232 replies to this topic

[lucas1amps]

hi all its about time i started a thread after lots of thought and planning i figured out that i was too expensive to tune up a A series engine for a track car i couldent warrent paying over 1k for 100 bhp? so i thought rover k series but changed my mind after seeing alot of the micra threads on here and also down to the fact im a fan of the micra engine ive had three of them i ven bought one for 80quid for my girlfreind at the time! good little reliable engine and its so different!. so the car its a 1983 mini mayfair otherwise known as the giant tic tac. the car when i bought it looked it good shape but after stripping the car down it turned out to be one of the worst shells i had ever seen.
heres some photos of the car feel free to laugth at the colour was origonally silver till the last owner ruined it car was held togher with nails filler and even gaffer tape ={




more stripping more rust






well in the mean time i got this to keep me busy



the plan is to run the engine whats out of a 1999 car on twin 40 webers and use a modified rover k series exhaus manifold. im abit worried about the engine managment side so proberly go for megajolt as this seems the simplist and easiest way to go just want to no what i need to buy to get it running on the carbs is it just the module twigger wheel pickup and coil pack?

also i need to buy some box section to make the subframe out off anyone had experience with what thickness to get and also how much i need to buy as its hard to gauge dimentions from other build threads?

im going to hopefully get the cams reground il be happy as long as the engine makes over 100bhp on the rollers at college time will tell my mates say im nuts =}

updates very soon cheers luke

[kieranjt]

Good luck with the project! ive not long started on something similar with an FRA shell, will be interesting to see how you do your subframe.

[lucas1amps]

cheers mate goot my best mate jordan (pickuptruck1994) giving us a hand proberly be box section although tube does look more proffesional if all goes well be doing a 1L version for jordans mini =}

[rids]

i used about 2mm box section with plenty webs and bracing. plenty of work ahead with that shell! good luck

[l_jonez]

Im pretty sure i used 30x30x3mm box section which is the same size that allspeed use on their vtec and vaux frames

[lucas1amps]

cheers guys il get some ordered up doing some more work on the shell today got more holes than a golf course

[lucas1amps]

found some old angle iron lyiing around work the other day can use it to make a jig for the subframe and brace the mini shell for when we cut off the inner sills! bargin!

[lucas1amps]

well small update for everyone painted the micra engine start on the subframe soon as i get some box section, ended up buying another mini with my best mate jordan (Pickuptruck1994) so this has tied up alot of my time as we are building it for his girlfreind. right back to oliver ive been doing more work on the shell and also marking up the subframe ready to be cut when i got the box section.

i went to mini world action day and spent well over £500 on pannels and parts for it (student loan for the win!) to give you a idea of the work this shell needs we will start from the top ok so.

new front end
new boot floor
new front floor pans
new inner sills both sides
new outer sills both sides
new heel boad/ rear subframe mounts both sides
new inner wing passenger side
new flinch pannel driver side
new rear valance closing pannels both sides
new door skin repair pannels both sides
reairs to both rear quater pannels underneth rear windows
new jacking points
so all in all thats around 22 repair pannels to be welded to the car and a massive ball ache for me =[
so pictures

[M J W J]

I designed a frame and did the FEA testing on it for my university MSc project. My design used 1" by 1" steel box section. The wall thickness doesn't make a huge difference as the maximum stresses are always on the very outer edge. The change in stress over the wall thickness isn't a lot. I would suggest 16swg should be adequate. Its what is used on All speed frames and also to build a Locost (kit car) chassis.

The weak points are the towers where you join to and where the lower suspension arms join. From what I have found, my advice would be to avoid hitting potholes and kerbs.

I would show my design but its property of Coventry University so not really allowed to. I'm planning to build one to test the fit at some point, just for my own piece of mind. I'll post it up when I start.

It is possible to get the Micra engine with its standard exhaust manifold to fit. This leaves it with enough room to fit a decent size radiator up front. It all depends on what you are going to do for an inlet manifold.

Good luck with the project.

[lucas1amps]

cheers buddy im doing motorsport at bridgwater college so going to do some design on CAD for my subframe thanks for the advice its something im defo going to take into acount. as for the inlet manifold i got a college project that i need to do so using the manifold as my project bought my self a set of twin 40's solex carbs and going to make and manifold to fit them as well as do some cfd and flow anaylisis on both the standard micra manifold and my design to see the difference in flow and hopefully the power gains.

Edited by lucas1amps, 08 October 2012 - 07:42 AM.

[pickuptruck1994]

i think its about time we pull our thumbs out luke time to get all our minis finished now bored of them just sitting around on their side lol

[lucas1amps]

hoorah jordon get a move on seeing a carb specialist friday stilll need box section though

[lucas1amps]

two things

1. anyone know how much box section il rougthly need to build a subframe want to build at least two

2. anyone know where i can get my drive shafts shortend and sleved? cheers luke

[M J W J]

I bought about 8 meters to build my vauxhall conversion frame and two brace bars with it. I have about 750 mm long length left. It depends on your design and whether you are going for a removable front.

As for your shafts try aband on 16v. He has done loads of them.

[l_jonez]

i bought a 3mtr length for mine, and i used pretty much all of it, as for shafts i had it done in a local machine shop