Spare parts is the only major issue and rust as well. Some people may resorted to bespoke parts to replace the old ones if they can't find any genuine parts.
@@Joshua_N-A There's a bunch of parts still being made for those cars as they're one of the most loved and "still on the road" classic cars. New bodies for the first-generation Mustang are still being made.
@@Joshua_N-A In the US, there is a large hobby of collecting and restoring old farm tractors. That has created a market for newly produce parts for almost any tractor made from the middle 1930's to mid 1960's. A small industry involving many small job shops has arisen to fill this need, It surprises me that a similar effort has not been made to support a number of these more common autos. Modern 3D printing and Computer aided cutting machines takes a great deal of the cost out of recreating many of these parts.
@repentoryouwilllikewiseper8741 keep your religious poison to yourself. If you want to put yourself into a voluntary prison, that is your choice, but don't peddle that venom to others. Religion is the most evil invention humans have ever invented.
Colin Chapman said: "Add more power and you'll be faster on straights, remove some wheight and you'll be faster everywhere" The mini follows thar principle when compared to the stang. Great racing, wonderful machines.
In West Los Angeles in 1968 when I was a high school senior, a friend of mine owned a Mini Cooper he bought used and had tricked out. Nothing could catch him in the curves. I still remember the four velocity sticking up through a cut out in the hood and the four tennis balls he would close them off with when he parked. On Saturday nights from his parents place in Santa Monica we would head to the Sunset Strip in his car, driving Sunset's famous "Dead Man's Curve" behind UCLA. Corvettes, GTOs, Mustangs....lots of hot cars were always there heading to the Strip like us. Along that section of road my friend was always looking for muscle cars to race as there was nothing that came close to catching him and his Mini Cooper in the curves. But once the road straightened out he knew he was toast. So coming out of the curve and hitting the straightaway he quickly let off the gas, touched his brakes to briefly light them up to annoy the losing competitor, and with a winner's smile, waved at them as they were finally able to blasted past. A few of the cars would then slow down or wait at the next signal light and try to egg him into continuing. But he just savored his victory as the frustrated competition flipped him off, hit the gas hard and disappeared down the road.
The Cooper S Minis that ran in the Monte Carlo rallies (and consistently won year in and year out) only had 78 horsepower after a ridiculous amount of tuning, and even the straight-six variants of the Mustang had almost double the amount of power. That is saying A LOT about the Mini’s handling and power to weight ratio.
I recall watching the Saloon Car racing at Thruxton in the mid 70's. A similar scenario with Richard Lloyd and Stuart Graham in Chevy Camaro Z28s and and Andy Rouse in a Triumph Dolomite Sprint. The Camaros would power away in the early laps but the brakes would start to fade and the Dolomite would begin to catch up and generally pass the Camaro in the last couple of laps. Fascinating racing - much more interesting than F1
There's nothing better than pushing a cooper Cooper s that hard. Owned two of them and the best fun ever on tight twisting New Zealand roads. My mates gt falcon had no hope on these roads against a mini. Great to watch, regards Steve.
It's amazing how much faster you can get around a track when you don't have to worry about braking, shifting and feathering the throttle. Just lift a little before the turn, then pedal down when you get your line.
@@roadrunner40 most guys will never get the opportunity to actually drive a fast car to it's fullest limits; you don't have the room, let alone the skill to go all out.
I’m glad I’m not the only one that took note of the Lotus Cortina during this battle. British Touring Car racing is really unlike anything else we had over here. The TransAm series was all muscle cars, BTC had cars your father drove to work in racing wheel to wheel with everyone else.
@@IronMan3582 What rubbish...these three makes, together with the likes of Camaros, Chev Novas, Jaguars, Holdens fought many a race in Australian Touring Car Championships in the 60's and 70's. At their most competitive times the Aussie driven cars were as good as any. You will find many races on YT...Warwick Farm, Oran Park, Sandown...
There was no car on that track working harder then that Mini and its roller skate wheels. The lean on that bad boy was something to admire all on its own. Love all these cars!
Driven by Jean Ragnotti in 1981, the 5 Turbo won the Monte Carlo Rally on its first outing in the World Rally Championship. The 2WD R5 Turbo soon faced the competition of new Group B four-wheel drive cars that proved faster on dirt.[citation needed][13][14]
Just a splendid, splendid bit of motoring here! Thank you so much for filming and sharing! This is a textbook example of drivers who know their cars capabilities, know their personal capabilities as wheelmen and know the limitations of the surface, the conditions and the circuit. Each of these cars and drivers are showing there is more than one way to be fast. The American built iron V8 has phenomenal torque and pulls well off the corners and down the straights. The English built MINI has lightweight and superb grip and braking which allows the driver to brake later into turns and get back on the accelerator sooner. I would enjoy hearing what the final results are. The Mustang appeared to be the superior equipment but as the mighty MINI continued to press with lots of pressure from behind, especially on entry into those sweepers you could tell the Mustang was reacting to that pressure and was knocked off his game slightly. Continued pressure like that through the race or session may have allowed the MINI to prevail. Again, many thanks for this!
