Bad Obsession’s 13-Year Mini Project Is Still Worth Watching From the Start

Time has a way of slipping through our fingers, especially when you’re elbow-deep in a project car that refuses to die. For Nik Blackhurst and Richard Brunning of Bad Obsession Motorsport, what started as a whimsical idea 13 years ago has become a legendary YouTube saga: Project Binky. This isn’t just another build thread—it’s a masterclass in engineering, patience, and the kind of stubborn creativity that defines the true DIY spirit.

The duo’s mission? To fuse a rusty vintage Mini’s silhouette with the mechanical guts of a Toyota Celica GT4, creating a car that looks like a Mini but drives like a rally-bred homologation special. The result is a rolling testament to what happens when two enthusiasts refuse to let practicality dictate their vision.

The project kicked off long before 3D printing and scanning became garage staples, forcing Blackhurst and Brunning to rely on calipers, gauges, and raw CAD modeling to bring their Frankenstein Mini to life. Every episode is a clinic in problem-solving, from reverse-engineering the alternator drive (which evolved from a cable setup to a shaft-and-belt system) to cramming an absurd amount of hardware into a space that should’ve been impossible. The videos drop sporadically—sometimes monthly, sometimes after a five-month drought—but each update is a gift for anyone who’s ever marveled at the art of building something just because you can.

Bad Obsession Motorsport’s channel isn’t just about the car; it’s a celebration of the grind. The duo balances full-time jobs with their passion, turning spare hours into progress updates that feel less like tutorials and more like hanging out in a garage with two guys who refuse to cut corners. Their second project, a Citroen C1 race car built for charity during the 2020 lockdown, proved their ingenuity knows no bounds.

By exploiting loopholes in the British Racing & Sports Car Club’s rules for budget racers, they crafted a rear axle brace to stiffen the chassis—because why follow the rules when you can rewrite them? If you’re new to the car hobby or just need a reminder that passion outlasts trends, Project Binky is your gateway drug. Start with Episode One and prepare to lose yourself in over a hundred hours of unfiltered, unpolished, and utterly brilliant engineering theater.

It’s the kind of content that makes you question every shortcut you’ve ever taken in your own projects.