I have to throw my two bob's worth in here.
By "rallying" a Mini do you mean in the rich men's part of the sport such as VRC and ARC, or Club level?
In the serious rally series if you haven't got (a) lots of money (b) lots of horsepower and (c) multiple wheel drive, you (a) won't get a run and (b) won't be taken seriously, or even be competitive.
It all depends on what you want to achieve from taking part in rallying.
At the Historical Rally level, there are still people out there playing for sheep stations metaphorically, but also people who get out there for the sheer fun of driving their cars in a challenging environment. A couple in the HRA used to run in their genuine Cooper until recently. It was always looking a bit second hand from the various knocks and scratches inherent in thrashing though the bush, but they always had big grins on their faces, even though the Mini was ususally in the second half of the field.
Club level rallying is alive and well and more than suitable to a Mini, depending on the attitude of the driver. By this I mean that if you go out there expecting to be on the podium in your Mini against cheque book special Datsuns with mega power and experienced campaigners, you're up for some disappointment.
If, however, you want to go out there and have fun, enjoy driving your car closer to the edge than is normally acceptable on the roads and accept the navigational challenge of finding the right road out of all the wrong ones, then get out there and have a go.
Sadly, the Nanny State brought about by legal parasitism and adherence to "blame and claim" credos has decreed that the equipment required has become a bit prohibitive. For all rallying above "Introductory" level cars must be fitted with rollover protection and all the rest of the associated re-inforcing and equipment.
Introductory rallies are intended, however, for Club Members to be able to get out and have a go in their street cars with minimal equipment requirements. It's these types of rally that are made in heaven for the average person to have a go in a Mini.
To establish my credentials in saying all this, I have been a participant in the various fields of Club rallying over thirty odd years, mainly in running controls or the occasional sweep car. In more recent times I've competed in a couple of re-runs of the great Round Australia Trials of the 1950's (Navigated to 3rd place in one and drove to 12th place in the second). I've also serviced for a couple of different Teams at such rallies as the Olde BP Rally and the Red Centre to Gold Coast Rally.
And I've competed in several Club Level (and/or introductory level) rallies in my Citroen DS. OK, I never looked like winning, but I and my Navigator had a heap of fun.
In 2010 a Mate and I entered not one but two rallies in his 1964 Cooper S (Known as Runt to those who know the car). Sadly, each time the rally was called off due to weather concerns, the first one because it was too hot, and the second because the forest was flooded! Incidentally, Mister White Keys of this forum was also planning to run in his 1964 Van, hence the plethora of lights on the front of it at the Grand Day Out (and my Terratrip on the dashboard!)
2011 will see us try again, so keep an eye out and if you can control the weather I'd welcome your intervention!
So while the Mini is probably no longer competitive in any kind of rally against the large range of cheap, well performing and disposable cars around today, that shouldn't stop you getting out and having fun in your car.
To sum up, if your idea of competing is to win at all costs then forget about using a Mini these days. You'll never see a podium close up and your funds will run out quicker than your enthusiasm.
If, however, you want to just take part and have a heap of fun in a sport that is always unpredictable and entertaining, then get out there and drive your Mini as God and Sir Alec never intended!
Cheers, Pottsy
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