Memories of the 1960s in England. It was common to see a sticker on the back of mk. 1 Minis stating "You have just been mini-ed". Too many drivers got to see the little beasts passing them on the roads. They definitely did not take any prisoners.
@@SI0AX ....Not only that it takes the fun away the old A series engine was so tunable I remember engineering Co Oselli used to do a bored out version 1450cc...they would wheelspin in 3rd gear..
This is awesome, I spy a Lotus Cortina too. Love these old classics and good to see them racing at SMP and not at Goodwood like I usually do (i'm from the UK lol)
The flying brick! Brings on a big smile! Slaying giants with less than 1300cc! Power-2-weight! Awesome racing video, please upload some more. Thank you!
That brings back memories from the 70’s with my dad. Always loved the Mini’s lifting their rear inside wheel on a sweep , vs the V8’s their front inside wheel.
Karting distance from bumper . Love it. Had my karting years btw. Nailing the weight transfer and carrying the momentum was what it was all about. If you were 1 inch away on the exit it meant you weren't a problem that wouldn't go away.
Maybe it has already about double the power of the original spec. Those ancient little engines can make 140hp out of 1275cc or 1293cc in race trim (@8-9000rpm). Mine is 1380cc and makes "just" 90-95hp @6500rpm which makes a lot of fun! 🙂
Used to see these cars race at Green Valley in Texas. Always marveled at the minis. And the white car behind the mini in this video is a Ford Cortina with a Lotus engine. Awesome to watch them again.
In the 60s, in Ontario at Mosport there was a driver named Bily Brack who chased the Comstock mustangs and did the same thing. Great to watch and cheer on.
What you have to understand is the mini doesn't know it's smaller with less power. It's the Jack Russell in the car world, the true underdog, that believes it will win whatever the odds.
Loved watching the Mini's battling it out with the small Jag's at Brands Hatch back in the 1960. My brother built the last batch of Elva Couriers and looked after several V8 Maclaren Elva's so Brands was the place to be on Sundays.
@@masonmiller8743 the lack of coupe performance cars in current auto industry is disturbing, particularly entry level FR cars IMO. It should be more than just those ToyoBaru Twins.
@@Joshua_N-A 100% I was saying that earlier this week I have an 86 myself but I can't quite think of another affordable 2 door FR coupe unless it's Japanese and from the early 00's or 90's
@@masonmiller8743 90's was the bubble economy era that benefited after WWII. You don't see cool stuff now because the economy is in horrible condition. The economy in the 90's was great because people were saving their money during the war and then started spending like crazy during the 90's because they had so much cash saved up and companies started making a lot of cool and expensive stuff that everyone could afford(because everyone had a lot of saved cash, not because it was cheap, lol).
I would have loved to see British Touring Car racing back in the day when the very first Mustangs were brought over and entered, kicking off the David and Goliath battles that would ensue. Also, I know this is about the Mini and the Mustang, but did you see how the Mini managed to hold off that Lotus Cortina? That is WILD.
@@BlendLineTV yeah man, if it weren’t for Top Gear, proper Top Gear, I never would have know the history of it and try to track down any vintage video of it whenever I can. It’s a product of its time, much like how NASCAR came to be in America (I do wish they would go back to circuit track and not just ovals, that’s horribly boring to watch).
@@IronMan3582 They've been driving circuits in NASCAR as well for the better part of a decade afaik.. this year includes COTA, Sonoma, Watkin's Glen, and Road America.. Ovals are boring. idk how people don't know this, even in Indycar/lights race chats people don't believe me lol
@@Gu1tarZer0 I was just told by a friend of mine in St Louis that they only brought back circuit tracks last year, and he watched it faithfully. Point is, it shouldn’t have taken that long for them to come back, be it last year or last decade. The whole point of the oval track was to put asses in seats to sell tickets so everyone can see the action. Now, much like football and the NFL, NASCAR realizes they have a product that is better fit for television and can do so much more with it as a result…all the more reason to have circuits and have drones flying overhead with video feed et cetera.
@@Mandarin9900 he is exaggerating the amount of grip a mini cooper has with "a decent set of tires", saying that it is so grippy that it would "stick to a fridge" (such like a fridge magnet)
I used to love watching the races back in the 70's and 80's, for precisely this reason. They used to run all the classes at once, which lead to some amazing races. Then later in the 80's they changed it so different classes would run in different races, which lead to v8 racing taking dominance. Which to me took some of the soul out of it. It also meant the end of some drivers racing careers as their races no longer got any air time. Used to love watching the mixed classes at Bathurst, now that was fun. At least we have historic racing and the muscle car masters.
Oran Park wasn't a quarter mile. I think it was 1000 feet, which is 320 feet short of a quarter mile. Still your MK2 would have been quick in those days.
