251 replies to this topic

[Retro_10s]

Noticed an all up weight of 150kg mentioned for an A series engine. Is that true?

yes give or take a few kg's

[chairchild]

lol, the only updates I've got atm are design-wise, as the massive debt of mine is causing MAJOR headaches!

Bank - pay us £40!

me - ok

bank, oh by the way, we've now added your interest on of £15, so here's a £20 fine for being overdrawn - so give us another £40 to keep your agreement!

me - naff off!

Still gonna go for a sierra rear-end, as it will work out the easiest and possibly cheapest to repair. Dunlop D1's are now out of the picture, and will be going for steelies instead (12" on the front, and possibly some banded 15"s on the rear) If anyone wants them, give me a shout!

also, last night I got a little bored, so done a quick scetch of how the front-end may look


you cant see it on this pic, because my camera is so pants, but I've even managed to fit the cooper winged badge on the top edge of the grille!

The extension fron the A-pillars which is needed, will be the length of the A-panels, and the scuttle will also be extended to suit. A removeable panel will hide most of the hydraulics and electrical systems inside the extension, and the majority of the servo!





But there is something that I realised yesterday.....

If I done ALL this bodywork AND the engine swap in one go, I would more than likely have to take the car through an SVA test. so, my way around it is thus....

Build the mini up in full, then, after testing it all works ok, remove the V8 + gearbox + propshaft. As I'm using a modified mini front subframe, I'll still be able to plonk in an A-series for the first MOT, thus keeping the majority of the "points" if it did have to go through an SVA test. A week or so after that, I'd just refit the V8





Kinda a case of having a broom which has had 2 new handles, and 5 new heads, but it's still the same broom!


Paintwork wise, it's still gonna be nightfire red, but now with a black roof, and this as either a decal, or painted onto the roof

[Carl-Brit]

WOW that mini with a hot rod front on looks well good the mini cab makes a sweet hot rod !! do it

ps is that actually a finished mini or a photoshopped mini in pic ?

[Badger McLetcher]

Love it Not sure if the SVA thing will work, though I hope it does cause then I may do similar in the future!

[chairchild]

As far as I know Carl, it was a semi-finished project, just took the pic from spags' website!



and Badger, as long as I keep the main section of the shell,a mini subframe, engine+'box, and most of the interior (which I will be) then I shouldn't have a problem with the SVA, as it will only have been a front-extension, and a bit of floorwork that's been carried out essentially

lol, the fact that I'd be replacing it all within a matter of days, is besides the point!

[Howzter]

Yo...........Hows the build?, im not getting on very well either, working nights at the mo and pretty knackerd most of the time. Like what your doing with the front, very different. Have you found out anymore about the bike box going on the V8? Im starting to have second thoughts on the focus box ive got, Think the V8's just gonna burst it with all the torque!?!

[chairchild]

lol, after I had another thinking session, and when I happened to leave a mini idler gear, next to the motorbike gearbox casing, I just kinda *Drunk or yellow human water* myself laughing at the notion of putting 250lbs+ of torque through them! They'd possibly last all of 1 second!


Still no progress, as funds are still exceptionally tight, and now it's xmas-pressie buying time, I'm gonna have to put it off for at least another month




hehe, and I dont think the focus box would last all that long either to be honest - might be worth still trying to find a princess 'box, as at least its a "fit and forget" unit then

[Badger McLetcher]

Im starting to have second thoughts on the focus box ive got, Think the V8's just gonna burst it with all the torque!?!

I dunno, focus box's are pretty sturdy. I know they can handle about 250 BHP and torque from a turbo relatively reliably, so unless you're going over that should be ok!

[chairchild]

Right then, as xmas is now all out of the way, I can start looking into getting all the bits needed...again....


One thing which has been annoying me though, is the fact that if I wanted to put a LARGE engine in, and I wanted to put my foot down,a little further than would be healthy for it, the whole body would have the possibility of actually twisting!




So, I've been looking into using chassis rails, as all the drivetrain can be fitted to them, and the mini's shell would have to be modified even less, which is a good thing, as that would mean less time faffing around reinforcing it everywhere! Currently getting prices for replica Ford model A chassis rails, as I could always make up the crossmembers myself to suit.

But saying that, the entire chassis is only £235
http://www.wisbech-e...co.uk/id15.html
and it looks like it might actually be just the right width anyway!



hopefully, should be getting an email back within a day or two with a price for JUST the rails...........

[Howzter]

Chassis rails........pinstripe decals.........sweeping front grill............V8 motor, this build needs a roof chop and suicide doors!!! (have i created enough work for you!) Its good to have a build all mapped out on paper so you know where your going from the start, but then, i like all the twists and turns a build can take when you see things it needs as you build it. Bet you never thought you would need frame rails! its a nice twist though. Mine was just going to be a standard mini with gullwing doors for a start......its a far cry from that now! You got any time scale on this? I reckon i'll be ready for summer '09 (hopefully).

[chairchild]

Mine's pretty much a similar timescale to yours - if all goes well that is

Not too sure about a roofchop, as my mohican wouldn't fit in there would it Also, with the exception of the extended front-end, and the larger rear arches, I'm trying to keep the main shell as mini-like as possible

And just to be different, and just so it's got as many mini-based parts on it, the front suspension, will be bastardised front suspension towers from a subframe, with tie-rods, and everything! Shock mounts will be welded to the tops of the towers, and normal aftermarket suspension parts will be used. Brakes will be 8.4" vented discs, with METRO 4-pots (and no, I don't care that they're heavier, because it's only about 30 grams!)


Annoyingly though, the two engines I had set aside for me, have been scrapped, as the bloke had a MASSIVE clearout and cleanup of his workshop


But I've heard rumours of someone a couple of towns along, who has a chevvy small-block, with gearbox, and rear axle, which he may be selling........




Any more progress on yours? Or has it had to take a back seat over the festive period as well?

[mini_turbo_pete]

you should use a reliant robin chassis, it's narow has a live rear axle mini stud pattern? adjust the front to take the engine...

thats what i'm going to be using for my car when i get around to cutting it appart

[chairchild]

hmmm........

The amount of work needed to rework the chassis to suit my needs - I may as well just be using the chassis for metal. also, dont forget, that unless you WANT the body quite high off the ground, resting on the chassis, then you're going to have to cut quite heavily into the minis bodywork - which is more work, for virtually zero gain. If I was to do this, with a MUCH smaller engine, I'd be tempted to get a weld-in cage, and tie in everything to that - creating a semi-spaceframe. Would be far easier to do

[Bungle]

how about some thing like this

[chairchild]

whilst that is bloody impressive - I refuse to put the engine in the back, and I'm determined to keep the full standard SPI cooper interior :wink: