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PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 8:30 am 
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Joined: Fri Aug 06, 2004 5:47 pm
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Location: Victoria
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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PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 3:37 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jun 30, 2010 8:43 pm
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Location: Melbourne
well ive recently started Autocrossing our moke. Im 16 and am enjoying it heaps, a couple of weeks ago we went down to Maffra for an autocross in one of there club days. There were 16 other juniors in my class (under 1600cc 2 wheel drive), Most of the other juniors are out there every third weekend autocrossing or hillclimbing. I went out there in our 1275 moke with a pair of 30 year old wintertreads that were knackered and cleaned up my class by over 2 seconds. On a track id never run at before. The kid that was 2nd in class had never lost before and got real upset that a kid in a so called. shitty moke (well thats what he called it) beat him. Dad also drove the moke very competitivly and also finished well. all im saying is that minis and mokes are still competitive in the dirt.


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PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 7:56 pm 
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Joined: Fri Dec 10, 2004 8:21 pm
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Location: moe, victoria
Pottsy wrote:
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.

Cheers, Pottsy


That could be the guy I know, his wife does the navigating. 8)

Carter, did you do the Maffra hillclimb or was it an autocross somewhere else?
I do love their hillclimb, twisty and dirt :D and some interesting cars, have a look on youtube, here's a 500hp supercharged Fairlane
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihGO5Gc0 ... re=related


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PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 8:05 pm 
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Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2005 3:10 pm
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Location: Brisbane, West Siiede
Thanks for all the thoughts guys

I am not going to rally a mini - no time to even think of it i thought it was interesting though that fewer people have made their mini look like a rally special

This is what im thinking at the moment , the possibility of a repllica rally mini :P

Pics of rally minis is what got me into the little beasts in the first place


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PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 8:44 pm 
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Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:58 pm
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Location: Eltham, Victoria
Exhibit A

Image

This is my car mentioned in Pottsy's post. Was entered in 2 introductory rallies, sadly cancelled. Hopefully will get it out there soon, has a terratrip on the dash and all.

That pic is at Avalon Autocross, I know of many a mini driver that will never say no to an unsealed road no matter how close to a goat track it is. These cars are just as much fun (sometimes more) on an unsealed road as a sealed one, plus its much more satisfying to come back from a drive or an event with a healthy layer of mud covering everything!

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"He who has the most toys, Wins"

1963 Austin Countryman Woody
1964 Morris 850 Van
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1975 Range Rover 2 Door
2004 Subaru Forester XT
2015 Potts Teardrop Camper
RIP 1990 Citroen BX 16Valve


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PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:42 pm 
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I've just suddenly wondered if there was a spelling mistake in the subject and the question was supposed to have a more existential feel...

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PostPosted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 9:30 am 
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existential .. Nice

:P


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PostPosted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 4:04 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jun 30, 2010 8:43 pm
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Location: Melbourne
yea moe moke it was there hillclimb track. it is awsome, nice and tight just how i like them :wink:


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