113 replies to this topic

[welshy]

Superb engine choice, ignore any negatives some people may give you the Japenese make some superb engines, Skyliner is just one.

The Japanese are really big on the swift. There is a website somewhere which sells everything for them. There are some ridiculous examples on the website of swifts with 250+bhp out of a swift GTI but i can't find the damn website.

Obviously 250+bhp on a frontwheel drive light car is pretty useless so people use the running gear from a subaru Justy 4x4 which bolts straight on. A 4x4 swift gti mini would be great.

What year is your engine as the 1989 swift GTI had hollow camshafts for an even more reponsive engine.

Welshy

[]GoD[Zander]

Thanks for the interest if you could find that web site again that would be cool. and i think it is the 1989 model could be wrong

[]GoD[Zander]

i have thought about putting the subaru justy running gear on but one job at a time

[]GoD[Zander]

Progress is slow on the mini I have done list of jobs that I have done so far
1. deseamed her
2. made sub frame
3. mounted engine back in to mini
4. sorted any rust
5. had a look at the wiring


1:- this was the first job I did really it took very long time very time consuming. Basically you have to do it inch by inch cutting welding as you go. I did the sides and the roof. the roof you have to weld brackets in place to give it proper support. Then comes the filling I ran molten lead down the seams to help stop it rusting. Fingers crossed lol. Then you have to slowly build up the filler making sure you get the right finish this took a lot of spraying and sanding to get the look just right. This took about two months working every other weekend “well I had to fit the girl friend in some where”

2:-making the sub frame was a lot easier than I thought it would be. It did help that there was so much info on 16v mini and lots of pics to look at we are just making the frame look pretty now grinding the welds down and just making them look good don’t know what colour to paint the frame the colours I’m thinking are red yellow white or purple.

3:- mounting the engine was a big deal it look so good back in the mini and it felt like it was worth it

4:- sorting the rust is always a bit of a pain in the ass but it has to be done good job there isn’t to much on this shell two spots on the rear windows all I did was sand treat and fill looks good as new.

5:- wiring looks like a nightmare but I have the manuals and I’m not going to give up now this is the main job that I’m working on its a matter of sitting in my garage and sorting wires not very fun

I will post imagers up when I get time but with teaching and marking don’t get a hell of a lot of time

[ed4ran]

Are you going to use the swift engine loom and keep the mini loom as is,
i.e. just providing power etc for the engine?
Theres a thread on the wiring on 16vminiclub if thats any help.

[marc]

Glad to hear of some progress scott. I want mine done for next summer so hopefully we'll both get our projects done next year.

[]GoD[Zander]

it would be nice to get it done by next summer but i'm not going to rush it i wont everything spot on

as for the wiring im strating from scrach it will take me alot longer but then i will know its not a C**p job

[ed4ran]

Are you keeping the stock ecu and bits?

[]GoD[Zander]

i am keeping the stock one but it has been super chipped

[]GoD[Zander]

didn't have a lot of time this weekend with birthdays and other things so all i did was clean my engine up striped all the paint off and removed any rust that was left on it so at the min it looks very naked with no colour I think I’m going to paint the block itself white and go for a normal red top but we will see I change my mind more than a woman about the colour of this car.

[Goldeeno]

This sounds like an awsome project matie. You seem pretty sure on a turbo, have you considered a supercharger? I got no idea if its possible, but i would imagine it would give you greater control in acceleration. Save a bit of money on the tires lol?

[miniboo]

cough PICS cough

[]GoD[Zander]

To be honest i have ditched the turbo idea i think steering is going to be a problem and space. And i have never seen one look very nice they always look thrown in. I have looked at a super charger and i have asked round there was one person that has installed a super charger on a Suzuki swift but sadly it was in a Suzuki swift no mini conversions yet. But i will see what its like for room and may consider it. As for pics I’m afraid I just haven't had time the only time I get to post anything is when I’m teaching like now. But I will keep you updated in words.

[Steve Rowe]

Pics of the subby you've made please always been a fan of the swift gti's

Edited by Steve Rowe, 25 November 2006 - 03:26 PM.

[]GoD[Zander]

yet another wasted weekend didn't get to work on the mini what so ever. I was taking my gf back home or picking something up from hers i think. Anyway I was following a focus through the ford at her house and the in the focus stalled his car. so I tried to go round him and didn't realise how deep the water was and didn't know that the air filter on my tdi 306 was in the most stupid of placers ..... in the bottom of the front bumper. So I try to go round him and sucked up most of the ford in to my engine lol. Had to get out the car window and push the car out the ford. did get meet a mini owner who had gone full power right into it but all he had wrong with his what the dizzy got wet and he did help me push my car out aren’t mini owner great nobody else offered. Helped him get his running while I waited for my dad to come and tow me back home after about ten mins got it running and he was off again wish it was that easy for me lol got the car home after being towed with strap little scary first time I have been towed. and parked it up for the night. Started work getting it running in the morning instead of working on my mini  not happy bit of a dog to work on had to take the intercooler off to get to the glow plugs so I could turn the engine over to get all the water out of the engine after god knows how much water came out my 306 put everything back in and tried to get it running after a lot of smoke and steam had come out of the tail pipe it was up and running that god it hadn’t bent a con rod after all this palaver I was clod and it was getting dark so no work on the mini and no work to show you any pics sorry guys also I have ordered a different air filter and fitter kit to move where the air filter sits

Edited by ]GoD[Zander, 27 November 2006 - 12:21 PM.