April 20, 2004 – When Houston, Texas-area Mini owner Jonathan C. contacted us about finding a new home for his Mini, we were only too happy to help him.

With the proceeds of that sale, he bought this nice, semi-race-prepped ’61 Austin Mk1 Mini that’s hard to miss in its “Kermit” green paint and checkerboard roof.

Jonathan, a member of Mini Owners of Texas (MOT), plans to run the car in local races.

According to Jonathan, it was first used for circle-track racing in Austin Texas. It’s reportedly absolutely rust-free. It has a full, welded-in roll cage, custom dash and the doors have been gutted to lighten weight. It is fitted with an 8-gallon fuel cell that can be filled from the outside filler neck. The bottom end of the engine is completely built for racing, with a lightened flywheel, wedged crank, chrome-plated journals, Cooper “S” rods, and center main strap. It has a streetable Kent 286 cam, standard rockers, and a streetable cylinder head. The carb is a 1 3/4″ SU. The adjustable suspension is fully rose-jointed. Wheels are 10×6 with new Yokohama sticky-soft A008 rubber. The exhaust is a center-exit twin DTM setup, and it’s very loud!

Not content with the above, Jonathan plans to fit a Longman head, Kent 296 scatter-pattern cam, Weber 45 carb, a limited-slip differential and a straight-cut “dog box” transmission. He already has wide arches for some wider wheels, and a set of Lexan windows that he’ll install soon.

Jonathan plans to race in a vintage class called CVAR with “Jolly Roger Racing.” He’s not sure what to expect for racing expenses, but says he expects his engine to last two seasons, a set of tires to be replaced each season, “plus whatever I break or whatever fails.”

Jonathan reports it’s a blast to drive, and he’ll keep us updated on his racing adventures!

Glad we could help you get into your next Mini, Jonathan!

p.s. – If you know of race Minis – or any Minis, from pristine to project, that might be for sale, we at MiniGuy would like to hear from you!