Metro Van Turbo
Turbo Mini Forums

Right as the old metro van did a good job getting us around europe, apbellamy and I are going to treat it to a rebuild over the winter and hopefully stuff some forced induction in there.

Open to opinions and suggestions as always.

Plan is to replace all the shoddy body panels and fit a Tickford bodykit. Home respray in gawdy yellow as per original and stick a mildy modded turbo lump in there.

This project will be done on an absolute shoestring budget.

So far the specs we have are.

Minispares Stage 3 Head (chambers to be opened up)
STD Metro turbo pistons
Aiming for CPR about 8.6-8.8:1
MG Metro cam
STD Refurbed box with uprated diff pin (no x-pin)
New AP Turbo verto clutch
T3
Cossie cooler (if it can be persuaded to fit in there)
MPI Metro fuel tank (for pump)
v3 megajolt (map version)

Sound alright?

We haven't decided on what boost to run as we don't want to overwhelm the verto clutch so prob not much more than 100bananas anyway.

We have also individualised the rear suspension fitted a turbo ARB and plan on lowering the van slightly and using 175/50/13 tyres.

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.

Hopefully it will look something like this, but a bit less of a gawdy colour, MK 2 front end and metal in place of the back windows.



Lots of room inbetween the front fog lights for a big intercooler...

Thought Standard pistons and rings were like hen's teeth.

Own the day

Minimadmotorman has an engine with a good set in it. They are coming out for some 73.5mm acrolites.

They are but I have a set and if we need more rings you can get them from total seal.

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.

Tickford may be iconic, and may have produced some interesting turbo morors back in the day, but boy their body kits look dated now.

Fastest 998 mini in the world? 13.05 1/4 mile 106mph

Saul Bellow - "A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep."
Stephen Hawking - "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge."

Now now be nice.

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.

lol

It stands out already, we're trying to keep that going....

Blimey...that looks rough! :(

PS...personal opinion

On 22nd Apr, 2009 apbellamy said:
Hopefully it will look something like this, but a bit less of a gawdy colour, MK 2 front end and metal in place of the back windows.



Lots of room inbetween the front fog lights for a big intercooler...

That pic has been photo shopped to make it yellow. Hopefully the van will look better than that...

If you sprinkle hundreds and thousands on shit, it is still shit

Saul Bellow - "A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep."
Stephen Hawking - "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge."

Very subtle Paul! lmao!!

Love the idea, not a fan of the body kit but each to their own!

Yellow, the best colour!

JF.

lmao. Yes our van is shit, but in the best possible way.

On 22nd Apr, 2009 Paul S said:
If you sprinkle hundreds and thousands on shit, it is still shit

I think you should leave it looking like it is now and turbo it, more sleeper

The front end is dropping to bits and the bonnet got damaged when we had a blow out, so it's getting panel work what ever happens.

The Tickford kit is that bit different.

Love the yellow idea and the bodykit. Go for it.

Now that most have you have torn the body design to shreds, any comments on the engine spec?

I'm reckoning about 100 bananas is plenty for this car.

???

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.

You will end up with better off-boost performance if you aim for a higher CR.

If you are not planning on running over 100bhp and you are sticking with the standard transmission you will end up with a more drivable car.

In the 13's at last!.. Just

Might be a plan then not to bother opening the chambers of the head much then.

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.

What sort of CR would you recommend?

We have the cossie cooler so the boost can be wound up a bit without detonation being to much of an issue...

A friend of mine has had a fiddle with photoshop and come up with this. Click the pic for it in slightly higher resolution.



Also mk1 turbo the guy who has sorted the tickford kit for us suggests we smooth in the 3 grooves in the bumpers.

1. because the kit has some damage and 2. because he reckons it will look better (i don't know though?)

Edited by John on 27th Apr, 2009.

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.