129 replies to this topic

[zebigfatman]

I bought my mini cooper spi (Kelvin due to blowing the thermostat gasket) around 2 years ago. I have loved owning it and done a lot of modifications to it, but due to huge problems getting it through the emissions test and one of the CV joints seizing and trying to kill me (I have never heard of this happening either) the time has come to rebuild and restore it. So I sorned it and bought another car.

 

The aim is a pretty fuel efficient road going rocket, so stripped out and lightweight is the main objective.

 

I have held out starting this thread for the following reasons, I am an apprentice panel beater so not much income for bits and I have not had the time to do anything to the car. But after Christmas it started to pick up.

 

First I bought a fibreglass front so the the front is now gone.      

 

 

Before

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After

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The next thing to happen was a bit of a surprise, I came home and looked up KAD on ebay and these beauties came up. So I had to have them

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Before I could immobilise the car It needed to be moved to another shed so I fitted some coil-overs that I had seen on ebay a few months previously.  IMGP0083.resized.JPG   66.46K   18 downloads

 

Then started clearing the shed. 2 weeks ago it was time to move the car, and last week the engine came out!

 

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Today I am off sick from work so I phoned a company in Manchester called just Nissan. I have been quoted 350 for the 1.3L coilpack K11, gearbox, engine loom, starter, alternator, drive shafts and postage. I will be buying these as soon as I am paid on the 20th.

 

So concludes my progress thus far.  

 

I am wandering if anyone who has done this conversion before has used the mini gear linkage or the one out of the Micra?

 

 

 

 

[Artstu]

I'd say buy a whole car if you can, you should be able to pick one up with damage or rust issues for less than £350.

[zebigfatman]

Cheers for the advice. I am aware that this is the best way of doing it but that would mean ditching 2 cars at my dads house which I don't think he would like much. I don't need manifolds because I am aiming to make my own exhaust and also put ITB's on with mega squirt management. I realise that this is quite ambitious for my first time project and will require a lot of reading up on but... Why not?  if all else fails I can go to carbs but I want to learn about injection. 

[evansisgreat]

You might be able to talk to a breakers and try to ask if you could get the whole car, take off everything you need at their place and leave them the shell as payment for taking up the space.
Even better, if you live somewhere in the country you could pay a farmer to store the Micra on their land so you could pick at it when you need bits.

[l_jonez]

+1 on getting a whole car, you can strip it in a day and you will know you have everything you could need off the donor.



Nothing wrong with being ambitious! I would start reading the megasquirt manual now though, its a lot to take in.

Edited by l_jonez, 13 February 2015 - 04:17 AM.

[zebigfatman]

So I've been watching a pair of KAD alloy tower bolts on ebay for a few days, I put in a max bid and ended up winning for half the cost from new!

 

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Also regarding the breakers yard idea I have tried using my local twice looking for fairly common bits for a Clio. The first response I got was an instant "No I don't have any", the second was "Nah your f**k'd mate". Both times I could clearly see at least 2 Clios round the back. So I don't particularly want to give him any custom. 

Edited by zebigfatman, 14 February 2015 - 07:30 PM.

[rids]

I am wandering if anyone who has done this conversion before has used the mini gear linkage or the one out of the Micra?

 

 

the micra one, but you need to bend and shorten the linkages a bit..  one of the easiest bits of the conversion the gearstick boss fits without the need to alter the mini shell 

[lawrence]

Take your time with the gear linkage setup, I did mine wrong initially but it's sorted now, found a lovely sweet spot meaning your up shifts 2/3 and 4/5 I barely need to move my hand from my chair.
Lawrence

[zebigfatman]

So I thought I would put up what little progress I have made, I took the subframe off and found that there were a few patches of rust behind it, then started on the interior, stripped out my dash which I spent so long fitting. Any wiring got taken out and I bought that engine I was offered because it was a decent price, been told it has come out of a 40ish thousand mile car, got the gearbox, loom, coilpacks, starter, alternator, linkage, and delivery for 360 squids so I couldn't argue really. I know I will probably end up needing various other bits but at this point in time it was the only realistic option for me. 

 

Next big spend will be an allspeed subframe but I need to do some saving first. I've got plenty of work to do on the shell while I save up. I also forgot my camera so I only have the phone pics which I cant upload at the moment due to driver issues (just had to reinstall my os so the computer isn't working as I want).

 

Anyhow, I will update if I have news.

[pickuptruck1994]

email lucas1amps as me and him know someone who is designing a subframe for the micra engine in tube and will look better and be stronger than the all speed ones. the first prototype is being made now and should be finished soon. it will use standard bottom arms and tie bars.

[zebigfatman]

Ok, will do! Sounds excellent. Do you know what the price of the subframe will be roughly? I will send an email in a few days, turns out my hard drive died so currently running the live version of linux off a memory stick which isnt great. Need some free time to install on another hard drive.

[zebigfatman]

So this happened today. Pretty pleased with it.

 

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I also rescued a door sking from a skip at work so that should keep me supplied with metal for patches.

[l_jonez]

1.4?

[zebigfatman]

Pretty sure its a 1.3 but cant be certain, Because its a coilpack engine I am pretty sure I cant get the JUN flywheel though. If anyone knows any different please correct me.

 

Linky  http://www.fortyone..../view/5471.html

Edited by zebigfatman, 07 March 2015 - 02:01 PM.

[l_jonez]

Coil pack engines are 1348cc (cga3) which are referred to as 1.4

Edited by l_jonez, 07 March 2015 - 02:24 PM.