1979 Austin Mini Saloon
- Engine
- 1.43L inline-four
A purpose-built fast-road Mini constructed over approximately three years on a bare 1996 shell, finished in Tartan Red with a black roof. The car carries a heavily modified 1,430cc fuel-injected engine featuring an Arden 8-port race cylinder head, Jenvey throttle bodies, forged internals, and a billet crankshaft, producing a verified 144bhp at the wheels. A full roll cage, competition seats, and harnesses make it suitable for track use.
Ownership
- 2023-02-24Auction saleSold £21,000 (≈ $26K)
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- —Restoration
Complete build from a bare 1996 Mini shell, carried out over approximately three years with competition use as the primary goal. Work encompassed full mechanical preparation, roll cage fitting, interior safety equipment, and exterior refinishing.
The completed car was dyno-tested, returning 144bhp at the wheels at 7,000rpm.
- —Engine rebuild
Assembly of a 1,430cc fuel-injected straight-four with an Arden 8-port race-specification cylinder head, Jenvey throttle bodies, Omega short-height forged pistons, matched steel connecting rods, an 86mm billet crankshaft, steel main caps, a cross-drilled MED 2 Piper steel camshaft, lightweight race followers, and steel Vernier timing gears, mated to a full competition four-speed gearbox and driveshafts.
- —Bodywork
Stripped shell refinished in Tartan Red with a black roof cap; wide-arch bodywork fitted along with 10-inch MED Engineering alloy wheels.
- —Modification
Safety Devices full roll cage installed; Cobra Monaco Pro-Competition seats and OMP harnesses fitted; a complete fire suppression system added.
- —Inspection
Dyno run carried out following completion of the build, confirming 144bhp at the wheels at 7,000rpm.
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