11 replies to this topic

[RTurner]

Hi,

I'm planning on getting a mini in the near future and turing it into a weekend toy/project/something to pass the hours. I have loads of ideas on what i think is worth doing. I deally i want to strip it completely with just a cage seats harnesses inside ie no carpet, headlining etc. What would be the best donor car and what are the best modifications to make to the car.

Any help appreciated

Ross

[miniman86]

hi welcome to tmf! what model you base your project on depends on what you want, and how much you are willing to spend!! good luck and let us know how you get on! Alex

[Teapot]

Welcome Ross

i want to strip it completely with just a cage seats harnesses inside ie no carpet, headlining etc.

So what are you planning to use the car for then? Autocross?

[Marky Tizz]

Maybe he just wants a light car. Welcome to TMF.

[RTurner]

Just want the car to be really light to increase the power to weight ratio. What is the best engine to reliably tune the carb or injection variety. I would like it to be reliable but reasonably quick. I reckon 85-90bhp should make it quick enough with a kerb weight of 650Kg. What you reckon am i living in a dream world.

Ross

[miniallsort]

welcome 2 tmf

[supastu]

i bet your around 15 or 16 and your are obsesed with making it quick. i know ive been there and i still am there, trust me when you get it you will change your mind, as you will realise not just the racing potenial but the overall goodness.

anyway welcome to tmf

[RTurner]

i bet your around 15 or 16 and your are obsesed with making it quick. i know ive been there and i still am there, trust me when you get it you will change your mind, as you will realise not just the racing potenial but the overall goodness.

anyway welcome to tmf

15 or 16 eh. I'll correct you on that score. I'm 24!

I spend almost all week driving 85 mile round trips to work every day and i want something to muck about with at the weekends that will be fun. I don't want to race it, im working on the assumption that i don't need really big power as it is such a light car, i've been told they are fun to use so i just want to enhance that.

[Lund]

i bet your around 15 or 16 and your are obsesed with making it quick. i know ive been there and i still am there, trust me when you get it you will change your mind, as you will realise not just the racing potenial but the overall goodness.

anyway welcome to tmf

15 or 16 eh. I'll correct you on that score. I'm 24!

I spend almost all week driving 85 mile round trips to work every day and i want something to muck about with at the weekends that will be fun. I don't want to race it, im working on the assumption that i don't need really big power as it is such a light car, i've been told they are fun to use so i just want to enhance that.

Big Kid

So you want a Mk3 or Mk4 shell, strip it bare, work your way up fitting roll cage, drivers seat, race dash, no backseat, 3pt harnesses? etc etc and a powerful reliable, hardcore 1380 in the front, flip front maybe? Or just firbre glass bonnet on pins? The possibilities are endless! Take a look at the projects section on the forum, gather some ideas and see what other people are doing.

Tom

[RTurner]

i bet your around 15 or 16 and your are obsesed with making it quick. i know ive been there and i still am there, trust me when you get it you will change your mind, as you will realise not just the racing potenial but the overall goodness.

anyway welcome to tmf

15 or 16 eh. I'll correct you on that score. I'm 24!

I spend almost all week driving 85 mile round trips to work every day and i want something to muck about with at the weekends that will be fun. I don't want to race it, im working on the assumption that i don't need really big power as it is such a light car, i've been told they are fun to use so i just want to enhance that.

Big Kid

So you want a Mk3 or Mk4 shell, strip it bare, work your way up fitting roll cage, drivers seat, race dash, no backseat, 3pt harnesses? etc etc and a powerful reliable, hardcore 1380 in the front, flip front maybe? Or just firbre glass bonnet on pins? The possibilities are endless! Take a look at the projects section on the forum, gather some ideas and see what other people are doing.

Tom

To right Big Kid
Will a 1380 be reliable i was thinking either a 1293 stage II or III or possibly a 1275 with stage III tuning kit. How much power would come from a 1380. I reckon i need between 90 and 100bhp to get it to really fly as long as the weight is around 600kg. Possible?

Ross

[tipcat]

i bet your around 15 or 16 and your are obsesed with making it quick. i know ive been there and i still am there, trust me when you get it you will change your mind, as you will realise not just the racing potenial but the overall goodness.

anyway welcome to tmf

15 or 16 eh. I'll correct you on that score. I'm 24!

I spend almost all week driving 85 mile round trips to work every day and i want something to muck about with at the weekends that will be fun. I don't want to race it, im working on the assumption that i don't need really big power as it is such a light car, i've been told they are fun to use so i just want to enhance that.

Big Kid

So you want a Mk3 or Mk4 shell, strip it bare, work your way up fitting roll cage, drivers seat, race dash, no backseat, 3pt harnesses? etc etc and a powerful reliable, hardcore 1380 in the front, flip front maybe? Or just firbre glass bonnet on pins? The possibilities are endless! Take a look at the projects section on the forum, gather some ideas and see what other people are doing.

Tom

To right Big Kid
Will a 1380 be reliable i was thinking either a 1293 stage II or III or possibly a 1275 with stage III tuning kit. How much power would come from a 1380. I reckon i need between 90 and 100bhp to get it to really fly as long as the weight is around 600kg. Possible?

Ross

To be honest, and not being a grease monkey, the power-to-weight ratio on the car is so good as it is, that a 1275 with a stage III will already make it capable of attracting the attention of the Law on the motorways without stripping the car down.
I had a 1275 SPI with virtually nothing special done to it, with the exception of an RC40 exhaust, LCB and K&N filter, and I made it easily to the Nurburgring and back at around 80-90 MPH. Besides, if you strip the carpet out, it'll take some weight away, but make the interior so noisy you may not want to be there for long.
An A-Series, or even an A-plus engine isn't the most reliable thing on the road as it is... you have to make the choice between total reliability (a VTech conversion or something similar) or something that will occasionally (or more often in some cases) throw its dummy out, but be great fun when it is agreeable!
Some folks like 998cc engines for the tuning potential, I like a 1275 because it doesn't need much done to it to make it quick, but if you're after raw power, then consider a 1380 or other blown-out beasty. As already mentioned, check out the Projects pages... you'll probably find nearly every possible variation of Mini engine (and others!) in there somewhere!
By the way... welcome to the wonderful world of TMF!

[Pie]

Welcome to TMF.

As for tuning the engine, the Carb version is cheaper, as it has no ECU and has endless possabilities. Check out Jet Blicks projects, a 998 with 63bhp. Dogmatix is doing a 1380 i believe, ed4ran has done a suzuki rear-engined mini and of course if you want something different, check out the Z-car boys.

As for a donar car, look in minimag, miniworld, your local papers, and on driveways. Just ask them if they would be intrested in selling it and if so how much?

There are a shedload of projects that you would be intrested in, as in striped out, cage in buckets in harness's in etc.

Have a mooch about, and hope you find what your looking for.

miniman-pie