MacMini 10.4.11 can't connect to external DVD directly or via MacMini on 10.8.5

I have a 2GHz Mac Mini core 2 duo with 2 GB DRAM (2007?) running 10.4.11 and its DVD drive doesn't work anymore.

I want to upgrade to a newer mac mini 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 with 8 GB of DDR3 Ram (2013?) running 10.8.5.

I've connected the two MacMini's via firewire 400 to 800 because ethernet apparently can't connect 10.4 to 10.8, nor work with migration assistant from 10.8.

Instead I understand that the best way is to upgrade the 10.4 Mac Mini via a 10.6 install disc and then use migration assistant from the Mini running 10.8.

I have an Apple Smart Drive for the MacMini running 10.8 and just received the Install Disk for 10.6.3 from Apple.

I tried installing 10.6 onto the 10.4 MacMini by connecting the Apple Super drive directly via USB (because it's own drive doesn't work) but it won't recognize it even if I use the Terminal Mode command sudo nvram boot-args="mbasd=1" as suggested in another post on the Mac Mini forum, but the Superdrive was still not recognized.

I then tried to link the old MacMini to the Superdrive via the newer MacMini and by turning on "DVD or CD Sharing" under Preferences and Sharing on the newer MacMini running 10.8.3. After rebooting both MacMini's in this configuration, the old MacMini running 10.4 still does not seem to recognize the Superdrive attached to the MacMini running 10.8.

I have no experience linking two macs together except via an office ethernet network. I've got backups and a carbon copy clone of my mission critical Mini running 10.4. I really need some advice on how to upgrade.

Thanks in advance.

KS