That Stang sounded glorious but the mini's handling certainly showed him a thing or two! Unfortunate that the finish line was so far down that straight. Even if the mini could pass, it couldn't hold its place.
Some of the greatest battles in racing have been between these two cars. Especially on a tight track! I wonder what would have happened if mini had put on a blower. Things that make you go hmm!
I remember the Bulova Championship races, I think it was C Class sedans back in the late 70's at Mosport Park in Ontario Canada. On the track were Mustangs, Camaros, and Mini Coopers. The Minis would fall behind Mustangs and Camaros in the straights but it was like they were attached with a bungee cord as they would catch right up in the turns.
For years over here in Cape Town we had a guy in a Mazda R100 who would keep another in a Porsche on his toes like this. They'd usually be racing for the lead and a Mustang similar to this one, but probably not as tuned, would be left in the dust somewhere in the middle of the pack. That little R100 had the most beautiful squeal... 😍
Limerock Park is where I'd see these battles. The Mustangs excelled in the straights and usually had enough ability to hold off the angry-bumblebee sounding Minis in the bends. I read something at the event that the compression ratio was like almost 13 to one on those Minis. It was great to see such a variety of cars racing together at the vintage fest they have every Labor Day weekend.
Amazing how well the Mustang held on its own on tight turns, kudos to those who did the modifications and to the driver too able to stay cool throughout the race.
Just like in one of those racing videogames, stage 1 on where the only option consist on making the curves your killing zone keeping the foot down as long as possible, no breaking at all looking to complete the most dynamic lap. Pure skill.
The Cortina leaning and oversteering in the turns brought back memories. I saw a guy in one dust off a 427 Cobra at RIR in the late 60’s. The Cobra was fast until the first turn taken at about 60 MPH, when about 40 MPH would have kept him out of the weeds and in the battle.
I saw a race just like this. A Cobra, Alpha, and a Mini. The old Continental Divide RaceWay. The Cobra and Alpha would get away from the Mini on the long front straight. But once they got into the first turn, there was the Mini. I don't think the Mini ever got out of the throttle.
Nice video! The whole time I was rooting for the Lotus Cortina because I had one for 3 years back in the late 70s. The Mini had to be tuned to the hilt to keep up like that.
Awesome......reminds me a few years ago, I was on Hwy 9 in Georgia on my way back to Florida......I was driving a bone stock 2001 SVT Lightning and this guy had a newer Mini Coupe and tried to make a move on me......well, it was 0 Dark-thirty and I wasn't having any of that and if any of you know "Running Shine on Hwy 9" has lots of curves and straights.... I was leaving that little sucker in the wind on the straights and when I hit the curves he was right back on on me and I mean on me, and folks a Lightning can perform on both. This went on for miles. We finally gave up, stopped and talked an hour I bet.....That sucker was like a gnat on me.....NEVER underestimate a Mini Coupe......True Story.
I used to play a PC game called GT Legends, that had these events in it. I changed all of the music files to what I considered more appropriate. Themes from Bullit, The Sweeney, The Professionals and alike. They were played randomly and now and then it was a perfect match. Like when you were driving a Mini and the theme from The Italian Job came on.
Fun cars the old models , as a young bloke I owned a warm 289 falcon and also a standard ish 😊68 morris mini with the 1000 cc engine , the little mini was great fun in the mountains , the little 289 was a good highway cruiser , it would sit on 90 mph all day long. A friend of the family had an original 1963 cooper S complete with factory flared guards . I don’t know if the gearing was different in the early coopers , but OMFG it was fast through the gears , he took me for a spin in it , I was hanging on for grim death😊, and he had a huge smile on his face.
Had a similar similar experience 35 years ago. My 63 Cadillac, 390 cu. in. 335 hp against a 2000 cc Toyota on windy Fiddletown Road on the way to skiing in the Sierras in California. Caddy in the lead. No room to pass. V8 Caddy losing the four banger at any stretch resembling straight. Four banger kissing Caddy rear bumper every tight curve. Over and over for miles. Loved it. Fond memories. By the way had the 210 cm skies crosswise in the trunk
Difference between quick and fast. Had a '72 corolla in HS. My 71 cubic inches had no chance against those 283 and up engines in a straightaway, but could dust them in neighborhood racing.
Several years ago, I attended some races at Virginia International Raceway with camera in hand. I got a great picture of a Mini going around a left-hand turn and its left rear wheel was completely off the ground. I also saw a guy barrel-roll a Shelby Mustang.
Saw the Mini v. Mustang Shelby battle it out in the late '80s at Watkins Glen Drivers' Classic, amongst 396 Super Jet Stingrays. It surprised me to see the Mini hold it's own with no bus stop back then as they ran the vintage grand prix configuration. In the back stretch they were coming into the outer loop close to 180 mph, but the mini would close the gap in the boot and esses.
