VTEC Screamer: 1970 Mini with Honda Power

It is a cool autumn day and you decide to take a drive in your vintage British built Mini.   You don your favorite plaid golf cap, slip on a pair of well worn driving gloves, and fire up the old gal.  After warming up the engine you scoot down the road to your favorite set of essess on the way to a nice coffee shop.  Entering the turn you brake hard to get the front end to bite, turn in and mash the right pedal to the floor and calmly wait for rpms to build —WHOA! the steering wheel violently jerks in your hand, both front wheels leave black lines on the pavement as the engine bounces off its revv limiter and you understeer dangerously into oncoming traffic…what just happened?  Oh yeah, you forgot that you picked up this 1970 Mini with VTEC Honda power offered here on eBay bidding for $15,100 reserve-not-met with one day to go, located in Woodbridge, VA.

It takes a heavy foot to keep up with basic traffic in a stock classic Mini, but one modified with a 190 horsepower Honda engine and 5-speed gearbox will have no problem keeping up with modern sports cars.   This one looks really nicely prepared and bidding price is likely nowhere near the cost to build it.

Powering this Frankenstein is a Honda B18c4, a 1.8 liter 4-banger that is fed via a set of Jenvey individual throttle bodies (ITBs) and controlled with an AEM standalone engine management system.  It was dyno’d with 160 horsepower at the wheels (est 190hp crank) which will be more than enough to drag the lightweight Mini body around.

Right hand drive is one of those love/hate things, you’ll either dig it or find that you can’t live without fast food or tollbooths. Personally I’d prefer a left-hand-drive version, but I’d have a right-hand-drive weekend car just for the novelty. 

 See a more tossable city car? tips@dailyturismo.com