(not) A classic Mini

Paul & Phil, members of NEMO (New England Mini Owners) have been hard at work converting a classic Mini into something completely different! From the front, you might think it is a Mini panel van with body kit … But wait till you look in the back:

Mechanical:
427 hp 350 ci Chevy tied to tubular steel chassis and roll cage;
Porsche G5050 5 speed transaxle, inverted and converted to side shift (same as the new Ford GT40);
Fiero coil over performance struts and disc brakes in the rear; Metro 8.4″ 4-pot calipers in the front;
Custom 13″ Minilites up front, 15″ 5-bolt Minilites on the rear with street-legal drag slicks;
Custom 10 gallon fuel cell up front behind Saab radiator and Vintage Air condenser;
Master brake and clutch cylinders relocated and pedals cut/reshaped fro improved accessibly.

Body:
Bumper moved back to the body and welded to the body;
All steel ground effects with air dam to improve cooling;
Headlights frenched; LED parking lights frenched; LED tail lights frenched;
All body lap seams cut, butt welded and smoothed;
Roof gutter removed and reshaped over the doors;
Hood corners rounded and hood hinged from the front with remote power opener;
Wiper holes filled; One wiper relocated to over the window;
Exterior door hinges removed and converted to suicide (front opening);
Sliding glass windows removed; Power windows and power door latches installed;
2″ x 4″ frame rails from front wheel wells to rear suspension;
Scratch built all steel dash to cover Vintage Air heating and air conditioning unit, including Dakota Digital instrumentation, center console, A/C vents, misc switches and lights;
Scratch built firewall with window, insulated for sound – lower half removable for access to front of motor;
Fiero seats, cut down 6″ and re upholstered;
Tilt steering column with 13″ X-Force steering wheel, matching shift knob and emergency brake handle;
Custom steel rocker panels/ground effects and wheel arches;
Side scoop to bring cold air into engine compartment;
Rolled rear pan with screened vents;
Wheelie bars;
Rear doors modified to internal hinges, “Suburban” style windows, power opener, license plate cutout;
DuPont Hot Hues 3 stage pearl paint.

Wow! This machine is going to be stunning when finished (Paul says I still have to wire it, plumb it, install the brake lines, and build an exhaust system)

Better than a new MINI?