Anyone into classic cars

[Frankenorange]

Regarding old school minis i have always preferred a super revvy engine with 80-90ish horsepower. lightweight engine internals, super light flywheel, quality clutch, and a cam and carb combo that picks up quick sharp and revs on. Programmable ignition is the way to go instead of fecking about with springs and weights in the dizzy.
Mate that to a close ratio box with LSD and job done. No mega big valve heads, offset bores, and race cam trying to get the big bhp numbers. Also makes it super cheap engine wise and it will last longer and be reasonbly economical. Keeping the bhp lower keeps torque steer to a minimum as it is tiring and can be dangerous.
The place to spend the big money is on the suspension and brakes. The old mini is the perfect base for using modern super adjustable coilover dampers and anti roll bars. Quality discs and calipers up front and good old fashioned minifin drums at the rear. They dont need anymore than that at the back but some re-engineering to accept some tiny single pot discs would be ok. Way to easy to over brake the rear end.
The old mini is a B road and country lane weapon. Get it up to speed and just keep it there as much as you dare. You will get your arse kicked by alot of cars on a trackday but in the right hands a cleverly tuned and sorted mini can hold its head high on more challenging roads.

 

[Joe_Rides]

Forgive me Father for I have sinned....

View attachment 966202

Is that a Boxer engine? (seem to recall you have a nice VW camper?)

 

[novocaine]

Regarding old school minis i have always preferred a super revvy engine with 80-90ish horsepower. lightweight engine internals, super light flywheel, quality clutch, and a cam and carb combo that picks up quick sharp and revs on. Programmable ignition is the way to go instead of fecking about with springs and weights in the dizzy.
Mate that to a close ratio box with LSD and job done. No mega big valve heads, offset bores, and race cam trying to get the big bhp numbers. Also makes it super cheap engine wise and it will last longer and be reasonbly economical. Keeping the bhp lower keeps torque steer to a minimum as it is tiring and can be dangerous.
The place to spend the big money is on the suspension and brakes. The old mini is the perfect base for using modern super adjustable coilover dampers and anti roll bars. Quality discs and calipers up front and good old fashioned minifin drums at the rear. They dont need anymore than that at the back but some re-engineering to accept some tiny single pot discs would be ok. Way to easy to over brake the rear end.
The old mini is a B road and country lane weapon. Get it up to speed and just keep it there as much as you dare. You will get your arse kicked by alot of cars on a trackday but in the right hands a cleverly tuned and sorted mini can hold its head high on more challenging roads.

blueprinted 954CC (or cooper printed 998cc) engine, twin webber, high lift cam (knife edged if you must) Hall effect in the dizzy because I'm cheap. shaved flywheel, compact racing clutch and close ratio box. you can keep the LSD, but each to their own. 100bhp max but more like 80 without doubling the head gasket.
widen the track buy 40mm front, drop all round by 40mm max, toed in 2 degrees with a caster bar to pull the wheels back to centre and 2-4 degrees camber with adjustable top mounts to let you bring the shock angle in again. ARB front and back. Roll cage to stiffen the floor pan.
weller 12" steel wheels with 8.4" discs but double piston calipers. happy to leave drums on the rear, but I'd change the bias to closer to 60:40.

This is pretty close to what we did build, but I'm sure we did more to it. 0-30 was about 3 seconds, then it ran out of gears. back lanes, nothing came close, including a golf and a 205, on a wide road it was scary as hell.

 

[yakboy]

Is that a Boxer engine? (seem to recall you have a nice VW camper?)

Yes, after 31 years of Aircooled engines I have commited the ultimate sin and put in a 2.0L Subaru Watercooled engine.

 

[Takingabreak]

That, a 1275, and a turbo (currently a 998, although I'm tempted to port, cam and Turbo that to see what it'll do...)

I don't suppose metro turbo engines are that easy to come by

 

[d8mok]

Just put a hayabusa or R1 in the back and be done (and turbo it)

 

[My_Teenage_Self]

I don't suppose metro turbo engines are that easy to come by

They're not impossible to come by, but you need to do bulkhead mods in a mini, and mainly, the old T3 turbo is far too big for even a 1275. There are options to mount the turbo over the clutch and use a GT15 or similar.

Just put a hayabusa or R1 in the back and be done (and turbo it)

LOL. I'm keeping this road legal (IVA & classic status)

 

[d8mok]

They're not impossible to come by, but you need to do bulkhead mods in a mini, and mainly, the old T3 turbo is far too big for even a 1275. There are options to mount the turbo over the clutch and use a GT15 or similar.


LOL. I'm keeping this road legal (IVA & classic status)

Did they change the rules as previously they didn't need a IVA (or SVA ) ?

Someone who built me a engine used to build the sub frames to mount them. He also used to do kits to fit a XE engine but they were simply too heavy and needed a dry sump too.

Lots of friends had mini's in all different guises. For me, a lovely restored car is way better than one thats been modified to be 'fast' as unfortunately even a Golf R is going to leave them for dead in every situation.

 

[DesertRyder]

Classics from the US.
My 1970 Camaro and the wife's 1989 Mustang GT 5.0 Hatchback

 

[novocaine]

Did they change the rules as previously they didn't need a IVA (or SVA ) ?

Someone who built me a engine used to build the sub frames to mount them. He also used to do kits to fit a XE engine but they were simply too heavy and needed a dry sump too.

Lots of friends had mini's in all different guises. For me, a lovely restored car is way better than one thats been modified to be 'fast' as unfortunately even a Golf R is going to leave them for dead in every situation.

engine swap rules out classic status doesn't it?
assuming the majority of "chassis" remains the same than shouldn't need a IVA/SVA though (based on memory here though, it's been a while). seem to remember engine was worth 1 point, but you could find that points elsewhere in a built to get to you your 8 points.