BMW Mini Cooper - New project starts here!!

Q

Quadracer

Senior member
 Sedgefield, Stockton-on-Tees
I'm loving doing track days in my Zed but have decided to make the next step and start racing.
I've bought a Mini Cooper and preparation starts this weekend to convert it into a race car and compete in the Mini Challenge :)
Maybe one day I can afford a Z4 GT3 but for now that's a dream.
 
cj10jeeper said:
welsh_Z said:
Sounds fun! What engine is in these?
Click to expand...

First gen would be the 1.6 supercharged.

Should be a lot of fun stripped out and tracked.
Click to expand...

Nooo .. Cooper is 1.6 NA. Cooper s was supercharged but now turbo power. Still will be good fun though, they sound good standard too. Looks like a great project, Clio cup looks good but no idea how easy it is to get into, fair few years off until I can fund hobbies like yours ! :mrgreen:

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
 
The Mini Challenge is split into 2 classes. The cooper class which is R50 1.6 and the JCW class.
I thought I'd start with the cooper class and hopefully progress to the JCW sometime in the future. They may not be as fast as my Zed but I borrowed one of the race coopers a couple of weeks back and ooh what fun. Race suspension and slicks gave me a stiff neck :)

I'll update with photos as I do the build.
 
Great choice! Looking forward to the updates.

Minis are awesome little cars like a go kart on my second and love them.
 
-Tom- said:
cj10jeeper said:
welsh_Z said:
Sounds fun! What engine is in these?
Click to expand...

First gen would be the 1.6 supercharged.

Should be a lot of fun stripped out and tracked.
Click to expand...

Nooo .. Cooper is 1.6 NA. Cooper s was supercharged but now turbo power. Still will be good fun though, they sound good standard too. Looks like a great project, Clio cup looks good but no idea how easy it is to get into, fair few years off until I can fund hobbies like yours ! :mrgreen:

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...


Ooops - read it quickly as the 'S' .
Of course the Cooper is NA with a mild remap over standard. Real fun car was supercharged which was much rawer than the later turbo.
 
cj10jeeper said:
= Real fun car was supercharged which was much rawer than the later turbo.
Click to expand...

Much thirstier though!

Used to have an '06 Cooper S, great car. Will be following Tomscott and getting a turbo'd 'S' for a daily driver next!
 
Took the cooper S to alton towers and back and got 51MPG out of it sitting at 80 most the way! Does 40 round town its a super little motor!
 
StevenH72 said:
cj10jeeper said:
= Real fun car was supercharged which was much rawer than the later turbo.
Click to expand...

Much thirstier though!

Used to have an '06 Cooper S, great car. Will be following Tomscott and getting a turbo'd 'S' for a daily driver next!
Click to expand...

My daughter's on her 2nd Cooper 'S'. Turbo version. Very quick and drivable little car. Early one she had was a bag of nails and they never fixed the oil pressure issues on early motors despite factory fixes. Used to sound like a diesel for the first few miles. Later one is really well sorted motor.
 
Quadracer said:
I'm loving doing track days in my Zed but have decided to make the next step and start racing.
I've bought a Mini Cooper and preparation starts this weekend to convert it into a race car and compete in the Mini Challenge :)
Maybe one day I can afford a Z4 GT3 but for now that's a dream.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup:

Good man I did exactly the same about a year ago, but went for an E36 328 rather than mini. I've just completed my 3rd race weekend and its awsome, you will flat out love it!

Looks like a really good championship I like the less tracks but more races over a race meet, gives you a better chance to learn and improve on those tracks over the weekend.

Have you been / are you going to any race meets this year as a spectator?

Edit: Do a build gallery / diary thread so we can all see how the car progresses.

Also does your mini have a 6 disc CD changer in the boot, my Mrs' mini needs a replacement one! :)
 
Tommo Two said:
Quadracer said:
I'm loving doing track days in my Zed but have decided to make the next step and start racing.
I've bought a Mini Cooper and preparation starts this weekend to convert it into a race car and compete in the Mini Challenge :)
Maybe one day I can afford a Z4 GT3 but for now that's a dream.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup:

Good man I did exactly the same about a year ago, but went for an E36 328 rather than mini. I've just completed my 3rd race weekend and its awsome, you will flat out love it!

Looks like a really good championship I like the less tracks but more races over a race meet, gives you a better chance to learn and improve on those tracks over the weekend.

Have you been / are you going to any race meets this year as a spectator?

Edit: Do a build gallery / diary thread so we can all see how the car progresses.

Also does your mini have a 6 disc CD changer in the boot, my Mrs' mini needs a replacement one! :)
Click to expand...

Sorry there wasn't a CD changer :(

I went to Brands and Snetterton as a spectator and I am running with the Advent team. I'm borrowing/ hiring a car for the next round at Brands on 22nd/23rd June at the Mini Festival. I drove one of their cars at Cadwell a couple of weeks back and grew to love it. This build won't be finished for a few weeks but I'll keep you posted of where I'm up to.

Busy trying to get all the bitumen pads of the floor. Horrible job.
 
Quadracer said:
Sorry there wasn't a CD changer :(

I went to Brands and Snetterton as a spectator and I am running with the Advent team. I'm borrowing/ hiring a car for the next round at Brands on 22nd/23rd June at the Mini Festival. I drove one of their cars at Cadwell a couple of weeks back and grew to love it. This build won't be finished for a few weeks but I'll keep you posted of where I'm up to.

Busy trying to get all the bitumen pads of the floor. Horrible job.
Click to expand...

Far more prepared than I was by the sounds of things, I wish I had hired a car for a round in the 2012 season.

Wont be finished for a few weeks???? WTF when did you start it. My build took me a year to get to a point where is reasonable to race, still got a massive list of bits to do that I do paycheck by paycheck!

Heat gun if you've not already tried it, I found that out about 75% of the way through the job :headbang:

In the 1st pic is that motor home yours?
 
I am expecting my car to be finished in around 6 weeks. A lot to do but I've got some help.
I was using a heat gun but it was still slow.
Yes the motorhome is mine, 18 tonne 30ft Scania, I built it a few years back for quad racing with the family. They've grown up now and lost interest and I'm sick of breaking bones so moving into car racing.
 
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