33 replies to this topic

[Bigedd95]

Hey . Kinda new to this bit though I would ask other people's opinions .
I have recently bought a 94 rover mini . ( it has no engine but the boat work is 100% solid with no rust . And I got it for 500£ to !

Anyway . I have been offered a 2000 fiesta with a 1.4 Zetec engine .

What do you guys think about fitting this to a mini ?

[lapider]

anything is possible. personally it would be a pretty big jog and i would not attempt it unless you had experience that would make sure you were competent in this area. also it seems like a lot of work for little gains surely if you got a 1.7 ford puma engine which i imagine is similar you'd get allot more car for the amount of time and effort you've put in.

head on over to the engine conversions to gauge how much work is involved.

[Bigedd95]

Thanks for the quick reply. I want the 1.4 for insurance and mpg reasons . I'm 17 so insurance is a bomb for me . ( 4k for my mk4 Gti ) . And I want the car for my daily drive so want semi decent mpg :)

[sonikk4]

I think you will find this will cost more for insurance. Modified car etc etc.Put a 998 in it but even then your insurance will not be cheap i'm afraid.

[Bigedd95]

I know insurance wont be cheap but I'm thinking it will be cheaper for a smaller engine . I can't put a 998 in mine because they run on a carb . My car being after 92 has to have a cat so the only engines I can run are a mpi or spi :) Cheers

[yeti21586]

not true, if you fit an engine that is older than the shell the emissions will be tested on the age of the engine not the shell

[Bigedd95]

Really !? I was told different . Is there anywhere where I can confirm this ? Cheers

[Daviewonder]

not true, if you fit an engine that is older than the shell the emissions will be tested on the age of the engine not the shell

This is 100% true. The emission limits are done on whats older, whether it's the engine or the shell.

[Alex_B]

However, if your car originally had a 1275 in it then putting a 998 in may mean you pay more insurance anyway as its still an engine swap?

[Daviewonder]

My friends Dad had a 1100 Clubman that the engine went bang on. He put a 1000 engine in as that was all that was available at the time. His insurance went up as it was classed as a modification.

[Bigedd95]

Wow ! Thanks guys ! All this information has really helped ! . I may run a 1275 engine and then build my custom subframe for my engine swap once I have my mini on the road :) .

[Alex_B]

If you still want to do an engine swap, dont bother for a few years, I am probably going down the Vtec route when the insurance allows but I want to get some experience first as its a big power increase,

but realistically putting a 1.4 in is as much work as something like a B18 engine and the difference in power is a lot so might as well save up for a few years and do it properly. :)

[Bigedd95]

Thank for the help . What would you guys recommend . When building a custom subframe . What would you do . Start from scratch or modify the original frame ?

[Alex_B]

Its all down to what engine you are using, how that engine is mounted originally and then working out if its possible to fabricate mounts onto the original subframe, things like Vtecs are too big to fit in a standard subby so people fabricate their own, and most people tend to make their own frames as modifying the original is more work.

I will be making my own frame but I am doing it a bit differently as I am fully designing and testing it before its made as my year 1 and 2 motorsport engineering projects.

[Bigedd95]

Ok . That's what I'm studying ATM . Are you are UNi or at college still ? Jut curious as I'm looking to go UNi next year .