[W126 Coupe] strike one up for SEC - Mini's

[jflyer2 at aim.com]

Back in the mid 70's I used to autocross a '71 Toyota Corolla that was race prepared but street legal. (Put?on a quickly detachable Monza?muffler and street tires.) The car had 10.5:1 pistons, sodium filled valves, titanium lifter springs, cam, Offenhauser split intake manifold, headers and Chevy carb as well as Mulholland racing suspension with Koni shocks and an imported?5 speed gear cluster. (At the time only 4 speeds were sold in the US). I was able to consistantly run it up to 8,500 rpm with no ill effects. 

I used it to win the class in the regional SCCA championship several years in a row and placed as high as 4th in the divisional runoffs. My biggest competition came from a race prepared Ford Capri V-6 that wasn't streetable. Both of us ran race rubber, but I was?always able to beat him. (The Corolla was lighter, better balanced in the corners and quicker reving.)

Jay

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike R. <mramay at att.biz>
To: Mercedes Coupes Mailing Lists <mbcoupes at mbcoupes.com>
Sent: Wed, 19 Mar 2008 9:07 am
Subject: Re: [W126 Coupe] strike one up for SEC - Mini's



My first Mini was an 850cc and had 7" x 10" rims with Goodyear Blue Streak tires.? I did an autocross at an airfield one time with it, the wrong venue for that car, but I ended up 29th overall that day, 1 second in front of a 427 Cobra - the real one, not the Mustang. I still have the results sheet from that one.

?

The second Mini had a built 1275 engine, but not a full race version, with the same rims and tires. That was a fun car!! Yep, stock 4-speed and a 4:11 final drive in it. This was an autocross car so top speed wasn't a concern.?There were two guys in the Newport News/Hampton area of VA that had the full race setups and it was a very rare autocross when one of those two didn't get the Fastest Time of day. Lots of fun!! Found out it would aquaplane at 55mph if there was anything more than a heavy dew on the road!!


Later,
Mike Ramay



----- Original Message ----- 

From: Iain Gunn 

To: Mercedes Coupes Mailing Lists 

Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 7:36 PM

Subject: Re: [W126 Coupe] strike one up for SEC




That's cause your Mini only had?a 4 speed, mine had a 5, racing version from England, racing axles, LSD and red-lined at 8500, block?O ringed cause? I couldn't keep head gaskets in it. Valve springs?had to be changed?about every?3 weeks. Champion plugs wouldn't last 1 day. If I wanted to I could burn a set of fronts off in 1 day. No one could beat me in a burn out contest. I could go on and on, but WTH 130 was not a problem.


----- Original Message ----- 

From: Mike R. 

To: dan at landiss.com ; Mercedes Coupes Mailing Lists 

Sent: Monday, March 17, 2008 11:17 AM

Subject: Re: [W126 Coupe] strike one up for SEC




My Mini story involved a 396 Chevelle with skinny front tires and huge rears. I was on the way to an autocross, so the Mini was tuned up, ready to go, and the Chevelle was RIGHT on my rear bumper going onto the entrance ramp. The entrance ramp was one of those 270 degree sweepers and I had the Chevelle by several hundred feet when I entered the freeway. Then all I could do was run up to redline in fourth gear and wait for him. I was doing about 95mph and I figure he was well over 130 when he blew past!! He picked on an autocross Mini at the entrance to a corner and got a demonstration of cornering. Once we got onto a straight road, that 396 took over and the Mini was toast. It sure was fun though!!


Later,
Mike Ramay


?





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