Mini turbo = Big grin!

[poser]

Nothing to do with MR2s, but I thought it was worth posting anyway. My brother's been working on refurbing a mini for about a year and half - he started with a wreck and it's now looking pristine.

It has a 1.3 turbo in it, lifted from an MG Metro, and is completely stripped inside - the thing contains only instruments, a rollcage, two Recaros and harnesses.

I finally got a ride in it on Sunday (as a passenger) and it's mental! Starts with a fantastic roar and rumbles away, shaking the garage windows. The suspension is the stiffest I've ever felt and when the turbo kicks in, it throws your head back. The fact the the car is so tiny and so bare makes it feel like you're so close to the road and to the engine.

The best bit is he's kept the styling quite minimal - no flared arches, no big fat wheels, plenty of chrome, etc - it looks stunning. I'll get some pics up when I've got them off my camera.


He just needs to finish tuning it before he starts to look for some bigger cars to embarrass... I'm definitely going to need a quicker 2, though!

[Charged]

Quality, sound like my sort of car!! I would be intersted in seeing the photos... this conversion used to be very popular on minis, but i guess the world is running out of MG Metro Turbo engines to use. A friend of a friend of mine has a RWD Yamaha R1 engined mini... it really is something else!
Another popular conversion is a 1.6 Honda engine upgrade.

[luthor1]

!!YEAH!!

I had a 1380 NA engined Mini, Kent 276 cam, 1.75" SU, K&N, powermax pistons, lightened and balanced bottom end, power to 7,000rpm. Used to make 0-60 in 6.5 and pull an indicated 120!

Pirelli P7F 175x50/13 tyres on 6inch wide superlites! Metro twin pot 8.4" disc brakes, spax adj shocks, solid bushes, RC40 exhaust... oh thankyou - just dragged me right back to 1995/6! Good times! Get them pictures up!

[poser]

Cheers for the responses - my bro is walking round like a dog with two... bones at the moment! I'm really pleased for him as he has really had to do this on a budget, hence it taking so long to complete.

This is the car but it was taken a few months ago - it's the only pic I've got access to from work. It has been refined a wee bit since then, but you get the idea.

[Draven]

That looks cool really like the colour.

[Quigonjay]

gorgeous car, also an ax mini owner

[mrfil13]

Looks lovely, that colour looks ace on the mini

[Martin F]

had a mini as a second car once, so much fun...that cars looking nice, job well done me thinks

saw a mini on the telly once with a rev 1 mr2 turbo engine plummed into the back, wasnt running high boost but was still producing some very good quarter mile times, still preffer the real thing though

[RST]

It has a 1.3 turbo in it, lifted from an MG Metro, and is completely stripped inside - the thing contains only instruments, a rollcage, two Recaros and harnesses.

...same as my mate down in Aberdeenshire. His is totally restored, stripped out and painted off-white and has a F/G clubman front to clear the engine. He took me out in it once and I was absolutely terrified. Not sure how the car held together and the dash must have vibrated up and down about 3" when it was on-boost. Some sort of strangulated chicken sound off the dump valve / intercooler. Terrible, terrible torque steer -foot down and instantly fighting to stay on the road. He gave me a shot of it on the Afford track one day -quite simply the most rediculous 4-wheeled device I've ever been in.

Can't see the attraction myself but horses for courses I guess!!! I must admit it did put a grin on my face at the time.

[luthor1]

The whole point in them is that from the minute you see it, through the driving experience to when you look back at it whilst walking away the thing will make you grin like a small child.

[Lewis Jay]

Thats cool mate, big thumbs up to ya bro.

My work mate of mine has done something similar with a Fiesta RS turbo, stripped interior, one seat.

Engine is standard but he is running with a (T3 turbo) I think, recently dyno`d with 160BHP @ 1.1BAR.

Put a smile on my face when I had a go.

[GeoffC320]

Check this...4AGE powered fwd Mini

http://www.spagweb.com/gallery/ed_06_mr_ed/index.htm

[ryan]

ERA did a turbo mini back in the late 1990's. I think it was a ltd run and 12K! It was the Metro turbo A series jobby

[luthor1]

you mean late 80's dude!!!

It was carb'd and was actually quite fast!

[ryan]

you mean late 80's dude!!!

It was carb'd and was actually quite fast!

Oops, yes I meant late 80's. 94bhp/87lb/ft? little figures, but a little car

[moscoworbust]

check this out for the ultmioate mini,

I'm saving up at the moment, it'll be an inbetween (after the street legal bug drag car) before the ultima GTR gets owned.....

http://www.zcars.org.uk/montecarlo/specifications.htm

[matt_mr2t]

had a mini as a second car once, so much fun...that cars looking nice, job well done me thinks

saw a mini on the telly once with a rev 1 mr2 turbo engine plummed into the back, wasnt running high boost but was still producing some very good quarter mile times, still preffer the real thing though

IIRC there was a guy who smashed up his MR2 so cut the body off, shortened the chassis and stuck a mini shell over it. So it was a mid engined RWD 200+ bhp Mini.
Seen it at Santa Pod pull 10's and wheelie down the track. Orange IIRC.

[dragoonlordz]

i did same to my austin mini when the 998cc head gasket blew up, dropped in a 1.3 metro engine, just remember to upgrade the brakes and i had a 4 gear standard mini gearbox which needs to be 5 gear to work with the new engine properly, but failing to change (upgrade) the brake system is illegal i found out

[Slarty]

Here's my (old ) baby....



1380, solid rear subframe, adjustable suspension all round (height rear, height/camber/castor front) no interior bar a cage and 2 seats.

Without a doubt, the most enjoyable car I've ever owned/driven. Always used to get out of her with a big ar$ed grin on my face

Good on your brother for having the faith in a mini, they're cracking cars and I wish I'd had the balls to go for a VTEC conversion, those buggers are just mental

[2Crooky]

There is a mini out there with a 3SGTE engine in the boot!!