bmc mini thread

[dove grey 64]

Here is a thread to talk about bmc/leylands legendary mini, I'll be updating this with some good videos and info shortly.
In the mean time maybe share stories you've had with minis,maybe your parents had one etc.

I've owned around 6 iirc since I got my L's, still have two being restored.thanks to the stars aligning and sprinter ownership becoming a reality things are a little slow on the mini restoration front but it'll get there one day.

[Seventy]

Another car that's high up on my 'to do' list, body wouldn't have to be anything flash for me but obviously still sturdy enough. Plans would be like all new suspension, wheels, tires, rebuilt engine, gearbox, diff, a good steering wheel, seat and belt. Then drive its pants off

[dove grey 64]

It's amazing how stiff the mini shell is, I had one with such badly rusted floor pans you could put your foot through it and it never had body flex.
Also I've seen one at the wreckers with 2 kingswoods ontop of it, only had a dinted roof lol

[dove grey 64]

here is a video for joel, all about the bmw k1100 16v motor cycle head onto the a series motor (yes mini's use an A series motor, obviously not a toyota a series), minis originally came with a cast iron 4cyl 8v head motor, factory sizes were 848cc,970cc (cooper), 998cc, 1071cc (cooper) 1098cc and finally 1275cc. the gearbox setup was unique in that it sits directly underneath the motor and shares the same oil with the motor. this was done to maximize interior space by not needing a transmission tunnel, it wasnt the first front wheel drive car made but it was the first to do it right.



weighing just over 600kg's in full trim people are fitting lots of motors to these cars from twin yamaha r1 bike engines, twin hayabusa motors, b16a/18's, toyota 4efte and g13b's from suzuki swifts.
one of the earliest conversions was a guy that fitted two 1275 motors, one in the front and one in the rear, both gear box's were linked to the same selector but the car had 2 accel pedals and both motors could work independently of each other.
there are quite a few v8 mini's getting around too.

[dove grey 64]

by adding a turbo like this guy im not sure why you'd bother with other motors.
here is another with the same head and a little turbo bolted onto it aswell, 255hp, not bad for a 1310cc motor=)

i used to own one of these heads before there was a kit readily available to make it work, it was more work then i could handle and i wasnt liking the idea of taking my car off the road for an unknown period of time, unfortunately i sold it ($1200 complete with quads and injectors, had it listed for 1 hour lol)
since then i became more of a purist and would be happy with a mint original 1275cc, but as with 4a's....quads are awesome

[dove grey 64]

my second and third mini

modded a standard mini seat to make a period bucket seat, one of my first jobs i did interior trimming wise


also made this light/lamp bar with lucas lights, guess i'd always been into period styling


12x5 superlites baby....check out the dish lol

2nd,3rd and fourth mini lol,never sold them to anyone too far away =), light blue was an original 848cc, dark blue 1275 and yellow 1275, this was a arthurs seat run

spent ages collecting the right gauges


home made alloy cage and rear mounted fog lamp ftw

leather buckle strap because....racecar?euro?

6th one, windowless panelvan. pretty rare and sought after

[dove grey 64]

got some 12x6 watanabe's for my next mini, with yoko dna gp 155/60/12's....look out...stretch..hah

speaking of the next one, this is it..my 1964 morris mini 850 shell, will most likely end up with a 1310cc (stroked 1275cc)
color is dove grey with an old english white roof. i've got shitloads of resto pics, can post them up if there is any interest.
how it started



ergh the work

roof sprayed

inner guard

under floor pan

under rear boot floor

bonnet sprayed

body sprayed =)


smashed

[sundee]

Woohoo a mini thread... Please note BMC NOT BMW... Keep that shit out of here!

1st I'd like to say I'm jealous as F of your windowless pano!

I've got box's of mini mags from when I owned my 72 clubman .
Was 1100cc... Till I bent a push rod, rebuilt with 40thou over slugs and a mild cam.. When I was 16 I didn't know what duration or lift was.. Had twin 2 1/4 SU's , extractors and exhaust.

I got to know the bloke at the local mini shop... Put a HD pressure plate in it with a new clutch...
After snapping 4 clutch arms! Yes 4.. Between the ball and pivot..

Out it came, measured the plate.. And it was thicker then a pressure plate commonly used in 1380 race motors...
Replaced it and all was well.

I'll see if I can scan some pictures of my mini...

My ultimate project is fitting a RNN14 GTiR drive line into a mini.
One day...

I'd like to get my hands on a later round nose shell...with no external door hinges and the big late model grill..
Run big bolt ons and 10" deep dish wheels.
Like star sharks but they are 3 piece .

All the stuff I have is hard copy not digital and I don't have a scanner
Will see what I can do.

How good does the mini handle?!
What other car can you hook into a corner flat to the boards?
Only time you need brakes is for a red light

[dove grey 64]

you can buy awd 400hp kits for them

[dove grey 64]

awesome