Those in the know would you say a mini is a cheap option of car to do track days and those sorts of things with compared with other cars
some things to consider are being competitive in classes and just fun in general to race
reliabilty as far as race cars go,
compared to the cheaper import cars silvias starlets etc little hondas and compared to old bangers and older classics

Hope i worded that question ok kinda hard to explain just interested in peoples opiniion if you were on a budget to go racing for fun

I'm sure Benoz will be interested in this one

Ummmmm....don't really understand your logic mate. As the smallest car in the pack they do get monstered every now and then....their ability to get out of trouble helps a lot...but when they get clobbered by an EH or something else with real steel bumpers...ouch! More common cars are probably cheaper to fix especially with bolt on guards etc

Don't really know about the cheapness of maintaining their engines...I suppose it depends on whether you go for all out power or enough reliability to last a season (or three)....

They must be cheaper than overhauling say a Holden six with triple webers/stromberg CDs...not to mention a 351!

No racing is cheap, but having said that, Minis are probably one of the cheapest, great fuel consumption even when hotted up and weeny little tyres that are relatively cheap

_________________
"Show me the Mini!"

A HQ Holden is cheap to run and a lot easier to fix compared to a Mini. The big problem comes when you leave track days and start racing. Can you afford to fix the bodywork after each meeting? New tyres every couple of meetings.... It all adds up.

Cheap is being thrown around this forum far too much lately

_________________

Starlet Conversion:
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15484

Where??? people with limited funds made Mini what it is today....

I'll say that again......made Mini what it is today

So whats wrong with talking about trying to fund a cheap form of racing?? in a normally very expensive environment.....

_________________
"Show me the Mini!"

Definitely not cheap.
A mate of mine, Justin, races in Nb and no way is it cheap
He rebuilds every season or so.
And his race car is bloody fine

Cause even if it's CHEAPER it's still not cheap..

I don't care what anyone says..a mini isn't cheap...

Just an example of another thread, BLACKRZ_667 is looking for a CHEAP conversion...

Now I know most mini owner's idea of cheap and it shouldn't belong in the same sentence as conversion and racing

_________________

Starlet Conversion:
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15484

A mini in group N is a hell of a lot more expensive to build and run than a Mini Sports sedan, with a super mini you can increase the capacity, run bigger brakes, lighten the car and run on jsut about any size tyre you can fit. A lot of the guys run or used to run fairly mild large bore engines on standard gearboxes with a CIG welded diff and have a lot of fun, still not what most would call cheap but a hell of a lot less money than group N

_________________
Roundies and Clubbies(except vans) are both ugly that is why I have Midas and a van
1293 Mini Midas Bronze,1275 Clubman van

guys guys guys i seem to have started a it of an argument here well good im sick of not seeing anything in the motorsport racing section of this forum

i know racing isnt cheap perhaps wrong wording what i meant was is it a cheap way into motorsport
not including go karts of course
i think everyone realises that racing cars in any form isnt cheap
lets say cheap in the context of racing

Also i do believe that minis are cheap fun off the track

Supersprints dude.
If you just wanna get out there... supersprint is the way to go!
Only need your 2S cams licence, and appropriate car fitments like bonnet tie down, and you're good to go.
Even a standard seatbelt is fine!

2S CAMS licence available through your Mini Car club... most likely.

I was also looking into buying and racing a "cheap" race car.... I considered a mini, but mini parts are not exactly cheap, and you are kinda limited to 100 or so horsepower with the a-series...

I thought it may have been cheaper to import a 4WD skyline... or maybe a Silvia... or even an old AE86 import with some stupidly huge engine....... as far as parts go, they are very similar in price and much easier to get hold of. There is much more power available, better safely features, less rust.....

HOWEVER, the jap cars ARE 99% electronic.... so there are many more things that can fail. I also believe it is too expensive to import a whole car for racing purposes.

Sure, you can buy a Silvia in Japan for $2000... but everybody forgets - the shipping costs and handling fees will blow that initial cost up to 6 or 7 grand.

In the end they both will cost you about the same after a season of racing.

For some serious racing, there is a Series 6 RX7 (non-registerable) here in Adelaide for $17,000 (they usually cost $40,000 with compliance).... that would be MY choice

My "cheap" choice would be an 80's Toyota Sprinter. Many larger engines can fit, they are fairly lightweight, rear wheel drive, and Toyota parts are very easy to come by.

_________________
[NATHAN] -- Sold everything mini related and am back in big beautiful BMWs

"Those in the know would you say a mini is a cheap option of car to do track days and those sorts of things with compared with other cars"

CRAP

"Minis are probably one of the cheapest, great fuel consumption even when hotted up and weeny little tyres that are relatively cheap"

More CRAP


Group Nb $30k plus and still spending!!!!!

30 k mnnnnnn it outta my price range
but thats for a group car what i would be interested in is hill climbs and just fun track days
TK is it completly finished and if so will you be racing at the historic race day in a few weeks hope there will be a few minis there

Sports sedan/super mini, is there any racing in Qld like this?


Any of this racing in Qld?

_________________
Metal to burn, sparks to fly...

I've gotta agree with TK. After more than 10 years of campaigning a Grp Nb 'S' in circuit racing (Vic, NSW, SA) the costs eventually became so prohibitive that I was down to the 1 or 2 big events a year, before recently giving circuit racing the flick. Now it's only hillclimbs and supersprints (and classic Targa Tas style rallies in a non-mini). It's not so much the maintenance on the vehicle, but all the associated expenditure on entry fees, CAMS licences ($420 a year) and CAMS continual enforced upgrading of safety equipment that hike up the costs. It also doesn't help when driving standards deteriorate to the V8 Supercar level - where panel damage is an expectation rather than the exception.
I miss the cut and thrust of racing, but at least in Targa events I can only blame myself for the cost of panel repairs.

_________________
Curly
'64 Cooper 'S' (Group Nb spec)
'67 Mini Marcos GT www.mm7056.wordpress.com