The reason things have been abit quiet with the mini. Warning, JDM inside.
Turbo Mini Forums

Well after getting bored driving the works van around, i decided that 1. i want something more fun to drive as a daily, and 2. Picking up a date in a works van is NOT a good look!

So after looking for a while, and liking these cars for a long time a decent 200sx s13 came up at the right price.

Picked it up on saturday and towed it home the 4+ hour journey from Milton Keynes...Not too fun! Wake up at 4am then out for a mates birthday in the evening untill 4am....ahh the joys!

Anyway the car is supposedly stage 3 spec which is meant to be good for 300bananas but we will see what the truth is as i investigate it more and then get it on the rollers.

I got it for a good price because the bottom end has gone (chocolate bearings in these engines) so yesterday i set about finding out how bad it is.

Knocked the sump off to find thats it is number 2 that has gone where someone has tried to reshell after a bearing has spun and bolloxed the conrod meaning it just ate the new shells also.

So the crank would need a grind, a new set of shells, and a new rod. I managed to get a spare crank in with the sale to that was measured up and found to be on a 0.010 grind but in good condition. So it was polished up and had new bearings supplied.

A new rod is just over £100 so im trying to see if i can get a decent second hand one first but i might just bite the bullet and get a set of uprated ones at £250 decisions decisions.

Today i got the engine out and stripped down ready to have a new rod put in a be rebuilt. While its all out its a good excuse to clean up the engine and engine bay properly, and also give the head a nice little bit of port work.

As for the bodywork its very straight, its had a new front bumper and bonnet at some point but its a 17yr old car so im not complaining. What i am complaining about its the terrible rattle can job on both the bonnet and front bumper!! out with the 1200grit and some good old patience! Also didnt like the spoiler and there was some rust bubbles around the spoiler mounts on the tailgate so its getting de-spoilered.

Some pics (i'll get some proper full car pics when its back on the road):

Sweet!
Jap = Awesome
RWD = Awesome
Turbo = Awseome
Pop-up Lights = Awsome

Therefore, this care rules.
Hope you enjoy it. Give it a whack of the lowering stick though

On 12th Nov, 2009 Paul S said:

I think Gary OS has taken over my role as the forum smart arse

It is lower than that really, its on the ramps.

Although it does need to drop abit lower....different wheels and coilies....eventually!!! Mini first!

YUSSSS!!

Nice one mate, looks like you got a solid one .

I really want a white one you swine!! Nuts how you've had it all apart already, from what you showed me of the spec this should be a weapon once working again .

Now wang some coilovers on and get it as low as my one!





Will have to get to some DWYB at some point, westzoyland too!

damn! not usually a fan of the S13's but those 2 look really nice!

Wow looks very nice, i picked up one of these as a project a couple of years back but it was just too far gone. Yours looks like a nice solid example

On a side note i have a brand new aisin 3 piece clutch kit sitting in a cupboard that i've never fitted if its any good to you?

good stuff...

I love these 200's. Always wanted one.

Theyre brilliant for the money!!

a 200bhp rwd turbo jap car for sub £1000 is wicked bang fo yo buck

tasty, i really like these too

why do we bother with minis again?

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

"did you know you can toast potato waffles?"

Id say your one of the first owners to actually take the engine out yourself and work on it. Over here ive not met anyone whod have a go at it.

In boost we trust

Fuck knows but I have owned and worked on a stupid amount of cool cars and I have always gone back to the humble mini,

There is somthing about the little things that just draw you back,

There is nothing like the fealing of crucifying some sort of cheep ass jap motor on a twisty B road, I could do it all day long.

Edited by richminiturbo. on 1st Oct, 2009.

i like the later silvia ones, S15's?

Excellent, really makes me miss my S14a, so much fun to drive.

Be carefull when the weather changes mate, its coming up to maiming season.

just at the garage now. The crank is back in and spinning freely, engine bay is cleaned, block is cleaned, inlets ported, one of the exhausts ported (now running out of unsable burrs, damn alu!) going to crack on with abit more porting before i get bored with blunt and clogged burrs.

Just waiting on my new rods which should be here tomorrow, along with all the gaskets etc. So the short motor at least can be built up tomorrow, and then just slap the head on when the porting is done (rest of the exhaust ports and manifolds still to go) and the valves lapped back in.

Then the engine can go back in and i can give the thing a good valet!!!

Paint on the boot lid has reacted in 1 place and i cant stop it reacting so if i can get away with digging that one bit out and filling it over i will do that, after than it'll just be bare metaling the thing! Its a set-back as i was hoping for that to be done today but no...oh well, i wouldnt want to leave it and let it let the boot lid down.

Then im on the road!

Best-stig: Its a conventional engine lay out! I find it 100x easier to do this than i do with a mini engine!! although all the same basic rules apply! when taking the engine out i was actually glad it was coming out, loose bolts etc, i'd rather have the peace of mind!

All in all its a very solid clean example, just needs tidying up and things doing properly. Its got all the right bits to be a good car!

I am definately going to be careful! its my first RWD car so its going to take some getting used to! i will be going to a track/drift day as soon as possible to get to know the limits of it safely!

Cheers for the comments, pictures later!

Edited by James_H on 4th Oct, 2009.

James, if ou have a lump of cast iron it's good for taking alu off burrs. Well done on making such quick progress. Once you get away from minis it's amazing how quickly progress can be made! My E30 is flying along too

On 12th Nov, 2009 Paul S said:

I think Gary OS has taken over my role as the forum smart arse

What just start to grind through some cast with the burr?

The exhaust mani is cast iron so i may have to alternate porting between the two.... i'll get some new burrs tomorrow anyway, along with some stones to finish the ports off.

If it's a lump that you don't mind destroying the cast iron then it cleans the burr up. Don't bother attacking something you want to use again

On 12th Nov, 2009 Paul S said:

I think Gary OS has taken over my role as the forum smart arse

the cars ok but should have brought a s14 face lift silvia or r33 fryline wit 25det haha, but in saying that im a mitsi man so id rather have my 91 vr4 YEA BOI MITSI WATT !!! <><><>

1966 MK1 1034CC TURBO MINI

Theres factors such as cost etc when buying things though isnt there!

Everyone on here would have their cars finished if money wasnt an issue.

these are good for uncloging/cleaning files/burrs

http://www.anvil-trading.com/ourstore/prod...den-Handle.html

whats burrs you using on the aloy anyway? ive found the cross hatch type seem to eat into and clog a bit less than the fluted type

best stig, im surprised at that

dvsmini, yeah, what a tit, why didnt he just buy a group b audi quattro? or a mclaren f1? lol

i know what your sayinh, the s14's are nice, and one day ill own one, but i really want my next car to be an elise

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

"did you know you can toast potato waffles?"

Edited by Brett on 2nd Oct, 2009.

Yes i moved to the darkside

Instagram @jdm_brett

Ive always liked S14's especially the facelift but as Bret says just respect it and learn the limits you should be fine... watch out for full boost coming off turbo lag in the wet that will get you sideways in a flash... but dam its fun.. secondry turbo in the FD does that for me