Mini to Le Mans

[tarkatom]

I'm doing the pilgramage to Le Mans in my E reg 998. Its my project car at university where i'm studying Motorsport Technology. the engine and box have been stripped and re-conditioned, and a few miner mods are on the cards. There's also the six point cage, fully adjustable front and rear suspention, with hi-lows and straight through exhaust. I know 'boy racer'! The mini should be a hoot on the smooth french roads!
Just wondered if anyone has previously attempted the trip or was planning to? would be good to see other minis at this years event.

[miniandy]

I was seriously considering it, as I need to get back in to the spirit of all things Mini, but I have a feeling it will be a long and tiring drive...

[fwdracer]

I drove my Min (Albeit a tuned and noisy 1.3) to Spa. Pure Pilgrimage.

JFDI...! Take some pics and remind yourself why you are/were nuts in a few years time!

[eccles]

i went to lemans in 1991 with the mini marcos club for the 25th anniversary of a mini marcos being the only british car to finish. there were quite a few mini marcos, i was in my jem, there were a couple of scamps, and a couple of minis (one a full on stage rally car!). we had a right hoot, you should go for it, it'll be a right laugh.

[love machine]

Yeah, I'm toying with taking my stripped out and noisy 66 along. It would be a punishing, hot, deafening ride. If you see it, you will know!

[rougeleo]

Going to Le Mans again this year ( not in a mini though ), missed last year but went the previous two , saw several minis including Mk1 Cooper S, 1275 GTs and several Rover Coopers and RSPs ,so yes plenty of minis do make the journey and that was just one of the camp sites and in town .

Would like to do it in a mini one day , but maybe a marcos would be better and take part in the pre race historics

www.minimarcos.org.uk/sport/lm66bd/index.html

[ccharlie6]

oh mate going in a mini is the best! took my mini (see profile) to the 04 running and had a great time. the guys in our convoy got a bit annoyed with us though as we kept up all the time (they were in morgans, caterhams and cobra reps etc) it never broke down and when other people's cars broke down we had to take on extra passengers ended up with four people and all their camping gear. Best of all was going to arnage on the friday before the race where everyone does silly things and taking the mini after having dinner and getting a massive cheer after a few rev's (thank you maniflow )

Oh p.s. seriously think of taking ear plugs if you get annoyed with the sound of exhaust and induction (i was running single box maniflow and a K&N cone filter with no sound deadening) as we never really dropped out of 4th and a lot of rpm



>> Edited by ccharlie6 on Sunday 5th February 14:51

[tarkatom]

I'll order those ear plugs straight away!! mine too has no sound deadening, and with the LCB and straight-through, not to mention engine and road noise, i belive that could be very good advise.
I was planning to make a tour of the circuit on 'mad friday', houx roundabout, maison blanche and arnarge are all going to get a visit from my mini. Which wil be sporting a couple of piston heads stickers, so keep an eye out. Lukly the rest of my group are going by coach, so tents etc will be hitching a lift with them.
A second fuel tank is also on order, seems like a good idea.
Oh and thinking of putting my 6x9 speakers and sub in the boot, park up at arnage and play some tunes for the masses, any requests?
Thanks to all who replyied and keep em coming, would be good to get a mini convoy going on the friday!

[ibosco]

That sounds like a good plan, theres been countless times when my music has broken the manotany of motorway road noise whilst driving in my min. Id leave your sub at home though, less weight and all that! he he.

[radical chris]

Hey there, just pick this one up. Been to LM 9 times in the last 10 years and have already booked for this year.
We have a Mini and you do need ear plugs (not just for LM) Its converted for track days. Keeping to the Mini theme it still retains the five port A+ engine but.... Modified a little, the shell is empty all bar a couple of seats, roll cage, plastic windows, no heater, no ICE, no roof lining, no carpet, no, no, no. Engine is 1380, nice head and cam, straight cut box and ho by the way its running a Weber 45 DCOE and at 4500 RPM in top the noise reverberates inside the old tin box that after about 10 miles you just got to stop and get out! The suspension is modified so that track days are an absolute hoot. At 107 bhp its not the most powerful thing but drive ability and power to weight ratio its great. The added bonus its street legal, taxed, MOT'd and insured for next to nothing. From just a few yards of it just looks ordinary so it would be great to take it to LM one year.
Other track day cars, Radical Club Sport and 308 GT4
To everyone - enjoy LeMans 2006
Chris

[Wildfire]

I just put some 6 x 9 under the rear seat, a sub in the boot and a pair of 13cm in the front of my brother's mini. Sounds very good. Not Le Mans but I used to do Carlisle to Surrey and back in a weekend in my 998 mini. No Sound deadening at all, Forza Buckets, Harnesses, soild mounts all round, poly bushes, Straight through exhaust and a 3:76:1 Diff = 70 mph at around 4500rpm. It was very lound!!

[tarkatom]

wow, thats sounds like my kinda mini!!
I can't wait to get mine finished and out there terrorising the track and the french roads.
If you are at le mans let me know, maybe we could convoy round, you know, pose and stuff!
I think i might by industrial ear defenders for the trip.
Again if anyone is taking a mini let me know, i'm on the Dover-Dunquirk ferry at 4am-ish on the wensday morning, so if u see me be sure to say hi!!
Keep em coming,

[edwalklate]

i took my cooper sport down to le mans 2005, holding up the convoy like you wouldnt believe!! Only one word of advice from personal experience, keep an eye on the oil in the gearbox, running at around 80mph for more than six hours straight(bar fuel stops) plays havoc on the box. I think that may just have been the most expensive holiday i ever had!! and lost my car for around 6 weeks while the engine was stripped down, and parts from rover nowadays take a long long long time to arrive!!

[ccharlie6]

wow that can't be right! shame you had to strip down the engine, after 8hours down to LM mine didnt use any oil very little water and just needed fuel and that was at constant 70 - 85+ was the most reliable car in our group by far .

[tarkatom]

Just a quick update on the situation. The rear of the car is complete, new radius arms, hi-lows, camber brakets, brakes and dampers. The fuel tanks back in and the boot lid is fitted.
Exciting news, i will no longer be going in a 1 litre as i have just purchased a 1275!!
Complete engine/box with carb and all the extras, very reasonable price too.
The front suspension is on, fully adjustable, of course. Brakes are next and driveshafts too.
Hope to have the rotten footwells replaced soon so the roll cage can go in as well as the Cobra seat.
Despite what a lot of my fellow classmate think, i know it will be ready in time, and i for one can't wait!

[edwalklate]

The oil just overheated really quickly, i have a sump guard which i will take off if i do it again due to the restricted air flow, and the lack of the need for one on french motorways!! I dropped a bearing on the layshaft which pretty much took the rest of the box with it!! would thicker oil work? it would be rough when cold but would it last better? i could heat it more before it thinned too much?