Hey guys. Mini noob here. Driving my 998cc mini around is fun and all, but after watching so many onboard racing videos of minis makes me thirst for louder, roaring and fierce horsepower!

I drive the mini 2-3 times a week right now and i'd like some advice about what to get for an amped up mini. 1275 bored to 1380cc A+ series? Currently have twin 1 1/4" SU's which i'd probably swap for a single 1 3/4" HIF4 (If i got that right). The idea of a supercharger makes me drool in excitement, but this is all a big planning phase (or maybe a dream when I think of what sort of budget i'd need!). I'm not that big of a noob to absolutely forget about everything else which has to come with a power increase. New brakes, reworked suspension, diff, transmission etc.

Long story short, I want a racing mini for the roads. I'm a young punk that loves putting my foot right down and my mini needs a little sprucing up to quench my thirst for speed!
I need direction in a form of a shopping list/ long paragraphs.

Hey Noob

Whereabouts are you from?

If you are in Sydney come along to a Sydney Mini's meet. There a bunch of different cars there ranging from dead stock originals to road registered race cars and I'm sure the owners would be only too happy to take you for a spin. If you're driving 3 times a week and travelling any sort of long distance, you may want to consider a fast road car instead of a full on race car with rego.

I only say this as I've gone from a near dead stock car to something quite loud and a bit angry, and at times I wish I'd left it the way it was, especially when i'm sitting in traffic and it's vibrating, rumbling and idling like an angry beast.....

of course, once you are free of the traffic it's a different story

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1968 Mini-matic - 1340cc, 45 weber - 92hpatw, 14.5 @91mph, GrandmaSpec

It all depends on how much you want to spend. The 998 with the twin su's was the Mini 'S' - not sure how much it had over the standard. A 1 3/4" SU (HIF44 - 44mm ~ 1-3/4") might be a bit much. I run a single 1 1/2" - I'm sure a 1 3/4" will work, but you be using more fuel and lose your low-end torque for not much gain (but correct me if I'm wrong).

If you want to spend more than 10K, go for an engine conversion, or if you want to keep the a series, go for a bmw twin cam head.

If you want to spend half that, go for a warmed up 1275 (best to bring it out to 1330 or so - that way you have a few rebores before the block is thrown away). Keep in mind that you will need discs for a 1275 - but it's probably prudent to do this anyway.

If you want to keep the 998, go for a new exhaust, inlet manifold an air filter and a good tune for starters. You'll be amazed how much difference that will make.

If you're supercharging (yes, I want to do this some time too) there's a guy on this form by the name of Ben who makes supercharger kits. But don't just bung it on your motor - if you're going to spend the time and money on supercharging, prepare the motor properly. Get a head with bigger valves and make sure it's all in good nick.

IMO good upgrades are electric ignition, modern carby (HIF4) or even EFI if you go for a different head. Bigger brakes could be useful (bigger than stds 7.5"). Good suspension, maybe even ditch the rubber cones and go for coilover setup. Engine size can be anything from mild tuned 1275 up to a grumpy lumpy 1380, or even go crazy and spend big $$$ to get a 1400-1500cc A series.

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Respect mine and I'll respect yours.

Cheers for the suggestions guys. I live in Brisbane, so it's a little out of my way to get to Sydney (wish I could attend). I have yet to tune my carbys so it runs a bit rough when idling already and awfully loud. I'll be taking them off with the inlet manifold for a good clean and checkup and putting them back on and tuning to perfection. It should run better after that, but I still want that throaty roar and torque filled excitement! I think i'll manage a budget for a 1275 overbored and would even be interested in assembling the block and head myself (which would obviously require not just the right tools but mounting equipment).

I'm still a dirty P plater (greens next month). My fondness of driving has only increased tenfold with my mini (i blame my dad for my slight obsession with the damn things). Thanks for the suggestions which i'll definitely be writing down and planning for.

Kennomini - I was looking at the "Flamethrower" ignition kit. Any idea whether there are better out there? Is there limitations of block power output to some ignition kits i.e. too much spark if that's ever a case? I can't remember whether I have hydro-elastic susp. How easy is the coilover swap? Any idea where i should look for mini bits (minispares.com is my current no.1 site) which are local?

Another small question, where's the best spot to jack up these damn things! under the sub frame? Thing has a bit too much oil and was burning some while i got it running the other day. Need to drain some out and have a proper look underneath.

