I think a "grudge match" is on the cards here

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Respect mine and I'll respect yours.

hee hee,,, Grudge match??? sorry but i can guarantee you there is no contest

wait till you see it in the flesh & then i also guarantee that you will understand

some frames i`ve seen (& i`ve seen a whole heap of them as you can imagine) are pretty dam flimsy in not only design but also material

others i`ve seen are a complete & absolute overkill with way way tooo much strength relying on the Materials than design & are obviously strong but just stupidly heavy & cumbersome etc

However, "Our" frame (& i`ll call it that --> "Our" frame... because there has been quite a few other people having a fair bit of input , so it`s not just "MY" frame) will surely be unqestionably the very best there is.

I`m not saying that i`m the best person in the world for designing & fabricating & producing jap engine conversion mini subframes,,, but my share in the design & fabrication of the subframe "WE" have produced is a big part in the "WHY" it`s so dam good

This one i can say is directly related to the FIGJAM theory

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

I dunno Matt, have you seen a QBR frame?

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Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges

Have you seen some of the Adelaide made frames? Particularly Ben's?

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1964 Morris 850, 1330 Supercharged - 81.8hp atws.
1975 Leyland Mini S 1100S powered - Nice and reliable.
1977 Leyland Mini LS - Project LS-T

I don`t want to make it sound like i`m bagging any "particular" subframe, but if they`re not designed & made like the original mini frame,,, IE: pressed metal plates, triangulated & forming a similar shape to the original, yet encompassing support via a 3 dimentional pressed metal plate pattern as the std mini frame does,,, then there is no contest.

If you can understand that a mini frame which has had the front cut off it, then some round or square or rectangle pipes welded onto it`s towers to "Hold" the motor in place, with maybe a strut added under there somewhere,,, well that style is never ever going to be a patch on a pressed metal, triangulated, 3 dimentional frame designed as close to the original as possible is going to be.

as the good Doc says, there are plenty of frames out there which don`t really supoport the suspension loads as well as they could/should... we have concentrated on this problem & i believe we have solved the issue in that area & at the same time created a frame which is not much heavier than the original, yet is more than stronger than the original in both lateral & torsional rigidity,,, a good friend of mine works for a firm who`s soul purpose is to simulate designs strengths & weaknesses & then correct them as necessary... it`s cheating i know but it works & the end result justifys the means

sorry to go on & on about it, but like i said earlier, when you see it , you will understand & i bet you will all agree that there really is no contest. (except maybe in the cost)

& we are using one of the strict-est Dtp of Tpt engineers in Qld,,, as Doc Kev said, he wouldn`t pass some that he`s seen, nor does this guy... & that`s actually why we use him.

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

Agreed Matt. The pics I posted show how the towers in the subframe have had a plate welded to their front face then a tube welded to that plate. This connection detail must support the engine and all longitudinal suspension/drive loads. Anyone who has an idea with structural design knows that a sudden change in stiffness, especially at a welded joint is a fatigue failure waiting to happen. That connection would be much better if it was gussetted (like the QBR connection detail) or even-better, eliminated with the connection more like the original.

The suzuki frame made by Con Torrisi?? for that de-seamed yellow mini that went to Western Aus was the closest to the original design I've seen. It also supported the longitudinal loads on the track rod very well.


M

Any idea where that yellow mini is now? Who owns it? I am in Perth and wouldn't mind checking it out if possible.

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-Alan
I blame my dad for my love of minis. I think I was conceived in the back seat of one
I also blame my Dad for me being 6' 1" - not really the optimum height for driving a Mini.

GTi_Mini is the last known owner's name on here. A while ago he was trying to sell it.


http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=31976

Wait till you see the "big mofo tubular cage/frame/thing" ( as I like to call it ) going into mine Matt

Miniman

Sounds like you put a lot of effort in here, and from what I've seen of your other work posted here, it will be a first rate design. Obviously pressed metal sections would be ideal in regards to keeping as close to the original design as possible, sadly most of us don't have access to engineering software and the boffins to drive it, never mind steel presses or cnc folders to form up such a structure.

I'd love to see what you've come up with, as I'm sure would others. Any chance of posting some pics (even unfinished) in this caring/sharing environment so the rest of us mere mortals may have half a chance to address some of the possible deficiencies in our own frame designs?

Cheers

Madmorrie

I heard whispers that cons old yellow beast ended up in the usa, not sure if its true or not.

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Mini, its in my blood........

Here are a few refresher pics. The top engine steady arrangement wasn't flash but the lower half of the subby was the bisniz

now that IS heavy duty

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Con learnt a lot from the first one (the maroon one) from the Yeagar brothers in Astinville

edit--> Oh & i will get some prgression pics up of our frame in the next week or 2,,, i firstly need to fix my kombi gearbox to be able to use it to pick up all the frames & bits & pieces & engines etc from my metal fab man.

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

Alstonville........

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