Hi all,

I've started weighing up the possibility of doing an engine conversion with my Clubman.
What I have to play with is a 4G92 auto engine out of a 97 Proton Satria. The reason I'm considering this engine is...well...I already have it, its got more power stock than a 1100, better fuel economy, running unleaded.

My question is what is the average cost to get an engine conversion engineered??? Would it be cheaper to buy a rebuild 1100??

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If it has tit's or tires....It'll take all your money!
74 Leyland Clubman S (scrap)
77 Leyland Clubman S

definitely - probably by a factor of 10

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

I've gone a bit stupid and bought a lot of un necessary parts and done a few things twice but including all my materials and tools I've bought to do things I would say I've spent at least 10k and I haven't finished yet.. If you're happy with the horsepower of a rebuilt small bore then go for that, however it's not really on the same planet as a conversion.

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Potato

When considering an engine for a conversion you have to look at a few things not just "I already have it sitting around". As a base you want it to make a minimum 100bhp, readily available and cheap parts, overall weight and most importantly size.
There are a couple of conversions (mainly 3cyl) that don't make any more power than a mild 1275 but they are lighter, have a 5th gear, more fuel efficient and due to their small size the conversion is much eaiser.
Rebuilding a 1100 will be cheaper (1k-5k) but it then brings you into the argument of "do I build a worked 1098 or spend the same money and buy a stock 1275"
The general rule of thumb is if you can do a lot of the work/build yourself a conversion will be around 10k give or take. If you need to pay someone to do the work well the sky's the limit 20k-50k+.
Hope this helps a bit.

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Respect mine and I'll respect yours.

That's the main thing with the engine I have. If I get an 1100 rebuilt then why not tweek it a bit, but then why not just buy a 1275....and then tweek that, or go for a metro engine, its never ending.
I'm not chasing horsepower so I don't need to "work" any motor.
I have the skills to do most of a conversion myself so that will save a lot of money, I'm just concerned about the final engineering certificate cost as I have heard they are not exactly cheap to have done, and I want to drive the final product on the road.

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If it has tit's or tires....It'll take all your money!
74 Leyland Clubman S (scrap)
77 Leyland Clubman S

Cost aside (as mentioned, you'd need a minimum of 10k for an engine conversion after having the car already), that's not a good choice of engine for a conversion in the first place. A 1.6 4sp auto with less than 100 hp? The weight increase over a modified 1100 isn't worth it, when you consider that (cause its easy) a 1.3 suzuki engine is smaller, lighter, better on fuel and more powerful with more gears.

Now if it was a 4g92-mivec engine, I'd say go for it!

Yep fair enough. I haven't seen these engines used in any feeds yet so I'm guessing its not worth the hassle to transplant one of these. I just wonted some opinions.

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If it has tit's or tires....It'll take all your money!
74 Leyland Clubman S (scrap)
77 Leyland Clubman S

Harley and 74Club-man - the reason you havent seen these engines in a Mini before is that they simply wont fit (unfortunately)!! The 4G92 or 4G63 with a manual gearbox is simply too wide for a Mini. Also, Harley, the DOHC 4G92 from the Lancer puts out 108kW, what stock 1100cc A-series does that???

If you asked anyone on the forum what was the cost of the Engineering Fees, they would say less that 10% of the total build cost, maybe even as low as 5%. So the cost of the Engineer isnt really a factor.

It comes down to the 'fun factor' and how much you want a car that is somewhat 'exclusive' and also the bragging rights to say 'I did it myself'. If all these things blow your skirt up, then doing an engine conversion is the way to go.

Simply, if you polled the owners on the forum who actually have done the conversion and drive their cars regularly, then none of them would ever go back to an A-series. But a word of warning, you need to ask the right questions to the right people not just listen to opinions, heresay and speculation.

Just my $0.02

Cheers,
Tricky

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"Not Speeding Officer..........Qualifying"

Really??? Not for the same level of horsepower, economy and reliability it isnt!!

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"Not Speeding Officer..........Qualifying"

I wasn't talking about the lancer spec engine, I was talking about the engine mentioned in the original post - the 4g92 from a proton satria. Detuned like crazy for fuel efficiency - they were only about 95 horsepower.

You telling me that if it could fit in a mini, you'd use the proton spec engine? Doubt it!

It would be a better engine than the A-series that is for sure, and if it was free, and the A-series was U/S, then yes I would. It only takes very minor mods to get that engine to perform quite well. They have good potential!

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"Not Speeding Officer..........Qualifying"

Buy this

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/191232511839

If you're looking for fun then stick with the A series it will deliver. Fit the BMW head and target that Old Skool racer look...so cool!

I'm quite happy with the power the 4G92 produces in the proton, and with the air con, power steering pump removed and a full rebuild with some minor mods i'm sure the engine will produce slightly more power.
As for fitting into a mini, well the reality is you can put any motor into any car if you have the time and money and persistence.
So back to the original question, so would I be looking >$1000, <$5000??
As I'm doing the majority of the build myself I'm not keen on paying excess amounts at the end just to get it approved to be registered.
Ohh and once I get going with this I will be putting the build up in the forum.

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If it has tit's or tires....It'll take all your money!
74 Leyland Clubman S (scrap)
77 Leyland Clubman S

You'll spend over $1000 just with the engineer alone. Like I said I've spent 10 doing 100% of the work myself, to do it in under 5 would be tricky especially as you're using a different motor to what anyone else has. However if your engineer is happy with your current brakes, suspension, wheels, tyres, fuel system and interior saftey features you could save yourself some money.

What are the specs of your current car?

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Potato