This car is awesome. 

I really loved this car when I saw it a couple years ago. This was the Superfast minis demo car. Putting a honda V-6 in the back seat makes for a bonkers car.  I really thought hard about going that route as well, but eventually talked myself out of it. Looking forward to more info on your build. 

I fully approve of this project!

When do I get to drive it?

T.J. said:

I really loved this car when I saw it a couple years ago. This was the Superfast minis demo car. Putting a honda V-6 in the back seat makes for a bonkers car.  I really thought hard about going that route as well, but eventually talked myself out of it. Looking forward to more info on your build. 

Man I'd get a kick out of that many minis in one spot.   I'd also really like to see that v6 mini, watching video after video of that car pushed me over the edge.    I think it lives in California at the Gildred Racing shop now.  Superfast minis just built one of the V6 cars with a low boost supercharger set up, said it put down 375 to the ground.