chairchild

How's this for an idea, I'd be getting a CLASSIC mini shell (not the german lumps of ****), and converting it to rear wheel drive with a 2nd gen motor. I'd probably take out the rear seats, and put a bigger fuel tank in it (the standard tank only takes 5 gallons) I'd also be tempted to put the radiator in the back and put some side vents in to feed it. It would also have to be converted to a hatchback to get the engine in and to make access easier. Just to make it look different, I might get some drag-width wheels on it (about 15") and probably on 10" rims with the tyrewall thickness around 4"

Can anyone think of someone (in England) who might be able to lend a hand with this?

krackerx7

iTrader: (1)

its sounds like you want to make it rear engine setup what tranny are you planning on using? I love the old mini's I want to get one soon to work on but I got to finish other projects first, they have that trick honda conversion kit for the old minis where you would have a honda motor and honda suspension that would be nuts, but keep us informed on your progress

gradedcheese

so it's going to be rear engine? How are you going to make the gearbox shift linkage work? there's really no room in a mini for a motor in the rear and the way the frame is i doubt it would hold the weight well. you'd need a very cutomized subframe sort of deal. the honda conversion kit sounds like a better idea to me.

krackerx7

iTrader: (1)

theres also a company that makes a kit to put twin motorcycle engines in the back, a bit pricey though.
you could use a volkwagen bug tranny theres a company called kennedy enginering that makes a kit so you can run a rotary in back, theres a guy on the forum that has a rotary bug that used that kit

chairchild

i've been doing some more thinking about this, and what i'd do is cut the upper-body off of my 1st gen (chuck it), then get the upper body of a mini. I'd modify the floorpan and driveshaft to fit into the mini shell - this would involve shortening the driveshaft and floorpan, then reducing the width of the floorpan by around 4". The mini shell might have to be widened by a few inches, and also cut into sections to make fitting a bit easier! the engine and drivetrain would stay as an FR, but would have certain bits shortened. It might be easier to use the steering from the rx7, but then have the pinion rack gear changed to a bigger one to try and keep a small turning circle (most mini's are about 28 foot). The front wheels would be small things (about 16" including the tyre), but I'd keep the rx7 rear wheels to give it a drag-car look. The shell by now would have as much strength as an athsmatic ant! so i'd get a full spaceframe installed and just have the bare shell (no heating here laddy-jim!). This thing would take at least a year for me to do, but I can't even start it - I DON'T OWN A GARAGE!!! (it's the little things in life that **** you off)

MikeLMR

I don't think the 1st gen/mini hybrid body would be a good idea ... you'd be much better off starting from scratch and building a space frame chassis from which to "hang" some mini panels and reuse the 1st gen rear axle etc.

That way you might get a car that weighs somthing close to a standard mini and not somthing that weighs more.

Plenty of people have done RWD mini conversions in the UK and the 12a engine is nice and short so it shouldn't be too hard to fit under the bonnet of a mini.

The hardest part would be cooling I think. but if you are building your own chassis you can mount the engine nice and far back and fit nice big rad up front with plenty of airflow.

chairchild

but if i put the rad in the boot with vents and a 'leccy fan, that should do the job as well - giving more room up front. There was a v8 mini that had this setup - the only problems he had was that first off it ran too cold!

Snufelupogus

iTrader: (2)

you cant chop up the mini shell... its a unibody, it will fold like a taco!
And for rear engine setup... use a VW bug tranny or the 914 one which is the same, just stronger.

bill Shurvinton

Z-cars do the bike engined conversion, which is based around a cage that fits in the car

http://www.zcars.org.uk/mini/mini_main.htm

It's worth giving them a call, as they have rotary experience and built a rotary engine lotus 7 clone some years back with a PP that was so fast it ended up being banned from the series. (320HP 1200lbs, you get the idea)

For tranny it's worth having a look at audi boxes, as some of these are proper transaxles. I just haven't worked out which.

There is a rotary mini in my future, but not for a while

Bill

Kick

It really bugs me when people wast minis like that.

chairchild

my mini's virtually dead anyway, if i don't do this - it'll just fall to bits anyway (too much rust), so i'm giving it a second life.
The spaceframe should give it the required structural strength, as the standard shell is ****-weak (if you crash, YOU'RE DEAD!!)
And for the last time - ITS NOT REAR ENGINED!!!!
I'm using the standard 1st gen engine and drivetrain, but with a shorter driveshaft.

If this works, It'll thrash the **** off of all the boy racers in my area (they all know how slow this mini is, so they all race me for an easy win)

xlemming

Kick, if you want to see mini waste go to the UK, don't worry about it.
chairchild, just start with something relatively simple, like a honda conversion (which is complex enough). Those cars are so powerful that they have trouble taking off w/o slipping the wheels. A honda powered mini could take most porches no problem.

MikeLMR

Waste ... there are millions of the bloody things

xlemming

My point exactly, in Britain they are a common car

chairchild

What do you expect - we made the things!
But about the honda conversion, you can buy that stuff off the shelf now, everything I make is all about individuality. And a rotary powered mini is about as individual as I can afford!