Welcome to FrankenMini Racing

The following is a blog by Paul Monaghan aka paulmon to highlight work in preparing a 1967 tube frame Mini Countryman (aka Estate) for SOLO2 competition in Ontario, Canada. Look here for more information on the car, you can check out my upcoming event list and don't forget the Photo Gallery. For additional information contact me.

Not much to report, as you can see by the picture to the right the window nets are in. They look really good. Make the car look that much closer to finished. Work has started on the air box. Here is a picture:

The idea with this is to cover the carb, and off of this run a 3" hose down to the headlight opening. The headlight would be removed and a cone filter installed. Should lock real bad ass! One of the K&N X-Stream cone intakes would work perfectly.

These filters have a built in velocity stack. Judging by the picture this should line up real nice with the opening where the headlight goes.

You'll notice at the top of the main page that I'm looking for a Mazda 13B rotary engine. This is an idea for 2008, swap the Ford 2.3 engine for a bridge ported Mazda 13B. Save 200lbs, have a smaller more manageable engine, and have ~225+ HP. Cost of getting the 13B to that power level is far less than the Ford 2300. Without forced induction the Ford engine would be hard pressed to get to those sort of levels. Plus I've always been a sucker for the Wankel. So I'd like to get my hands on a block, do some measuring and see just how possible it will be to get the 13B into the engine bay. Height isn't the concern, it's more width as the 13B is wider than the Ford 2300. So if you've got one, doesn't matter the condition, I'd like to possibly borrow if not buy the engine from you. Need not be working. Here is a comparison of the two engine sizes:

More this weekend...

Well I've ordered a few things in the last few days to move this along. First, I'm buying an MSD 6AL ignition to replace the no-name generic box in the car. Not for performance as much as for a rev limiter. I'd hate to bend a valve or worse so this serves as a little insurance. Picked up used on the CASC Message Forums. Also ordered a set of harnesses (driver and passenger) from SOLORACER.COM, when ordering from the US it's always nice to find a company willing to ship USPS, saves us Canadians a fortune in brokerage fees over those brown guys. Getting a set of G-Force 5-Point Camlock pull-up harnesses in red, I figured the inside of the car needed some colour. The Gauges are in the mail too, again USPS, got to love it. Oh, and the window nets arrived.

I've also been looking at a few things lately. First, data acquisition, I'm not looking for anything terribly fancy, just something that can give me track maps, g forces, speed, and a few other things. I don't need suspension travel sensors, steering position sensors, or throttle position sensors. I've looked at a bunch of system, some of the units include:

• MaxQData MQGPS: at $299+cost of a Windows Mobile PDA it is the cheapest of the bunch. However EVERYTHING it does is GPS based, no accelerometers and the need for the PDA is a little bit of a pain. I'd prefer something that can record to flash and then analyze later.
• RacePak GX2: Far more pricey at $950, but also far more functionality. The basic kits gives you GPS for speed and track mapping with lap and segment times, RPM, lateral G-Forces, as well it comes with very advanced software for analysis. Problem is it isn't exactly that easy to move from one car to the next. However, I can add sensors for a whole host of things down the road if I wanted to.
• TraqMate: $700 without a display, $999 with the display. Easier to move from one car to another than the RacePak GX2, sits somewhere between the GX2 and the MaxQData. No extra inputs and obviously that screen makes it expensive and it isn't exactly a fancy screen like the GX2. Had this been $700 screen included I think it would be the winner
• DynoStar GPS/Nology G-Dyno Plus w/GPS: Same product from the looks at the pictures. Analog inputs, GPS, accelerometer, no screen. At $514, it's pretty good price. However it looks like it was made from one of those 1000in1 electronics kits you would get from Radio Shack as a kid.
• Race Technology DL-1:Similar to the RacePak GX2 and at $950 for a starter system similar price, kicker is that at that price you don't get the screen which is an additional $675 or $965.

All in all each of these systems have their place. I think the RacePak GX2 is the best bang for the buck if you want all the bells and whistles. However being that I've got caviar tastes but I'm more on a beer budget I'll most likely settle on the MaxQData unit, unless I suddenly come into money. Assuming money wasn't an issue I would still go for the GX2. Seems to have the most polish even if moving it from one car to another isn't as easy as some.

Yes, I've got to beg for money as terrible as it sounds it comes with racing. Actually in this particular case it was a friend whom suggested I add a "PayPal Sponsor" link on the main page, I've had family suggest something similar. So I added the link:

By clicking the "PayPal Donate" link you'll be sent to PayPal where you can send me a little cash. I've also created a sponsors page where any personal sponsors can be listed. There is space for your name, amount (if you want it posted) as well as message from you. At the end of the day if you think my project is cool and want to show your support why not shoot me a few bucks?

I'm also thinking of adding a white box to the back of the car where people can sign their name. Like the image to the right. Seems a nice touch and a bit better than just having a mention on the website.

Bought the gauges off eBay. Set of Longacre Oil Pressure, Water Temp, Oil Temp with lights. Still waiting to hear from the seller. I think I saved around $30 getting them off eBay. That's the only thing holding up starting the engine.