61 replies to this topic

[Harry L]

Cam cover restored in the original crinkle red with polished lettering

 

Before

 

 

 

Painted

 

 

 

Done!

 

 

 

Should look a little like this 

 

 

[Harry L]

Got some engine work done this week.

 

Block painted, silicone coolant hoses fitted, new cam cover gasket and fitting hardware, new spark plugs, also stainless exhaust manifold studs fitted.

 

 

 

Really happy with how the engine is looking, next up is to fit a new cambelt but awaiting the tensioner from Japan. Then the gearbox goes off to my place to have the new final drive and 5th gear set fitted, I can do a lot myself, but I don't mess around with gearboxes.

[Harry L]

Wheels have arrived! Went for JBW Minilights, 10x6 in anthracite to match the roof, these are wrapped in sticky Yokohama A032R tyres. Wasted no time in getting them coated in Carbon Collective Platinum Wheels.

 

 

Fitted these to the car and they look perfect, they clear the brakes by about 3mm, I had to take the balancing weights off though so will need to get these rebalanced using clip on weights.

 

[Harry L]

This was the part I was most nervous about, the very sketchy task of getting the car off the wooden frame it had been sitting on for the last seven years, ended up using two trolley jacks with lots of wood stacked upon them and someone standing at the side holding the car level.

 

 

 

And it’s on the ground! First time I’ve ever seen the car at ground level and now you can really appreciate the roof colour and how it ties in with the wheels, looks like I might even have guessed the suspension heights perfectly!

 

 

 

That’s us pretty much up to date on the car now, the next big step is to get the engine fitted. I’m also in the process of moving into a new house which will have a garage and a lift, should make fitting the engine a lot easier!

[I hate Brian]

That's going to be one fast mini Harry, I came across a guy who worked at Unipart in Nottingham who did the very same conversion he said "it was mental to drive" 

[I hate Brian]

How are you going to set up the drive shafts for this ?

[Steve220]

You said the allspeed CVs are the known weakness for a mini? Have they failed before?
 

Conversion it looking good! Your suspension will settle and lower the car over the next week weeks. Get the engine in and re-adjust after as it'll go everywhere

 

Thanks for getting good detailed pics up too! I have a new project coming and want to use the basic allspeed subframe for it, so seeing how much room there is in the engine bay really helps!!

[Harry L]

How are you going to set up the drive shafts for this ?

I'll be using the Allspeed HD driveshafts, keeping the whole thing as bolt-in as possible.

[Harry L]

You said the allspeed CVs are the known weakness for a mini? Have they failed before?
 

Conversion it looking good! Your suspension will settle and lower the car over the next week weeks. Get the engine in and re-adjust after as it'll go everywhere

 

Thanks for getting good detailed pics up too! I have a new project coming and want to use the basic allspeed subframe for it, so seeing how much room there is in the engine bay really helps!!

Sorry, what I meant by that is the stock Mini CVs are the weak point, the Allspeed ones have 25 teeth increasing the driveshaft CSA (stock Mini ones are 19t IIRC).

 

Thanks! Yeah expecting the cones to settle a lot as they're new and the car doesn't have any weight in it at the moment.

[Harry L]

That's going to be one fast mini Harry, I came across a guy who worked at Unipart in Nottingham who did the very same conversion he said "it was mental to drive" 

It will be really interesting to see how it drives, I've never driven a 16v Mini so really don't know what to expect!

[I hate Brian]

Excellent will continue to follow your post 

[Harry L]

Update time! It has been a while, but since my last update I have moved house and now have a garage, spent a few months getting that into a useable workshop and other house stuff got in the way as usual.

 

Started with wiring, new LED headlights fitted

 

And all working, the headlights have LED indicators built in, so the glass indicators in the body are wired through a resistor as USDM style DRLs.

[Harry L]

New RMS and clutch fitted to the engine

 

I also got the gearbox back from BK Transmissions after a full rebuild with new input bearing, 4.0 final drive and LS long 5th gear

 

New cambelt, tensioner and waterpump

 

And sump fitted with new gasket and stainless hardware - these always rust and turn into nothing so a good bit of futureproofing

[Harry L]

Had to modify the engine mounts that the Allspeed frame comes with as he put no thought into people wanting to run poly engine mounts.

 

Cut out the inner strengthening bits, my fabricator will add more supports to the outside when it goes there for the other bits.

 

Mount now fits!

 

Wiring is still in progress

[E23TFD]

Nice H, tucked up as well which makes things much easier!