I'm only running the A+ elc ignition, I don't know too much about the options on the market.

There are a few good mini mechanics around Brisbane, try a google search.

The jacking points I use are the tie rod ears on the front subframe with a trolley jack or the flats under the lower control arms with a scissor jack. The rear frame I just go on the flats beside the wheel hup on the left or the right of the subframe.

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Respect mine and I'll respect yours.

There's a coupla guys with minis around brassy. If u ever find yourself on had goldie, send me a pm and I'll take you for a spin in my '66 1275 powered mini

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

If your idle is a bit rough, an electronic ignition kit will do wonders. A higher voltage coil will help, but just switching to a hall effect sensor will make a huge difference. I have one similar to this:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/AccuSpark-St ... b13&_uhb=1

Before it was a bit rough at 1000rpm, now it's still pretty smooth below 700rpm. Been there almost 4 years and I haven't had to touch it.

I personally wouldn't bother with coilovers. I just put some decent shocks on my dry setup and I'm happy with how it handles now. Coil-overs are probably the best, yes - but it's an expensive upgrade (provided that your current system is in good order). The front mounts will need to be heavily reinforced. Some people rave about hydrolastic, but I've never driven one. It's all down to preference.

A mechanic friend of mine said the rough idle was due to the imbalanced carbs.

Here's a video (one of thousands which i've watched and drooled over) of what i'd love engine wise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KlBaUcbQbs
I'd also enjoy the qualities of a sleaper. I wouldn't want to take away from the classic origins of the car apart from installing a tacho i bought. What do you guys think I should estimate for with the cost of all parts i'd need. Also, with the information that my mini is a 998cc twin SU mini 'S' (thanks Irish Yobbo!), what could I keep in order to save money.

Hi
electronic ignition modules would seem to be fairly generic..at a low price but with occasional quality issues - but as perviously stated a good upgrade.. I am pretty sure convertible mini on here ( ausmini) does a version that is very price competitive. Give him a pm, he also is in the know of some mini car runs etc around South East Qld and is based there..

speed costs money son, how much do you want to spend?

don't buy anything new - take your mini to someone like Matt Read (theminiman) and get it tuned and set up properly. Spend a little cash and you'll be amazed at how well it goes without replacing anything other than consumables.



nope - Mini 'S' was only a trim pack, exactly the same mechanicals to a standard Clubman/Leyland Mini of the time. 1098 with 1/14" carb (early) or 998 with 1 1/2" carb (late)



your gearbox



sleeper

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

Simon, you are correct - my neighbor had a mini s with twin carbs, and I've always associated the s with them. My mistake.

If you want a SC (supercharged) engine you can install the same kit on your 998 and later in the future re-fit the same setup onto a 1275 or whatever (but you will need a mod plate, roughly $180).
There's not much you can do cheaply on your 998 for power, a ported head with bigger valves and a cam is pretty much it but that could cost anywhere between $1000-$2000. For the same money you could buy a stock 1275.

In realiaty their isn't much you can re-use from your current engine except the gearbox, diff and driveshafts and even some of those parts would be worth replacing (diff ratios maybe, LSD upgrade) plus everything may need a full rebuild anyway to deal with the power of the new engine.

Start looking for bargains now, buy up the parts you'll need when you can and when they are cheap. Get into the habit of searching through the online sale sites, forsale sections and word of mouth. If you find something that seems cheap ask on here for for a second opinion (the "bargin" could well be the normal street price or a rip-off).
Ideally if you could find a complete 1275 drivetrain for less than $1500 it's probably a good thing. If it's running even better (if it's not running try to pay less (under $1000) and ask why it's not running).

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Respect mine and I'll respect yours.

How much would that cost? Is he in Brisbane or close to it?



The SC is still an exciting prospect, but I think I'll work on an engine swap before that. Will probably look at the stock 1275 instead of trying to improve the 998.
When I had the cyl head swapped due to a crack, I ended up spending just over 1k to a mechanic (all up it was about 2k for some radiator and coolant issues too!) somewhere, so that estimated price range looks great! I'll scope out some potential winners and come back for some advice. Thanks again.

Matt is in Murrarie, close to the train station. As to how much it will cost, that's a how long is a piece of string question. Too many variables to quote without seeing the car. Your best bet is to go have a hat with him, very approachable, knowledgable and honest

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