Hey,

If any of you had $5000 - $6000 and had to replace the engine in a mini and was doing as much of the work as you could. What would you do?

Blake

Are you doing the work yourself or paying someone to do it?

Doogie

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I won Hay once, here's the pic to prove it..


Hay, it's not about the car, it's not about the venue, it's about the people that come here. Peter Dwyer, Mayor of Hay NSW.

Im wanting to do as much of it as i can.

i would buy a late model fuel injected motor, and bolt it in.

what do you want the engine for and what size motor?

Im wanting a car to drive a few times a week and also eventually take to hillclimbs, track days etc. Im looking at any size engine just something that will get me along and will be semi reliable.

what have you got now? or you dont have a motor?

Ive got an 1100cc and a 998cc which both need rebuilding and new parts left rite and centre

simple - buy a rebuilt 1275 + gearbox for about $4.5K, and some disks for $1.5K

no risk, no hassle, drop it in and go

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

Ive got disks already fitted. They arent anything special i dont think. The are just plain disks and 2 pot calipers i think.

well you've $1500 to play with

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

mmm ok so a 1275 with $1500 spent on cam extractors etc?

Not much left!

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I would give Graham Russell a call and say to him exactly what you wrote here, ie budget, requirements of the engine/gearbox, and your personal mechanical ability to do what is necessary to do it properly. He will grind your cam to the right specs, do your head, sell you the best pistons, exhaust and inlet manifolds for the purpose. He will also provide advice on which other parts you need to do the job reliably such as cam followers, timing chains, etc etc

Russell Engineering
113 North Rocks Rd
North Rocks 2151
(02) 9630 2195

For that price you could easily have the best 1098/998 around. As per the project small bore in The Mini Experience. Read the story here if you are too cheap to buy the magazine
http://www.minimania.com/ArticleV.cfm?DisplayID=1881

Cheers
michael

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66 Mini Minor sponsored by http://www.lifeonthehedge.com.au/ The Dog Harness Specialists
It was a pleasure ausmini. I'll miss all you misfits and reprobates

all good advice above.... but it'd still be a 1098/998.... it's easy to get a rebuildable 1275 for under a grand, and it'll always have more grunt

a few weeks ago a couple of mates with 1098/998 engines that go really well had a run in my warm-ish 1330.... they were suitably impressed

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

Yes 1275's will always have the extra hp to begin with, but look at whats been done to small blocks lately...wouldnt mind a run in Bens 1098 lol, or Petes for that matter....geez even GRs lil NA 998 would be a blast

Bens - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI57mqPSOu4

Petes - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-zrRHmv7mI

GRs - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4XCQm-w29E

Plus already having both a 998 and 1275 to start with, you have a few more extra $$s to spend