General Discussion

MineralMan

(150,509 posts)

50. The Minis? Yes, indeed.

Tue Jan 1, 2019, 02:06 PM

Jan 2019

The one I had had a 1275cc engine that had been swapped into it, tuned pretty hot. The one time I remember best was on a very winding mountain road, downhill. I was just trucking along at a fast, but modest speed, when a bathtub Porsche, also from the 50s came up from behind. The driver wasn't all that amused with my pace, and kept flashing his brights at me.

So, I just shifted down one gear, floored it, and when I shifted again, I was making pretty good speed. After about five miles, the Porsche driver apparently got the willies and backed off. Now, uphill, the Porsche could probably have beaten my little Mini, but downhill, the go-cart-like handling of the Mini let me out-corner the Porsche. There weren't all that many Minis around at the time, and mine was faster than most. It was also death on everyone on a tight gymkhana course. Fun times.

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Nader killed the Corvair [View all] Guppy Jan 2019 OP

Nadir worked with the car companies to WhiteTara Jan 2019 #1

Probably true Guppy Jan 2019 #3

This message was self-deleted by its author elocs Jan 2019 #2

except video was a logical extension. Nader killed a very dependable car. n/t Guppy Jan 2019 #4

My great-granddad never forgave him for that-- dawg day Jan 2019 #5

Neither did my dad. My first car and second, corvairs. 63 coupe and 65 Monza. SammyWinstonJack Jan 2019 #16

Loved my first car, a '63 Corvair. Ran great, always started in subzero weather, always drove well SharonAnn Jan 2019 #41

The Corvair was never any Porsche, but there were plenty of guys out there who... TreasonousBastard Jan 2019 #6

watch the video Guppy Jan 2019 #12

I watched the video-- the Stinger was highly modified and had little to do with... TreasonousBastard Jan 2019 #15

I had a datsun 510 Guppy Jan 2019 #18

Those are cool cars, I always liked them. NT Hotler Jan 2019 #39

My friend had a great saying Guppy Jan 2019 #43

I like small engines making gobs of power....... Hotler Jan 2019 #48

The best sound are the Guppy Jan 2019 #53

I guess those corvairs couldn't compete with Porsches Guppy Jan 2019 #63

Wheeler Dealers did an episode about this ProudLib72 Jan 2019 #32

Second version Guppy Jan 2019 #44

Here you go ProudLib72 Jan 2019 #58

This message was self-deleted by its author elocs Jan 2019 #7

Green Party Freddie Jan 2019 #8

This message was self-deleted by its author elocs Jan 2019 #9

Every November? I only hear about them every November of presidential elections... brush Jan 2019 #35

+1 dalton99a Jan 2019 #10

The Greens are the cicadas of American politics. GoneOffShore Jan 2019 #36

That was my point. Guppy Jan 2019 #13

We had one of the original ones. It was a fun car to drive. I still like and drive small cars. Hoyt Jan 2019 #11

Dooga dooga dooga dooga dooga? ret5hd Jan 2019 #14

My cousin and a friend were driving about 90mph in one... kentuck Jan 2019 #17

Read the reports. It was just as safe as any other car at the time. Guppy Jan 2019 #20

The earliest models suffered wheel hop JohnnyRingo Jan 2019 #24

Sway bars would have stopped it in the beginning but GM was cheap... Historic NY Jan 2019 #26

Untrue Guppy Jan 2019 #46

Fuck Ralph Nader. WhiskeyGrinder Jan 2019 #19

my point exactly. Guppy Jan 2019 #21

I had a '67 in high school. JohnnyRingo Jan 2019 #22

I once owned a 1960 2-door Corvair. MineralMan Jan 2019 #23

The bugeye Sprite was the real keeper. brush Jan 2019 #37

Yes. I wish I still had it. MineralMan Jan 2019 #45

Oh, those things were a terror on wheels for the unexpecting who challenged them. brush Jan 2019 #47

The Minis? Yes, indeed. MineralMan Jan 2019 #50

Sounds like you had some good times back in the day with your cars. brush Jan 2019 #54

For a failure 1.8 million sold is some feat... Historic NY Jan 2019 #25

I would love to drive one Guppy Jan 2019 #28

Our old car club had a guy with a tubo version.... Historic NY Jan 2019 #31

Porshe's had a flat 6 Guppy Jan 2019 #33

Au contraire snowybirdie Jan 2019 #27

They were not Guppy Jan 2019 #29

Not necessarily any more unsafe than other cars. That's how cops put an end to car chases. brush Jan 2019 #38

Au Contraire, redux ProfessorGAC Jan 2019 #59

Hey folks snowybirdie Jan 2019 #60

This topic was really about what a shithead Nader is. Guppy Jan 2019 #61

Absolutely! snowybirdie Jan 2019 #62

I had a '65 Corvair Achilleaze Jan 2019 #30

My very first car was spartan61 Jan 2019 #34

Years ago I remember hearing that Nader never had a driver's license MichMan Jan 2019 #40

I own a '64 Lakewood Wagon - anybody in the market? Kali Jan 2019 #42

Those always remind me of what a BMW wagon would have looked like. MineralMan Jan 2019 #51

it is a cool old car, but I just don't have the skills or motivation to restore or keep it running Kali Jan 2019 #55

Somewhere, someone wants it. MineralMan Jan 2019 #56

yeah, it might be time to try that again Kali Jan 2019 #57

Drove one owned by the drug store I worked for in college. Liberal In Texas Jan 2019 #49

When I started student teaching in 1970... Freedomofspeech Jan 2019 #52