18 replies to this topic

[jonny f]

Here is my mini.

have owned it for about 5 years now! It has had a complete rebuild from the ground up about 3 years ago now and has just sat in the garage since with me tinkering with it really. Just adding little bits like 6x12 revo's and other bits and bobs.

I have just turned 18 and after driving the mini round all summer its time to get a bit more speed out of it. I really wanted to get it in the garage a bit later but the real cold weather and the sudden lack of clutch changed my mind and in it went about 2-3 months ago (currently cruising around in a 52 polo 1.9 sdi. umm diesel). I only really started to work on it at the weekend but have done a bit of work already. Just been getting my mini fix buy buying loads of stuff on ebay lol.

My dad worked in a rover dealer for 25+ years before leaving a month before they colapsed and he owned 2 minis when he was younger writing of one of them which happened to be a 850 woody!!! then borrowing his brothers and send that to heaven to.

My dad seems to have an obbsession with 998's and believes they were the far superior engine. So i am sticking with it for a while.

i just want more power!!!!!!!!!

So i am going to try and squeeze some more juice out of this badboy engine. It currently has a few mods fitted to it. A big bore exhaust system with a boxter back box which probably reduces power but my old exhaust was a state and my brother had bought this exhaust for his clubman estate (which sadly hasnt taken of the ground and is rusting away if anyone is interested??) so thats what i got for it as it was free. It also has some ofset rockers on it whick came from an old cooper (the cast type) the best ones ive heard. Thats about it power wise.

I have also aquired the following parts just from my dad having them around and him buying them on ebay a while back:

two heads a 12G202 and a 12G940 the 202 i might get changed to unleaded but the 940 is of a 1300 so am a bit unsure for power and fitting on this? if anyone can help?

Two sets of twin SU's which i probably wont use as there aint no need on a 998.

Lots of other bits and bobs lying around i just need to sift through them.

Now on to the project so far and what i want to do to it.

Help would be appreiciated as my dad is an expert on engines and does know how to make them go faster but i always like a second opinion on things and im sure he doesnt have that much experience with the numerous part numbers and tunning companies.

Well first of is to fix the problems i have got.

I have tracked down the clutch problem to be the master cylinder so i have one of them on order.

The carburettor is absolutly shocking everything is coming loose on it, you set it up all nice give it a good rev and it goes back to being really rich again there is alot of things that need to be changed on it so...
I am going to try and get my hands on a HIF38 as i have heard from reading around that this would be my best option rather than have twin carbs or a webber/s (for 998).

What i want to get:

A new camshaft from swiftune unless there is a better one??????
Any other good value tunning i can do whilst im down there lol?? help apreciated.
(Am i allowed to ask questions like this still a bit confused with it didnt want to clutter up the other section with little questions?)

Get a new head for it with big valves and port polishing. Or sort one of the other heads i have.
A new exhaust system to boost power.
Possibly new pistons.
And just a general overhaul of the electronic side like new spark plugs, coil, ignition etc.

[jonny f]

I missed a few bits out

I have also done the following

Added a whole new interior getting some cobra classics and two rear seat covers for £100 on ebay.

Making up my owm door cards for under a tenner with some leather vinyl from hobby craft.

New handels.

Monteny[sp] sterring wheel.

Home made Dash.

New carpets.

Group 5 race arches.

Clear lense kit all round. (missing repeaters in photo).

Also the mini has a Major lack of rust on it!!!
Apart from having to replace the rear subframe which was nackered when it went in there is nothing but a few specs on it.

It also has a different grill not sure what one it is.

It has had a full respray.

Finally a different set of headlamps with fake blue coloured bulbs which i think make the car.

Edited by jonny f, 26 November 2008 - 07:41 PM.

[jonny f]

After quite a bit of money spending a have purchased the following from minisport who seem to have a majorly slow delivery time with only half the stuff i ordered turing up on thursday after ordering last month. doesn't lokk like the rest of it is coming anytime soon either!
Red alloy rocker cover
Red alloy dipstick
Red T-bars
Chrome rocker cap
Hose cover kit (seems pretty cheapy lol)
Sparco pedal set

I have also purchased the following from ebay

A new dashboard as i dont really like the one my dad made as it does not cover the dials. It is silver with dark wood glovebox and dial surround
Aston style fuel cap
Sterring lowering bracket

And i had a visit to minispeed and bought some chrome wing mirrors.

Thats all for now on buying stuff!

More next week. When the stuff im watching ends and minisport comes on my mind again. (Plus i get paid)

[jonny f]

Here are a few more photo's from when it came out the garage a while back. No engine mods just lots of fresh paint and with the new wheels and arches freshly fitted.

