Mini Aerodynamics - MTN 1982

[mab01uk]

For interest here is a scan from Dave Vizards 'Mini Tech News' magazine - March 1982, available long before all the current Mini magazines appeared in 1990's, also note me listed as 'Roving Reporter'
(I have a more in-depth technical report on Mini aerodynamics stored away somewhere in my loft but can't seem to locate it at the moment.........)

'Mini Aerodynamics' article and diagrams below by Peter Davney

[pad4]

very interesting indeed - it surprised me just how much air gets packed under the bonnet, not something you see with a steel bonnet but when i first took the 8 port out the lift in the grp bonnet skin was bloody alarming - not wanting to cut holes in the bonnet or anything im thinking of somehow trying to vent the air out from the engine bay through air tubes that go **somewhere else** and take the air with it

many years ago i also noticed after fitting a beam axle that the back of the car went alarmingly light and had a mind of its own at speed - simple cutting of holes in the valence cured this instantly

i remember also making a wrap around front windscreen for Barry Murphey ( i think it was) , the screen covered the vertical seems and the top gutter - apparantly it worked a treat but i never saw him again after that

pad

[Pete]

Alec Poole told me that he experimented with an undertray on his deseamed racing Hornet to reduce drag, motor racing seemed to come alive to 'aero tuning' from about 1966/7 and several race cars in the 60's actually did utilise louvres cut into the A panels, the first and best known of which would have been Trickett's Minisprint racer I would have thought. As many posters here will know that car also had streamlined external hinges and cockpit airflow with louvres cut into the C posts. Louvres in the bonnet does make sense, my bonnet goes up quicker than an Essex girl's nighty!

[mk1]

Very interesting stuff!

Thanks again Martin.

[YMJ]

yes, good stuff. Unfortunately no good for me.......unless I'm caught!

[pad4]

I think Rich should have that bonnet vent in his Cox - on the roof like an old fiat x19

pad

[vegar]

It was also a article on this subject in Racecar Engineering a couple of years ago. I used to have the article in PDF, but my laptop crashed. Anyone seen this article lately??

[mab01uk]

Back in the 1970's many Free Formula Special Saloon Mini racers cut out the boot floor to save weight and then added an aluminium undertray under the rear subframe curved up to the rear panel. This also allowed a small alloy petrol tank to be fitted low down within the rear subframe. The exhaust on my brothers racer passed through inside the undertray while I remember some were diverted out sideways just in front of the rear wheel.......

This was my older brothers 850 Special Saloon Mini racer below with a sheet aluminium rear undertray fitted back in 1973.



Period '70's photo below of our same race Mini (note the cut-outs in the 'A' panels) with me age 16 in the background. Also note the old Brands paddock bays with corrugated tin roofing.......Happy Days!



(The front mounted radiator was std BMC 1100 (I think) turned sideways with the filler neck soldered up and another standard Mini rad header tank soldered onto a flat blanking plate and mounted remotely on the original thermostat bracket)

[mk1]

Fantastic pictures!

I note that our own Rich is still sporting a hair (not) cut similar to the one you were modelling 30 years ago