380 replies to this topic

[Birdman]

Once you get the engine in the car I wish you could bring it out here. My car was on the dyno about 6 hours, come off running perfectly and only cost me 800 bucks.

[Mabird]

I rode shotgun with Steve to the Cruise in last Friday. Ah Well !!!! I found it very difficult to get in and out, climbing over the roll cage is hard to say the least with a bad knee. I found it very uncomfortable whilst sat in and very noisy. BUT IT WAS FUN !!!!! We had a clear run as every cop in the bailwick were attending at a very large fire. lol lol lol. Next time I'll have to get some ear protectors. we're off to Central Oregon Raceway on Friday then on to Portland Saturday

[Monte Busa]

Hiya Mabird! Noise is part of the fun in bike powered Minis! Good luck to you and Steve in Oregon and Portland!

Aric

I rode shotgun with Steve to the Cruise in last Friday. Ah Well !!!! I found it very difficult to get in and out, climbing over the roll cage is hard to say the least with a bad knee. I found it very uncomfortable whilst sat in and very noisy. BUT IT WAS FUN !!!!! We had a clear run as every cop in the bailwick were attending at a very large fire. lol lol lol. Next time I'll have to get some ear protectors. we're off to Central Oregon Raceway on Friday then on to Portland Saturday

[Monte Busa]

Some pics from a half day private track day I attended last week Wednesday. The Elise is mine (with me driving) and the Daytona Coupe is a replica (Factory 5) that is my buddy Howard's (Dart aluminum block Windsor race motor with 500BHP, professionally set up high dollar suspension, etc.) I have Nitrons on my Elise, but needless to say, I was running almost identical lap times as him with only a bit more than 1/4 the horsepower (145BHP). Thank you Sir Colin Chapman!

In other good news, my engine for the Monte is finally on it's way back to me, so expect some juicy updates in the next couple weeks.

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Edited by Monte Busa, 13 June 2012 - 04:36 AM.

[Birdman]

Track days are fun. I had another one yesterday at Oregon Park Raceway but for kicks I took my 427 AC Cobra. It was a hand full, nothing like the Minibusa, but I had a blast.

[Monte Busa]

...well, almost one year to the day it went to California for th turbo rebuild and the dry-sump installation, the engine is here and it's "in" (not plumbed or wired anything, but it's in there). I have a bit of a clearance issue within the dry sump drive belt, but that can be sorted relatively easily I hope.

Now the real work can begin!

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Edited by Monte Busa, 20 June 2012 - 03:53 AM.

[Monte Busa]

The wife's new ride - picked it up today! 2012 Cooper S. 6 Speed, Dual Panoramic Roof, Sat Rad, Bluetooth, iPhone / iPod Connectivity, run flats. It weighs twice what the Monte will with half the power, but it's still a bad little motor scooter.

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Edited by Monte Busa, 10 July 2012 - 02:05 PM.

[Monte Busa]

So I finally got the dry sump system plumbed, and I'm about 75% done with the fuel system / anti-surge tank. I also finished up the installation of the cockpit adjudtable anti-roll bars. This week I'll be getting the exhaust header, the turbo hot side, and the tail pipe back from Swaintech so hopefully this time next week the turbo will be installed and plumbed as well.

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Edited by Monte Busa, 22 July 2012 - 01:45 AM.

[Jeffreypang911]

: O Looks amazing... Good work.

Are those fans pulling or pushing on your intercooler, and do you plan on running them all the time?

[Monte Busa]

They are puller fans - yes, I'll be running them all the time while on track, but they'll be on a switch. The position of the intercooler doesn't allow for direct impinged air from the moving car.

[Birdman]

Hey Aric, the west coast Mini Cooper convention "Mini Meet West" will held in Bend, OR. next June, 2013. That's our back yard. You ought to bring your Minibusa out for the convention and you and I can take a day and go run Oregon Raceway Park.

[Monte Busa]

Thta's a good goal - let's put it on the "possible" list...How's your engine rebuild coming along?

Hey Aric, the west coast Mini Cooper convention "Mini Meet West" will held in Bend, OR. next June, 2013. That's our back yard. You ought to bring your Minibusa out for the convention and you and I can take a day and go run Oregon Raceway Park.

[Birdman]

Any updates Aric?

[Monte Busa]

...slow progress.

I have all of the plumbing done minus the cooling system sorted, the turbo installation is complete, but I had to take a small step back.

The engine had to come out to adjust it in the subframe to better align the drive sprocket to the driven diff sprocket, and I had to change the dry sump pully system around a bit. Originally the system had a 14t/ 28t drive pulley set-up (2:1 drive ratio). To clear a chassis member I had to go to a 24t driven pully on the pump. I thought this would be ok, but consulting with the engine builder (Mike Downs) and the pump manufacturer it turns out that the pump doesn't like to be driven at more than 5400RPM, or cavitation results. With a 10,800 or 11K redline, the pump would be significantly overdriven with a 14t/24t setup, so I have to go to a 12t drive sprocket on the engine. Properly making the swap and aligning everything is better done with the engine out, so that's where I am right now. I'm hopefully going to put it back in tonight, but I was out with the band until 11PM last night so my wife may have different ideas...

What's the latest with your beastie?

Aric

Any updates Aric?

[izzy]

Nice Job! keep up the good work!