9 replies to this topic

[jamie_gibbons]

guys question

whats the best enigne to put in the front of a 1991 mini cooper?
...
i was told it was possible to put a 1.6 honda civic enigne in the front of my mini cooper is that a good choice?

[ECG317W]

You need to have the front end extended to fit a vtec in a mini. Depends how much you want to spend...

[Ouster]

Small bore vauxhall (something like X16XE) can fit in a standard length roundnose. Frame from Allspeed, drop engine in, modify the bulkhead, uprate the brakes, jobs a good 'un.

Possibly.

[jamie_gibbons]

so the vauxhall X16XE would be best suited to be droped in the front of the cooper

what vauxhall would these engines normally be fitted to?

Edited by jamie_gibbons, 10 May 2009 - 09:59 PM.

[taffy1967]

MG Metro?

[Ouster]

X16XE was in many small GM vehicles, including the Corsa. As a result, the engines are dirt cheap. They're also very easy to wire into the mini loom (I think only 6 wires). Vtec engines on the other hand are a lot more expensive, harder to wire up, but provide more power (although at higher revs than the Vauxhall).

Check out http://www.16vminiclub.com/forums/

[Cooperman]

Best engine for a 1991 Mini Cooper is a 1991 Mini Cooper engine with some nice improvements to give around 90 bhp.

[Retro_10s]

Ok, what you've asked is as very VERY broad question - in no particular order off the top of my head the following engine have been fitted to minis:


K-series, VTEC, Vauxhall, Nissan
Toyata, Yamaha, Hyabusa, Rover V8
VW, Suzuki swift, Diahatsu charade
Metro Diesel

and the list goes on and on - I'd recommend you go on www.16vminiclub.com and read through the website - there's tonnes of people out there doing all manor of conversions and most of the projects are documented with pictures - techincal diagrams -heaps of knoweledge to be had out there.

TMF also has a Non-mini engined projects section which you'll do well to look through - again, tonnes of info there.

Also worth me mentioning that as a bare minimum all of these conversion require a lot of work - bare essentials are Subframe (either a bespoke item or a mini subframe modified to take the engine) drive shafts (need cutting and shutting or again - bespoke items made up) gearlinkages, body work mods depending on where you wish to mount the engine- most round nose minis will need an extended front - clubmans have more room and often do not need modifying.

You could also try searching the site - only a few days ago this thread was created - almost identical to yours:
>>CLICK ME<<

[jaydee]

Why not simply modding your cooper engine? 1991 coopers have a great engine and quite easy to modify

[Cooperman]

It's much cheaper to obtain 90 bhp from the original Cooper 1275 engine than to spend, literally, a fortune fitting a non-Mini engine.