is it me or are turbo bits becoming harder and more expensive ???
Turbo Mini Forums

ive been looking to gather turbo bits to do a 998 build , but its becoming harder to source bits , at fair prices . everything is harder to get hold of and people want mega £££ for it

welcome to the world of classic cars...

What are you after?

I think most bits have stabalised in price over the last few years.

For example a carb and plenum has been arund £100 for a long time. FPR £30.

To be fair, if you're building a 998 turbo, you only need the metro carb and plenum, the rest of the bits are non-specific (I think).

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

yea, wil is right
i dont think they have gone up loads,
i paid £50 for my first turbo carb about 7 years ago, and you can still pick them up for around £50-80

Dont take Ebay prices as gospel,
plenums seem to becoming harder to locate, but again they are out there for £30-50

if you dont want to spend money now, whilst you have a 998cc, then dont expect things to get cheaper once you turbo it........:)

I've never paid more than £50 for a carbon or turbo and about £20 for plendinium and regulator.

turbo stiff is getting more expensive though...

as a general note the amount of 998 turbos project threads i see on tmf is a fair bit. seems turbos are somewhat popular at the moment so maybe there is greater demand.

that said i havent noticed prices going crazy except maybe in std 1275 engines there are some on there for BIN of 850 and i dont even think they were refurbed!

well carb and plenum is the main thing , because i was thinking of using an mpi fuel tank , and mirage manifolds , dont know what turbo to go for yet . im not botherd about spending money , but ive seen prices vary massively , seen a plenum go for 15 quid and one go for 65

When it coes to ebay, the price you pay depends what day it is, the wording of the ad and how much red paint is used.

In the 13's at last!.. Just

Prices are certainly through the roof. I remember when you couldnt give 998 engines away. Now short blocks alone are fetching 80-100 pounds.

LOL at theoneeyedlizard. This is too true

the red paint that adds 5bhp , ive brought a 998 engine that needs a rebuild for 45 quid, i know it leaks past 3 of the cylinders , but havent pulled it apart yet

are 998's actually worth something now then??? i binned all of mine ages ago, and just kept the 1275's. Tried giving the 998s away, but no one wanted them, so they went to the tip!!

And to be honest, no, i dont think turbo prices have increased particulalry in the last few years, just stear clear of ebay unless you know what something is 'worth' (yes, i know its worth whatever a buyer will pay, but try and get some idea of its normal market value)

And on the 7th day........... God created turbochargers!

998's are worth up to £150 in good nick nowadays. And about £50 in unknown condition.
But ive noticed stupid prices on ebay for some things, just been painted red and slapped on for £££ :/

Edited by Carlzilla on 16th Jan, 2012.

na carbs go for pennies or for a 998 look out for a hif38 of a later n/a998 they have the lean of pipe too, run the 'T' Piece trick and it will work under boost

and for the question yes, my first turbo engine came in at under a grand built and fitted if i built it again now like for like your talking 2k at least

Edited by Brett on 16th Jan, 2012.

Yes i moved to the darkside

Instagram @jdm_brett

there was a blue 1275 that looked like it had been dipped for over 500 i think BIN; cracks me up

noooo he wanted 60 quid for it , but he didnt know where the rockers and push rods were so brought it off him for 40 quid then he emailed me saying he found them and i could have them for a 5'er ,

brett , have you got a picture of teh carb u mean , i have a na 998 atm 1989 it is , and whats the "trick" ?

the only pipe off my carb isnt being used is the one for the crankcase breather ? is that the one u meant

What about the price of a 12G295 head?

the only one on ebay needs a rebuild and thats £150 quid plus 20 quid postage

its finding one that hasnt been skimmed aswell for a 998

12G295 heads have been desirable and expensive for many years. I bought one in about 1998 and paid £100.

Mate Davo paid 150 for a virgin 295 a couple of weeks ago

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

I gave two away when I went to 1275

You can still source a 12G295 casting at a show for about £30. I have a shelf full of 'em :)

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."

295s have always been massively variable in price. As Paul says, they can stil be found cheap enough though.

The most I have paid for a 998 is £20, most of the ones I have were free.

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