A Twin-Cam Mini Seven Years In The Making

There’s a uncommon second when strolling the halls of a present, {that a} automotive utterly stops you in your tracks and attracts you in for a nearer look. Jayme Hill’s Mini is one such showstopper. Have little doubt – the longer you spend nosing across the finer particulars of this superb construct, the higher it will get.

I spoke to quite a few folks throughout my day at Dubshed final month, and most of those chats had one factor in widespread – a query asking whether or not I’d seen ‘the crimson Mini over within the Logan corridor’.

Having spent years following the construct on-line, I knew it was going to be one thing particular when the Mini lastly emerged in an entire state. Additionally understanding that the construct would entice fixed consideration through the present, I pre-booked an hour with Jayme and his automotive throughout Friday evening’s present set-up so I may shoot this function.

Let’s begin exterior, the place a backdate has remodeled the look of this late-production 2000 Rover Mini into that of a Mk1 from the Sixties. Key to this conversion are the unique automotive’s small hind lights, the iconic early slotted grill and a set of sliding home windows.

Enhancing the clear imaginative and prescient, the aspect repeaters have been shaved from the entrance guards, and the wipers, which now sit in opposition to an Evans Motorsport heated display, are operated by a relocated wiper motor and prolonged cables from a Land Rover Defender to unlock valuable house inside the engine bay. The intricate wing mirrors are from basic Mini racing specialists Swiftune.

Rounding out the outside highlights are {custom} arches that home 13×7.5-inch Drive Racing 3-piece wheels full with billet aluminium centres, all wrapped up in Nankang AR-1 semi-slicks.

Jayme’s intention for his Mini is ‘quick street’ use, however the actuality is it’s greater than able to tackling a observe day, dash or hill climb. That’s apparent contained in the automotive, the place opening one of many deceptively skinny doorways reveals a race-grade inside.

The fundamental options in listed below are a Wishart Motorsport Fabrication welded roll cage constructed to nationwide rally specs, and a pair of Cobra Monaco seats with Jayme’s private ‘JH emblem’ stitched into them. There’s additionally a Momo wheel on the finish of a {custom} steering column, an uncovered KAD shifter and Wilwood pedal field. The door playing cards, re-trimmed in basic vinyl, function billet door handles and trim.

Regardless of the outward basic look and magnificence of this Mini, Jayme has included some cutting-edge know-how into it, which as soon as extra exhibits simply how a venture can evolve over the course of an prolonged construct time. With full {custom} wiring from GNE Motorsport, a DTAFast engine administration system feeds data to an AiM PDM unit hidden beneath the sprint, and this reaches the motive force by way of an AiM digital show. Sitting on the transmission tunnel, a 12-button CAN pad controls most of the automotive’s key working features.

Undoing the leather-based straps and lifting off the bonnet reveals the Mini’s pièce de résistance – its engine. The utterly smoothed bay is devoid of something however the mandatory ancillaries, work undertaken at residence by Jayme and his brother of their ‘Potato Bread Engineering’ (PBE) shed.

The engine on the centre of all of it has one of the spectacular specs I’ve learn in fairly some time. The headlines are fairly spectacular within the Mini world: 1,380cc, twin-cam, 16-valve.

Constructed by CC Minis in Lisburn, Northern Eire this energy plant is the stuff of A-series goals. Beginning with a 1,275cc Rover mill – precisely because the automotive got here from new – it’s been stretched out to nearly 1,400cc due to 73.5mm cast pistons. The block additionally encompasses a {custom} race-spec crankshaft, metal connecting rods, ACL race bearings, and ARP fasteners all through.

Up high, a BMW K1100 twin-cam 16-valve cylinder has been tailored to suit the A-Sequence block, and for additional efficiency it’s undergone a full port and polish. If that wasn’t sufficient, the bike’s particular person throttle our bodies have been carried over and now breathe by way of an ITB foam filter.

Throughout the engine bay, the eye to element is unending. The engine mounts have been custom-machined from billet aluminium, whereas the PBE emblem has been laser-etched into the highest of the oil catch can.

In its full kind, the mash-up engine is way taller than the unique A-Sequence, however it nonetheless sits beneath the usual bonnet profile due to a well-thought-out entrance subframe modification.

Energy is transferred to the entrance wheels by way of the Mini’s unique 4-speed gearbox, though that’s been considerably upgraded with a straight-cut gear package, MG Metro Turbo last drive and a Quaife restricted slip differential. Additionally within the combine are MED drop gears, a billet flywheel and an AP Racing clutch.

Having the facility is one factor, however having the ability to actually make use of it’s one other. However after all Jayme has this aspect of issues coated too. Using high-end elements from suppliers famend inside the competitors Mini world was core to the construct, and why you’ll discover custom-built ProTech shocks in any respect 4 corners, in addition to the addition of KAD management arms, Basic Minis Japan ball joints and Owens Motorsport ball joint droppers. Hiding behind the wheels is a KAD disc brake setup within the entrance and uprated drums on the rear.

Builds like Jayme Hill’s Mini remind us simply how good a easy thought can change into with time and persistence. Leaning on numerous historic type and mixing that with trendy tech, I feel you’d agree that the result’s nothing wanting spectacular.

Cian Donnellan
Instagram: Ciandon
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