74 replies to this topic

[R1minimagic]

Whats your budget? Best way forward is to get a better head, cam, intake and exhaust manifold

[Furyblade_Lee]

I had my first proper thrash of my mini at a sprint last Sunday. We dyno'd it at 88bhp at the wheels, estimated 115 at the flywheel, although apparently I was using Yoko32R tyres with negative camber that mean the reading is a couple of BHP low. The engine was built by Swiftune and the car is pretty light at 600kgs. Despite the variousness of rolling roads, I think it is safe to say it has at least 100bhp

My first impressions were it's quite quick for a mini!! Not quick by modern standards, but plenty fast for a mini. But even at this power level I was wasting whole seconds through the lack of an LSD. Would spin wheels way too easily, I suggest you budget £600 for a Quaife ATB If you want
to make the most of your power.
To get this power too it has a 286 scatter cam, which means it is quite lumpy low down. My distributor cannot cope with the full rev range, so we are fitting a "123" (?) distributor which should enable us to make it more friendly through the rev range. This car is a toy for me, but I doubt I would want to commute in traffic every morning in it...

I think KAD are advertising a 100hp engine deal, maybe it would be possible to test drive their demonstrator if they have one, just to be aware of what is possible??

Performance wise, I have no idea what 0-60 etc. is, but my car tops out at exactly 100mph on th GPS due to the sprint gearing.

The only gauge I can give you is that on a sub-100 second airfield sprint course, in my first event and first time I have driven a FWD car for over 10 years, I was able to beat the times of a Clio 200RS, Subaru Impeza Sti and, believe it or not a Ferrari 355!! Not sure how good their drivers were obviously, but they had all done it before I can assure you. 2 other identical Clio's beat me by a second or two, but they were not a million miles away. AND one of the best hillclimb / sprint drivers in the UK ( and he rallies a genuine Metro 6R4...) only beat me by 3 seconds in his Honda Integra DC5 Type-R. My car is fully road legal and 41 years old to boot!
So a 100bhp mini obviously has a good power to weight ratio and handling to exploit it ( I am in no way a talented racing driver , just enthusiastic and lead'en footed! ) if you don't get stupid and start fitting HUGE stereos and chrome tat all over the car. In fact I think weight loss on a mini is just, if not more important on a mini.

Remember what Colin Chapman once said, if you add power the car will go faster in a straight line. If you add lightness it will go faster EVERYWHERE!

[mk3 Cooper S]

IMO 100 bhp A series mini is not an everyday car

[jb93]

Meh, horsepower is overrated...

[Furyblade_Lee]

Mk3, I reckon it could be if you keep a semi-sensible cam, good distributor and have it carefully set up on a dyno. Of course, it probobly means you will need 1380cc's and you know that opens up a who can of irresponsible worms on here.....

[ANON]

Meh, horsepower is overrated...

fictional figure for pub talk

[jb93]

I delivered a Mk6 Golf Gti for work the other week. I had a think whilst I was driving, and realised that if I had anything as fast, I'd kill myself....

I'll stick with my 47BHP

[jaydee]

At ML motorsport they RR'ed a 1293 mini with 100 bhp, might be worth asking the spec to dodd..
Imho you dont need a revvy powerfull thing as an everyday car, you just need an engine with bags of torque..

[CooperMad93]

At ML motorsport they RR'ed a 1293 mini with 100 bhp, might be worth asking the spec to dodd..
Imho you dont need a revvy powerfull thing as an everyday car, you just need an engine with bags of torque..

yeah thats exactly what im after! lots of torque! it just feels a bit gutless atm

[The Matt]

Problem is with small bore engines that to get power you need valve lift and duration....and revs. Then you start to lose a bit of the driveability I guess.

There are loads of options though, Vizard's book is a great place to learn what to look for, though there are plenty of engine builders out there that are good and know the car well. It's a case of deciding a budget and picking a tuner.

100bhp in an A-series can often mean it's not that reliable for true everyday use, or at least not that economical.

[CooperMad93]

alternitively as I think achieving 100bhp is gonna be serious money, maybe i should go for a stage 3 kit, shud give some decent performance gains?

[mk3 Cooper S]

If you want torque, run a mildly tuned/cammed 1100

[racingbob]

this thing of mine is a 1275 mg metro

its only been balanced, full maniflow system

KN, and inlet ports played with

it has bags of torque and quite quick, plenty fast

enough for fast road and daily car
,

[Bungle]

i have gone from the standard 62 BHP to a tuned 1275 @85 BHP to my now 1330 (not been rolling road tested yet but i think i'm near to 100 BHP but probably a bit short)

and i can truthfully say i didn't notice the extra power with each jump

looking at the speedo i might see a few more MPH going up a hill or can hold a gear for longer

but it wasn't suddenly a fire breathing monster

[jefinabox]

I'm thinking of a 1.3 micra conversion, 100 bhp, 5 gears hopefully without the cost of a 100bhp a series