alex
UberDork
10/15/14 1:31 p.m.
http://stlouis.craigslist.org/cto/4678529061.html
I have a passing knowledge of this car, in that I've seen it in person (in fact, I took these pictures a few years ago) and I'm acquainted with the builder. He's incredibly talented with carbon fiber - used to repair CHAMP car chassis - and can tune a motor pretty well, and I'd trust that this build is pretty fastidious.
That said, I haven't seen this thing for a few years, and I don't know what his definition of "a little work" is. Nor do I know the details of the suspension work, motor/turbo details, etc. Give him a call for all that.
Every bit of carbon you see on this car is custom made by John. The amount of labor he has in this thing is probably at least twice the buy-in.
Looks like a helluva lot of fun in a small package
Wishing it looked a little more original
OK, I forgot about the Mini clubman. Never liked the looks of that front. I'd be going for the cooper look. Wonder why he didn't.
The Clubman nose gives more room for the engine. That thing wouldn't fit under a round nose.
The flares and front air dam are one-offs, though. I'm not sure it's how I'd do it.
I'm assuming from the stickers that John is "Axis Power Racing". Did he shut that business down? I thought they'd disappeared.
DrBoost
UltimaDork
10/15/14 7:41 p.m.
Call me crazy, but the honda swap does nothing for me. My buddy tried for a decade to get me to swap a v-tech into my mini. I had no interest at all. I think it changes the character too much for my tastes.
In reply to DrBoost:
Suzuki. Honda. Whatever.
Dunno. Part of me has always wanted to put a turbocharged hyabusa engine in a Berkley
For what it's worth, if the clubman nose is a deal breaker for someone. I believe one vendor sells and extended traditional nose in fiberglass. Keeps the original look, but ads some length to the nose to accommodate a bigger motor.
Datsun1500 wrote:
DrBoost wrote:
Call me crazy, but the honda swap does nothing for me. My buddy tried for a decade to get me to swap a v-tech into my mini. I had no interest at all. I think it changes the character too much for my tastes.
I agree. I put a zetec in a 67 Datsun 1600 a few years ago. That car was dead reliable and fast as hell. It was also one of the most boring cars I've ever owned. It killed the personality of the car. I want my vintage car to be a vintage car.
The A series in the Mini has a completely different character to a high revving modern motor - even my "fast road" one. It would take a catastrophic failure for me to consider a swap in my car.
But the MG has only benefited from the new engine. That old B series had no real redeeming qualities that I was able to discern.
Mine's only a 1293 
Only Mini guys know their engine displacement down to the milliliter.