It’s nice seeing vintage and classic cars still racing
Spare parts is the only major issue and rust as well. Some people may resorted to bespoke parts to replace the old ones if they can't find any genuine parts.
@@Joshua_N-A There's a bunch of parts still being made for those cars as they're one of the most loved and "still on the road" classic cars.
New bodies for the first-generation Mustang are still being made.
Plenty of vintage racing events in the UK
But so sad when they crash... 😥
@@Joshua_N-A In the US, there is a large hobby of collecting and restoring old farm tractors. That has created a market for newly produce parts for almost any tractor made from the middle 1930's to mid 1960's. A small industry involving many small job shops has arisen to fill this need, It surprises me that a similar effort has not been made to support a number of these more common autos. Modern 3D printing and Computer aided cutting machines takes a great deal of the cost out of recreating many of these parts.
Mustang driver: "Who stuck a picture of a mini on my rear view mirror"
Or, who tied that mini to the back of my car?!
Mini driver:”Who stuck a picture of a Mustang on my windscreen”?
@repentoryouwilllikewiseper8741repent before you end up in the depths of heII
@repentoryouwilllikewiseper8741 keep your religious poison to yourself. If you want to put yourself into a voluntary prison, that is your choice, but don't peddle that venom to others. Religion is the most evil invention humans have ever invented.
Mini driver: why are you so slow with so much engine capacity.
Colin Chapman said: "Add more power and you'll be faster on straights, remove some wheight and you'll be faster everywhere" The mini follows thar principle when compared to the stang. Great racing, wonderful machines.
Reduce weight and add more aero for downforce , less weight has a harder time planting the power to the ground.
@@AM-zc9mq less weight more power struggles for sure... if you balance the power with the weight you get the Lotus Exige...
everywhere but the straights....
Actually he said add lightness.
@@256k_ when you're on a race circuit 60% of the track isn't straight lol
The agility vs power struggle usually boils down to the track layout. The number and length of straights vs curves.
Exactly!
But i rather want have power:)
Basically real life is what you mean
I love how close to the mustang he's willing to stick
Why wouldn't ya stick close ?
I though they were touching bumpers, pretty crazy especially for rare historic cars!
Have to hahaha. I love how it gets hucked into corners.
Trying to Draft as far as possible into the Straight .
It's a race, not traffic with sudden braking
In West Los Angeles in 1968 when I was a high school senior, a friend of mine owned a Mini Cooper he bought used and had tricked out. Nothing could catch him in the curves. I still remember the four velocity sticking up through a cut out in the hood and the four tennis balls he would close them off with when he parked.
On Saturday nights from his parents place in Santa Monica we would head to the Sunset Strip in his car, driving Sunset's famous "Dead Man's Curve" behind UCLA. Corvettes, GTOs, Mustangs....lots of hot cars were always there heading to the Strip like us. Along that section of road my friend was always looking for muscle cars to race as there was nothing that came close to catching him and his Mini Cooper in the curves. But once the road straightened out he knew he was toast. So coming out of the curve and hitting the straightaway he quickly let off the gas, touched his brakes to briefly light them up to annoy the losing competitor, and with a winner's smile, waved at them as they were finally able to blasted past. A few of the cars would then slow down or wait at the next signal light and try to egg him into continuing. But he just savored his victory as the frustrated competition flipped him off, hit the gas hard and disappeared down the road.
That's great 😆
I started singing the start of your comment to the fresh prince for some reason 🤣
Awesome story and sounds like an absolute dream to have lived through those magical times… So cool
Mini: “I need more power!”
Green Mustang: “You shall not pass!”
He just didn't have enough power. A few more horses and he could have taken it.
Mr bean be like :
The Cooper S Minis that ran in the Monte Carlo rallies (and consistently won year in and year out) only had 78 horsepower after a ridiculous amount of tuning, and even the straight-six variants of the Mustang had almost double the amount of power. That is saying A LOT about the Mini’s handling and power to weight ratio.
@@IronMan3582 yeah, that 8 cylinder though would be a beast on the straightway. The mini does weigh nothing. 78 hp is enough to kill you.
Mini: you can’t shake me off
Mustang: i can’t help being gay
I recall watching the Saloon Car racing at Thruxton in the mid 70's. A similar scenario with Richard Lloyd and Stuart Graham in Chevy Camaro Z28s and and Andy Rouse in a Triumph Dolomite Sprint. The Camaros would power away in the early laps but the brakes would start to fade and the Dolomite would begin to catch up and generally pass the Camaro in the last couple of laps. Fascinating racing - much more interesting than F1
There's nothing better than pushing a cooper Cooper s that hard. Owned two of them and the best fun ever on tight twisting New Zealand roads.
My mates gt falcon had no hope on these roads against a mini.
Great to watch, regards Steve.
That Mini is a bully to the Mustang. Awesome racing
More like a small dog nipping at its heels, but yes great racing!
