Minis - Who's got/had one?

[SimJen]

I had a 74 round nose when I was at school. White with black bonnet stripes.
I fitted dual tanks, Dual SU's just the standard Cooper type stuff. Rear cage etc. Angus Fogg did a heap of work to the suspension and got it pretty much the same as a Mini7 racer of the time (this was while he was working at Honda in Cambridge). He did so much work and lots of it for nothing, really helped me out at the time. I still got his old race suit which I got cheap as with a burn on the side from where something ignited, lucky they were flame proof.
Belonged to the Mini Cooper club for years, lots of fun doing sprints, gymkhana type stuff.
I was in the process of having Angus build me a full race 1380+ motor, but priorities changed (women) and bought a Jappa coupe.
So many young guys do them up craply....really narks me that they add a ricer look to them.
I prefer the original race/rally look with a slightly modern twist ie big wheels, or smoothed arches etc.
Still miss it

[SPman]

Got my licence in an 850 Mini in "63 - geez they were slow - fun though.
The 1293 in Sydney in '70 was better though, Had a full race Peter Malloy worked engine, my brother and I worked for Neil Allen and Peter was his race mechanic - 45 DCOE Weber and all the good bits - 114mph on the Freeway to Newcastle - doesnt sound like much now, but the top ones at Puke at the time were pulling about the same speeds on the back straight.
I'd still love a Mk1 Cooper S 970.

[Motu]

I remember my brother giving me a few driving lessons as a 15 year old in his Mini,in about 1969.It was only an 850,but he was only a 17 yr old apprentice,so not a lot he could do to it.It had a Weber and cam - E3134 ?....no,that's something else....649 and 831,were they the BMC cams? Anyway he had the lumpiest one of course.Learning how to take off with a savage Mini clutch and a hot cam was a bit of a learning curve....and we had a few heated brotherly discusions about the results.So I learned in Mum's Mini.He painted it black with a gold roof and two gold stripes front and rear - that'd still look nice today.

I used to have a customer who retired the year I started work - he bought a house on the beach and sold his car...now he could spend his retirement playing around in boats.Then his wife won a Mini For Mum! He wasn't impressed.He used to bring it in for a WoF and for me to ''fix'' his clutch,I was the only mechanic allowed to work on his Mini.I'd found a lot of elderly people don't work the clutch hard enough (I know,I know,there are those who melted them!) and it would glaze and get juddery and snatchy - so I'd give it a burn on a road test.One happy customer.

Actualy I still have one elderly customer with a Mini,she's had it from new.We did a clutch on it a couple of years ago,new clutch plate,machined flywheel and pressure plate.And it turned out juddery....or atleast when she drove it.She didn't give it enough revs and it would shake and lurch - just a few more revs and it was smooth as silk.

''It's never been like that as long as I've had the car,it only started doing this when you put in the clutch''.We had another couple of looks at it (more time down the drain),but it was her driving style that was the problem.How do you tell her that both of them are old and worn out and shouldn't be on the road?

[Hawkeye]

Now here is a nice mini....

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...t=biker+chicks post #42

[slowpoke]

Thats a nice looking setup! Well presented and very tidy engine bay too.

So what sort of money did the discs and engine setup end up costing you?

The brakes upgrade cost about $500 by the time I overhauled everything, but the hard part was finding somewhere to stash the brake booster. I tried running without it with the grippiest pads I could find but still needed a leg like Jonah Lomu to get 'em to lock up. I ended up fitting it inside, under the dash.

The engine cost? Bloody hell, I've been tryin' to keep that secret from my missus for ages so you've gotta promise not to tell ok?
I picked up the engine and gearbox separately (some mumpty imported the engine for his MG Midget, not realising the minor difference of front wheel drive vs rear wheel drive!) So initially about $1000. The engine came with a spare turbo (needed recon), just as well 'cos the original was beyond repair! I left the gearbox freshen up to the pro's but rebuilt and modded the engine myself. All up it still cost me over $4000. That's Australian dollars so not sure how much parts are over here now, maybe cheaper 'cos Mini's aren't exactly thick on the ground over there. I snuck some cash from the missus and bought stuff like a quick change gearlever, bigger "rimflow" inlet valves, adjustable blow off valve, extra gauges etc so you could do it cheaper if wanted too.
It was absolutely the most fun car I've ever owned, with bus drivers opening their doors at traffic lights to have a chat, bikies giving you the thumbs up as they go by, people commenting in carparks etc. Funny as phuk blowing away the boy racers and seeing the "What the..?" expression on their face at the next lights, haha...

[slowpoke]

Yeah dont worry mate i have done the research, Avonbar supply most parts for turbo mini's

Stronger cons and crank with 18cc pistons to lower compression. the block will have undercrown cooling jets fitted
Longman head modified for hi-boost applications, with high lift rockers an special valves etc
avonbar phase 2 turbo camshaft
The HIF44 carb can be blocked off and is the same carb used on the A+ turbo metro block.
high flow turbo oil pump with 10fan 15 row oil cooler,
uprated water pump with electric fan
gearbox is a rod change with jack night straightcut gears and drop gears.
custom tourque steer diff with uprates driveshafts.
Garret hybrid T25 Turbo with intercooler to run about 12psi of boost

i have bought a custom exhaust manifold and down pipe from mirage motorsport thats designed so you dont have to cut and weild a box in the firewall but i have done it anyway to allow more space between turbo and firewall to allow for better cooling.

