Vini – the Powerflex V8 Mini
Discussion
I've long had the idea to pick up a R53 and do a Singer type "re-imagining" on it. In my head the finished product looks a lot like Vini (but without the V8 swap). In reality, it would look like a stripped out track shed at worst, and every other chavved-out Cooper S at a car meet at best. I'm wasting my time even considering it. This has blown anything I could hope to achieve so far out the water!
Amazing. Congratulations. ALL the congratulations. I'm in absolute awe of the result.
Amazing. Congratulations. ALL the congratulations. I'm in absolute awe of the result.
MortyC137 said:
I've long had the idea to pick up a R53 and do a Singer type "re-imagining" on it. In my head the finished product looks a lot like Vini (but without the V8 swap). In reality, it would look like a stripped out track shed at worst, and every other chavved-out Cooper S at a car meet at best. I'm wasting my time even considering it. This has blown anything I could hope to achieve so far out the water!
Amazing. Congratulations. ALL the congratulations. I'm in absolute awe of the result.
For what it's worth - I don't agree with your assessment and I think an Singer-type 're-imaging' of an R53 would be a fantastic thing for you to do. Right now, R53s are going one of a few ways... Amazing. Congratulations. ALL the congratulations. I'm in absolute awe of the result.
1. Just getting older, more unreliable and eventually broken for parts
2. Being kept standard, in the garage, polished and loved and looked after as a future classic
3. Modified for road, with budgets ranging from 'very little' to 'a huge amount'
4. Turned into a track car (which is where mine sits)
Within option 3 though, the majority are pure s
te IMHO. Same old low-budget stick-on crap, Union Flag everything, style-over substance. Very few (understandably) spending good money on high quality parts and work to build something VINI-esc (ignoring the obvious swaps). Clearly, it's financial suicide. But you should do it... so I don't have to
Almost another year of development and testing, with lots of CANbus communication issues with instrumentation and gearbox control. We are very nearly there and have done a few trackdays ironing out gearchange speeds.
The car is simply astonishing. More than anything I could have hoped for.
I was concerned that it would be a one trick pony with the engine dominating and it just being an over engined hot rod.
But its not. the chassis is fantastically capable and not overawed. The one off Bilstein dampers, the chassis layout and geometry have really made the car.
The brakes are predictably stunning and the car remains a beautiful thing to behold
I'll be driving it to the Bicester Scramble on Sunday so please come and have a closer look
The car is simply astonishing. More than anything I could have hoped for.
I was concerned that it would be a one trick pony with the engine dominating and it just being an over engined hot rod.
But its not. the chassis is fantastically capable and not overawed. The one off Bilstein dampers, the chassis layout and geometry have really made the car.
The brakes are predictably stunning and the car remains a beautiful thing to behold
I'll be driving it to the Bicester Scramble on Sunday so please come and have a closer look
96eight said:
Almost another year of development and testing, with lots of CANbus communication issues with instrumentation and gearbox control. We are very nearly there and have done a few trackdays ironing out gearchange speeds.
The car is simply astonishing. More than anything I could have hoped for.
I was concerned that it would be a one trick pony with the engine dominating and it just being an over engined hot rod.
But its not. the chassis is fantastically capable and not overawed. The one off Bilstein dampers, the chassis layout and geometry have really made the car.
The brakes are predictably stunning and the car remains a beautiful thing to behold
I'll be driving it to the Bicester Scramble on Sunday so please come and have a closer look
I am going to the Scramble on Sunday, I will make sure to find it!The car is simply astonishing. More than anything I could have hoped for.
I was concerned that it would be a one trick pony with the engine dominating and it just being an over engined hot rod.
But its not. the chassis is fantastically capable and not overawed. The one off Bilstein dampers, the chassis layout and geometry have really made the car.
The brakes are predictably stunning and the car remains a beautiful thing to behold
I'll be driving it to the Bicester Scramble on Sunday so please come and have a closer look
Thank you for the kind comments.
It has been a journey, as they say.
We decided to keep the engine stock. They are bullet proof with certain internal mods.
Plainly turbos were out of the question, and with the best will in the world, turbo track cars are simply not as nice as a massively responsive and revvy V8. I think the rev limit is 8000, but it might be more from memory.
Inside it makes a sound to bring tears to the eyes.
With the SYVECS programmable ECU, special exhaust and motorsport cats it is 450bhp plus or minus and messing about with cams and pistons to get another 12bhp seemed a bit pointless.
We aren't aiming for the fastest 0-60 car ever made, or to beat some arbitrary Nurburgring lap time (although, of course it will spend time there).
It is a car to have fun on track, maybe worry a few supercars, take to events and share with enthusiasts who appreciate great engineering
It has been a journey, as they say.
We decided to keep the engine stock. They are bullet proof with certain internal mods.
Plainly turbos were out of the question, and with the best will in the world, turbo track cars are simply not as nice as a massively responsive and revvy V8. I think the rev limit is 8000, but it might be more from memory.
Inside it makes a sound to bring tears to the eyes.
With the SYVECS programmable ECU, special exhaust and motorsport cats it is 450bhp plus or minus and messing about with cams and pistons to get another 12bhp seemed a bit pointless.
We aren't aiming for the fastest 0-60 car ever made, or to beat some arbitrary Nurburgring lap time (although, of course it will spend time there).
It is a car to have fun on track, maybe worry a few supercars, take to events and share with enthusiasts who appreciate great engineering
96eight said:
Almost another year of development and testing, with lots of CANbus communication issues with instrumentation and gearbox control. We are very nearly there and have done a few trackdays ironing out gearchange speeds.
The car is simply astonishing. More than anything I could have hoped for.
I believe we have a mutual friend. He’s just finished a corvair engined buggy, I’ve been giving him the odd bit of encouragement with the efi system on it.The car is simply astonishing. More than anything I could have hoped for.
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