Photo: sammy_martin11
MINI did build a bunch of strange cars over the years. However, none of them had any link to American car culture. On the other hand, this random rat rod build we found is pure creativity and deserves your attention.
There's not a lot you can do with Mk1 MINIs. They're cheap, yes. But the one this build is based on probably had a tiny engine that wouldn't run, some leaky roof problems or an automatic that had seen a quarter-million miles.
Not worth the trouble, right? Sure, it's cheap, but there's not a lot you can do with it. The convertible is soggy compared to its hardtop counterpart, so autocross is a bad idea. Also, MINI's weird hood limits your engine swap options, so the most interesting ones usually being from a motorcycle.
However, builder Sammy Martin decided to completely ignore convention and made a cool rat rod as you've never seen before. Details are lacking, to say the least, but the unibody MINI now appears to rest on a fresh ladder chassis. We think this was custom-made for this car, partly because it perfectly fits the body, but also because the grinder marks are fresh.
This ultra-weird build has obviously swapped its old transversely-mounted 1.6-liter for a small-block V8, probably of theFord Chevy variety, probably matched to a muscle car rear axle. We can't wait to see what kind of headers the builder has in mind, as the front suspension already looks extremely unconventional. This thing probably likes to sit on the ground when nobody is looking. And for some reason, the MINI thinks it's a Mercedes too (see the grille).
It wouldn't be a rat rod without some old truck wheels and chunky tires that stick out like a sore thumb. All she needs now is a theme and a cool name. MINI Road Kill or MINI Redrum for a nightmare theme.
Not worth the trouble, right? Sure, it's cheap, but there's not a lot you can do with it. The convertible is soggy compared to its hardtop counterpart, so autocross is a bad idea. Also, MINI's weird hood limits your engine swap options, so the most interesting ones usually being from a motorcycle.
However, builder Sammy Martin decided to completely ignore convention and made a cool rat rod as you've never seen before. Details are lacking, to say the least, but the unibody MINI now appears to rest on a fresh ladder chassis. We think this was custom-made for this car, partly because it perfectly fits the body, but also because the grinder marks are fresh.
This ultra-weird build has obviously swapped its old transversely-mounted 1.6-liter for a small-block V8, probably of the
It wouldn't be a rat rod without some old truck wheels and chunky tires that stick out like a sore thumb. All she needs now is a theme and a cool name. MINI Road Kill or MINI Redrum for a nightmare theme.
Google News