Jump to content


Photo
- - - - -

What Would You Change About The Mini?


  • Please log in to reply
37 replies to this topic

#16 mab01uk

mab01uk

    Moved Into The Garage

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 11,778 posts
  • Local Club: Mini Cooper Register

Posted 16 July 2019 - 06:36 PM

 

A 5-speed gearbox for the Mini & Metro in 1980......instead of all the money (several million) that BL spent on the A+ upgrade for little (if anything) gained?

Could the UK have taken the SA block that was in our 1098 and 1275 engines in the 70s and 80s? They are apparently very good engines.   

 

 

THE SA engine block was cast in South Africa by Gearings Foundary, at Epping, Cape Town. Based on the UK 1275cc Cooper S engine block, the South African engines featured integral side covers and an internal oil filter gallery, which allowed the filter to be placed high on the block, above the starter motor........a similar oil filter position to the much later MPi A-Series engine block produced in the UK (1996-2000).



#17 Mite

Mite

    Stage One Kit Fitted

  • Noobies
  • PipPipPip
  • 81 posts
  • Location: London

Posted 17 July 2019 - 01:48 AM

 

 

A 5-speed gearbox for the Mini & Metro in 1980......instead of all the money (several million) that BL spent on the A+ upgrade for little (if anything) gained?

Could the UK have taken the SA block that was in our 1098 and 1275 engines in the 70s and 80s? They are apparently very good engines.   

 

 

THE SA engine block was cast in South Africa by Gearings Foundary, at Epping, Cape Town. Based on the UK 1275cc Cooper S engine block, the South African engines featured integral side covers and an internal oil filter gallery, which allowed the filter to be placed high on the block, above the starter motor........a similar oil filter position to the much later MPi A-Series engine block produced in the UK (1996-2000).

 

Is there any truth to claims of the A-OHC prototype engines given the unusual displacements of the 1000cc and 1100cc versions being derived from the SA Block?



#18 Poppet2

Poppet2

    Mini Mad

  • Noobies
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 135 posts
  • Location: London

Posted 17 July 2019 - 07:38 PM

I wish the back windows wound down like the front.

#19 minitravellerman

minitravellerman

    Stage One Kit Fitted

  • Noobies
  • PipPipPip
  • 99 posts
  • Location: Banbridge, Co Down
  • Local Club: Minis In Northern Ireland

Posted 18 July 2019 - 07:38 AM

As much as we all love our Minis, they do have some failings I have to agree. But most I can (and am willing) to live with.

 

However given the chance to redesign a few things these would have been my penny's-worth thrown onto the table;

 

- redesigned bonnet catch - more robust securing mechanism and redesigned catch to prevent lacerations to ones head

- redesigned opening rear windows - wind down

- redesigned heater - that will actually clear the windscreen

- omit the eyeball vents completely to prevent the poor front seat occupants getting a faceful of flies and dust

- front door winding windows and quarterlights from day one

- disc brakes from day one

- bolt on front wings and front panel



#20 MiniMadRacer

MiniMadRacer

    One Carb Or Two?

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 847 posts
  • Location: Essex

Posted 18 July 2019 - 10:57 AM

Rear opening doors :-) making it a four door car



#21 minitravellerman

minitravellerman

    Stage One Kit Fitted

  • Noobies
  • PipPipPip
  • 99 posts
  • Location: Banbridge, Co Down
  • Local Club: Minis In Northern Ireland

Posted 18 July 2019 - 11:15 AM

Rear opening doors :-) making it a four door car

 

Pity this prototype never made it into production;

 

Four-door-Mini-600x364.jpg?resize=600%2C

 

Loving these interpretations of the 4 door Mini

 

26mini.jpg

 

8f6e9e969ddaeb7adef425b00a964825.jpg



#22 rich_959

rich_959

    Super Mini Mad

  • Just Joined
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 568 posts
  • Location: East Yorks

Posted 18 July 2019 - 11:21 AM

Just my opinion, but they are even worse than the four door Bini's! 

 

Me personally, I wouldn't change a thing. Except perhaps a touch more power to the top-spec later cars to match the performance of the early 1275 Coopers.



#23 MiniMadRacer

MiniMadRacer

    One Carb Or Two?

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 847 posts
  • Location: Essex

Posted 18 July 2019 - 02:31 PM

I like that first prototype  :-)



#24 Mite

Mite

    Stage One Kit Fitted

  • Noobies
  • PipPipPip
  • 81 posts
  • Location: London

Posted 18 July 2019 - 09:12 PM

Also a fan of the first 4-door prototype, they could have even gone further with the Marples and Radford / Wood & Pickett solution of making it a small 5-door hatchback or the Minki-I solution of a split tailgate.

 

However am not quite convinced of the 2-door Mini (or unrealised 3-door hatchback) carrying over the Minivan-derived 84-inch wheelbase of the above, which was actually proposed at one point. 



#25 Poppet2

Poppet2

    Mini Mad

  • Noobies
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 135 posts
  • Location: London

Posted 20 July 2019 - 12:04 PM

That white four door prototype would have been brilliant

#26 ADRay

ADRay

    Stage One Kit Fitted

  • Noobies
  • PipPipPip
  • 74 posts
  • Location: Berwick, Maine USA

Posted 20 July 2019 - 02:52 PM

I’d like to be able to remove the rear shocks without having to remove the gas tank.

Edited by ADRay, 20 July 2019 - 02:52 PM.


#27 mab01uk

mab01uk

    Moved Into The Garage

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 11,778 posts
  • Local Club: Mini Cooper Register

Posted 20 July 2019 - 06:55 PM

I’d like to be able to remove the rear shocks without having to remove the gas tank.

 

Some Rally Minis cut a small removable panel into the rear seat bulkhead to allow access to the rear shock top mount......both sides for twin tanks.



#28 Mite

Mite

    Stage One Kit Fitted

  • Noobies
  • PipPipPip
  • 81 posts
  • Location: London

Posted 20 July 2019 - 06:55 PM

A way to improve engine accessibility via a redesigned front end similar to the "Barrel" Car or Mini-bodied 9X prototypes (more likely the former), along with featuring internal bonnet release.



#29 Pete - W.Sussex

Pete - W.Sussex

    Stage One Kit Fitted

  • Just Joined
  • PipPipPip
  • 91 posts
  • Location: West Sussex

Posted 22 July 2019 - 06:45 AM

I drove a VW Up! recently and it crossed my mind that if the Mini had been invented today it would probably be something like that☹️. Did everything well but no ‘soul’.

#30 mab01uk

mab01uk

    Moved Into The Garage

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 11,778 posts
  • Local Club: Mini Cooper Register

Posted 22 July 2019 - 06:57 AM

I drove a VW Up! recently and it crossed my mind that if the Mini had been invented today it would probably be something like that☹️. Did everything well but no ‘soul’.

 

But surely if you wanted the Mini 'soul' you would not buy a VW Up.......logically you would buy a modern BMW MINI. The Mk1 2001-2006 R50/R53 MINI originally designed by Rover certainly has quite a bit of the Mini 'soul' which a VW Up may lack......I have not driven the latest F56 MINI yet but it also seems to have a strong following from many modern MINI enthusiasts.


Edited by mab01uk, 22 July 2019 - 06:58 AM.





0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users