Hey all,

I am trying to produce a presination for Uni about minis ownage in bathurst all those years ago.

So far i havent managed to pull up much useful info wondered if any mini-lovers would have any idea of sources for me to use.

I am trying to write about any or all of the following

Mini conquered Bathurst
4 cylinders compared to 8
Computer Vs. Driver

if anyone has any information on why minis conquered, or why 4 cyl are better than 8 or why a comp might be better or worse than a driver...it would help me soooo much

cheers,
Lachy

Forget about 4 vs 8 Lachy, dumb in those days

Search 1966 for first 9 across the line (Minis!!!)...John Medleys Bathurst book is a good resource if you can find it in a library Cheers, Mick

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"Show me the Mini!"

When the Minis won at Bathurst the track was considered a small car track. All the previous production car enduros at Bathurst had been won by Ford Cortinas, so it was no shock for the Mini to win in 66.
The problem for the big cars at Bathurst was brakes and tyres. You have to remember that the race was for standard production cars. If a manufacturer made cars with drum brakes that is what they had to run.t was only when Ford came up with a Falcon with a V8 and disc brakes that the 4 cylinder cars were finally beaten.

lol well back then there were no computers in cars... so its probably not relivant to what ur presenting, 4 cylinders are light weight but lack the power to pull off distance runs because they work to hard. a V8 works less and has 10x the power a 4 banger would have but is alot heavier thus needing a big heavy car to support it thus not being a great car to grip the track round corners at high speed which is was gave minis the edge.

the sheer size of the little car gave it the advantage to be squeezed in tight spots behind the big boys and was more then capable to be go full ball down the S bends without having to slow down. but with that they fell down on the main straight (conrod) were by the time the poor mini made it half way the advantage was long gone and the big V8s flew past which plenty of power left in reserve.

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oil leak?..what oil leak..that puddle under the car is just sweat from all that horsepower

The only reason that the mini won in 1966 was because the winning car from 1965 was no longer eligible. The Minis had no opposition.
The boss of the Ford race team drove a Mini in 66 (he won in a Falcon the next year!) because there was nothing else to race that was both eligible and competitive.

Look at the results, the first nine cars were Mini Cooper S.
17 Cooper S' started the race and 8 retired, that only left 9 and they finished 1 to 9. So it shaws that there was no real opposition.

The ol Val brought up 10th though didnt it?

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http://www.youtube.com/user/Hanras

i understand comps werent a thing back then, the idea of that point is probly not well explained sorry.
i meant that i was going to present the differences betweeen driving with and without them. so what chance a non computerise car would have these days against something like cars today.

i ave aslo seen the race results from 66, impressive yes, but hard to write a 6 min oral on :p but it will come in handy. i will search for that book but dont like my chances

cheers all

Completely bereft of brakes...YES!!

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"Show me the Mini!"

FORGET computers prior to the 80s

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"Show me the Mini!"

Must of been like a VC? Shoulda had discs though....

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http://www.youtube.com/user/Hanras

What are you drinking

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"Show me the Mini!"

benefits of a guy without computers? they can be easily modified without the hassle of reprogramming a comp and changing senors and etc.

also if the world was ever take over by aliens and they killed all technology (war of the worlds) cars that run without comps ie carby cars.. would still survive and run.

the computers put the benefit of being able to have a engine or car if u will that could think on its own during certain conditions with a human interfering right away. a ecu in a car runs all sorts of sensors and gets all types of info, thus being able to run the engine off that info. if the engine is playing up it is easy to plug in a computer to the ecu and find out what the trouble is, it brings better emissions and fuel economy aswell as power.

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oil leak?..what oil leak..that puddle under the car is just sweat from all that horsepower

Im eating a red icy pole. Where they 4 wheel drums??

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http://www.youtube.com/user/Hanras

lmao!!

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oil leak?..what oil leak..that puddle under the car is just sweat from all that horsepower

Back then the Studebaker Larks, Dodge Phoenixes and Vals would clear out in front for a few laps, it looked a great race until their drum brakes all went tata.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.