When the original Mini-Indy came out in Popular Mechanics magazine in August of 1975 and became a popular project for the magazine and for our builders, we knew why: It was FUN! And
it was unique — People had never seen a go-kart-type project which you controlled like a motorcycle, and there still really isn't anything like it after nearly 50 years!
We had tried racing normal go-karts, and they were certainly plenty of fun, but they work hard to stick to the track like little racecars, with wide, grippy slicks to minimise sliding. We wanted to try something different, and so we came to use high-crowned aircraft tires on go-kart wheels so we could enjoy drifting through the turns and add a bit more sensation of speed and of driving a larger car. It turned out great, and the Mini-Indys are great fun to tear up a challenging track, and we think the feel is much more like racing bigger-faster cars, but still be able to use compact parking lots and such.
Early on in the design and testing, we decided to go with the unique handlebar steering set-up, instead of a more normal steering wheel. It's amazingly fun to drive this way! You enter turns and really aim into them, blasting through with a precise feel. The handlebar steering means that people of all ages and sizes can get in the car and have fun. Parents, grandparents, kids...Everyone can race around in the same cars with very little adjustment other than maybe taller seat cushions. I remember being around nine years old when I first drove a Mini-Indy, and my uncle was a very solidly-built 6' 3", and we both swapped out as quickly as our "pit stops" would let us! (I had a piece of foam rubber I'd toss in and jump down on top of, and crank the throttle!)
After the success of the original Mini-Indy, Popular Mechanics asked for an update and we restyled the car and it was brought out again in 1978 as the Mini-Indy II. That's been even more popular, but both cars are essentially the same running gear.
We used a 5hp engine and a simple go-kart-type brake, and the steering system is entirely made up of components from a hardware store or home-center. No Welding is needed! That was — and still is! — a basic requirement of all of our projects: That parts and materials be readily available, and that no welding or special skills be required to build any of our machines. Which makes it great for beginner-builders and kids' projects, too!
After nearly fifty years, we're still very proud of the Mini-Indy series and hope you'll want to join the fun and build some of your own!
We had tried racing normal go-karts, and they were certainly plenty of fun, but they work hard to stick to the track like little racecars, with wide, grippy slicks to minimise sliding. We wanted to try something different, and so we came to use high-crowned aircraft tires on go-kart wheels so we could enjoy drifting through the turns and add a bit more sensation of speed and of driving a larger car. It turned out great, and the Mini-Indys are great fun to tear up a challenging track, and we think the feel is much more like racing bigger-faster cars, but still be able to use compact parking lots and such.
Early on in the design and testing, we decided to go with the unique handlebar steering set-up, instead of a more normal steering wheel. It's amazingly fun to drive this way! You enter turns and really aim into them, blasting through with a precise feel. The handlebar steering means that people of all ages and sizes can get in the car and have fun. Parents, grandparents, kids...Everyone can race around in the same cars with very little adjustment other than maybe taller seat cushions. I remember being around nine years old when I first drove a Mini-Indy, and my uncle was a very solidly-built 6' 3", and we both swapped out as quickly as our "pit stops" would let us! (I had a piece of foam rubber I'd toss in and jump down on top of, and crank the throttle!)
After the success of the original Mini-Indy, Popular Mechanics asked for an update and we restyled the car and it was brought out again in 1978 as the Mini-Indy II. That's been even more popular, but both cars are essentially the same running gear.
We used a 5hp engine and a simple go-kart-type brake, and the steering system is entirely made up of components from a hardware store or home-center. No Welding is needed! That was — and still is! — a basic requirement of all of our projects: That parts and materials be readily available, and that no welding or special skills be required to build any of our machines. Which makes it great for beginner-builders and kids' projects, too!
After nearly fifty years, we're still very proud of the Mini-Indy series and hope you'll want to join the fun and build some of your own!
Read On below to learn about the whole story behind the Mini-Indys!
Mini-Indy II Plans
$40
The Mini-Indy 3...The latest car in the Mini-Indy series, and the best!
Lighter, more responsive, easier to build, and better performance all around
The Mini-Indy 3 races into the 21st Century!
The much-loved Mini-Indy series of projects has a new member! With all-new drive system design, new steering and brake designs, lighter and with more power, this is the best Mini-Indy yet!
We decided to update the Mini-Indy concept to incorporate things we'd learned over the years in creating the original CycleKart concept and cars, and the Mini-Indy 3 is the result. A fun, fast machine which retains the original style and feel of the earlier Mini-Indys. With all the controls on the handlebar, the Mini-Indy 3 is accessible to people of many ages and abilities — And it's just plain FUN!
The Mini-Indy 3 may be new-and-improved, but it still requires NO welding and can be built by beginner builders (as is the case with all of our projects!) The new drive and steering systems are stronger and easier to assemble than the previous designs, and are more precise for better performance. More power and better braking, too, as you'd expect from an improved version!
