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What is Kimini?
Kimini is a one-off custom car that I designed and built over a period of 10 years. It is tube-frame, with a carbon fiber shell, and a Honda Prelude VTEC drivetrain mounted mid-engine - it's far from ordinary. Kimini has appeared in many magazines, including a cover shot for the November 2006 issue of Grass Roots Motorsports. Kimini is registered as a 1961 Austin Mini, so it is completely street legal and no issues with California emission laws. The car is insured through Grundy for approximately $240 a year.
While it resembles a Mini Cooper, that's about the only thing it has in common. The only true Mini parts are Mk 1 slide-window doors, Mk1 Mini windscreen, and Mini lights. What I ended up with is a 200hp, 1600lbs sports car with is all the benefits of a Mini but with the reliability of a Honda. If a part breaks, just stop by the parts store and get a part for a 1995 Honda Prelude.
I purchased an authentic 1961 Austin Mini (a true rust bucket) and kept only the doors and sold everything else. Kimini is therefore a "rebodied" Mini, though there are basically zero authentic Mini parts in her (as is the case with many American hot rods.) The chassis is tube frame with an integral roll cage, including a stainless floor for rust protection and to prevent road debris from coming inside. The title is clear, I have the pink slip and the car has a legal VIN tag.
Condition:
Roughly 4500 miles since completion. The 1995 Honda Prelude VTEC engine had 12000 miles on it when purchased, so it now has 16,500 miles on it. The engine has never been rebuilt, the 16k miles is from brand new, due to buying it in 1996 and not using it until two years ago.
The only damage is where I hit an autocross cone with the rear edge of the driver's-side front fender. It cracked the body filler but did not damage the carbon. I injected epoxy into the crack, clamping it until it setup. The hairline crack is hard to see unless pointed out.
Features:
Weight:1595 lb.
Weight distribution: 41F/59R
Height: 44"
Length: 115"
Width: 64"
Wheelbase: 80" (same as stock Mini)
Front track: 57"
Rear track: 54"
CG height: 16"
Front suspension: A-arm, upper rocker arm, inboard Koni double-adjustable shocks, cut-down 280ZX uprights
Rear suspension: Trailing links + lateral links, Koni double-adjustable shocks, custom uprights
Wheels : Taylor LiteSpeed, 13" x 7" front, 13" x 8" rear
Steering: Triumph Spitfire rack, stock
Tires: Kumho V710s, 215-50-13 all around, approx 400 miles on tires
Engine: Mid-mounted 1995 Honda Prelude VTEC, 2.2 liter, stock internals
Custom header and exhaust
Custom intake
8 lb. Fidanza aluminum flywheel
Crank HP: 215
ECU: Stock Honda P13
Transmission: Stock Honda 5-speed + Quaife limited-slip differential
Axles: Custom, Summers Brothers
Hp/wt: 8.0
Hp/ton: 250
Fuel tank: 10 gal. Fuel-Safe fuel cell (true rubber bladder and foam)
Radiator: Griffin Ford
Brakes: Front: Wilwood calipers + stock 10" Nissan 280ZX discs
Rear: Mazda RX-7 calipers + cut down front Honda Prelude discs
Brake master cylinders: Tilton 0.813"
Seats: Cobra
Steering wheel: Momo
Instruments: Autopower + SPA tach/speedo
Lights: Stock Mk1 Mini + LED center-mount brake light
Windows: Stock Mk1 Mini windscreen, scratch-resistant Lexan for all others
0–60 mph: 3.9 sec. (starting in second gear)
Quarter-mile: 12.7 sec.
Top speed: 127 mph (gear-limited)
History:
Design began in 1995 and construction started a year later. Construction took about ten years(!) and after completion, it was used in for autocross and trackday events, many car shows, and simply for cruising.
Kimini gets a LOT of attention wherever I take her. Children think she's cool. Women think she's "cute" and guys like her because of the kick-ass engine, carbon shell, and light weight. Kimini is best summed up by a teenage girl who said, "Oh my God, that is like, so cool."
Why am I selling her?
Simply put, it's too nice a car to abuse on-track, a car that, to me, is simply worth too much to risk writing off, something I never realized during construction. Kimini is so much like a "real car" that it should be treated as one. Cruising down the coast highway, running on twisty mountain roads, car shows, but not on a race track - at least not for me. I just don't have the will to repair any serious composite damage incured at the track. Instead, I rather build something new with less composite in it. Yes, I'm very aware of my screwed-up logic, that instead of fixing crash damage over several weeks, I rather spend several years building a new car!
Selling Kimini frees up space and capital for the next project, and to me, I rather sell Kimini while she's in great shape, instead of waiting, having something dire happen and never be able to recoup anything. Also, I don't want to be repairing Kimini at the same time I have a new chassis in the garage. While I could store her somewhere during the next build, that's just not how I do things. I keep my projects compartmentalized, completing one then moving on to the next.
Buyer requirements - read this!
In general you need to be very mechanically adept to own any one-off car. If you:
don't know which end of a wrench to hold
can't read wiring diagrams
don't know your way around an engine
have no idea what camber, caster, or toe is
don't want to work on the car...
you may as well look elsewhere. Kimini has never left me stranded, however, she (like any race car) cannot be treated as a production car, either. Kimini is designed for the track, twisty back roads, or cruising, not for daily transportation. Kimini does Not have a heater or air-conditioning, though you can always add one.) If your summers are hot, Kimini will be, too, due to the small slider windows and no A/C (just like any car would be).
You need to be about 5'-8" to 6'-0" and slim to fit Kimini. Also, you need to have size 10 1/2 or smaller feet to fit the pedals (hey, it's a small car.) If you have your heart set on it, you can relocate the seat foward, but it'll require cutting and welding as there are no alternative mounts. It cannot be moved back due to being bolted to the roll cage. The seat is bolted in and does not have sliders.
