A mad, bad Mini project

[HardtopManual]

What's actually left to do? Obviously it's quite a while since I watched the last video, but I recall it was painted and being taken to shows?

[TriumphStag3.0V8]

HardtopManual said:

What's actually left to do? Obviously it's quite a while since I watched the last video, but I recall it was painted and being taken to shows?

basically make it work/be useable.

[robemcdonald]

They didn’t like the instruments, so are making their own from scratch. Going as far as to 3D printing circuit boards.

[Lefty]

What’s slightly dodgy about the whole thing is that they switched to monthly Patreon payments from payments per video not long before the frequency went ELF.

[Fatboy]

It's a real shame, as I've not found anyone else doing such interesting fabrication videos, does everyone think there will be a.ln episode this month as promised, or another excuse?

I do wonder if Nik has be n unwell, as it's only Richard who seems to be in the videos...

[Lefty]

If you’re looking for something similar there’s a young Canadian fella building A triumph gt6 virtually from scratch with an LS, independent suspension. Very Binky like. Him and his dad doing stuff on a budget in a single garage.

https://youtu.be/atjFM-uddq8?si=qlB3Laqv7aZrxEw3

[robemcdonald]

Lefty said:

If you’re looking for something similar there’s a young Canadian fella building A triumph gt6 virtually from scratch with an LS, independent suspension. Very Binky like. Him and his dad doing stuff on a budget in a single garage.

https://youtu.be/atjFM-uddq8?si=qlB3Laqv7aZrxEw3

I’ve been watching that. It’s pretty good. I do wonder how much it will weigh in the end (much like Binky to be fair)

There are quite a few similar projects out there to enjoy.

There a guy and his dad rebuilding an old GTM in a barn
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMbI-w6pqoP3cqI...


Some Americans making a aluminium bodied GT40 out of a Porsche boxster.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSpO5JBw2BRsOj4...

Two guys building a Mercedes gull wing and camper vans
https://youtu.be/1ousRlTKyUc?si=CArjqGWPwOaU1e80


But of course the very, very best one is watched by a select few.
Pistonheads own GTRClives dragon prototype.
https://youtu.be/1p2h7_9Lq7U?si=Udg6aJaquNKBQF2V

[stormy petrol]

robemcdonald said:

They didn’t like the instruments, so are making their own from scratch. Going as far as to 3D printing circuit boards.

I'm certain that they began doing the Arduino for the instruments in April 2022. Time flies, huh?

[Megaflow]

robemcdonald said:

They didn’t like the instruments, so are making their own from scratch. Going as far as to 3D printing circuit boards.

When they first announced that I had serious concerns about the durability of the boards when subjected to vibration in a car, seems that is not a worry as it doesn’t look like there is any danger of it ever being finished.

[robemcdonald]

Megaflow said:

robemcdonald said:

They didn’t like the instruments, so are making their own from scratch. Going as far as to 3D printing circuit boards.

When they first announced that I had serious concerns about the durability of the boards when subjected to vibration in a car, seems that is not a worry as it doesn’t look like there is any danger of it ever being finished.

That’s the cause of the delay. They’ve been taking the finished instruments on a global testing regime. They did the cold weather testing in Lapland last December and are looking forwards to the summer testing in Dubai next month. They did it last year in Mexico, but the testing was inconclusive, so needed repeating.
The test engineers include wives and children of course.

[smn159]

robemcdonald said:

I’ve been watching that. It’s pretty good. I do wonder how much it will weigh in the end (much like Binky to be fair)

There are quite a few similar projects out there to enjoy.

There a guy and his dad rebuilding an old GTM in a barn
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMbI-w6pqoP3cqI...


Some Americans making a aluminium bodied GT40 out of a Porsche boxster.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSpO5JBw2BRsOj4...

Two guys building a Mercedes gull wing and camper vans
https://youtu.be/1ousRlTKyUc?si=CArjqGWPwOaU1e80


But of course the very, very best one is watched by a select few.
Pistonheads own GTRClives dragon prototype.
https://youtu.be/1p2h7_9Lq7U?si=Udg6aJaquNKBQF2V

Thanks for these - bookmarked a few!

[Megaflow]

robemcdonald said:

Megaflow said:

robemcdonald said:

They didn’t like the instruments, so are making their own from scratch. Going as far as to 3D printing circuit boards.

When they first announced that I had serious concerns about the durability of the boards when subjected to vibration in a car, seems that is not a worry as it doesn’t look like there is any danger of it ever being finished.

That’s the cause of the delay. They’ve been taking the finished instruments on a global testing regime. They did the cold weather testing in Lapland last December and are looking forwards to the summer testing in Dubai next month. They did it last year in Mexico, but the testing was inconclusive, so needed repeating.
The test engineers include wives and children of course.

Got to be doing something with all that Pateron money!

[robemcdonald]

smn159 said:

robemcdonald said:

I’ve been watching that. It’s pretty good. I do wonder how much it will weigh in the end (much like Binky to be fair)

There are quite a few similar projects out there to enjoy.

There a guy and his dad rebuilding an old GTM in a barn
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMbI-w6pqoP3cqI...


Some Americans making a aluminium bodied GT40 out of a Porsche boxster.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSpO5JBw2BRsOj4...

Two guys building a Mercedes gull wing and camper vans
https://youtu.be/1ousRlTKyUc?si=CArjqGWPwOaU1e80


But of course the very, very best one is watched by a select few.
Pistonheads own GTRClives dragon prototype.
https://youtu.be/1p2h7_9Lq7U?si=Udg6aJaquNKBQF2V

Thanks for these - bookmarked a few!

No worries make sure that dragon prototypes is one of them.

[stormy petrol]

rjbcar27 said:

We were probably drunk.

I really can't remember how it all started but that's normally a good guess for projects like this.

After conceiving of the idea, my mate Nik was told by numerous people that 'It can't be done.' And that's the worst thing you can say to him - it only hardened his resolve. So before embarking on the project, we decided that it's so insane, we should film it. So we have.

We're taking the full engine, gearbox and running gear from a ST185 Toyota Celica GT4 and transplanting it into the Mini. There are obviously one or two little problems to overcome, but that'll be part of the fun.

There will be a few surprises on the engine side a bit later on, but for now we're concentrating on getting the Mini to a state where the transplant can start.

I have no idea how frequent the updates will be, we both work full time and it's a weekend thing only so it may take some time, but we're hoping to produce one of the fastest Mini's on the planet.

If you fancy taking a look at our progress, have a butchers at this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hCPODjJO7s

Monday 19th August, 2013....

Perhaps the numerous people were right after all

[leglessAlex]

stormy petrol said:

Monday 19th August, 2013....

Perhaps the numerous people were right after all

I guess the frustration is that actually Nik was right, it could be done, and a lot of it by them.

It just can’t be finished by them. It’s sad, really.

Although I guess in the scheme of projects, a few years off is something that loads of people do. They (normal people who’s projects have stalled) just don’t often make promises to the internet so publicly, or take money supposedly in ‘support’ of a project that isn’t happening.

[Smitters]

80% completion takes 20% of the total time. The remaining 20%, about 80% of the total time. I have found this to be a depressingly true truism.

[skwdenyer]

Smitters said:

80% completion takes 20% of the total time. The remaining 20%, about 80% of the total time. I have found this to be a depressingly true truism.

My preferred truism, that also seems to work in my experience, is that the first 80% of the work takes the first 80% of the time and money; the second 80% of the work takes the second 80% of the time and money