16 replies to this topic

[Bigedd95]

Hello there . You may have seen a few posts about me building a RWD mini before but all was talk and never really got round to actually doing it .
But times have changed .
With the help of Mike Thomas over at Cyclone Motorsport in Wickford , Essex. My dream is now becoming reality .
Mike used to run Nitros Solutions, nosing up everything from V8s to 250 super carts ! If you need nos , mikes the person to go to .
Mike own a cosworth rwd v6 for drag racing , and a 2.5 rwd cosworth featured in mini mag which he owns both . He's now building a full space rwd mini again with a ford hybrid engine .
If you ever need any custom or modification work done . Mikes the man to see . Message me if you want more details and I can point you in the right direction

I met mike through a long series of events but ever since he has been there to support all the way .
He is letting me us his custom jig all designed on a geometry computer by his mate rich whom works for fords .

If you are interested in purchasing a full kit I believe his knocks them out at around 5/6 thousand ( will have to check ) . Custom front and rear subframes . Role cage and all paneling.

The design im following is double wish bone all the way round on rosé joints and gas shocks .
I will be using a ford st170 engine from a focus . It's got good power and is light and can easily be tuned to 300bhp.
A rx8 or ,mx5 gear box and a sierra LSD .

So far I have built the rear subframe and am half way through deseming the shell .
My college project is to build a custom aluminium fuel tank which I have just complete .


I started this thread to keep me motivated and also let everyone see mikes amazing work .

I will upload some photos soon
If you want to ask any questions please do ! I would love to help and I will be requiring some of your help to :)!

[smudger068]

Big Ed

 

Its Lee fella,

 

I been waiting to see this

[Bigedd95]

Alright mate
Keeps watching , pics to come .

You all finished at college now ?

Edd

[Scoop77]

Good god this will be a beast!
Get some pics up ;)

[Bigedd95]

He's a picture of the exhaust manifold that mike built for the hybrid rwd mini

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[Bigedd95]

This is how she all started of . Pure solid shell apart from a small but if surface rust . Not bad for £500

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[Bigedd95]

There's the back cut out for the subframe

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[Badboytunes]

keep the pics comming.

 

 

Cheers

[smudger068]

Yeh I have was quite sudden actually wbu?

I don't think masi n the others have though!

[Bigedd95]

 Sorry for the lack of updates , Iv been on holiday . Now waiting for my flight home so iv hacked into a free wifi and got an hour so i though why not update you with some pictures and information

 

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Theres me hard at work with a 9 inch grinder ;)

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 Theres the fuel tank i will be using , few modifications will be added - like a breather , opps !!! - and then fully welded up . She holds 33 liters. All fully baffled and with a fuel sender unit .

[Bigedd95]

I have got a few photos of a RWD Mini Mike thomas has nearly finished building that i have  been getting in his way whilsts im building mine - he says im annoying but he gets withdrawall symptons when i dont visit him ;) -  Any way the photos are to big to upload to this so i will hae to downsize then before i can upload, thas for  another time as i CBF and my flight has just been called. will update when im back in england .

[ibrooks]

Why muck around with the gearbox from something Jap? The MT75 will bolt straight on to the Duratec with just a mix'n'match selection of Sierra clutch parts and it will sit quite happily behind a 500bhp twin-turbo V6 (and has done for several years). The only proviso is that the V6 has enough torque to strip 3rd gear on demand but that's not a problem you'll run into with the ST170 lump. Plus you'll never be able to plant that much torque on the road in a Mini so long before you give the box problems you'll be smoking the rear tyres and the box will be spinning quite happily.

 

 

Even a type-9 will happily cope with what a standard ST170 (with decent exhaust, intake and management) will deliver. It's also got longer ratios so less gear-changes for the same speed.

 

Just seems like creating un-necessary work for yourself.

 

Iain

[Bigedd95]

Thanks for the reply mate .
I was looking at the Type 9 and have had expletive with them and from what iv learnt is that as soon as you put over 220-240 Bhp through them they start to go .

Would you be able to tell me what clutch parts I need ?

I have looked at the bolt patterns on a mx5 and as the duratec is a Mazda engine they line straight up .

Cheers eddy

[ibrooks]

Are you sure about the duratec/Mazda thing?

 

Actually thinking about it it might be more of a case of are you sure that the ST170 lump is a Duratec? I have a feeling that it's actually closer to a Zetec but Ford didn't want to let on that their hot engine wasn't the same as the new ones being fitted to the rest of the range.

 

Generally the trick with the MT75 is getting the clutch arm right. There are low-lift versions of the clutch that went into the Sierras which had a different form of spring on the clutch cover so you need the correct arm for your clutch cover. After that you might need to tweak the pivot length to account for the thickness of the flywheel that you are using - the usual trick it to pull the pivot out of it's hole (it's a steel pin pressed into a hole in the ally casing). You then drill the hole all the way through the casing and tap it (M10 from memory). The pivot is then attached to the end of an M10 bolt and screwed into the hole. A slot on the end of the bolt that's now sticking outside the gearbox means it can be turned with a wide bladed screwdriver and a locking nut on the outside of the gearbox means it can be locked in place once you've got it adjusted correctly. We do this when using a 2.8 flywheel on a 2.9 engine as they are far thinner and lighter.

 

Didn't the ST170 come with a pretty good tubular manifold? I'd always been under the impression that their exhausts were pretty good apart from having to have cats.

 

Iain

[Bigedd95]

I'm pretty sure about the Mazda/duratec thing .

The manifold is apparently really restrictive . But will have to look in .