99 replies to this topic

[BenH]

im removing my steel front end at some point this week to make way for a clubby f/g front so ill try weight it when i get it off but the inner wings will be attatched to it aswell
also try getting your tyres filled with helium lighter than air

If you get rouind to weighing that front end youll be a hero!

Nice weight saving there.

Go coilovers and rear beam to loose a load of weight out of the back end.

I did have a nosey at a tdk rear beam while i was at his place and you could lift it up with your little finger, i would fancy getting one but not sure what id have to do in order to fit the coilies ie strenghthenning the turrets?
Il have a few quick searches now.

Any more weighsaving ideas off you guys? i should off chiseled off all the sound deadenning off my floor pans but to be honest i think it looks neater with it on for now and i didnt fancy my bucket seats resting on wafer thin metal aha.

[minimad01]

how about a set of fibreglass doors ? or poly windows ? be suprised how much glass weights

[BenH]

got a fibreglass passenger door and polycarb windows, just need to replace the drivers side although i like having a wind down window hence why i kept the drivers side standard

[minimad01]

can you get polycarb rear windows ? or carbon boot floor ? or how about dieting yourself an passingers lol

[BenH]

Yep my rear quarters are polycarb,my passengers window and iv got to order my rear windscreen from mini-mandan.
Iv gone for a fibreglass bootfloor as my alloy tank will be fitted in the boot and itd be a waste of money getting the carbon one as it wouldnt be on show aha.

and as for my weight are you calling me a fatty aha!
i weight 69kg, if i lose any more weight id be invisible.

basically the end car will consist of

carbon fibre roof
carbon fibre arches (Ordered)
fibreglass roundnose (already got)and clubman front, (depending how im feeling on a certain day i can pick if i want a clubman aha)
fibreglass rear valance (ordered)
fibreglass boot floor (ordered)
polycarb windows except the front windscreen obviously for road use reasons (half ordered)
alloy lightweight fuel tank (arrived today )
rear bins and bench cut out (done)
lightweight carbon fibre seats
fibreglass boot (ordered)
alloys im still not too sure
Fibreglass doors (already have one)
Rear beam and rear protech coilovers as suggested by minimad earlier
Full rollcage grrr weight being added!
Carbon fibre rear bumper with carbon overriders
And then skinny me driving

[BenH]

ooo i forgot,look what just came arghhh excited!
Weighs nothing compared to my mini tank

obp 4 gallon tank with 20% off



Now i just need TDK to hurry up with my bootfloor so i can get it fitted but i think im not getting it till the weekend !

[minimad01]

okay ben dint relise lol an no i would never cal you fat lol
my front end will be coming off today or tomorrow
as for the cage i know it would be expesive but might be worth looking into a titanium cage surly it would be lighter ?
an what about fibreglass a panels or carbon fibre ?

[MarkGTT]

sounds like similar weight saving that i have done to mine, you will find that you wont get much of a reduction in the boot floor but its necessary for the tank.

I have a fully welded 6 point cage and the car come in a tad over 600kg i have since removed a bit more so should be around 590 ish now.

i guess the biggest difference is going to the be the front subframe and engine - the 2 vaux items must weigh in more than the mini ones?

keeping an eye on this build.. if i don’t end up selling mine i could be tempted by this route keep up the good work.

[BenH]

Hi Mark iv just pm'd you mate

[minimad01]

steel front end weights 16kg

[BenH]

Minimad01 you are a hero! was that with the bonnet too i suppose?

[Burnard]

The over looked question.

Were the pannels painted?

[minimad01]

oo sorry no it wasn't ill weight my bonnet today once my fibreglass front get here an ill let you know the weight then we can just add the weight to the 16kg's lol but that was with the inner wings

an yes they was painted but so where ben's

Edited by minimad01, 27 August 2010 - 09:10 AM.

[minimad01]

also ben how hard has this conversion been an where do you buy the driveshafts from ? thinking of doing a conversion my self to fill the big space of a clubman front i now got

[BenH]

Hi Minimad, whats your name as i feel funny calling you minimad. Driveshafts are from allspeed but theres a bloke over on another forum who will knock them up and youll save a fortune but mine are one piece so less likely to break,but then again you could have 3 pairs off the other bloke and still saved money aha!

Conversionwise- i knew nothing about cars/engines 2 years ago and picked up the a sereis pretty quick, with this new foreign object i just needed someone to come over and explain what everything was and its been quite simple so far but the engine iv gone with-E16SE-doesnt need lambdas and ecus unlocking, this being the main reason i went down this route. its about 4-5 wires to get it running after tapping into the mini loom too.
Id seen too many abandoned projects that i wanted something that would be easy for me to do with abit of help and cheap, im at £1500 for all the vaux stuff and still got a spare vaux engine included, made about £400 from my old a series stuff too,buttt i was very lucky with the package i found 2nd hand and they do come up now and then.had i bought it all from allspeed i would have been into 3k by now.
Its just a case of biting the bullet and going for it!
Iv wanted one of these since iv got into minis and now im finally building my own!

Im building this without worrying about IVA the dvla and insurance prices which puts alot of people off.
If it costs a bomb to insure then so be it. Hobbies are expensive!


Anyway iv got no pictures till friday but a little update on progress.

Weathers been top notch, so its been going pretty well.

Fibreglass boot floor is fitted (what a nightmare!) added a bit off box section as it lost a bit off strength but still saved about 2kg

new corner pieces of the boot floor (the bit that iv kept) has been replaced/re-welded

Under both lights has had new panels welded in

rear valance grinded off and the fibreglass one fitted

fibreglass parcel shelf fitted and a bit of box section added there for strength

fuel cell and pump fitted and plumbed in

corner plates welded in for boot pins

fibreglass boot fitted

Not bad for a few days work, the nice weather and crate of beer i have sitting in my room has delayed progress ever so slightly!

And its my Birthday today so iv had a day off miniying!

Ben

Edited by BenH, 01 September 2010 - 06:24 PM.