Mini Cooper sports racer...identity?

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jsteeb	Mini Cooper sports racer...identity?		Lead	[-]
Posts: 5 07/14/07 22:10:31	Tags : None Hi guys! My dad and I just picked up a vintage sports racer from a friend of ours, but we're having some trouble identifying exactly what we have. I'll try to get a few pics up at some point, but... The engine and driveline are from an old mini cooper, mounted behind the driver...same concept as a Landar, but I don't think that's what this is. The body is very similar to the Landar or Elva, and the frame is a "normal" steel tube space frame. That's really all the info I ahve for now...I'll try to get some pics up asap! Any ideas/direction would be greatly appreciated! Cheers!
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Unregistered(d)	Identity?	#1	[url]	[-]
Posts: 0 07/19/07 18:36:26	What was the power train in the McNamara's "Rat'ler" out of Texas, back in the late 70s? dick colburn
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Tom Clayton	Re: Identity?	#2	[url]	[-]
Registered User Posts: 2238 07/19/07 19:55:07	There are 4 different engines listed for the one car described on my Rattler Chassis page, but none of them are from a Mini. Tom Clayton. Visit and add to the Sports. Racer. Network.
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ken kaplowitz	Re: Identity?	#3	[url]	[-]
Registered User Posts: 502 07/19/07 20:38:51	there was a car in Fl. that sounds like that,it was owned by Ron Wilcox.He now lives in Kan. ken kaplowitz
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S Douglas VanDyke	Re: Identity?	#4	[url]	[-]
Posts: 100 07/20/07 00:57:50	Skip Walsh, of the SF region, once told me that he and someone else built a Mini based HM that used a Berkley body with giagantic fender flares. Quite slow but dead reliable, and reportedly gained enough points to place well annually in the region standings. Any possibility? Doug
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AA Gus Chofre	Mini-Berkley	#5	[url]	[-]
Posts: 26 07/20/07 23:34:07	That was Eric Honeyman a Scot leaving in Berkeley. He grafted a Mini/Cooper 850cc in to a Berkeley and since the car was already a front wheel drive it just worked fine. At a race at Camp Stone he hit a high curb and broke of the rear section, both rear wheels but he still drove it about 30 yard to get to a safe spot. We picked up the the pieces and fiber glassed them in time for the next race. I will try to find pictures of the car to so that Tom can put them on his web site. Eric and his wife Willie are now living in Australia, still racing. But now instead of cars it Greyhounds.[4 legged]
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preformresources	mystery h-mod	#6	[url]	[-]
Registered User Posts: 563 07/21/07 14:44:16	Jason send Bill or Tom some pics via e-mail so they can post them for ya !! Dave Craddock
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Jack Marr	McNamara	#7	[url]	[-]
Registered User Posts: 19 07/22/07 08:22:51	The McNamara car was a Lambert copy. Power was Suzuki water buffalo.
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Beezerbum	Re: McNamara	#8	[url]	[-]
Registered User Posts: 19 08/06/07 15:56:14	Hey Jason, It could be a Landar R7 - they supposedly shipped 5 or 7 over here I understand. But know of only 2 so far Karl Braun's and mine which has been streched (for better straight line speed control) and rebodied so - Pictures sure would help everyone. But "speculation" is such fun, because there is So much knowlege here! These guys know of cars and builders from every corner! Dave
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Tom Clayton	Re: Steeb unidentified car	#9	[url]	[-]
Registered User Posts: 2238 08/13/07 23:59:39	If you'd like to see larger versions of these, go to the GALLERY. There are a few more photos of suspension in the GALLERY. If this is Mini engine powered, why are there three exhaust pipes? Is that due to the last, non-Mini engine? Oh, Jason, it would be helpful if you provide a method to contact you. Tom Clayton. Visit and add to the Sports. Racer. Network.
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Tom Clayton	Re: Steeb unidentified car	#10	[url]	[-]
Registered User Posts: 2238 08/14/07 00:36:07	FYI: It seems as though the Steebs are getting good help over on the H Mod Yahoo group. I hadn't read the latest messages over there before posting the photos from Derek. I've added a few more from ones that Steve posted. There are also a couple of Landar photos that were posted as part of the discussion. Tom Clayton. Visit and add to the Sports. Racer. Network.
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Derek Harling	why are there three exhaust pipes?	#11	[url]	[-]
Registered User Posts: 734 08/14/07 08:25:15	- because all Minis (from 848 to Cooper S) had three exhaust ports!
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ken kaplowitz	Re: why are there three exhaust pipes?	#12	[url]	[-]
Registered User Posts: 502 08/14/07 13:40:25	Derek what are we going to do whith these young kids ken kaplowitz first scca race 1952
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preformresources	body	#13	[url]	[-]
Registered User Posts: 563 08/15/07 16:53:15	The body looks like it was derived from the Centaur on Tom's chassis pages. Dave Craddock
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jsteeb	Thanks!	#14	[url]	[-]
Posts: 5 08/20/07 22:42:50	Hi guys! Sorry I disappeared for so long. I have so many projects going on, I almost forgot about this post! THANKS for all of the response! And thanks to Tom for picking up my slack on the pics. We didn't take the pics as soon as I thought we would, but at least dad got them posted on the HMOD site too. If we can find some history on the car, Dad and I would like to restore it as original as possible. But if not, I've been trying to talk him into dropping an MC engine in it! Zoom-Zoom! Mr. Craddock...I think you could be onto something. I took another look at the Centaur page after I read your post. Now that I've spent more time with our car, I think the back half of the Centaur is almost identical! The Front half is pretty close too! hmmmmmmm.... Cheers!
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Unregistered(d)	more details...	#15	[url]	[-]
Posts: 0 09/08/07 13:29:27	The car has some rather unique bits... Hurst Airheart disc brakes for all four wheels, Air Lift front air shocks and NO front springs(!), American Racing wheels (I haven't yet measured them but they are AT LEAST 6" fronts and 8" rears!) and it sits on Dunlop Green Spot tires. I think it is too new for an H Mod, maybe an early D/SR? And it uses the ENTIRE Mini drivetrain mounted behind the driver, but I didn't get the original engine that was in it - that's how this adventure started!
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scooperman		#16	[url]	[-]
Registered User Posts: 1 06/24/08 07:18:48	take a look at the side of the gearbox towards the front of the car, there will be a casting number. Some of the more common gearcases are worth nothing, and of course there are a few gearcases that are rare. The engine is an 850, your gearbox is probably the one that came with the 850, but a Cooper-style shifter housing (differential cover) has replaced the original "magic wand" shifter housing. BMC offered a straight-cut 3-synchro gearset which would fit in the early gearcase, it you pull off the diff you can peek in there and see if 2nd gear is straight or helical.
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T Brian Evans		#17	[url]	[-]
Registered User Posts: 59 07/05/08 11:09:04	The remote shifter started in 1961 with the 997 Cooper, which also had the rubber cross joint output shafts as this car has. So it's pointing towards a 1 litre engine, 997 or 998, on a Cooper gearbox with 3.765 diff ratio as standard, 7" dia, 1/4" thick discs with the first versions of what are now known as LD-19 calipers. The Cooper S, starting in 1963 with the 1070 engine, had a slightly closer ratio gearbox with Hardy Spicer U-joint output shafts, 7.5" 3/8" thick discs and the first version of LD-20 calipers. The remote shifter was also available in the Deluxe Mini, and the Wolsley variants with 998 engine and drum brakes. Of course all this is moot as soon as the cars get in the hands of the "enthusiasts" Brian
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