Hey Guys
sorry i have taken so long to do a build thread for my Mini.i have just been lank busy lately,and when i get home from work im too damn tired to do anything besides sit on my butt in front of the tv.
Ok,so here goes...Im putting a B16A into a 1968 Mini Stationwagon.Obviously im not just slapping the engine in and going for the last drive of my life.Im taking my time with this project,as i have loads of other hobbies,a job i hate (but it pays for the toys so i cant really bitch) and an attention span that could make a goldfish proud...In the time that im not working on the car i am thinking up problems im going to encounter and it then gets me thinking about ways to solve these problems.so in a way i am actually building this car two or more times before i even go into the garage.
Upgrades that this car is seeing are as follows
Engine : B16A6 along with a S4C gearbox (non LSD sadly) with hybrid mini/honda sideshafts
Mods...None (yet) besides the ECU,im going to go straight for either a dicktator system or a Gotech ECU
Suspension :standard mini rear subframe with the coil over shocks rather than using the lame rubber cone stuff that has compressed over the years...The front is getting a new subframe which i am going to build around the engine and make up new wishbones like the ones used on the Minitec subframe,which improves the handling and reduces torque steer..Guys using modified subframes with standard suspension on the Vtec minis have found that the subframe twists badly and alters the handling considerably.
Brakes : now this was a grey area,i wanted big brakes,i drive like a tool when i get the chance,so being able to stop is a must.I was originally going to splash out on Minisport 4 pot calipers on grooves vented disks...but after working out how much these were going to cost,i decided to go for something from a fast road car and adapt it.I also hate drum brakes,so keeping drums on the back is not an option...I looked around and decided that Uno Turbo brakes were going to do just fine,but after finding Uno front disks and calipers i found i couldnt get my hands on rear brakes...so i had to change plans half way through.I have now got Golf Mk2 rear disks and calipers,and Uno Turbo front brakes...HAHA what a mix.
The balancing is probably going to come from a new pedal box incorperating 2 mastercylinders with a bias screw.after a walk around the pits at a historic track day a while back i saw that almost every single racing car,new and old out there ran this system.chatting to my friend Wade,who races Formula Fords,he said it will work just fine in a road car,and you dont even have to stand on the brakes to slow down.I am used to ABS,so i dont know what the transition is going to be like,but i guess i will find out eventually.If im not driving my Fezz,im in a Vito,or a Caddy...so gentle braking is all that keeps my eyes in their sockets.
Wheel bearings and things are staying standard for now,i dont really see a practical way around it.im not building the car for top end runs,or hard track days,im just building it for fun,and keeping in mind if its not a car that i can use everyday,i may never use it.i want to be able to get into it for any occasion and go.whether its work,a date (hey,hell might freeze over) ,a trip down to the beach,or just a casual spirited drive somewhere.i dont want to be hitting my head on a roll cage getting in or out,or explaining to someone why i have a roll cage,or the cops for that matter.iv heard some guys with cages in their cars get harrassed at road blocks.i also dont want my back broken by hard suspension,since the roads in this country suck balls,ok mostly the roads in the Eastern Cape,CT and other areas have awsome roads.I dont want retarded wheels on my car either,im so over retarded wheels that rub the body and crap like that.
Body mods : well these are being kept to a minimum,im sticking the the standard front,im not extending it,it makes the engine a much tighter fit,but thats too bad.I am going to have to get sports pack arches to accomodate the slightly wider track and wheels.and those arches also make the car look aggressive,i like them.The wheels are going to be 13s of some sort,i havent really looked into designs i like,all i know is there isnt a very wide selection.im also not going wider than 5 or 6 inch,with the lowest profile tyre i can get.i have very little space to work with.
Interior : Its staying a 4 seater with fold down back seat,im not going to fill it with sound.like i said before,i want it to be a practical car.the interior is going to see a decent upgrade tho,i have my eye on some Reccaro seats from a GTI or something,i cant remember what car they come out of,but i have been trying to get my hands on them for about 6 months now.I also want to change the door panels some how,maybe get some new ones moulded to give it a more modern feel.The dashboard is getting rebuilt,but sticking with the original layout of the big centre speedo,iv got some ideas for making the new dash,but i need some time to experiment.My ST has a squishy dash,so i wud like to try do that with the new one in the mini too.I also want to lay as much sound proofing in there as i can.i have heard that minis are very loud inside.i want it quiet if possible.
Damn,reading through this list now,i see that i really do have my work cut out for myself.how many of these mentioned things are going to take place,well only time will tell.
Currently the progress isnt too much to write about.
the shell is completely stripped out and standing on blocks.I have already gone about removing the inner fenders on both sides to make space for the engine.The engine is on the stand behind the car missing its cylinderhead.ok its not missing,its in the car,i only got a deep socket on Monday on my way out of town,so i can refit it this weekend with a bit of luck.The gearbox is on the workbench,i had to replace the diff carrier bearings and have a crack in the casing welded up.the rear subframe needs to go in for sandblasting soon so i can paint it,i have to plan how the calipers are going to mount,and make adapter plates.I bought a welder yesterday morning also just before i left,actually right after picking up the socket...haha...Its a TSM200 Mig welder.so i can start working on the body,there are few areas that need repairing,and i need to build the subframe.also i dont do normal Arc welding,if i want to cock something up,ill attack it with an arc welder.We got our Lathe home a few weeks ago aswell,its been at the office for about 3 years,but now that we have made space at home for the cars and tools things are taking shape.oh ya,did i mention that i have owned this mini since i was 16,and its never been on the road in the time iv had it? haha,if you thinking thats an achievement...parked next to my minis (yeah there are two,but the otherone is a different story for a different forum i think) is my dads 1959 MGA Coupe,that he crashed in 1971,yes,40 years ago...that was the last time its wheels touched the open road.so now with space (albeit limited) tools,and the odd moment here and there,i want to get my dads ass off the couch and into the garage away from the nagging boss,where he can make things happen,or at least help me make things happen.and yes,thats the next build thread im doing,on this forum! not because its a miracle but because the best twin cam 1600 i can think of is the Vtec
(i reserve the right to discriminate against which ever car makes i feel,haha) i like Honda,so for now thats the engine i have in mind...i know there are plenty of other options all being JDM,but i have a B16 to measure up,so i might aswell stick to it,and if i can make one work,i know what to do for the next one
right,i think thats enough of me typing away for now.Pics will come soon,its past my bed time to do it now.
cheers guys
PS jdmmonkey,hope this was enough for you to read about it
