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Post by volvo544special65 on Jan 8, 2018 8:28:15 GMT -5
I'll be building this one for the yearly Cannonball buildoff on the MCM forum, but why not show it here too?  Proof that it is an unbuilt kit....though a mess in the box with lots of other stuff that may be usable....  Since Tamiya was clever enough to cast the floor with all the reinforcements and such, I'll skip the floor mats that are just unnecessary weight.... I painted it the shade of cream I will give the body later.... I read somewhere that cream is the most discrete color for a car, that you have the highest risk of getting pulled over in a red car, the lowest risk in a cream one, so cream it is!  Back seat is very unnecessary too.... |
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Post by jbwelda on Jan 8, 2018 23:38:35 GMT -5
Kool, very similar to the one I am doing. Will be great to see a different version. I am not sure what Cannonball is, but I will be finding out!
jb
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Post by volvo544special65 on Jan 9, 2018 6:13:32 GMT -5
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Post by volvo544special65 on Jan 9, 2018 11:50:11 GMT -5
 Since it was not very popular that I used a curbside model, I changed my entry to this Mini instead... |
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Post by jbwelda on Jan 9, 2018 12:36:56 GMT -5
A curbside model was not very popular? That's kind of silly...that Tamiya model probably has way more accurate molded in undercarriage detail (not to mention overall accurate detail level) than any AMT "full detail" model ever dreamed of having. Foolishness. But that Cooper is just as nice as the Volvo, and as it has an engine maybe the motor snobs will be more receptive. BUT...beware: its a four cylinder, not a "HEMI" so expect some less than complimentary remarks on THAT, now!
Anyway best on the build, I have built a few of those mini's including a Broadspeed conversion, and they go together nice and look sharp when done.
jb
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Post by volvo544special65 on Jan 9, 2018 14:18:46 GMT -5
Well, the problem is that the rules this year said "inline engines only", I thought that since the 850 only was available with the inline 5 cylinder that one would be OK, but some people had the meaning that the model had to feature an inline engine according to the rules. I was allowed to continue with the 850 if I wanted to, but I felt it had bit of a sour taste so I could as well start on a Mini instead.
I think it's pretty sad that the 850 is curbside though, there is Volvo T5 engines installed in about everything in Sweden so it would make for some pretty interesting builds....but on the other hand they are too rare to become donor kits today.
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Post by jbwelda on Jan 9, 2018 16:02:21 GMT -5
yeah sometimes I wish so called "curbside" kits were full detail too, but then I realize that's just more work to get one done, and sometimes simplicity is best. but that's why I like Tamiya kits: they are (generally speaking) pretty simple but the level of detail you can get out of that simplicity is astounding. Not that many of those guys over at MCM ever look underneath at the chassis or anything, or go out of their way to make the undercarriage appealing, so I suppose that level of (almost hidden) detail doesn't matter much to some of them.
Anyway good luck and have fun with your build, maybe I will look over there and follow the reception for your build. I know I will like seeing another trad (not BMW) mini cooper going together.
jb
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Post by dogfish7 on Jan 9, 2018 16:03:20 GMT -5
Looks like a fun build. I'll follow along.
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Post by deuce on Jan 11, 2018 17:44:57 GMT -5
What? Not British Racing Green? Isn't that blasphemous?  |
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Post by Mr.409 on Jan 12, 2018 10:45:03 GMT -5
Interesting to see what you do with the Mini! At least your power to weight ratio should be pretty good if you're going to hop up the engine a bit. The Volvo would have been interesting build as well, but on the other hand I kind of understand why some people didn't like a curbside kit. And yes, the T5 and T6 engines would be cool. Friend has a 600 hp T6 in his Volvo 240 sleeper. That is a fun car, 5 speed stick and spins tires on every gear! We'll see in the Cannonball starting line though. I'll be there in a '62 Bel Air with supercharged Chevy Stovebolt. |
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Post by volvo544special65 on Jan 12, 2018 11:03:04 GMT -5
What? Not British Racing Green? Isn't that blasphemous? The first pictures are of an Volvo 850, but I decided to change my entry in the buildoff after some controversy.  Honda A-series engine (80s Prelude) and a bit of imagineering with the Mini gearbox in sump arrangement. An oddball of an engine but seems like it can cope well with boost up to at least around 250 hp. That's enough in a Mini.  Painted it green as a homage to the classic BMC A-series though.  The stock front subframe and engine bay didn't fit very well to the new engine so I decided to build everything new from the firewall and forward. |
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Post by volvo544special65 on Jan 13, 2018 5:54:11 GMT -5
 I felt like I wanted to upgrade the front suspension to a more conventional type so I started building some struts for it. It's a combination of Honda and Porsche parts. Porsche control arm and lower part of the strut, Honda brakes and upper part of the strut.  I wanted something bigger than 10" wheels but finding something still tiny enough to fit a Mini was hard. Finally I found the solution, wheels from the Fujimi VW Golf mk1 was filed down a bit and the tyres from the Mini kit stretched over.  Seems like it will work.  I felt like I could as well build a flipnose if I was going to build a completely new front end anyway. |
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Post by volvo544special65 on Jan 14, 2018 7:55:19 GMT -5
 I had to do some cutting of the floorpan since the limited space under the hood requires remote mounted radiator and turbo. Though since I am planning a conversion to coilovers in the rear and doesn't need the weird rubber spring elements the Mini are using, this will probably be OK. I am thinking about having a beam between the rear shock mounts to beef things up instead. Also I painted the floorpan a rear sleeper color that the body will get later - brown with satin clearcoat.  Though I wanted the engine bay and frame rails to be black, so black it is. Don't ask me why, I just wanted it this way...... |
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Post by fordrodnkustom on Jan 14, 2018 17:29:01 GMT -5
Coming along well! Good solution on the engine dilemma, looks like it will work and glad you stayed with the build.
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Post by jbwelda on Jan 14, 2018 19:18:04 GMT -5
That's great and very imaginative. I have built a handful of these Minis, and I was going to say the engine compartment is so stuffed with the stock engine in there, there is hardly even room to wire the ignition! So what you are doing is definitely going to be necessary. I like the way you are going about it with the tilt hood although in actual practice I think that would render the car so floppy that it would not be able to drive far. But this is a model! A philosophy I totally agree with! On the subject of wheels and tires, there are some great Abarth style mag wheels in one or the other of the Tamiya or Gunze Fiat 850s and they are perfect for a mini: a bit taller and a bit wider. Keep up the good work, I will be following it. Oh I found some pics of wheels and tires, don't mean to hijack your thread, but maybe wheels on one of these would look good on your Mini:  and then there is always the classic Minilite:  jb |
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