I'm trying to decide on what kind of engine I should upgrade to? At the moment I have a standard 850 and truth to be told it struggles to get up some hills I encounter. I don't want to spend alot of money but I want enough power to get up those hills with a little to spare. What should I do? I know that there are quite a few options such as getting a bigger engine which is what I'm guessing ill need. But the question is what should I get and how much is it going to set me back? Should I go the 1000 or is that a waste when I could get a 1100. I don't think I need a 1275 quite at the moment and plus I'm not sure I could afford it for a long while anyways from what I have been told. If I was going to go for that kind of power I would probably go for a swifty or something similar, by the way how much does that cost?? Can you guys give me some feedback on what type of engine i should get and where I can get find it? What should I do and how much will I need?

Personally I'd say go for the 1100 , a bit more torque than a 998 (1000cc) and essentially the same block with a slightly longer stroked crank . Firstly though , what are your brakes like ? If they are the original 850 single leading shoes (only 1 wheel cylinder per front wheel , no little pipe going from one side of the back plate to the other) than they are really inadequate for anything other than a resto . If they have already been changes to the later twin leading shoes brakes (two wheel cylinders per hub and a pipe going between them) than you should be fine . If you were to go for a 1275 then you'd need to upgrade further to disc's and that get's a bit expensive .

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You will find the car is transformed with an 1100
and they are about the same price as a 998

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Too many cars, and too little time.

With a few mods it's easy to make an 1100 plenty powerful

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Starlet Conversion:
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15484

bugger a 998 or 1100, sure, you might get one cheaper first up, but pretty soon you'll be sick of it's lack of power too.... keep your eyes peeled for a 1275 and run with the 850 until you find one

the only 1275's I've bought that didn't come with a car cost me $60 and $100 respectively. I dropped the $60 one straight in my car and ran it for 2 years, I only had to rebuld it cos I overfuelled it and wrecked the bearings, the other one has been sitting so long that it's siezed, but I know it's still standard bore

of course, you could turn the 850 into an 1100 eating screamer - they get 90hp out of them in the UK

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

converting to something else, with all the associated costs will cost you at least $5000, if you do most of it yourself, if you're not skilled and you have to get it done for you, the costs will skyrocket.

Find yourself a 1275, ask around the QLD mini owners club, and scour country wreckers for an 1100S

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

Was that meant for the other thread simon? ..i didn't see any mention of conversions in here

Pushing those 1275's alot today!

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Starlet Conversion:
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15484

Been reading long Josh? looks like you're doing well, but maybe you should go a bit slower so it sinks in

(jokes mate)

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

Haha..my mistake ..

I'm at work..rushing posts in here and there

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Starlet Conversion:
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15484

Sweet thanks for the help guys looks like I'm on the hunt for a 1100 now. Anyone know of someone that is looking to get rid of a 1100 that runs well as well as a way we can get it to brisbane than I would be eternially grateful if you could let me know. What price should I be looking at spending. There are 2 for sale on ebay at the moment but with no details and they will not post. Is it worth taking the gamble or should I wait for one I know a little more about? Who puts something for sale with no details at all? seriously who would do that?
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Mini-Complete-en ... dZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Mini-Complete-en ... dZViewItem

I'd take the cheap engine and rebuild it, at least then you KNOW what has been done.

Buying a second hand engine is always a gamble.

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Starlet Conversion:
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15484

I'm new to this as you can tell. What would be required to rebuild an engine. Is it possible to do yourself with only limited knowledge and a instruction book or will I need to send it off to get done. How much will it set me back approximatly??

It's not something you could attempt really, i wouldn't recommend it.

You'll need to bore the block, new pistons, rings (there are cheap sets from minsport SA on ebay at the moment), bearings, head work, cam grind, oil pump, water pump and probably a few things i've missed..then the gearbox..you'd be looking at $1500-2000 for the engine..gearbox is about another $1500..

So about $3000 for a new engine and gearbox that you know what work has been done and will last you a very long time.

Whatever you do, don't put a rebuilt engine on a worn gearbox as it will eat the engine to bits..

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Starlet Conversion:
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15484

Oh..thing is..it will cost you the same to rebuild a 1275....so you may just want to take your luck with a second had 1100 for a few hundred bucks, drop it in and see how you go..that would be fine for a daily runner...but i wouldn't risk it if you're going to be using it for longer trips..

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Starlet Conversion:
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15484

A 1275 will have a higher initial outlay though..and you'll need disk brakes ~$1500

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Starlet Conversion:
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15484