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The Mini Jem.
Many members may be unaware of the various specials produced using Mini components. The object of our magazine is to be both interesting and informative. In this series titled “Alchemy”, which means turning metal into gold, we will review cars and drivers who helped to make MINI a legend. We will revive names like Broadspeed, Marcos, Bulanti, Unipower, Pellandini to name a few.
In this issue we look at the MINI JEM, first made in Adelaide and then Sydney. Here are some extracts from the brochure.
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THE IDEA
The taylorspeed Jem is the result of British and Australian workmanship.
Taylorspeed of Adelaide negotiated with Jem in the UK to manufacture the Mini Jem based special in the Southern Hemisphere. The Adelaide firm decided that certain modifications would have to be made to the body for Australian conditions and this has been the subject of many hundreds of man hours additional work.
The Jem accepts all BMC Mini components from the 850 power train to the 1275 Cooper s power train. It will accept any combination of Mini goodies such as wide wheels, racing tyres, anti roll bars and can be fitted with either dry rubber or hydrolastic suspension.
Costs have been kept to a minimum and such things as door handles and hinges, window latches, petrol tank and cap, all lights, instruments, wiring loom and even the steering are all Mini. The end product is a two seater GT car with an occasional two behind, that is front engine, front wheel drive with about half the frontal area of a conventional Mini and two thirds the weight.
The Aircraft Industry have given assistance both by wind tunnel testing and stressing. They found it stable to 170 mph after a few modifications which are now incorporated into the design.
Using a standard Cooper S power train the vehicle will accelerate to 50 mph in five and a half seconds and reach a top speed of over 120 mph.
Assembly from the bare shell to the complete car will take about 50 hours or with two people working on it, about two weekends. Virtually no engineering skill or training and only basic tools are required for the complete assembly.
SPECIFICATIONS
The body shell is jig drilled ready to accept front and rear subframes. Power bulge moulded into the bonnet to make room for extra large carburettors. Dashboard left blank for any instrument arrangement.
Full width sliding window for ease of arm movement, using Mini channels and locks.
Will accept any type of Mini gear shift.
Designed to accept side draft Webber. Has aero dynamic wind spoiler moulded in for maximum stability.
CONSTRUCTION
The whole car is made up of 2x2 layers of E glass bonded in a mould with resin and pigment.
Wherever there is a pick-up point an 18 gauge plate is bonded into the shell to prevent tearing and also to spread the load.
At the front the main BMC metal cross member with 2x18 gauge fish plates is located on a jig and then bonded in. The rack and pinion mounting points are similarly located with 18 gauge plates.
At the rear again all the pick-up points are backed by metal, with long metal stringers down the length of the rear floor plan. The roof is strengthened with an additional layer of 2 oz E glass. The door pillars have bonded into them a 1 x 18 gauge tube, bent over to form the pillar and the upper sill. The ends are flattened to be bonded to the side of the shell and take the load.
The central section is carefully worked out with box sections forming the strength and carrying the rigidity from front to rear. The box sections are wooden with glass fibre bonded over them to make a very strong monocoque section.
The whole car has been vibrated, twisted, pulled and crushed with no damage or movement to the shell.
Torsional rigidity calculations were carried out assuming a 3G bump applied diagonally with a bump height of 5 inches. The overall factor was taken as 1.5 giving upward acceleration of 4.5G at the wheel. Maximum retardation strength was again calculated with the car braking at one G when the front wheels hit a 5” high kerb, which would produce a vertical reaction of 3G on the front wheels so that overall factored reaction would be 4.5G on the front and 1.5G on the rear.
DIMENSIONS
WEIGHT.
Complete Car from 10 cwt.
Basic Shell 260 lbs.
LENGTH.
Complete Car 11’ 3”
WIDTH.
Complete Car 4’ 1”
WEIGHT.
Complete Car 3’ 5”
When you look at the specs one can see the potential for better performance due to lower weight and less wind drag offered by this alternative bodyshell. A common problem with most of the specials from the UK was a lack of adequate interior ventilation and engine cooling. The items produced here came from the NSW distributor and were used to supply information to prospective customers.
We hope that you enjoy this series and maybe find one of these classics hiding somewhere some day.
Darryl Osborne.
Vice Pres.
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