I would rather own the mustang
@@torrycole6477 Same
A tiger 🐈 hunting a elephant 🐘
Safari stuff... and rip to the classic mini.. the new one is a monstrosity
It's amazing how much faster you can get around a track when you don't have to worry about braking, shifting and feathering the throttle. Just lift a little before the turn, then pedal down when you get your line.
Yeah small hatchbacks smashing v8s on the regular because they all wrap themselves around a pole tryna corner at 100kmh
Yep, I had a 77 323, that's exactly how its was and annoyed guys in bigger cars anywhere there was corners.
It's always more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow.
@@brianellison3525 even more fun to drive a fast car fast.
@@roadrunner40 most guys will never get the opportunity to actually drive a fast car to it's fullest limits; you don't have the room, let alone the skill to go all out.
The Lotus Cortina, Mini, and Mustang perfectly sum up the epicness of 60s British saloon car racing.
I’m glad I’m not the only one that took note of the Lotus Cortina during this battle. British Touring Car racing is really unlike anything else we had over here. The TransAm series was all muscle cars, BTC had cars your father drove to work in racing wheel to wheel with everyone else.
@@IronMan3582 What rubbish...these three makes, together with the likes of Camaros, Chev Novas, Jaguars, Holdens fought many a race in Australian Touring Car Championships in the 60's and 70's. At their most competitive times the Aussie driven cars were as good as any. You will find many races on YT...Warwick Farm, Oran Park, Sandown...
All three despite huge differences very evenly matched!
@@flamingfrancisTransAm USA is what he’s talking about. Parnelli Jones versus Mark Donahue etc…
Except it is in Sydney, Australia....And not that long ago...
There was no car on that track working harder then that Mini and its roller skate wheels. The lean on that bad boy was something to admire all on its own. Love all these cars!
how come no one mentioned that GODLY sound of the mustang yet? holy crap! amazing!
I'm not a Ford fan at all, but that thing sounded amazing when he got on and off the throttle
I was going to mention it if nobody else had.
Nah, you heard the mini roar 😅
@@jerome2604lololol true
I love how he was drafting him trying to go for the slingshot knowing that he didn't have the power. Just practicing. This man has future plans.
i think the mini driver would have had the mustang if he had been driving the lotus cortina.
If you’ve never driven a mini then you’ve got to try it. Big smile on your face from start to finish.
I drove a Mini once, for about 5 minutes before hitting a deer.
I learnt to drive in a Mini.
Anyone remember how successful Renault wsa with the R5 (Le Car)?
@@halnwheels No. was it successful?
Driven by Jean Ragnotti in 1981, the 5 Turbo won the Monte Carlo Rally on its first outing in the World Rally Championship. The 2WD R5 Turbo soon faced the competition of new Group B four-wheel drive cars that proved faster on dirt.[citation needed][13][14]
I love the snarl as they are powering out of the corners! What a fantastic sound!
Just a splendid, splendid bit of motoring here! Thank you so much for filming and sharing! This is a textbook example of drivers who know their cars capabilities, know their personal capabilities as wheelmen and know the limitations of the surface, the conditions and the circuit. Each of these cars and drivers are showing there is more than one way to be fast. The American built iron V8 has phenomenal torque and pulls well off the corners and down the straights. The English built MINI has lightweight and superb grip and braking which allows the driver to brake later into turns and get back on the accelerator sooner. I would enjoy hearing what the final results are. The Mustang appeared to be the superior equipment but as the mighty MINI continued to press with lots of pressure from behind, especially on entry into those sweepers you could tell the Mustang was reacting to that pressure and was knocked off his game slightly. Continued pressure like that through the race or session may have allowed the MINI to prevail. Again, many thanks for this!
Memories of the 1960s in England. It was common to see a sticker on the back of mk. 1 Minis stating "You have just been mini-ed". Too many drivers got to see the little beasts passing them on the roads. They definitely did not take any prisoners.
Lmao and ppl are K20 swapping them nowadays. Mini'd and VTEC'd at the same time
@@marcobrancorsini2479 That would be banned in most racing series I think. It's too over powered!
I remember the old rallycross minis they’d have 1275 engines bored out to 1450 or 1480….not much keep up with them.
@Automobile Addict ...A 2.0 litre pinto in a mini??....that must been a nightmare of a conversion 😰
@@SI0AX ....Not only that it takes the fun away the old A series engine was so tunable I remember engineering Co Oselli used to do a bored out version 1450cc...they would wheelspin in 3rd gear..
Watching a mini terrorize a mustang is hilarious 😆. I need more of this!
Oh my, the memories this brings back. Love that little mini.
This is awesome, I spy a Lotus Cortina too. Love these old classics and good to see them racing at SMP and not at Goodwood like I usually do (i'm from the UK lol)
Is the Lotus Cortina the car behind the Mini?
