45 replies to this topic

[Carlos W]

 

You make some good points, to me, a mini is a toy! I don't care about fuel consumption or comfort to be honest, I've got a 2009 diesel Mazda 6 for that! 

 

I'm going to use the mini on a Sunday to drive to nice pubs and have Sunday lunch, and to go to shows etc!

 

The rest of the time I'll be polishing it!

[skinnyminny]

Well in that case I'd probably stay A series just for value (as Cooperman said). Original will always be worth more in the long run.

 

But I love my pink machine & the ah... 'unique' look means no matter how broke I get he'll stay with me - who would buy him off me?!

[l_jonez]

Its all personal choice, I've got a slightly modified Micra engine in mine pushing out about 100bhp and I still get 45mpg, makes a great daily driver and will suprise a few people if you put your foot down. I did the whole conversation myself and it came in at around 500 quid.

Handling wise if you drove it with out knowing about the conversion you would not be able to tell.

[Cooperman]

It does seem that not many people use a classic car as a daily driver and those that do probably use something other than a Mini. An MGB-GT for example is better for modern driving. Most have their classic because they just love older cars and the era they represent,t so they keep them original or 'period modified' which makes running costs ultra low and the value increases year-on-year so, effectively, they are 'free' to own and run.

 

Those who build hybrids have a different agenda, although if I want a more reliable and faster car I buy a modern one as a hybrid is not really a 'classic' in the true sense for obvious reasons.

 

If I take what my 1964 'S' cost me to build/restore 19 years ago (c.£10,000) it is worth around 3 times that now with the competition history it has and the period rally modifications it has, so it has been a cheap car to own, rally and cherish. But it could never be used as a daily driver as it's noisy, harsh and slow compared with modern cars. I don't think I would want a hybrid for daily use, but if that's what you enjoy, then go for it. The problem is you are then spending several times what a modern car with similar performance would cost and you have no resale value as a classic. But, each to his own as always.

[l_jonez]

I kind off agree with the whole keep it original etc so when I fitted the Micra engine ( no bulkhead mods etc) I've kept the original subframe and engine so that if in the future I wanted to go back ( can't think that I ever would though) I can with only a few hours work.

But the way I see things is its your car so do what ever you want to it.

don't listen to the people who say "its not a mini anymore" etc most people who are full of criticism have never owned or even driven a mini with a different engine etc.

My advise would be to figure out what type of mini you want then plan your engine A series or other around that and do plenty of reading before spending any money.

[Mini Mad Drakeley]

I'm having the same dilemma at the moment with my mini as i use it literally every day and i absolutely love it but my engine is starting to suffer a bit, has about 3 oil leaks now after i fixed a few of them previously and im pretty confident its burning oil and gets shocking mpg

 

i dont particularly fancy driving a modern piece of crap so im looking into conversions (just looking at jonez micra conversion now) but my plan is to fit a reliable engine with nice power and good mpg and then if my plans go well then il own a second mini in a couple years time and make it completely unique with never seen before features and return my current mini to the a-series

[jmmini]

It you want a faster car, definitely a conversion. You could throw £2000 at an a series to make it fast as I have, but it will be terribly unreliable, terrible at driving in traffic and maybe 25 mpg on a good day. Or spend the same amount on a really well done k-series (or equivalent) and have the same power in a drivable, reliable car.

As cooperman said, if you want a nice original and desirable mini then use an a series, however if you want to imo improve the car to a more modern standard then use a conversion.

[Cooperman]

The trouble is you won't make a classic Mini into a modern car by just changing the engine. There are so many aspects to modern cars which cannot ever be present in a 55-year old designed car.

Actually modern cars are not crap, they are, in the main, very well engineered for modern traffic conditions, especially in terms of economy, aerodynamics, reliability and performance. My daily driver is modern and has fantastic performance with good fuel consumption, comfort, safety and reliability all at a sensible price (148 mph, 0 - 60 in 7.5 secs, 33 mpg).

As another example, you can buy a Subaru with performance well in excess of an E-Type or early Porsche 911, and it will be superb to drive in all conditions. However, it is not a classic car as classic enthusiasts see them.

A Mini with a different engine is not and cannot be a 'classic Mini' in the same way as an antique piece of furniture can't be properly antique if fitted with modern drawer runners and handles. But if an owner has no interest in classic cars, then that's not an issue.

