Turbo mini minus
Turbo Mini Forums

Right, after months and months of banging on about it, and picking your brains with my probs and queeries, and after a productive day in the garage I thought I would reward you gents with some pics.
Ive been really busy in the last few months so the minus has taken a back seat, but after coming home from working away for a month and a half I have been full of enthusiasm and been keen to get on!
The front subby has been complete for a couple of months, and so has the engine, (less a few odds and sods) so taday I decided to do a "dry fit" before I go any further with the bodywork to see what fouled and where and to think of a few remedies. Its a bit tight in places but I have more room in places I didnt expect to have it. The major probs I have to resolve is a bonnet that fits, and an intercooler. I think that using the 5gt item in the minus now wont work so going for plan B which is the ford RS turbo item.
Would like to thank you all for your advise getting helping me get this far and will update this post a I continue.
Cheers
Shane

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Edited by shane on 22nd Aug, 2007.

Mods, sorry about the tripple post, please remove 2,
thanks
Shane.

Looks good, post some more pictures.. :) what you planning on doing with the bonnet. Always loved the Minus look.

re the bonnet, you could...

leave it sticking up at the back,
cut a hole and leave the plenum sticking out,
fibreglass a bulge in,
fibre glass an air scoop in.

I'd do the last one, at least it will serve a purpose.:)

I was planning to cut a grp bonnet 2" in to the bonnet along (parrell) the bonnet to wing pannel line from the start of the rounded section at the front to the rear, lift the now created "flap" so I clears everything it fouls, then fit a fibre glass patch at the rear and flush it all smooth, the idea being hav a not too obtrusive bulge, the smaller the better as its a mk1 cooper theme, want it as period as possible!
Shane.

Ah,
i see your dilema!!

is it just the plenum that fouls the bonnet or is it the carb too?

I was thinking if its just the plenum you could fab a new one a bit like the ones Nic's mate does but not as tall.

If its the carb too would putting a NA manifold on lower it enough to clear the bonnet?

Unfortunatly its not just the plenum, its the carb, radiator and cap, and my intercooler piping will also foul, hence my idea to raise the main surface area of the bonnet and get to meet with the wings as normal, therfore achieving a little more room. Hope that makes sence.
Shane.

curses!! mbut its looking incredibly good!! im excited to see it finished

Have a go with a cossie 2wd intercooler, seam to fit perfect. Keep us posted on the progress ,looking good.

crikey thats tight..

pity they didn do a clubby minus

didnt they used to use stromburg carbs in minus's as they werent so tall? could one of those be sealed for turbo use?

and if you want my mate could make you up a plenum with the outlet off the side, or something with std volume and restrictor but less height

Hi,
Nic's plenum idea could well be a winner!
How about using a MG N/A inlet, might bring the carb lower down too?
Cheers,
Gavin :)

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All good sugestions, thanks lads, if I was to use the n/a inlet i would then end up fouling the bulkhead as it is very close to the fibreglass heat shield fitted to the carb. I really would like to hide everything under the bonnet with no bulges, but not sure if its too much to ask!?
The minus's dimensions are vey odd compared to a steel mini, eg I have seen steel minis fitted with a mirrage manifold and the t2 sits close to the bulkhead, but with the minus I have the mirrage manifold and T2 on and I have enough room for a family of badgers to nest down the back of the engine, but inturn the space at the front of the bay is greatly less! The whole car is full of little quirks like this.
Will keep you posted!
Shane.

Right, been in the garage again tonight, trying to think of a solution so I dont have to have a huge bonett bulge.
With an engine steady fitted the standard plenum fouls the scuttle and would also necessitate a 2" bulge in the bonnet.
I tryed an Mg inlet but this then made the base of the carb foul the bulkhead, and the std plenum and grp heat sheild could not be fitted.
I cannot use an adjustable steady to push the carb away from the bulkhead as this would then push the front edge of the rad outside the bonnet line at the front of the car.
If I was to have a plenum that is no greater than 85mm in height (like the one Nics mate makes) I could use the metty inlet and only have to make a relief in the bonett to suit the top of the dashpot, also a small relief for the top of the rad (as rad cap is a tad too high)
If I was to use Nics plenum with the 2" inlet on the left side, I have just enough room to run a single 2" pipe from the outlet of the turbo, along the back of the turbo and neatly install an intercooler in the left hand side of the bay (if I can find one that fits?)
Please note the holes in the bonnet I am not responsible for, they was the prvious owner!

Hope all that makes sence.
Shane.

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Edited by shane on 30th Jul, 2007.

"Turbo's make torque, and torque makes fun"

"did you know you can toast potato waffles?"

Been there already fella, my minus uses the mk1 dry subby, I did look into an auto subby to see if it sat lower, ended up using the one I have and adopting the Ill worry about it later attidue.
Shane.

Have managed to get a few hours out in the garage in the last two weeks (much to the missis dissaproval) and have seemingly made very little progress, well I have made progress, but it just doesnt look like I have!
Most of the last two weeks has been spent on body work, all unwanted holes are now patched and filled, the whole underside is now flatted back, ready for flowcoat, this eve I had a little help from my mate Mark (bodywork and painter extraudinair!!!) and started trying to remove the pi** poor paint job and get in back to gel coat and start prep for paint, Stitt have a long way to go befoer Mark can attack it with a spray gun.
Jobs left to do before paint are,
Cut and bond in baulkhead box (I have used the avonbar item to lay up a fibreglass one)
Flip the shell upside down and lay up the inside of the roof with resin and tissue mat.
Paint the underside and inside with coloured flowcoat.
cut and modify the tunel for rod change.
And LOADS more filler, stopper and sanding! (HOW MENOTTINIOUS!!)
Im really hoping to get the shell painted for the end of next month, had planned to let mark loose on it when Im woring away in the next few weeks, but to to having so many holes atc and other little bits of making good to do its taken so much longer.
Will get there eventually tho!!!
Shane.

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I don't envy your task, bodywork prep is bad enough with steel, fibreglass is about 20 times worse, as I found out the day I helped a mate doing some work on an old TVR..........

Lol, ONLY 20 times?? I cant wait for it to be painted, a milestone I cant wait to reach, I honestly dont know how Mark did it for a living for so long? Its been ok working on it thiss week as ther has been two of use, plenty of chat and brews aplenty! but last week when tinkering on my own, IT WAS BLOODY TORTURE!! We have broken the back of it now tho, (well thats what we keep tellin ourselves)
Shane.

Edited by shane on 17th Aug, 2007.

I looking forward to seeing this painted. I love the Minus!

In the 13's at last!.. Just

How about relocating the carb?

also, you could chop the rad neck off the radiator and solder it up/ solder in a hose adaptor and have a header tank somwhere else?

Nic is on the case re my plenum problem, and Im planning to raise the back edge of the bonnet to allow a little heat out, with this I should get away with a std grp bonnet.
Shane.

I got fed up of fibre glass so I moved onto paint removal, now fed up of that so now back onto fibre galss, got my bulkhead box layed up, the avon bar box was used as amould, now hoping to fit before the weekend, lol yeah right as if thats going to happen!
Shane

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