@@cdjhyoung yeah, it's white with green stripes along it's flanks
Love this so much. Used to own a 1275 Cooper S. Brings back memories of harassing old V8's on the back roads of NZ.
The flying brick! Brings on a big smile! Slaying giants with less than 1300cc! Power-2-weight! Awesome racing video, please upload some more. Thank you!
Yes....look up the final placings for the 1966 Bathurst race...makes a Cooper S fan cry.
Mustang: Flies in the straights, parks in the corners.
Mini: Flies in the corners and parks in the straights.
That brings back memories from the 70’s with my dad. Always loved the Mini’s lifting their rear inside wheel on a sweep , vs the V8’s their front inside wheel.
Never underestimate the little guy 😎👍
Karting distance from bumper . Love it.
Had my karting years btw. Nailing the weight transfer and carrying the momentum was what it was all about. If you were 1 inch away on the exit it meant you weren't a problem that wouldn't go away.
I heard that racing a Mini is the same as wrestling a bear cub in a telephone booth!
😂😂😂
I'm stealing that. LoL
@@mkefayati473 yes it is a good line. I heard it at Mosport on a post race commentary. Made me smile.
I love the old classic cars. The sound and smell of them tickles a part of me that's been asleep for a while now 😇
If only the mini had 15 horsepower more, it would tear those stangs apart haha
Well it used to be easy to upgrade to Webber carbs and bigger jets
You can’t just double the horsepower like that
@@HotRodsnHueys you killed it buddy 😅😅
If only a frog had wings he wouldn't bump his butt when he walks.
Maybe it has already about double the power of the original spec.
Those ancient little engines can make 140hp out of 1275cc or 1293cc in race trim (@8-9000rpm).
Mine is 1380cc and makes "just" 90-95hp @6500rpm which makes a lot of fun! 🙂
Used to see these cars race at Green Valley in Texas. Always marveled at the minis. And the white car behind the mini in this video is a Ford Cortina with a Lotus engine. Awesome to watch them again.
Just the right amount of oversteer in that little monster, would LOVE to take it around the track :)
In the 60s, in Ontario at Mosport there was a driver named Bily Brack who chased the Comstock mustangs and did the same thing. Great to watch and cheer on.
Makes me appreciate my classic mini austin 🍺😎
I see,, mine is restored by a local company that specialized in classic mini including selling it to enthusiast
That mini driver is a beast
What you have to understand is the mini doesn't know it's smaller with less power. It's the Jack Russell in the car world, the true underdog, that believes it will win whatever the odds.
Loved watching the Mini's battling it out with the small Jag's at Brands Hatch back in the 1960. My brother built the last batch of Elva Couriers and looked after several V8 Maclaren Elva's so Brands was the place to be on Sundays.
I love seeing all the different colours of the classics on the hill, you wont see carparks like that these days
Shapes and sizes as well, now everything is looking bland and identical.
@@Joshua_N-A sooooo true mate!!!
I need to go back in time haha
@@masonmiller8743 the lack of coupe performance cars in current auto industry is disturbing, particularly entry level FR cars IMO. It should be more than just those ToyoBaru Twins.
@@Joshua_N-A 100% I was saying that earlier this week
I have an 86 myself but I can't quite think of another affordable 2 door FR coupe unless it's Japanese and from the early 00's or 90's
@@masonmiller8743 90's was the bubble economy era that benefited after WWII. You don't see cool stuff now because the economy is in horrible condition. The economy in the 90's was great because people were saving their money during the war and then started spending like crazy during the 90's because they had so much cash saved up and companies started making a lot of cool and expensive stuff that everyone could afford(because everyone had a lot of saved cash, not because it was cheap, lol).
That is some awesome footage 👍. All of the drivers were driving at a very good level.
Is there anything more graceful than well controlled lift-off oversteer? What a gem!
I would have loved to see British Touring Car racing back in the day when the very first Mustangs were brought over and entered, kicking off the David and Goliath battles that would ensue.
Also, I know this is about the Mini and the Mustang, but did you see how the Mini managed to hold off that Lotus Cortina? That is WILD.
We would have loved to have witnessed that as well! It's the genesis of what was to come!
@@BlendLineTV yeah man, if it weren’t for Top Gear, proper Top Gear, I never would have know the history of it and try to track down any vintage video of it whenever I can. It’s a product of its time, much like how NASCAR came to be in America (I do wish they would go back to circuit track and not just ovals, that’s horribly boring to watch).
@@IronMan3582 They've been driving circuits in NASCAR as well for the better part of a decade afaik.. this year includes COTA, Sonoma, Watkin's Glen, and Road America.. Ovals are boring.
idk how people don't know this, even in Indycar/lights race chats people don't believe me lol
@@Gu1tarZer0 I was just told by a friend of mine in St Louis that they only brought back circuit tracks last year, and he watched it faithfully.
