Abandoned FIA race car project Midas GT1400

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Abandoned FIA race car project Midas GT1400

Postby wilsonlaidlaw » Sun Jan 15, 2017 12:20 pm

I bought the shell of one of I believe two factory built Midas GT cars from Alternative Cars in 2004. It was originally first registered in Feb 1980. Alternative Cars had intended to restore it, possibly to a race car but did not have the time (or maybe the funds). I had a Mini Cooper S, with a dead bodyshell and was looking to build an FIA eligible classic/historic race car, for which it is very difficult to get papers for kit built cars, so the factory build was a considerable asset. I have the V5C from 2004 which shows registration number KDD 822V and chassis number D010012. The powerplant donated from the Cooper S is a 1400cc stage 3 Mini Speed engine but since uprated from the original single point EFI with new and unused SU carburettors on a competition manifold (I forget if they are 1½" or 1¾ but can check). It has all the usual bits, duplex cam drive, roller bearing high lift rockers, tubular steel, exhaust manifold. new replacement solid state distributor, competition pin differential and I have all the original Mini Speed invoices for around £3000 for this engine. This engine had done around 8,000 miles in my Cooper S, before the floor pan split and the corrosion on the body shell was deemed too bad to warrant repair. With the SU's, the engine should make well in excess of 115 BHP, dependant on camshaft fitted.

The engine is installed together with all new rear suspension, with a new fabricated beam rear axle. All new brake lines have been fitted. It has MiniFin drums at the back and Cooper discs at the front. Unfortunately for the Midas project, in 2005 and the following years two other major projects intervened. I purchased and started restoring a Le Corbusier style house in the south of France. In a California scrap yard, I found a scrapped 1977 Porsche 911 RSR, which I have restored and converted into a Group 2 tarmac rally car. Then old injuries sustained in an accident in a race car many years before started to make themselves very apparent again. This all meant the Midas project just got left at the stage it had got to in 2005.

Most of the parts are with the Midas to complete the project. The major parts missing are the windscreen (Fiat 126), one door window frame, a set of Allegro headlights, a set of 13" wheels and tyres with the correct offset (currently fitted with Mini Cooper 12" Minilites and Yokohama tarmac rally tyres, which could be used with spacers and longer studs). The parts are all sitting in the car but over the years have got a bit grubby and covered in hay dust. It will need some instruments so I would have bought a Stack race instrument panel. The fuel tank (a Mini Van one) is there but might not be usuable. There is a new and unused radiator. The bonnet will need modifying to accommodate the big block engine.

My wife needs the space as she is going to raise Dexter Cows and we are converting our current barn to wholly being used for animals and animal feed, rather than just animal feed as at the moment plus the Midas, the Porsche and two tractors. We will build another garage but I would really like to gain the space occupied by the Midas, so I can also keep my non-rally Porsche 911 in a garage, rather than living outside as it does now. My son, who is a graduate engineer was going to take the project over but now, with a young child, that is off the menu.

No reasonable offer will be refused for this project, as it has to go. If anyone is interested PM me and I can send you some photos and give you my contact details so we can discuss in detail. The car is in Chailey near Lewes in East Sussex.
wilsonlaidlaw
 
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Re: Abandoned FIA race car project Midas GT1400

Postby Inim666 » Sun Jan 15, 2017 6:31 pm

I have sent a pm
Inim666
 
Posts: 79
Joined: Thu May 16, 2013 9:18 pm

Re: Abandoned FIA race car project Midas GT1400

Postby l_jonez » Sun Jan 15, 2017 7:52 pm

I'd be interested in any other information on these cars.
Are the shells any different etc? Any pictures?
l_jonez
 
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Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2015 4:37 pm


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