NotoriousREV

On the bike engined thing, I'd quite like a Busa powered Mini, but how how do you get the power to the front wheels and what about a reverse gear?

[Edited by NotoriousREV - 4/1/2003 7:23:16 PM]

PPPMAT

Anyone thought about or has used a modified mini (old style) for trackdays and general arsing about?

I have a mate who races in mini se7ens and these things are quick and relatively inexpensive.

What I would like to do is buy a bog standard one and give it a cooper look but something fruity under the bonnet. I've heard you can fit the 1.3 metro turbo unit into it - that should make an interesting track car thats a bit different for a few grand.

Any thoughts ar am I losing my sanity?

DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

Its a great plan. The 1275GT with Metro Turbo bits on it goes like train and handles like a Go-Kart

hail-hail

What about this

PPPMAT

I had thought about a bike engine, but I would like to drive it on the odd weekend on the road and a turbo engine would be good fun I think.

Any useful contacts and please let me know. I've found my base car for £600. NOw I need a metro turbo engine and someone who's handy with a spanner - then I've got to look at all the other bits like brakes,suspension, gearbox etc etc....

DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

For real

Scoob99

iTrader: (1)

Got a 1380 for sale if you are intrested?
Cheers
Colin

Rich and Mini

If the shell is solid, then go for it. You'll need to weld in a 'box' in the bulkhead to give clearence for the turbo. If you find a complete Metro Turbo, the 4 pots and vented discs will go on without much modification. What year is the Mini you're buying? Suspension wise, a set of adjustable Spax shocks and some hi-los, with negative camber brackets at the rear, adjustables tie bars at the front and some poly bushes and solid subframe mounts and you're sorted suspension wise. To go over the 8.4 discs you'll need some 12" wheels, buy some 12x5 alloys and put some 165/60/12 YOKOHAMA (!!!) tyres on them. Don't get 13s, it'll ruin the fun. A £100 Cobra Clubman bucket seat or similar and some harnesses, with a 12" steering wheel and drop bracket and you're sorted interior wise. Rebuild the standard gearbox ( which will probs have a 3.2FD ) and bung that in, straight cut drops are fun though.

Engine modification wise, up the boost to a sensible 8psi, a lightly sorted head and a mild cam should be nippy enough to be big fun ( about 100bhp ), and not suffer too much from torque steer out of corners.

Shouldn't be hard to do all that for less than 2.5k all in.

Rich

Jonto

I lad i know has got a '67' mini with a A series in the from knocking out 125bhp ! Know that is fun ! :0

NotoriousREV

I used to have a 1430 Mini (MG Metro block, bored out to 74mm and offset ground crank). Torquey little bugger, would keep up with the (at the time, brand new) Cavalier 2000 GSi up to about 90mph.

It was still running the standard head/carb/cam/exhaust so it ran out of puff at about 5000rpm.

I had a Stage 3 head, Fast Road scatter cam and rc-40 exhaust system waiting to go on it when it got nicked. Gutted.

PPPMAT

Rich - thanks for your advise

The car is MY77. Its mechanically sound although there is some external rust. NIce little runner and MOT'd.

Its not great but it runs. I don't want a really good mini only to tear it apart, I'd feel so guilty. Much better to take a run of the mill job and work on that.

Does anyone know how much one of these weighs? Is 100 bhp the target or can you go a bit further without making it undriveable?

Thanks

Matt

Stevie

The Ring Mini is an old Mini van with a Honda Vtec engine. Seemed pretty quick to me

RON

Matt,
it depends what route you take to getting the power, modern engine = driveable, highly tuned A series = undriveable, well, up to 110bhp is do-able, any more means lairy cam and stuff, and that just makes it orrible!!

Rich and Mini

If it's a pre-84 Mini ( like your's ), it'll have drums all round. When you put discs on the front, it'll push the track out wider than standard, make sure you put late spec rear drums on. These have built in spacers, and will push the rear track out. Don't buy spacers of any sort!

If you want more than 100bhp, then you're going to be looking at putting an aftermarket head on from one of the various Mini specialists, unless you're capable of doing the work yourself. M.E.D, Avonbar and such will sell you a big head off the shelf for about £400, and you'll need a cam to match, lighten the bottom end, uprate the fuel pump etc all pretty normal modifying stuff. 130bhp isn't too difficult if set up right.

I'd rather go the N/A route, like mine. More fun. If you fancy that, source a 1275 MG Metro lump, have it rebuilt properly, then go mad. Bore it out to 1380, then put a stage 4 head on, say 37mm x 31mm, 286 Kent cam, twin 1.5" Su, roller tip rockers, lighten the bottom end, central oil pick up, RC40 exhaust on the end of a LCB, K+N filters, alloy inlet manifold etc etc. 120bhp should be about right if you stay 'pretty' sensible. It won't half rev too. Will cost a lot though.

Metro Turbo engines are cheaper in the short term, the skies the limit really with Minis!

Rich

PS - mine is just a 1275, with a mild head, a 286 cam, lightened flywheel and a few other bits, with straight cut drops and a 3.44fd and it gives the Saxo VTR boys a run for their money! Your's would have nearly twice the power..!

NotoriousREV

There are some 150bhp+ turbo's knocking about, but don't ask about reliability etc.

You can get a subframe to fit VTEC motors but you end up needing either a Clubman front end or a horrible extended normal front end, which isn't good if you're building a sleeper

PPPMAT

Notoriousrev. Good article in latest mini magazine (I forget the name) showing a 240bhp honda vtec powererd mini. Torque steer is kept under (some) control by equal length driveshafts and very good rubber.

Rich, thanks again for your advice. I still think the turbo route's for me. My aim is to really get stuck into the car as much as I can myself but leaving the bits that are out of my depth to people who know what their doing.

Then I'm off to the Harewood Hillclimb for starters

Patt@firstime

Hail-hail

Thats my baby (the twin R1 engine) tis on cover of this months Mini World if anyone wants a closer look.

Matt