Point is, it shouldn’t have taken that long for them to come back, be it last year or last decade. The whole point of the oval track was to put asses in seats to sell tickets so everyone can see the action. Now, much like football and the NFL, NASCAR realizes they have a product that is better fit for television and can do so much more with it as a result…all the more reason to have circuits and have drones flying overhead with video feed et cetera.
I'm surprised that lotus Cortina didn't make a better showing of itself. Great video, thanks for posting it.
Brilliant racing that man is raggin the shit out of that lil mini... Awesome stuff
Love the way the mini stuck it's self to the mustang.two of the best cars ever made.great clip.
MAD SKILLS to the mini driver!
I don't think the mini driver ever had to touch his brakes. His little monster just went flat out as happy as can be.
Right, foot to the floor yelling go go go!!
Decent tyres a mini can stick on a fridge door
No idea what this is supposed to mean
Duh. OK VELCRO
@@Mandarin9900 he is exaggerating the amount of grip a mini cooper has with "a decent set of tires", saying that it is so grippy that it would "stick to a fridge" (such like a fridge magnet)
@@masonprophet6396 thanks man
@@masonprophet6396 COOPER TIRES.
mustang; " that goddam limey midget."
mini; "jolly good show old boy"
Every time I look in the mirror, that @^%$#(*!@ Mini is still there!
That wheelbase kicks butt in the corners. I saw a mini on the nubering and I want one now.
There was a mini van fitted with a non VTEC D16A engine doing a frankly mad lap of the Nurburgring on here some years ago. Probably still is!
Love the original mini cooper
I used to love watching the races back in the 70's and 80's, for precisely this reason. They used to run all the classes at once, which lead to some amazing races.
Then later in the 80's they changed it so different classes would run in different races, which lead to v8 racing taking dominance. Which to me took some of the soul out of it. It also meant the end of some drivers racing careers as their races no longer got any air time.
Used to love watching the mixed classes at Bathurst, now that was fun.
At least we have historic racing and the muscle car masters.
Four wheel drifting the mini 👍😊👍
Having owned one back in the day I can only compare the mini‘s handling to a shopping trolley. An absolute blast to drive.
I had a MK2 in 1982, 12.01 quarter mile at Oran park, road tires and no limited slip, didn't she upset some people at the street drags lol
Oran Park wasn't a quarter mile. I think it was 1000 feet, which is 320 feet short of a quarter mile. Still your MK2 would have been quick in those days.
@@robertsomerville5377 yeah i thought it was about 40m short
That Stang sounded glorious but the mini's handling certainly showed him a thing or two! Unfortunate that the finish line was so far down that straight. Even if the mini could pass, it couldn't hold its place.
2:35 those Understeer's are Massive..
And funnily enough, it wasn’t from the FWD car
YEP ! That smells like a Mustang ! Mini is just adorable and a heart of GOLD !
Some of the greatest battles in racing have been between these two cars. Especially on a tight track!
I wonder what would have happened if mini had put on a blower. Things that make you go hmm!
You forgot the car in third place, Ford Lotus Cortina, which won Australian Championships. The Aussie version also won Bathurst race twice.
I remember the Bulova Championship races, I think it was C Class sedans back in the late 70's at Mosport Park in Ontario Canada. On the track were Mustangs, Camaros, and Mini Coopers. The Minis would fall behind Mustangs and Camaros in the straights but it was like they were attached with a bungee cord as they would catch right up in the turns.
This Mini driver must have f**king big balls! Amazing race! I love the old times racing for such scenes.
Right!! Big brass beach balls cuz he's driving the absolute dog sh*t outa that Cooper.
I didn’t want that to end. Amazing racing!
you could probably fit the mini inside the engine bay of the mustang lmfao
Whoever is behind the wheel of that mini is some driver!
Almost scared him into first place!
😂
For years over here in Cape Town we had a guy in a Mazda R100 who would keep another in a Porsche on his toes like this. They'd usually be racing for the lead and a Mustang similar to this one, but probably not as tuned, would be left in the dust somewhere in the middle of the pack. That little R100 had the most beautiful squeal... 😍
I'm seeing that cool Cosworth Cortina too... absolutely classic old cars 👍
Lotus Cortina
Another mini driver who doesn't bother with his brakes. Just stick it into the corner and hang on. Awsome.
the sum of all Mustang fears, the vicious mini creeping up in their review mirror 👀
Driver can teach a class on momentum driving. Awesome job!
Like a little horsefly back there, just hard to shake it off, and don't sleep on the Cortina either. Great stuff!
Limerock Park is where I'd see these battles. The Mustangs excelled in the straights and usually had enough ability to hold off the angry-bumblebee sounding Minis in the bends. I read something at the event that the compression ratio was like almost 13 to one on those Minis. It was great to see such a variety of cars racing together at the vintage fest they have every Labor Day weekend.
This is absolutely fantastic. It’s just like Australia in the 60s watching the Mustang Mini, and the Cortina doing battle.