[MGMT]

Looks nice! Good work!

[1987_ParkLane]

That looks good, and a good plan for it, I'm currently doing a similar thing to mine, with a supercharger 998. Good luck.

[jonny f]

Looks nice! Good work!

Cheers. Yea its not bad really.

Im still not happy with it! Its just a case of getting it all sorted i have loads of little things to do. On a long list in my mind lol

Edited by jonny f, 26 November 2008 - 08:15 PM.

[buddylove]

Looks like a nice project, how much hp are you shooting for?

[jonny f]

haha not quite sure yet whatever i can afford and get into it before L2B really. well want it on the road a few weeks before.

[jonny f]

well heres what i have been doing over that last week. Keep just changing around what i am doing rather than doing one thing at a time which is probably a bad idea but oh well.

I began by working inside and removed my old dash to get ready for the new one.
I also removed my door card as just before it went in my brother got a bit viscious on the handle and out came the window. What i found wasnt very plesant the rail the window sits on was almost non existant. there was me saying it had no rust lol. S got to order a new one of them maybe two.



After i got bored of doing that i got my dad in to help get the head and other bits of it.

you can also see some of the hose kit which i had a go at think it looks ok will have to wait and see.



the head. think i will invest in a new one this is quite bad under the nice paint it had on it. or recon the others.


after i had done all i could do for now i moved onto the mirrors.
but i discovered that when my dad got new skins on them he fitted studs for the mirrors. Good ieda but not if you have a little kit to adapt new mirrors so have to do a bit of work here.





Done for now.

[1987_ParkLane]

Thats some good progress so far.

[jonny f]

doesnt look like i will be doing much work on it today!!


but i might have a massive change of plan in the engine department!
As my dad buys and sells cars he is on a few write off sites where they sell write off from the insurance companies. There is a nice little sprite with a 1275 in it which is at £50 so going to buy that and switch the engines and sell the sprite on.

The reason behind this is that my brother has a 1992 cooper 1.3i and his insurance is going to be aroud £2000 when he gets driving and as mine was £1600 it should drop a bit and i can afford to insure a 1275. As there isn't any point tunning my engine when its only going to reach the same power as a 1275. Apart from insurance. .

Got my new dash today. looks good. needs a little work as some of the wood has split a little.

[jonny f]

did a bit more today tryed to stay inside the car.

Got the bottom dash rail of and fitted steering lowering bracket feels better already. I am not planing on putting the bottom dash rail back in as it is a pig to mess about with. So i am going to either paint or cover the the metal under the rail as i think it will also look alot better. I also got a stainless surround for the switch panel bit which will hopefully look alot neater.

[jonny f]

Picture of the bits ive bought.

Dashboard.


Rocker and T-bars


Fuel cap


wing mirrors


i have also bought some reconditioned front calipers
A HIF44 which is now for sale as my dad has just bought a 1300 1983 metro with 18,000 miles!!!! engine swap here we come.

so yea engine swap looks a good-un

Also my dad has swapped some alloy wheels for a webber DOC40 with a red manifold. so thats going on!

I have been doing a few bits and bobs here and there. I am going to get the head i bought reconditioned and changed to unleaded ready for the metro engine. I have removed the old master cylinder on the clutch ready for the new one. Im currently cutting up some vinyl leather look in black to cover the bottom dash rail. I painted it in one of the pictures below but it didnt look to good.

here are some more pictures most of you should be able to tell whats occuring.

dashrail looks alright here


not so good here. switch panel i bought.


master cylinder was here. all the rust is gone from there now to.


new


old!


thats all for christmas.

[jonny f]

Well i havent been on here in ages but here is the latest update its all done now and back on the road. Looks pretty much the same as last time!!

here are some pictures....

about where i left of back in january some time.


new dash and clocks



new speakers. (bit chav but where a christmas pressy)


In the process of getting the new stage 3 head on.


Brake pedal assembly



interior



HIF44 on looking good. To anybody fitting one of these it will hit the bulk head i found out to late on but i had recieved a engine steady from smithys bit which was the wrong type for this engine but when used it moves the engine forward quite nicely meaning the carb goes in nicely. Seems to run fine with it on there.

DONE!!



Most of the stuff i said i was going to do didnt happen in the end. i didnt manage to get an engine swap as the metro my dad bought is an automatic he didnt realise a conversion to manual was so hard to do haha. But im happy with the result i just have decide what im going to do next winter. Start building a fast 1330 or i really like those R1 conversions.

Heres a few snaps from brooklands...











Any comments appreiciated.

Edited by jonny f, 06 April 2009 - 06:52 PM.