Where to start - Mini or metro?
Turbo Mini Forums

Always liked turbo'd minis and after the r/r day Jons car has inspired me :)

Been reading the how to section and I was wondering if I'd be better off looking for a mini that's already turbo'd and rebuild it as required, or go the metro turbo donor route (if I can find one) and develop a mini from scratch.

I suppose with a mini though there is the risk of it being rotten and me having to spend on the shell instead of the engine, plus there could be a load of stuff done by the previous owner that I don't like and need to undo/redo.

I'll probably have pay more for a mini than a metro, but that said I don't seem to be having much luck finding a metro.

Are the other bits of a metro turbo saleable? Don't want to buy a donor car and end up throwing most of it away.

Seen a turbo'd mini - a runner but selling as a project for ?650 and it didn't seem a bad staring point to me.

Any thoughts anyone?

Cheers

Neil

PS - Sorry, reading that back it's rambling, and I'm not entire sure whether I've answered my own question.

buying a conversion means your buying someone elses bodges!

I'd always want to build my own, at least then I know whats been done and what needs doing, rather than discovering all the problems as bits break and fall off!

Then again metty tubbys are getting harder and harder to find... the engines are easy enough to locate, but to find a whole running car (I fancy one as a run around) is seemingly imposible!

Alex

AlexF

Buy a good running, sound 1988-1994 (before the rot set in) A+ engien from a mini or metro for ?50-?75.
Buy a manifold with turbo, an oil return pipe and plate, a carb with plenum and inlet, and a dizzy and that's all you'll need!

If I had a 8 port head at my disposal, i'd use that as the basis for a conversion and run fuel injection, meaning you could easilly get it in a round-nose! All you'd need was a custom manifold, but there are many companies who could fabricate something for you...
If you wanted to keep costs down, the efi system from something like an uno turbo could easilly be adapted to work...

Ah, now Dave has really hit the nail on the head.

To get better power out of the 8 port I need longer manifolds and bigger carbs, but I don't want a bonnet bulge, or I could buy MBE's efi kit for ?4500!

I was thinking of finding a 1275 motor with a mild cam and normal gearbox for the 8 port head, get the amal kit and put it in our Mk I as a good driveable road car, then look at turbo for track days.

If 8 port turbo is feasible and will fit in a round nose front end, I'd sooner put the money into developing that than have yet another car (5 is too many already!)

Dave - do you reckon 8 port turbo could be done for less than ?4500? I know it will probably cost more in the long run but it's always nice to have something to aim for :)

Easilly my friend!

Best thing about turboing any engine, is that best results are achieved with an inlet plenum, and a single throttle body - despite what many will tell you about multiple throttles!

In the short term, you could have a plenum inlet connecting directly to your ports, with a single HIF at the mouth of the plenum inlet.
You'd still need a restictor at the entry to the carb, but that is easy to sort...

The manifolds will cost you the most i'd imagine, and this can't be scrimped on unfortunately. Not having an inlet at the back of the head does mean you gould mount the turbo high however (like Steve Harris did with his 998 8port turbo) which avoids cutting the bulkhead...

Only thing i can see as being 'difficult' is the chamber volume... You probably don't want to modify your head too much i guess, which means BIG dish pistons, or having a relativly thick squish band...
If you could get your head to 25cc, you'll be well on your way mind!

Injecting an 8port head is childsplay - it certainly shouldn't cost ?4K! - and a potential future upgrade maybe?

I reckon ?2k would have it running with a rebuilt helical box (assuming this is what you have currently) a well sorted short block, manifolds (running a SU) and of course your own time in making pipework/brackets/etc.

You'll get lots more power than a 5 port turbo ever will for the same boost pressure...

Upgrading to a decent injection system at the same time (or later) will yield even more... I've got a few ideas on how you can build this up, having spent a long time in the past looking at 7port turbo...

Edited by turbodave16v on 19th Apr, 2004.

Was thinking about this whilst driving home and if you don't mind hundreds of questions and maybe a little help (I'd see you right for your time) I'd like to have a go at this.

The current spec is 1380cc, jkd sc gearbox with twin x pin dif (choice of 3.2 or 3.44 :) ) and the head is unmodified. It's all been recently rebuilt by Swiftune and only done around 700 miles so I would hope the geabox would be up to the job.

Any thoughts on camshaft? I have 296 at the moment, but as the valves run in a different order I'm limited to what I can get off the shelf - 296, 286, 310, 649 or the old 'sprint' cam.

Hmmm - camshaft...

I wouldn't have gone that aggressive on the cam, 286 at the VERY most, and even that with a 'tweaked' LCA... I'm sure you can get something a 'little milder' ground?

Gearbox well up to the job, as you say...
I'd be tempted to put the 'block' on one side, and build another - keeping to to 1293 or 1310. Easilly done for under ?700 i'd have thought (incl. cam and decent pump).

I'd be tempted to leave the head stock for the first stage... Maybe get the exhaust valve seats re-cut so they are wider (i aim for 40-50 thou length along the 45 degree 'cut') to help take heat away from the valve head - not perfect for performance, but a much better reliability...

I've PM'd you my number, and an ideal time to call me (!)

Edited by turbodave16v on 19th Apr, 2004.

PM'd you back :)

you've lit dave imagination but the sounds of it!


GO FOR IT!

Alex

AlexF

Hasn't he just!!!!