The Mini-Indy 3 was designed with electric racing in mind as well, and is a perfect platform for the basis of an exciting and very worthwhile educational hands-on building program. We built a dedicated design for an electric Mini-Indy just before we designed and built the M-I 3, so we were able to keep the concepts we liked and we think this is the most adaptable platform for both power systems.
Plans are STILL not yet available — Sorry about that! However, a clever builder could work this project out for themselves, much as we intended for our CycleKart projects. The running gear for the Mini-Indy 3 is similar to that used in the CycleKarts: A 6.5hp Honda GX200, but with simple centrifugal-clutch and 72-tooth sprocket. The rear axle is Azuza karting standard, as are the spindles, steering and wheels. This should help you figure it all out, especially with the Mini-Indy II plans! Braking is a problem we still need to work out. I used bicycle disc brakes, but some form of hydraulic motorcycle might be better...
We decided to update the Mini-Indy concept to incorporate things we'd learned over the years in creating the original CycleKart concept and cars, and the Mini-Indy 3 is the result. A fun, fast machine which retains the original style and feel of the earlier Mini-Indys. With all the controls on the handlebar, the Mini-Indy 3 is accessible to people of many ages and abilities — And it's just plain FUN!
The Mini-Indy 3 may be new-and-improved, but it still requires NO welding and can be built by beginner builders (as is the case with all of our projects!) The new drive and steering systems are stronger and easier to assemble than the previous designs, and are more precise for better performance. More power and better braking, too, as you'd expect from an improved version!
The Mini-Indy 3 was designed with electric racing in mind as well, and is a perfect platform for the basis of an exciting and very worthwhile educational hands-on building program. We built a dedicated design for an electric Mini-Indy just before we designed and built the M-I 3, so we were able to keep the concepts we liked and we think this is the most adaptable platform for both power systems.
Plans are STILL not yet available — Sorry about that! However, a clever builder could work this project out for themselves, much as we intended for our CycleKart projects. The running gear for the Mini-Indy 3 is similar to that used in the CycleKarts: A 6.5hp Honda GX200, but with simple centrifugal-clutch and 72-tooth sprocket. The rear axle is Azuza karting standard, as are the spindles, steering and wheels. This should help you figure it all out, especially with the Mini-Indy II plans! Braking is a problem we still need to work out. I used bicycle disc brakes, but some form of hydraulic motorcycle might be better...
The Mini-Indy series of projects began nearly fifty years ago in the early '70's. We had wanted to explore coasting again, memories of downhill fun of our childhood. It was great fun, but we quickly tired of pushing the Formula-Zero racer (that was what we called it in 1974) back up the hill...We spent a bit of time in the shop and out rolled the first Mini-Indy!
The eventual article in Popular Mechanics magazine was very well received and began the legacy of Mini-Indys which continues today. (Oddly, we would go on to do almost the same thing in the '90's: Build a coaster to remind ourselves how fun downhill racing is, then add an engine to keep the fun going! In this case, these cars became the CycleKarts...)
In 1978 we brought out the second version, the Mini-Indy II. This was primarily a styling update to incorporate some of the visual pizaz we liked from the late-'70's Indy cars. But it STILL looks HOT to me, and so do the older Indy Cars of the '70's and '80's!
We spent a lot of time in the '70's at the unbelieveably wonderful Briggs Cunningham Auto Museum. Sadly, this museum no longer exists, but these photographs of the Mini-Indy and Mini-Indy II were taken there and we're glad to share these as a reminder of the amazing cars, people, and memories of that very special place...Cunningham's inspired the M-I II, also, as they had a really nice mid-'70's Indy racer on display in the entry foyer for awhile and we definitely were influenced by that car!
The eventual article in Popular Mechanics magazine was very well received and began the legacy of Mini-Indys which continues today. (Oddly, we would go on to do almost the same thing in the '90's: Build a coaster to remind ourselves how fun downhill racing is, then add an engine to keep the fun going! In this case, these cars became the CycleKarts...)
In 1978 we brought out the second version, the Mini-Indy II. This was primarily a styling update to incorporate some of the visual pizaz we liked from the late-'70's Indy cars. But it STILL looks HOT to me, and so do the older Indy Cars of the '70's and '80's!
We spent a lot of time in the '70's at the unbelieveably wonderful Briggs Cunningham Auto Museum. Sadly, this museum no longer exists, but these photographs of the Mini-Indy and Mini-Indy II were taken there and we're glad to share these as a reminder of the amazing cars, people, and memories of that very special place...Cunningham's inspired the M-I II, also, as they had a really nice mid-'70's Indy racer on display in the entry foyer for awhile and we definitely were influenced by that car!
A Bit Of History On The Original Mini-Indy & Mini-Indy II
The Mini-Indy has been a popular project for almost forty years now! Take a look at some of the great photos people have sent us of their Mini-Indys.
Click Here to start exploring the photo galleries!
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