It also helps if you have a petite significant other since there's not much leg room on the passenger side. I've ridden along as passenger but I can't stretch my legs.
Shipping and payment:
I'm in Southern California so a local buyer certainly makes things easier. However, in these days of the Net the world's become a lot smaller. If you really want the car, there are shipping companies that arrange all shipping and pick up the car up for you. I only require that funds be in my account before this happens!
I recommend checking out the car in person... and so I can check you out, much as a pilot unfamiliar with a new aircraft is checked out. I will not sell Kimini to someone I feel isn't mechanically adept - or is flat out too dangerous. I also will not offer rides to anyone who isn't very serious.
Disclaimer
I built Kimini to the best of my ability, but I am not a professional automotive engineer. I run the car on public streets, autocrosses, and track events - and trust the car with my life. However, as is true with all cars, it will kill you if you disregard maintenence or drive stupid in general. It has very quick steering so you have to pay attention. The car comes with no warranty whatsoever. However, I will give telephone technical support after the sale, answering all questions and helping to solve any issues. Expect to be asked to sign a Release of Liability that says, in effect, the car will kill you and you understand that - no screwing around with lawyer-speak.
I highly recommend going to www.kimini.com and reading through the site - it will take hours. There is a complete build diary covering the 10-year construction, on-track videos, and even a book I wrote on how to build your own mid-engine sports car based upon commonly-available FWD drivetrains, http://www.kimini.com/book_info/
FAQ
What’s with the name, "Kimini," and how is it pronounced?
My wife’s name, Kim, plus “Mini”—pronounced “Kim-many.” (Yes, I know it’s not pronounced correctly!)
When did you start the project?
Thinking about it started in 1995; design started in 1996; and construction in 1998, with the car on the road by the end of 2005.
Is it a kit?
No, scratch-built. The carbon fiber shell was made by a friend, and this is the only one in existence. I started with nothing but the shell; the only authentic Mini parts are the doors, windshield, and lights.
So you put your own shell on an old Mini?
No, there are no original Mini parts other than the doors, glass, and lights. I fabricated the chassis from scratch. (Many people have a hard time understanding that there isn't a Mini underneath.)
And it is street-legal?
Yes, registered in California as a 1961 Mini.
Does it get a lot of attention?
Tons of attention! Kids love it, women think it's "cute", and guys like it for the carbon shell and high power to weight.
What cars influenced the design?
The sparse, raw aluminum look of 1960s race cars, especially the original Ford GT-40 and the utter simplicity and functionality of the Lotus Super-7.
How long did it take to build?
About 3500–4000 hours total, but a lot more, if time spent thinking about it is counted.
Did you have a schedule?
No, schedules are for work; the car project was for fun.
Why’d you use the Honda H22A1; I would have used a...
It was the engine to have back in 1996 when the car was designed. There was no Honda K20, or Hayabusa, or—. When you build a car from scratch, you can use anything you want.
How much did it cost?
About $25K for parts (which gives you a hint for where the reserve price is roughly set.)
What’s the 0–60 time?
Starting in second and hitting fuel cutoff results in 3.9 secs. (because I don’t have to shift). Shifting at a more reasonable rpm - and not cooking the clutch - results in an easy 4.6 secs.
What does it do the quarter-mile in?
My tach/speedo has a built-in quarter-mile timer, which, during a single attempt on a deserted road, gave 12.7 secs. Since it takes two shifts (2-3-4), there’s more time to be had because I shift slowly. It could probably get down to 12.4 or so but that’s speculation. Yes, I know, “no time slip = no street cred.” On the other hand, the tach/speedo starts the timer as soon as the car moves, unlike real drag racing, where the timer starts when the wheel rolls a foot or so in the timing box. The point is, the actual time will be slightly faster.
Do you sell a kit or plans?
No, it’s too much work for the few people who would actually put down money. Besides, with my book you can design and build your own.
What’s it get for mileage?
I can’t fill it up in the traditional sense, letting the gas station filler valve automatically cut off, because it would overfill the fuel cell. Because of this, it’s hard to know exactly how much fuel has been added. A guess is 25 mpg average.
It must be really hot inside when you drive it.
All through winter and spring I wear a sweatshirt because it's cool. The center tunnel gets a little warm due to the coolant lines, as does the rear bulkhead window, but it’s not bad. Driving in the middle of summer is a different story; it’s a small car with no air conditioning with small windows. It's typically about 10º warmer inside the car than outside.
It must be really noisy to drive.
Not really, it' actually quite civilized. A number of passangers express surprise and say it's like a "real car."
It must have a really harsh ride.
It's firm but not harsh. If you've ever ridden in a Lotus Super Seven, it's a much softer ride than that. Some passangers express surprise how smoothly it rides, like a "real car."
How did you reverse the transmission so it goes forward?
A surprisingly common question. Picture lifting the FWD drivetrain out of a Honda Prelude, walking back six feet to the rear of the car, and setting it back down. That's all that's happening. "Forward" to the engine is still "forward" to the car.
How do you fit?
That’s the beauty of building a car from scratch: you start with the driver and design the car to fit, not the other way around. It fits like a custom glove.
On May-13-08 at 08:10:07 PDT, seller added the following information:
I forgot a couple things: The color of Kimini is metallic silver (VW paint code LA7). The light color helps keep the composite cool. Also, a custom trailer is available, with a single 4"-drop torsion spring axle. The axle is placed further to the rear than with most trailers to compensate for the rear weight distribution of the car. The trailer is powdercoated in matching gray and comes with a quick release coupler and stand. It is set up for a 2" ball and has a 7-way (I think) electrical connector. The winning bidder will have the option to buy it at a reasonable price.
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