I Cut My Mini In Half | RIDICULOUS RIDES
A RENOWNED car customiser has taken a standard Mini and cut it down to an even more ‘mini’ size. With its 1300CC engine, it is so small that it’s even able to do a wheelie when driven in reverse gear! Customizer Andy Saunders told Ridiculous Rides: “I did the original build with Mini Ha Ha back in 1983, people thought I was nuts.” The Mini Ha Ha is one of the first and best-known creations by the famed independent car designer and customizer. “The idea came about when I was at school, there was a group of four or five of us and we were all into cars and I just knew that this had to be built,” remembers Saunders. The car was subsequently sold to a museum, before falling into disrepair. It then fell into the hands of car restorer Andy Shaw who has painstakingly restored it to its former glories.
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00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 - When I built Mini Ha Ha, people thought I was nuts.
00:05 - This car is such a unique car,
00:06 and it's got a lot of history,
00:08 and it's been an honor to restore this car
00:10 back to its former glory.
00:12 - 60 horsepower in that car, and he's on.
00:17 - Today's a great gathering of lots of Mini fans,
00:20 and it's great just to get together
00:21 and go and see what other people are doing.
00:23 Just generally, we're able to chat about Minis all day.
00:26 Driving Minis is just, it's an addiction,
00:29 absolute addiction.
00:30 - There's one car at this Mini convention
00:33 that's getting a lot more attention than the others,
00:36 for being more Mini than the rest.
00:38 This is the Mini Ha Ha, an infamous Mini customization,
00:43 created over 35 years ago.
00:46 - I did the original build with Mini Ha Ha back in 1983.
00:52 Mini Ha Ha came about when I was at school.
00:54 There was a group of four or five of us,
00:56 and we were all into cars,
00:57 and I just knew that this had to be built.
01:01 I was 19 when I built this.
01:02 I built a car to use every day, which was its purpose.
01:05 I was very new to it.
01:07 It's had all the bumper brackets removed all the way around.
01:10 The boot lid was welded into the panel.
01:12 This section here is the section
01:14 that holds the rear subframe.
01:15 So when I cut it in half, it was basically,
01:18 it was cut into three.
01:19 It was cut there, and then the two foot seven was taken out,
01:23 and then this was the second cut line.
01:25 It is so strong.
01:26 Like, it's coming up to 40 years old now.
01:28 It's so strong.
01:29 - After building the Mini Ha Ha back in the '80s,
01:32 the car was sold on and made its own journey,
01:35 leaving it in a rather unfortunate state.
01:38 - Andy sold the car to a car museum in Port Rush
01:41 called Motorworld.
01:43 That closed down, and then it changed hands
01:46 three or four different times before I came across the car.
01:49 - Luckily, it was rescued, bought,
01:51 and repaired by a new owner.
01:53 - This car is such a unique car,
01:55 and it's got a lot of history,
01:57 and it's been an honor to restore this car
01:59 back to its former glory.
02:01 - With no expenses spared,
02:03 Andy worked tirelessly to restore the car.
02:05 - Whenever I first bought the car,
02:07 it was not in good condition.
02:08 The body shell was okay, but it just was a rolling chassis,
02:12 two subframes, no glass, no interior, no engine.
02:16 It was gonna be quite a challenge.
02:17 The shell itself was in really good condition.
02:20 So, stripped the car down to a bare shell,
02:23 sprayed the car, put it all back together again.
02:26 Everything went really well.
02:28 As far as the restoration goes and how much it cost,
02:30 I have no idea because I didn't keep the cost.
02:33 I just wanted to restore the car gradually,
02:35 so I had no idea what it cost.
02:37 No idea.
02:38 - And his work has paid off,
02:41 as the Mini HaHa is still as popular as ever.
02:43 - I think it's just, the color's good,
02:46 but it's the size of it.
02:49 It's just an amazing piece to look at.
02:51 Nothing compares to this.
02:52 - Anybody that sees Mini HaHa
02:55 always brings a smile to their face,
02:57 and really, that makes me so proud and happy.
03:00 - It's a fantastic two-seater.
03:02 It gets smiles every time it's out on the road,
03:05 which is what it's all about.
03:06 It's an absolute pleasure for us to have it here on display.
03:11 - Seeing it like this now, it's restored,
03:12 it cheers me, cheers me up no end.
03:16 To think, like I say, someone values my work
03:19 and my design enough to actually restore it.
03:21 - My long-term plan for Mini HaHa
03:24 is to let as many people see it as possible,
03:26 because it's been lost for so many years.
03:29 This is the ultimate smaller car,
03:30 because it's the first, the original, and the best.
03:33 (upbeat music)
03:36 (upbeat music)
03:38 (upbeat music)
03:41 [BLANK_AUDIO]