This build is well underway and on some other forums. Just thought I'd share here. This is my second Mini Cooper race car build. The first was on here I think quite a few years ago. Here are some build videos to start of with. I'll follow up with more if there is interest. :)
Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-Cfvejm6lg
excellent!!!
FRIGGIN SWEET!!!!
Cool. Single, central seat?
General layout (my son as the test dummy)
Fitting the owner to the Chassis
The shop and BS session going on.
Greg, you're insane.
I love it. 
Which forum(s) do you have the build posted on? I don't browse the MINI forums much anymore.
Not to be rude, but what does a chassis like that cost to build? Just wondering because I have some insane ideas that would require something like that and my buddy and I have been wondering what a chassis would cost to build.
Conquest351 wrote: Not to be rude, but what does a chassis like that cost to build? Just wondering because I have some insane ideas that would require something like that and my buddy and I have been wondering what a chassis would cost to build.
Really, not a whole lotta of money. Maybe $900 to $1,200 in material, just for the chassis though, not including the suspension.
onasled wrote:Conquest351 wrote: Not to be rude, but what does a chassis like that cost to build? Just wondering because I have some insane ideas that would require something like that and my buddy and I have been wondering what a chassis would cost to build.Really, not a whole lotta of money. Maybe $900 to $1,200 in material, just for the chassis though, not including the suspension.
So if one were to approach you to build a chassis to accept off the shelf suspension components, a $3-5k budget would do it?
In reply to Conquest351:
Yea, I would say in the area of that. Depends on the size and design. Would also need to know the drivetrain. Works best if all that stuff is here so correct suspension geometry and chassis balance could be set up in the best possible manner. Makes it a bit complicated for someone far away. I'd be happy to entertain this if you were interested.
In reply to onasled:
Let me get all my ducks in a row and we will definitely talk sir!!
And more along. Suspension in the works here.
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Fantastic build! I'm looking forward to seeing more of it. Keep uo the great work!
Here are some more detailed shots of the front suspension. This was a slight redo from try number 1, as I just was not really happy with some of the chassis pickup locations I had first designed. Pictures show uprights I built. I had planned on milling them from 7071 but figured best to do them quick and simple out of square steel tubing and run them like that to make sure all works as planned. 7071 will be milled later.
Hubs are Mini Cooper front bolt on hubs. Same will be used on the rear
New Wilwoods for the fronts, which are the same as the rear will be.
Also steering rack, which is factory Mini (budget decision) is in place
Working out correct motion ratios here for the pushrod suspension with a wood template of the bellcrank. Took three different designs to get it worked out so I have a 1:1 motion ratio with a slightly rising rate.
Being a grass roots shop with limited equipment, I band sawed out the shape of the rocker from a chuck of 7071 aluminum. Then milled out the pivot to accept needle bearings and thrust bearing.
Then time to take away the weight. No CNC so all done freehand on the old Tree mill.
Making the pivot pickups was a bit complicated on the frame due to the compound angled top bar. Shown here all installed with temporary pushrods. Smaller ones will be used.
Am I missing something or is there no caster in your front end set up?
Your missing something. 
Yes, there is a built in 5 degrees in the upright and caster is easily adjustable via the upper control arm.
If you look at the pics you can see there is caster built into the upright.
Note to self, stop looking at pictures on my phone.
I will admit this is a bit of armchair engineering, but do you have some form of bracing planned for the front UCA mounts on the chassis? it looks like under braking those could see a considerable amount of rotational force trying to twist them off the front of the frame, which wouldn't be good at all. Also, is there any cross bracing planned for the front suspension as a whole? the LCA pickups look fairly well located, but the UCA pickups look like they don't have much structure keeping them from moving around under load, other than the torsional and bending stiffness of the tubes they are attached to. I love the work you're doing, and I'm a huge Mini guy, I just wanna make sure the front end isn't going to fold up the first hard turn you take after a braking zone 
In reply to Slyp_Dawg:
Arm chair comments are absolutely OK here.
There is still a decent amount of bracing to be done in the chassis, in fact that is already under way in the front. I wait until all the components are in place, such as the control arm pickups, shocks, bellcranks, pushrods, steering rack, tie rods and pedals before I do my bracing so I know where I can and can not place it so it does not interfere with these components. Also make installing these things much easier when you don't have to twist your body through an outer layer jungle gym of tubes to get to the welds on the inner parts. I work my way out rather then in.
Also, in the third video you can see me install that upper front cross brace, but later removed it so I I didn't have to work around it.
Not a great picture to illustrate this, but you can see in it that the bracing has been started up front.
This is a close up of the UCA.
Arrows show forces under braking.
Placing factory body parts over the chassis to get things lined up for any body tabs and whatnot. Most important was getting the windshield base support in the correct placement as it will be the starting point to the entire body. Body molds will be done over the winter,
Here you can see how narrow the chassis is to the original body. This is looking from the back to the front. I highlighted the edge of the door in black to help you see what you are looking at. The red arrow shows where the crush zone will be constructed.
Getting the wheel and pedals in place
Body back off and now time to focus on rear suspension.
In reply to onasled:
You have a PM sir...
In reply to Conquest351:
Don't seem to see even where I can find my messages here. 
Feel free to email me at gavasileff at gmail dot com.
In reply to onasled:
Message OTW
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