Classic cars are, quite simply, original older cars with maybe period modifications. Hybrids are not classics and a re-engined car cannot be a classic if a different make & type of engine is installed.

Surely part of the fun of owning a classic Mini is that there are the same issues with them as they had in the '60's and that is one of the attractions. It is truly 'retro'.

[mab01uk]

Back in the 1960's and '70's it was always the Ford and Imp engines on Mini gearboxes conversions that most interested me.....clever engineering which still retained the Mini gearbox which was often working at the limits when used in motorsport. I would consider these to still be a 'period' mod and well worth preserving today as a valuable hybrid classic Mini if you are ever lucky enough to own or find one.

 

Ford BDA on Mini gearbox.

 

Lotus Twin-Cam on Mini gearbox

 

 

 

Ford 'Kent' engine

 

Below is Gordon Allen's Twin-cylinder Ford BDA on Mini gearbox from 1970's.....

 

 

 

Then there was the 'Coldwell' Twincam Mini from the 1960's.......

 

http://mk1-performan...engineering.htm

 

Mini-Imp conversion

 

A few did Maxi into Mini conversions in the 70's.......you got a 1750cc OHC engine with a 5-speed box but the extra weight caused understeer........

 

Edited by mab01uk, 24 January 2014 - 12:20 AM.

[The Matt]

Spend the 2k+ it woild cost you to convert your Mini on a different car? You could buy something that's still fun, nippy, handles well, but has modern benefits. That way, your Mini is not being used and abused all year round.

The cars you can buy now for less than a grand are crazy.

Or you could look into the likes of more modern classics, like 205 gti, Astra GTE etc. Clio phase 1 172s are dirt cheap now. They're so depreciated at the moment that you'll grab one for about £700 and have fun AND practicality. Drive for 3-4 months through Winter and then sell.

The whole thing with engine conversions for me:
Fun, faster than normal, bit of a pain to sort out paperwork insurance but not too bad. Mine stillfelt very much like a Mini, it was just quicker and very slightly heavier. There's lots of reasons to convert. But I converted back purely because of the heritage of the car. IF I'm going to keep it, a resto and de-conversion made sense financially.

[rids]

Its all personal choice, I've got a slightly modified Micra engine in mine pushing out about 100bhp and I still get 45mpg, makes a great daily driver and will suprise a few people if you put your foot down. I did the whole conversation myself and it came in at around 500 quid.

Handling wise if you drove it with out knowing about the conversion you would not be able to tell.

 I agree.. without opening the bonnet or peeping underneath no one knows whats under the bonnet with my micra conversion, it even still sounds like a mini when driving. (my air inlet is just behind the centre clock , as a series, so you still have that lovely induction roar)  after the war, i believe the japanese had the rights to built the a series engine's in japan, is it any coincidence that both the 1000cc and 1300cc nissan k11 engines are exactly the same bore and stroke as the a series 998 and 1275. the character of the car with this engine in is so similar to having a fast a series in it's uncanny.

[vx220]

It is interesting where different peoples limits are

I would happily own a micra/Vauxhall roundnose, on 10s with no arches

But it wouldn't matter to me what engine a Clubman or sportpack had, there would be very little interest for me at all. I think that front or the big wheels and arches take more away from the mini than the choice of engine

But I respect others opinions, and welcome these sorts of discussions

[Ro8bieg]

Iv had the same dilemma, was tempted to go k series but iv decided to stick with a well built a series lump soon to be turbo, should hold value more that way too

[Cooperman]

I know a guy who bought a brand new Lotus Elite in 1959 (his family were rich!). In the mid-'60's he fitted a 1500 cc Cortina GT engine to give it more grunt as a road car, improve reliability, get better torque and just make it easier to drive. Sound familiar?  He sold the Coventry Climax engine and the gearbox.

How he wishes now that he had the original engine and 'box, all in this original one-owner Elite. It would be worth an absolute fortune with the correct parts. He is searching for a Coventry Climax engine & box, together with the original engine cross-member and other original parts to revert it to original. Very hard to find.

[rids]

People are always going to modify. Personally I done my conversion , not to add value, but to make it the car that I wanted. I did consider that I didn't want to modify body, and that I do have The option to revert back to standard if I want to. I wouldn't have done it to a rare varient of a mini. I admire all good cars, whether standard or modified. Make it what you want, and if you enjoy it don't worry about the value.