Racing Elf

Hi to all involved with keeping these great little cars alive.
I am not sure how I will be recieved by some or the purists, I have owned my Mk1 Riley Elf since 1974 I bought it to learn to drive in at the age of 16..
I rebuilt the car ( semi Space Framed) into a Sprint and Hill climb car in the 1980's and it proved to be very succesful it was nick named the "Little Red Booster" as it run a 200bhp tubo charged full race Meto/Copper S engine. It was still road legal to and at the time classed as the fastest road legal mini in the UK.
Over that last few 7 years I have been racing a very sucesfull Nissan Pulsar GTiR and have one my class in a few major championships. oramracing.co.uk
I have been seriously thinking of bringing the Elf back, I have been working on different engine combinations and believe I have found something that will put the "Booster" back on the map...I have also been thinking of making it look more retro and going back to its original Grey with a white roof ( will need some advice on the colours) ...this time it will not be road legal ( you will see why, when I say what the engine etc will be running) This time it will be fully space framed with some very different chassis/construction panels etc. It should have a real impresive power to weight ratio but to will have to run in the Libre class so cant expect many wins...but should grap plenty of attention and be a lot of fun to drive again.
Regards
Phil

Welcome
Sounds like a deadly little car. You aren't alone, there are other racing Elfs here, I am sure they will be along to introduce themselves. Meanwhile, can't wait to see some photos once you're able to upload some.

This was taken at prescott hillc climb about 22 years ago...

Amazing photo!

Bracpan wrote:

This was taken at prescott hillc climb about 22 years ago...

Epic! Bet that was a thump when it landed!

This way was more scary....

This is an illustration I did of what the chassis is like now,,,but the engine will change.

hi i really like your car and the history it has i do like the race idea and h8 to see the proper race cars of the day locked away and not on the track were ther home is.
so really like the idea of bringing it back

only have one critisisum tho keep it a series powered even if you just update it with today tech like kad engines upgrades and alike only my view tho

hope to see it back out ther soon

Thanks for that its much appreciated, unfortunatly no form of "A" series engine will be quick enough as the car will be running in the dreaded Libre class were anything goes, one mini has an Evo 2 engine and 4wd in it so you have some idea what I need...
I am really tempted to go back to original colours of grey with a white roof for a more classic look and fit the grills etc but they might be lightended or G/F versions... it will also run revolution wheels 8 x 13... with Avon Slicks. The car was very unique in its day and I hope to recreate that again this time around...so it has to be different as that is how it used to get so much attention before..and sponsorship. I still have a few things to sort out before I start it and will also have to sell my Pulsar to finish the project...never easy is it.

just make it go as fast as you can!!

I will promise you that..

your car brings back good memory's it inspired me to build mine.
love your car.

I did think when I saw your car that it looked familer, its a great honour to know I have inspired some one to build a simular car.
I hope to make the latest version of the old girl even more exciting, plans are comming on ok. bit slow but I have a mobile home to complete first before I can get going on the Elf. Really looking forward to driving it again.

Was at silverstone 94 mini 35 party . sore the little red booster there loved it.
I sore some pick,s of it starting to get built out of carbon fibre in minispares mag a long time ago
is it still the same?
have you got some build pick,s.
if it is top secret that's ok. some people nick ideas lol

I did make a lot of the bodywork out of kevlar and Carbon and they are still in the garage...so is the alloy honecombe floor panels. Full custom made Lead suspension units, 4 pot brakes etc. I will probably build in a lighter T45 roll cage and then fit the cut down front subframe to that. It will be very intersting to see how light I can get it. I am still working on different engine ideas but more or less made my mind up. if all goes to plan it should be quick....very quick.

The plans are moving on slowley, the Elf will probaly be 4WD this time and will also have a Turbo charged Japanese engine....power to weight ratio should be amazing , but it has to be to run in the Libre class. More news soon

Sounds like fun! I briefly considered making mine all wheel drive with Honda CRV and Mazda MX5 parts, but I might need to wait until I win the lottery to do that. I'm satisfied with the 130+HP VTEC motor for now. And in street trim it makes for a fairly stealthy sleeper. Probably helps that nobody here has ever seen one before so they don't know the difference.

Well done you have hit the nail on the head, its the Honda v-tec and crv system I will be using, plus a Garret GT28RS turbo....shoudl go well.
You car looks great, very clean and a perfect sleeper.

I still have the Turbo engine and box out of the Elf I was woundering the best place to sell it?
Its a 1293cc with Slark head, omega pistons, S rods, one off Kent cam, with Garett Turbo and Jack Night dog tooth box with LSD etc etc...it was around 200bhp. Not sure whats its worth now but I know the box cost a fortune years ago.

i have got some friends that like good engine,s i will tell them but they r all into B M W heeds and things like that.

Thanks, I will have a look around to see what ist worth, its a shame I cant get enough power from the old A Series, I must admit since running Japanese engines the power and reliability is very impresive....

I did start having a look at the KAD 16v heads to see if that was a possible route....I could not belive the prices £5k for the head then another £3k for the fuel systems...thats £8k before you look at rods and pistons etc.....for less than half that you can rebuild a Honda V-tec and tubo it to a power level a KAD engine can only dream about.....I loved the old "A" series but those prices are totaly mad..so Honda it is.

metro 6 R 4 in that elf ward be a good thing but it wood be very dear
you billed wart you want it is you,r car and i will look forward to seeing it

Yes it would be fun but also in the rear of the car,,,I dread to think how much the g/box and drive line would be.
I can pick up an old Honda CRV for around £1000 and that will give me all the running gear including the engine. It would have to be rebuilt to give the strength to take a turbo but thst not too expensive. They have put 400 bhp though the drive line in the states so again that sounds fine to me.
The main trick will be getting the weight as low as possible, I will be using lots of composite panels and an alloy honecombe floor and a new T45 rollcage that is only 27kgs. So the chassis should be very light and over time I will make of buy more componants out of alloy or titanium...my goal is around 550kgs with 350+ bhp...power to weight ratio,,, scary.