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4 Jan 2015, 17:52 (Ref:3489888) | #1 | |
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The 1971 BL Special Tuning 4X4 Rallycross Mini
1971 Special Tuning 4x4 Mini
Built in 9 days to compete with the 4WD 3 litre Ford Capris in televised Rallycross series 4WD system taken from a prototype 4WD Mini Moke (used to tow cars from the MG line at Abingdon) 1293cc with aluminium cross flow 8-port head using Amal carbs developing 124bhp http://www.delius.pwp.blueyonder.co....gt/default.htm |
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4 Jan 2015, 17:53 (Ref:3489889) | #2 | |
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4 Jan 2015, 22:46 (Ref:3489941) | #3 | |
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Last edited by mab01UK; 4 Jan 2015 at 23:00. |
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4 Jan 2015, 22:53 (Ref:3489943) | #4 | |
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5 Jan 2015, 08:24 (Ref:3490011) | #5 | ||
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Begs the question: Whatever happened to this amazing car?
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5 Jan 2015, 15:52 (Ref:3490096) | #6 | ||
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Fantastic stuff.
It also begs the question: why did it take most of the rally works teams another ten years before they realised 4WD was the way to go... Anyone know what the first proper 4wd car in rallycross was? HF Research Capri late '69 - or was there something earlier? |
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7 Jan 2015, 08:31 (Ref:3490587) | #7 | ||
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For 1973 and the first ever ERC all 4WD cars were banned from Rallycross to please the FIA/FISA, who overlooked the new series before they adopted it in 1976. From 1982 on 4WD was legal again, but only with the Audi quattro. From 1984 on all Division 2 cars were eligible with 4WD.
AFAIK there was no first, but two first 4WD cars in Rallycross. On February 8 1969 it was Brian Culcheth who won a Rallycross event at Lydden Hill with a 1300cc 130bhp Triumph 1300 4WD. The same day Roger Clark raced the first 3000cc 200bhp Ford Capri 3000GT 4WD at Croft Circuit to victory, but lost it later that day when the Stewards of the Meeting took the decision that the car did not match the rules by then. Last edited by rx-guru; 7 Jan 2015 at 08:42. |
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"Sometimes he wonders as the years go past, how’d he ever go so fast and get nowhere…" (David Munyon, from 'Super Blue' on his 'Acrylic Teepees' CD) |
7 Jan 2015, 09:50 (Ref:3490619) | #8 | ||
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I don't know if it ever made it to rallycross, but in the early 70's there was an Autocross special called (I think) the Buffi-Mowog!
This was a twin-engine device using BMC A-Series engine/gearbox units front & rear (copying the idea presumably from the Twini a twin engine Mini that John Cooper was involved in). From memory this used (basically) a Cooper S engine & manual transmission at the front, with a 1300cc engine and automatic transmission at the rear! Thinking about it, the 4x4 Mini & Triumph 1300's were far more imaginative than the Capri's. The Capri was something Ferguson were developing along with Ford as possible high performance road cars (I believe there were also 4x4 V6 Zodiac's too), whereas the Mini & Triumph were built by 'The Works' using (I think) parts from prototype military vehicles. I'd still love to learn more about both of these machines... Last edited by VIVA GT; 7 Jan 2015 at 09:53. Reason: Added more informtion/comments |
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7 Jan 2015, 12:51 (Ref:3490666) | #9 | ||
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I understood Ford originally used the Ferguson system to produce a small series (25+?) of cars for the British Police...
Very successful were the two De Rooy brothers Jan and Harry with their DAF 555 Coupé 4WD cars (the third 5 stood for Group 5) with 200+bhp BDA and BDG engines. They had a DAF Variomatic inside the drivers compartment with one drive-belt to the front-diff (from a BMW 2002) and one belt to the rear. When 4WD was banned they took one belt off and raced the cars mostly with RWD, but in the wet sometimes with FWD. |
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"Sometimes he wonders as the years go past, how’d he ever go so fast and get nowhere…" (David Munyon, from 'Super Blue' on his 'Acrylic Teepees' CD) |
7 Jan 2015, 13:30 (Ref:3490677) | #10 | |
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Fascinating stuff!