I love the Mustang sound, is fantastic 👍👍👍
The equivalent of a mouse hunting for a cat 😄 Awesome 👏
Amazing how well the Mustang held on its own on tight turns, kudos to those who did the modifications and to the driver too able to stay cool throughout the race.
That little thing blasts through those corners, it must be so fun to drive.
Just like in one of those racing videogames, stage 1 on where the only option consist on making the curves your killing zone keeping the foot down as long as possible, no breaking at all looking to complete the most dynamic lap. Pure skill.
And then you eventually get the top car with all the mods and go slumming in the basic classes to rack up some easy bucks one handed.
@@dchawk81 You are a visionary
That mini had the best sounding mill out there.Great driver.
These card are insanely quick. If you ever get a chance to see historia racing live, take it! 👍😎
The Cortina leaning and oversteering in the turns brought back memories. I saw a guy in one dust off a 427 Cobra at RIR in the late 60’s. The Cobra was fast until the first turn taken at about 60 MPH, when about 40 MPH would have kept him out of the weeds and in the battle.
I saw a race just like this. A Cobra, Alpha, and a Mini. The old Continental Divide RaceWay. The Cobra and Alpha would get away from the Mini on the long front straight. But once they got into the first turn, there was the Mini. I don't think the Mini ever got out of the throttle.
Nice video! The whole time I was rooting for the Lotus Cortina because I had one for 3 years back in the late 70s. The Mini had to be tuned to the hilt to keep up like that.
Maybe that Cortina had the Lotus engine that was assembled in the Lotus factory and not the Ford factory ha ha
Awesome......reminds me a few years ago, I was on Hwy 9 in Georgia on my way back to Florida......I was driving a bone stock 2001 SVT Lightning and this guy had a newer Mini Coupe and tried to make a move on me......well, it was 0 Dark-thirty and I wasn't having any of that and if any of you know "Running Shine on Hwy 9" has lots of curves and straights.... I was leaving that little sucker in the wind on the straights and when I hit the curves he was right back on on me and I mean on me, and folks a Lightning can perform on both. This went on for miles. We finally gave up, stopped and talked an hour I bet.....That sucker was like a gnat on me.....NEVER underestimate a Mini Coupe......True Story.
Total respect for the mini.
Holy crap that mini is insane
I used to play a PC game called GT Legends, that had these events in it. I changed all of the music files to what I considered more appropriate. Themes from Bullit, The Sweeney, The Professionals and alike. They were played randomly and now and then it was a perfect match. Like when you were driving a Mini and the theme from The Italian Job came on.
Forcing the stang into overshooting the corner. Barking at the heels. Great footage.
Fun cars the old models , as a young bloke I owned a warm 289 falcon and also a standard ish 😊68 morris mini with the 1000 cc engine , the little mini was great fun in the mountains , the little 289 was a good highway cruiser , it would sit on 90 mph all day long. A friend of the family had an original 1963 cooper S complete with factory flared guards .
I don’t know if the gearing was different in the early coopers , but OMFG it was fast through the gears , he took me for a spin in it , I was hanging on for grim death😊, and he had a huge smile on his face.
The Mini is the horsefly that can’t get swatted away 😂😂😂😂😂
"The GT on my Mustang is an emblem of invincibility. Can you keep up to READ IT?!"
I think the Mini is close enough that the lettering is under the hood line! Nice reference though haha
Wow, brings back a lot of memories and good memories
Had a similar similar experience 35 years ago. My 63 Cadillac, 390 cu. in. 335 hp against a 2000 cc Toyota on windy Fiddletown Road on the way to skiing in the Sierras in California. Caddy in the lead. No room to pass. V8 Caddy losing the four banger at any stretch resembling straight. Four banger kissing Caddy rear bumper every tight curve. Over and over for miles. Loved it. Fond memories. By the way had the 210 cm skies crosswise in the trunk
Luv me some Cadillacs. I just purchased a 41 and 47 Cadillac grills. They found me cheap.
Difference between quick and fast. Had a '72 corolla in HS. My 71 cubic inches had no chance against those 283 and up engines in a straightaway, but could dust them in neighborhood racing.
Good stuff. The mustang sounds sweet. That mini is pissing round those corners.
Several years ago, I attended some races at Virginia International Raceway with camera in hand. I got a great picture of a Mini going around a left-hand turn and its left rear wheel was completely off the ground. I also saw a guy barrel-roll a Shelby Mustang.
Saw the Mini v. Mustang Shelby battle it out in the late '80s at Watkins Glen Drivers' Classic, amongst 396 Super Jet Stingrays. It surprised me to see the Mini hold it's own with no bus stop back then as they ran the vintage grand prix configuration. In the back stretch they were coming into the outer loop close to 180 mph, but the mini would close the gap in the boot and esses.
Mini Cooper S won Bathurst outright in the late 60’s. Never underestimate them
Poetry and motion what a beautiful dance between those two