Mmmmmmmmmmm Avonbar....(Homers voice, looking at a donut)

Luvverly stuff...I used to spend hours drooling over their catalog and then about 10sec looking at my bank balance realising I couldn't afford any of it, haha!
Sounds like you are on first name terms with Vizards' Bible so you are on to it, persevere ('cos you WILL be tested!) and you'll have a blast.

[slowpoke]

Man thats a pretty cool looking Mini slowpoke. Might have to have a look some day...

Just memories and scars to prove it now Skelstar....we had to flog it off when we came back over from Oz earlier in the year.

[Motu]

You guys missed out on some bargins in the '80's.Motor Corp were selling ''Gold seal'' engine transmission units - they were complete minus manifolds and dist,and painted gold.They were supposed to be factory rebuilt units.They were a good price but not selling,so they started to split them - you could get a long block,a trans,or a cyl head.I fitted several,blocks,transmissions and cyl heads - and I can tell you they weren't rebuilt,they were BRAND NEW!!.Virgin castings,new studs and bolts etc - they must of been some sort of disposal from BMC,or British Leyland as it was then.

The parts rep for Motor Corp was Graham Gordon - and when he left he took nearly all their parts stock,all the old stuff and a lot of new stuff too.Graham was the man,but a bit difficult to deal with....actualy a lot of fun to deal with,if you knew his ways.

[slowpoke]

You guys missed out on some bargins in the '80's.Motor Corp were selling ''Gold seal'' engine transmission units - they were complete minus manifolds and dist,and painted gold.They were supposed to be factory rebuilt units.They were a good price but not selling,so they started to split them - you could get a long block,a trans,or a cyl head.I fitted several,blocks,transmissions and cyl heads - and I can tell you they weren't rebuilt,they were BRAND NEW!!.Virgin castings,new studs and bolts etc - they must of been some sort of disposal from BMC,or British Leyland as it was then.

The parts rep for Motor Corp was Graham Gordon - and when he left he took nearly all their parts stock,all the old stuff and a lot of new stuff too.Graham was the man,but a bit difficult to deal with....actualy a lot of fun to deal with,if you knew his ways.

Thank god you didn't metion the money they were going for...I've got a feeling I would by blubbin' like a baby right about now!
Graham Gordon sounds like your typical BMC purist...not a wanker or anything...just subtley shall we say "different", to most other people....

[SPman]

You guys missed out on some bargins in the '80's.Motor Corp were selling ''Gold seal'' engine transmission units - they were complete minus manifolds and dist,and painted gold..........

Was that when they were selling brand new 4.4l "Leyland" V8's for bugger all?

[Motu]

Yeah,they had Mini engines and 4.4 V8s on the parts room floor.Those were the P76 engine I think,most found their way into Triumph Stags which were blowing apart everywhere at the same time.Always liked the P76,so simple and far better handling and power than the Aussie big 3.

An Aussie journo/racer,Evan,? Euan? Green took a near stock P76 in one of the big London to Somewhere rally's.The only things beating it were Alfa's and Audi's,it was very impressive for a big tank.But he got lost in the desert and ripped the front end out.That was the rally where Stirling Moss wrecked his Merc and nearly died,lost in the desert.

[skelstar]

Fark, Ive driven a Stag with the P76 Leyland V8 in it and it was awfull. Felt like it had a 90%-10% weight split.

[dawnrazor]

i like short skirts

[pete376403]

I did a turbo mini for a speedway car (Rob Simpson) back in the 80's
1300 block bored out with 1200 flat top Datsun pistons. 1300 crank offset ground to take S rods (smaller journal size) gave capacity of 1440, and a static compression of 8:1 with standard thickness gasket. S inlet and exhaust valves, 649 cam. IHI RHB6P11 turbo blowing through Weber DCOE 45. Sealed bearings on the butterfly spindle, and the float chamber vented into the airbox so float chamber saw same air pressure as venturis. Plastic Del'Orto floats in the carb as the standard Weber sheet brass ones would collapse under pressure and sink, causing flooding and fire. Fuel pump was from a Triumph 2.5PI, boost controlled modulator valve controlled the fuel pressure so it was always about 4 psi higher than boost pressure. No intercooler but we did try water injection via windscreen washer bottle and pump switched on by a pressure switch (vauxhall viva oil pressure switch) when boost was over 8 psi. Max boost was 10 psi controlled by wategate. Turbo was located over the clutch housing and oil drained back though the transfer gear breather hole. Exhaust manifold was fabricated from thickwall square tubing but was always cracking, cast iron would have been better. dyno testing on rolling road saw over 130hp at the wheels and, once the float problem was sorted, extremely reliable. Won a 2.3 litre class for a number of seasons until turbos were finally banned in that class.
If some of the items used look a bit "quaint" remember that in the early 80s there were very few turbo cars on the road apart from Mitsi Cordias and Tredias and aftermarket turbo accessories just could not be found in NZ

[pete376403]

I remember my brother giving me a few driving lessons as a 15 year old in his Mini,in about 1969.It was only an 850,but he was only a 17 yr old apprentice,so not a lot he could do to it.It had a Weber and cam - E3134 ?....no,that's something else....?

Triumph 650 Bonneville, IIRC

And a 649 cam in an 850 would make for a pretty peaky wee thing. OK in a 1300 or bigger