Thanks so very much for posting the photos and articles. I'm preparing a display of model rallycross cars for 'Race Retro' at Stoneleigh in February 2015 and have a suitable Mini Clubman kit in 1/43 scale - I'll start making the kit up today so this remarkable piece of rallycross history will be included in my display. Timing is everything!! Thanks again, cheers, Steve |
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7 Jan 2015, 13:40 (Ref:3490679) | #11 | |||
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Quote:
Thanks for reminding me about the De Rooy brothers Daf's, they were spectacularly fast. A UK tuning magazine (CCC I think) at the time tested one and titled the test "Two diffs from Amsterdam"! |
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7 Jan 2015, 20:37 (Ref:3490789) | #12 | |
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Quote:
"The first 4WD DAF 555 of Jan de Rooy, the so-called 'het bultje' [the hump]. The engine was inside the drivers compartment and while Jan’s seat was placed above the variomatic unit, there was not enough space for his head and helmet. Therefore, they cut a whole into the roof and covered it with a hump." DAF RALLY en RACING - lots of nice photos of DAF in competion here (scroll down for 4WD Rallycross DAF):- http://www.racehistorie.nl/daf/daf_m.htm Mini v Daf |
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7 Jan 2015, 20:43 (Ref:3490791) | #13 | ||
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Quote:
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7 Jan 2015, 22:45 (Ref:3490833) | #14 | |||
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Quote:
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"Sometimes he wonders as the years go past, how’d he ever go so fast and get nowhere…" (David Munyon, from 'Super Blue' on his 'Acrylic Teepees' CD) |
8 Jan 2015, 22:43 (Ref:3491122) | #15 | ||
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Quote:
Probably best to send you the photo and ask you to post it as I'm no good at putting photos on Forums I belong to!! Many thanks again - I've already modified a Mini Clubman kit I've had for a few years and painted it a suitable dark blue. I'm in the process now of preparing the decals, not that there are many, and will hope to finish it in the next few days. I'm thinking the Mini will need an explanation on a label otherwise few people will know what they're looking at!! Cheers, Steve |
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9 Jan 2015, 09:20 (Ref:3491217) | #16 | ||
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AFAIK this 4WD Mini was driven by David Angel for a total of three rounds of the 1972 Dutch Rallycross Championship at the Eurocircuit at Valkenswaard in Holland to make Angel winning a class victory of the series.
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"Sometimes he wonders as the years go past, how’d he ever go so fast and get nowhere…" (David Munyon, from 'Super Blue' on his 'Acrylic Teepees' CD) |
12 Oct 2015, 19:00 (Ref:3582250) | #17 | |
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Rare video footage of the Special Tuning 4WD Clubman in action here:-
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v...39&pnref=story |
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12 Oct 2015, 19:50 (Ref:3582264) | #18 | ||
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31 Dec 2015, 17:53 (Ref:3601226) | #19 | |
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Last edited by mab01UK; 31 Dec 2015 at 18:21. |
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6 Jan 2016, 09:41 (Ref:3602468) | #20 | ||
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Are you certain the 4WD Rallycross Mini had an original Mini Moke 4WD?
This is information I found in my files. Quote: "Built by the Special Tuning department the car had a propshaft taken from the normal diff to drive a Sprite diff which was mounted to the boot floor. Standard Cooper S driveshafts were used at the back with radius rod location." Sounds rather selfmade to me... |
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"Sometimes he wonders as the years go past, how’d he ever go so fast and get nowhere…" (David Munyon, from 'Super Blue' on his 'Acrylic Teepees' CD) |
9 Jan 2016, 11:37 (Ref:3603284) | #21 | |
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It says on the info sheet on the window that it used an available platform of the Austin Ant, an experimental military 4x4.
http://www.delius.pwp.blueyonder.co....gt/default.htm http://www.classicandsportscar.com/n...t-ant-hill-mob |
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9 Jul 2016, 19:24 (Ref:3657846) | #22 | |
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Does anyone know where this car is now? They're trying to get it to a show at Eurocircuit for the circuits 45th year, and they've asked us at the Minicross drivers association to try to find it!
Sent from my ALE-L21 using Tapatalk |
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25 Sep 2016, 22:35 (Ref:3675150) | #23 | ||
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Quote:
http://mcrforum.minicooper.org/ |
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