Get a service manual and start doing some of the work yourself. It's fun, rewarding and saves a lot of money. I knew nothing of cars when I bought my mini 4 years ago.

Last year I rebuilt my gearbox + diff with a central oil pickup, skimmed the head and replaced the headgasket, timing chain, replaced all the mounts and steadies and most of the engine seals. Total cost was about $400-$500 - that kind of money won't get very far if your paying somebody to do it

A good tune is usually just labour - my local mini mechanics will do a tune-up for $80, so long as your components are all in good nick. If you have the money now, I would recommend the stage 1 kit, electronic ignition and a tune - most of the stage 1 kit can be used on a 1275 as well (although if you're going SC then you might want to go a step futher). But you can re-use the inlet (most of the time), exhaust and extractors. The biggest difference is that the 1275 is better off with LCB extractors and the 998/1098 is better with the cooper freeflow extractors. If you put the LBC's on a small bore block, the bottom of the extractors is the lowest part of the car (my car is like this at the moment - I'll probably switch over some time).

Will grab a service manual. I've got a parts catalog for minispares which has diagrams and info of bits and bobs, but no step by step procedures, so i'll take that advice asap. I do have a growing fondness and interest in the mechanical nature of minis, so hopefully I can be as good as you (after plenty of mistakes!). Issue I need to work around is not having a garage! Young and out of home, oh the cost of freedom!

Looking at a stage 1 kit for 998 blocks now. Would a 1098 kit fit alright and also be good enough for a 1275? Once i'm sure of things i'll order what's necessary and find someone to help me replace the existing exhaust system.

The 998 and 1098 kits will likely be the same - they both have the same block, but the 1098 has a longer stroke.

The 1-3/4 RC40 exhaust that comes with most stage 1 kits will work well for all minis, but for worked 1275's you might want to go a bit bigger. But it's a good all-rounder.

Most kits come with LCB extractors, which will work well on any car. I have LCB extractors on my 998 and it works well - the biggest problem is the ground clearance as the LCB's go down further. The cooper freeflow extractors (sometimes called perry extractors) are better for small bores for this reason. If you're going all-out there are better 3-into-1 exhausts out there but it has to be a pretty serious engine. So LCB's are the middle ground - they work well on all of them, but they're only ideal on mild 1275's.

Another aspect is the air filter - most stage 1 kits use a k&n cone filter. They're a good filter, however the general consensus is that the original air filter box with a number of holes drilled in the side with a k&n ring filter is the best.

Remember, bigger is not always better - putting a larger carb and the biggest exhaust you can get might (and only might) give you peak power, but you will lose all your torque.

Although I'm sure he has a good selection of hats, it was a typo and I meant chat..... I really should proof read what I type next time!

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"Beware the lollipop of mediocrity: lick it once and you'll suck forever" Brian Wilson

This is the best advice... (call Matt). You tell him what you want, he tells you what you can afford....

Good engines are packages.. don't buy "bits".

I don't know Matt - but I'm sure if you buy him a beverage of choice he will set you on the right path.

The main thing is to be honest about how you are going to use the car. You may end up with the Mother of All Engines but find it a royal PITA. BTDT.

Cheers, Ian

Simon K & 1071 S have got it right .

My suggestion to you would be to obtain some Mini manuals and do some reading first , you're a young
fella , you'll pick it up quick , ,even check out YouTube to get an idea of how things work , some mechanical knowledge , you'll start to get an understanding of how these cars tick , ie; tuning , suspension , modifications , so forth , also do some searching on here , there has been plenty of questions on the same subject .

One major thing i would say to you is , DON'T , rush in and spend heaps of unecessary money on mods that you don't need . Start saving some money each week, ( give yourself a plan & budget ) and do some research in the mean time , and when you start to work out what you want , you can then make some plans to make it happen .

There are plenty of people on here that can lead you in the right direction , so don't be afraid to ask , no matter how small you think it is .

Just to give you an idea of dollars that you could spend , anywhere from $2 K - $ 20 K + , to get some
performance increases is not out of the question.

Thanks again guys. Good thing i'm a bartender if he's easily won with a good beer! Will get some workshop manuals and get on with cleaning and tuning my carbys to start off with. Been reading and watching a few videos about that and i've bought the necessary tool. There's a few knicks and knacks like tightening the throttle cable and making sure the connection is in sync with both carbys, but I'm not too afraid with that, just a bit of fiddling around. Next up i'll make sure to pm Matt. Even just to get a 'Mini Yoda' expert examination of my car will help get an idea of what I need to do and what I can do. I'm bloody glad I joined this forum, otherwise i'd be ripping my hair out!