20082007118.jpg850.26K400 downloadsModified the lower wishbones to create a better angle for the coilovers to sit, its not ideal but thers hardly any weight in the front so should be ok to mount them there. Put in some temperary coilovers just to get the front end up and rolling, had it rolling for the first time today, but was cut short when me engine fell oot!!!........Roll on the V8. Think ive sourced a Austin princess, gonna have a look next week, hopefully its gonna be just the ticket. Got to replace bodywork at the rear now, had to cut it away to for the mcfearson strut towers to sit, but ther gone now. Bracing up the whole rear end and fab up the rear trailing arms, coilovers in the back aswell now.....so glad ive made this choice, after extracting the V6, i cud see just how Heath it twas........luckily 4 years down the line i know a hell of alot more, may even look like a proper job this time!20082007126.jpg698.54K312 downloads
howard, i havent seen you up the pub for ages, where you been?? the last time i saw your mini was ages ago up the workshop with gareth, and i think you'd only roof chopped it then, i thought you'd given up with it, i was gonna ask you if you wanted to sell it, glad to see your carrying on with it though she's gonna be a beast when shes finished. best person to chat with about various v8 and mini issues would be ian aka..spag on the ashfordminis.co.uk forum. he's currently putting a v8 in the back of a mini van
Frank!! How you doin?
I would never give up on the old girl!..........but had a couple of years doing nothing on it because of family events and becoming self-employed...........just never seemed to have any time or motivation.
But.....now im employed again! and things are good.............so, its time to crack on and get it done. Bit of a big change with the engine but the whole projects been a suck it and see jobbie, was just gonna be a standard mini with gullwings for a start!
I try to give Tenterden a miss nowerdays.........but do frequent watering holes in Smarden and bethersden. I should have me mini back on a roller by the end of august hopefully, come and check it out. Cheers for the contact, may well be visiting someone in the know, if (when) i get stuck.
dude, if you want any help in the future when it comes to engineering work, give me a shout, as long as you're not too far away, I'd be more than happy to lend a hand to help you get this finished quicker
OK.............i give up, tell me where you can get an Austin princess gearbox. 3 weeks of phonecalls, breakers yards and owners clubs has broken me.......i nearly even picked up a spade and started to dig towards the jurasic era to find one!.................But..................i have a new option now!
With a bit of mearsuring and tapping stuff with a 2lb hammer, im thinking of inserting a Volvo T5...............any thoughts on this turn in direction. From the info ive gained, im thinking its a winner <--------- Forget that (mad moment.......V8 all the way)
Why not use a modern gearbox with your car it looks as though you have the width in your application, something like the Ford MTX75, I agree in a standard width mini your options to fit a V8 across the back are very limited but your car is considerably wider should be doable
Someone mentioned a little further back about steering columns and racks.......not quite sure what rack you could use but an idea for the column is the power steering one out of a late 90s Nova. It has an electric motor attached to it so is relativley easy to fit and it has a universal joint in it so you can angle it whatever way you need to now that the roof is chopped.
Have seen it on a lot of rally cars and works really well.
Edited by dayoungfella, 09 August 2007 - 12:26 PM.
the total length of the RV8 (including the stupidly long pulleys) is 30"
If you dont mind a bit of work, you could quite easily remove the majority of the pulleys and the alloy cover, as it's only holding the dizzy mech (megajolt) the oil pump+filter+pressure valve (go dry-sump!) and water pump (electric pump!) then it's just a fairly easy task of getting the crank machined down to accept the pully closer to the block, and making up a smaller timing cover. You can easily remove about 7" of its' length that way
Havnt really got much done in the last few weeks, been over run at work. But i have scrapped the V6 its sitting on a scrap lump in the yard, so if anyone wants a 2.5 24valve V6 duretec with an auto box, your more than welcome to it.
Ive bought a gearbox.....focus st 170 6 speed. Thanks to David for opening my eyes and pointing out my mini is about 20" wider than normal! Ther i was intent on finding a princess box.....doh, Cheers david
Just hoping that it will handle the power? any thoughts on this?
Borrowed a front end off a mate just to see what clearence i had up the front for the rad etc etc.......and theres plenty of room.....pheww!
Also, this is what happens to a mini when you roll it 3 times!!
Pictorial on youtube
Minicross at Lydden Hill, the cage held out well........but you wouldnt have thought it looking at the welding!! Then on the restart of the race another mini shed its wheel and the wheel came flying towards the crowd, hit a fence post square on snapping the post, went about 20ft in the air, bounced twice in the crowd missing everyone and came to rest on a car windscreen!! i was about 10ft away but the people right in its path must have needed new pants!
Your building one mad car there mate, thought it was gonna be wide but didnt really think how much until the pic with the bonnet on. Fair play tho she defo different and its a good thing
20082007118.jpg 850.26K
400 downloadsModified the lower wishbones to create a better angle for the coilovers to sit, its not ideal but thers hardly any weight in the front so should be ok to mount them there. Put in some temperary coilovers just to get the front end up and rolling, had it rolling for the first time today, but was cut short when me engine fell oot!!!........Roll on the V8. Think ive sourced a Austin princess, gonna have a look next week, hopefully its gonna be just the ticket. Got to replace bodywork at the rear now, had to cut it away to for the mcfearson strut towers to sit, but ther gone now. Bracing up the whole rear end and fab up the rear trailing arms, coilovers in the back aswell now.....so glad ive made this choice, after extracting the V6, i cud see just how Heath it twas........luckily 4 years down the line i know a hell of alot more, may even look like a proper job this time!
