My Modified Mini-SS

My 1962 Austin "Mini SS"
My other nickname is Marshmallow
Click on the image for details
Apologies to Chevrolet, but I'm going to borrow the "Super Sport" name from them for my Mini. What's so "SS" about this car? How about a 1400cc engine, Weber 45DCOE carb, 3.21:1 final drive ratio, no rear seats, plexiglass windows (except for the front windshield), radiator in the rear (no trunk), rear beam axle (no rusty rear subframe) and fiberglass frontend? In short, this car is built for power to weight ratio! If that ain't enough, it's got a nasty surprise hooked up, to improve my power to weight ratio even more.
Estimated top speed: 115 mph (185 km/h) @ 6500 rpm
I've taken it up to 6000 rpm (106 mph, 170 km/h) so far.
So just how tiny is the Mini? On my recent drive on Skyline Blvd (Hwy 35), I took the opportunity to park next to a VW Golf which is considered a compact car. Lengthwise, my Mini doesn't quite reach the rear wheel arch of this four door Golf! (I lined up the rear of the Mini exactly to the front of the Golf - note my Mini's shortness in the photo below) If you want to see a more dramatic photo of Mini's size, check out Jeremiah's Mini parked next to a Lincoln Continental!
Skyline Blvd. (Hwy 35) is probably the prettiest and most fun drive in the San Francisco Bay Area. The road goes from San Francisco coast all the way down to Saratoga and Los Gatos. The fun stretch is between Highway 92 and Highway 9. The road is fast and twisty, making it quite a thrill. It's a high performance playground where I see Ferraris and motorcycles. On a clear day, you can see the three highest peaks in the Bay Area: Mt. Tamalpais, Mt. Diablo, and Mt. Hamilton. You also get the entire panoramic view from San Jose all the way to San Francisco. (and a view of the Pacific Ocean, too) Winter time is probably the best time to cruise on up to Hwy 35, as the fog covers the area often during other seasons.

Check out more Hwy 35 adventures and Jeremiah's Yellow Mini,
and Minis on top of Mount Tamalpais

Also, check out the map of Hwy 35.

Mount Hamilton and San Jose
The cluster of buildings you see is downtown San Jose, while the mountain top with the white domes is Mount Hamilton, altitude 4213'. Wouldn't it be cool if I could take my Mini up there? Why don't you click on the image and find out!
I've recently taken my Mini-SS to Sears Point Raceway for drag racing. Because of weather, they limited the participants to 1/8 mile sprints, where my E.T. was 10.442 @ 70.526 mph. (I didn't use my nasty surprise.) I was given a formula to estimate 1/4 mile time from 1/8 mile time, which is ((1/8mi time)+0.22)/0.655 which equals 16.28. After looking at my 1969 Mach I's 1/8 mile time (10.224 @ 68.368 mph) which resulted in 1/4 mile of 15.993 @ 85.106 mph, I now believe my Mini is capable of 1/4 mile in high 15 seconds.

OK, yeah, so how about Minis in general?
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