26 replies to this topic

[jake2357]

I have a stock 1979 Austin Morris Mini 850 Super and I was looking for some inexpensive ways to increase the horsepower, torque and raise the top speed and lower the 0-60mph time as well. I really don't want to shed any weight on the car just increase the horsepower and speed.

 

 Austin Morris Mini 850 Super.png   181.27K   9 downloads

 

[lsto]

Clear out any unnecessary clutter, make sure the tyres are inflated correctly and not much else unfortunately. Can go with a stage one kit, new needle, manifolds, exhaust and filter but to get the most out of it you'll need to get it rolling roaded.

Other then that as its an 850 try to enjoy it for what it is, a revvy little puff of wind that can be fun to drive with a charm of its own.

Unfortunately horses cost and on the 850 your fighting a losing battle.

[Spider]

Probably an engine swap to anything with more CCs would be the cheapest.

[69k1100]

Decent tail wind? Steep hill?

[Spider]

Decent tail wind? Steep hill?

 

Well, I was going to suggest another car, like a late model hatch or something,they are cheap, but I wasn't going to be quite that rude, so I didn't.

[Dr s]

How about a stage one kit. It'll give a little more puff and nice rc40 will give it a bit of a throatier exhaust note. Might feel faster

[matt050990]

Mine is an 850.

 

Upgrade the carb to 1.5 Inch, with manifold to go with. That will give you a bit of extra poke.

 

If your after acceleration then 10 inch wheels are best, top end then 13 inch will be your point of call.

[AVV IT]

Getting a significant performance increase from an 850 without it going bang isn't going to be cheap or easy. Dropping a decent donor 1275 in would probably give the biggest power increase for the least amount of cash, but finding a decent one of those these days that doesn't need the expense of a rebuild isnt easy either. With decent 998's being cheap and readily available, a donor 998 with a stage one kit would probably be the most cost effective option. That way you can also retain the cars orginality by keeping the 850 to drop back in again, should you wish to return the car to standard spec in future.

[Carlos W]

Ensure brakes aren't binding, no excess weight, well serviced and set up.

 

In essence, it is what it is though

[sonikk4]

I think that the above comments pretty much cover your options for your needs. Being stateside does limit your choices to a degree but I would hunt down a 998 or 1275 to go for an increase in cc's.

You have limited yourself budget wise so enjoy the car as it is for the time being, save some extra money then go from there.

[69k1100]

Being rude would be fluffing up someone's expectations knowing that we haven't qualified the original poster. Cheap might be 5k, power expectations might be 10 percent.

It's a very general question, it comes with very general and vague answers. Smartass I may be but I am warranted.

What are you looking to get out of the car?

Is it running or in pieces?

What's the mileage?

Is the engine in good condition?

There are plenty of low buck performance upgrades, unfortunately the best upgrade is often shedding weight.

Start with a health check of the car, if it's good then get it tuned by someone who specializes in s.u carbs (if it has one) this is about as cheap as it starts and will likely find you a few HP.

[Mr Dave]

Isn't it time someone did a graph for this - "bang" on one axis, "buck" on the other... 

 

On the engine side of things, main aim should be to improve the "breathing" - swap paper filter for K&N (I have heard the doughnut filter in the original housing is better than a cone) and replace the peashooter exhaust (i.e. Maniflow + RC40)

 

When I got my 998 first proper mod I did was Stage 1 kit from Minispares (£200 / $300, includes parts mentioned above plus intake mani and carb needle). Never got any numbers done but felt like a good return and can be done with basic tools and experience (except maybe the carb needle).

[69k1100]

http://www.dummett.n...ni_engines.html

I thing someone should do a cost Vs output graph for all three common engine sizes. This would put the aseries into perspective for a lot of people.

However, here is a link with some good info, not all beginner stuff (try at your own risk, porting.etc) but solid none the less.

[jake2357]

Being rude would be fluffing up someone's expectations knowing that we haven't qualified the original poster. Cheap might be 5k, power expectations might be 10 percent.

It's a very general question, it comes with very general and vague answers. Smartass I may be but I am warranted.

What are you looking to get out of the car?

Is it running or in pieces?

What's the mileage?

Is the engine in good condition?

There are plenty of low buck performance upgrades, unfortunately the best upgrade is often shedding weight.

Start with a health check of the car, if it's good then get it tuned by someone who specializes in s.u carbs (if it has one) this is about as cheap as it starts and will likely find you a few HP.

I would like it to be kind of an everyday driver and I need it to be able to reach the speed limit on the highway. I'm in college right now and I have to make a 4 hour trip home so the parts I install can't be wearing anything down.

 

its got almost 50,000 miles on it and the engine is in pretty good condition

[gazza82]

 

Being rude would be fluffing up someone's expectations knowing that we haven't qualified the original poster. Cheap might be 5k, power expectations might be 10 percent.

It's a very general question, it comes with very general and vague answers. Smartass I may be but I am warranted.

What are you looking to get out of the car?

Is it running or in pieces?

What's the mileage?

Is the engine in good condition?

There are plenty of low buck performance upgrades, unfortunately the best upgrade is often shedding weight.

Start with a health check of the car, if it's good then get it tuned by someone who specializes in s.u carbs (if it has one) this is about as cheap as it starts and will likely find you a few HP.

I would like it to be kind of an everyday driver and I need it to be able to reach the speed limit on the highway. I'm in college right now and I have to make a 4 hour trip home so the parts I install can't be wearing anything down.

 

its got almost 50,000 miles on it and the engine is in pretty good condition

 

 

That's 55mph then in Texas?