here's something for you to consider...

I am working on my Honda AWD conversion, I've been planning and dreaming since 1997, and all along I've been planning on doing it with my 1966 smooth roof panel van. I've had the van since '96, I bought it for the wheels and couldn't bare to part with it. It is a relatively rare little beastie, and all the images in my head look awesome - but, it's had a hard life, and needs quite a lot of body work and bits replaced to make it solid enough to handle the back-end, and even then, the body of a van isn't all that rigid, they are prone to cracking around the rear wheel arches where they join the payload floor, just from the force of the dampers. Imagine what might happen with drive coming from back there and putting unknown forces on the body.... but emotionally I want to use the van

There is a really solid clubman panel van I could get cheaply, that already has some of the features I want to put into my van - rear windows, no roof vent.... but it's still a van, if I wasn't going to use my van, I would use a clubman sedan. I can get a really really solid clubman sedan shell cheaply as well, which would make an ideal base for the conversion, and the front has already been cut off it. A sedan has a much more rigid structure to it, and logic says it's the best choice

so, emotion versus logic, use the van or get a clubman shell ??

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

in a case like this, Logic must prevail,

This comming from a person that keeps cars just because i am 'attatched' to them
instead of just having one car that i want/need. and also the person that cried (twice)
when two of my cars got sold. Also the person that saved a shell that should have been
scrapped, just cos It was my first mini.

In a case like this, you will want something very solid that you can enjoy and use without having thought of your van falling in two pieces everytime you thrash it.

Do the clubby van, thats my vote

do it to a gt or your cooper s

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Clubby

Engine conversion in a clubman.....

It's like a hot chick with an STD. You want to give it a shot but you're affraid of the outcome.

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But he's thriving and striving and hugging the turns.

You funny man Chris.. I had a good laugh. I know how you feel..

Oh and go the VAN!! Much better wheel base for this type of conversion I reckon.. Who cares if the shell splits in half.. at least you've got a tail shaft holding you together, oh nah not really..

Oh what witty prose thou sprout, oh hater of Clubman's.

Of course you should go the Clubman route......whatever is going to give you the best, and safest performance on the track and street. Not to mention the added benefit of the money saved by having a shell that doesnt need a total makeover and structural redesign!!

You dont want to spend $10K building the thing only to have it self destruct the first time to give it a bootful!

My $0.02

Cheers,
Tricky

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

don't worry - the point I made about it's front already being cut off - won't get a clubman front ut back on.... I'd change the tail lights too

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

Any idea's on what sort of tail lights?

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If you want more inches, stroke it
Life's a garden.... Dig It!
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=20746

can you do a roundy van? then you will be like the ringmini

i hate seeing things go to waste, so i voted emotion

you've got a welder, you're quite a handy man,
and you've got good intuition.






i just dont like clubmans

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Inconspicuously Conspicuous
Appreciation without Depreciation
forever chasing clearer skies...

Did you ever see Anna Nicole Smith without her makeup trowelled on? She was a pig.......

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But he's thriving and striving and hugging the turns.

i voted logic, i felt like going for emotional because i like doing things once and properly. but if your not confident then grab a scrap shell and go from there, then transplant

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real men race downhill - keiichi tsuchiya

Do the clubbie sedan first and when perfected swap things over to the van if you want , or just keep it in the sedan and do a bigger and better one in the van . Personally I'd keep the van intact anyway as they're getting harder to find in solid condition but it's your van so you can do whatever you want to with it really . If you do the van you could do with a good roll cage inside to stiffen things up though .

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Go the clubbie.....

Inspiration........ Just do -it!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZvl51XeWPU&NR

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Sir Alec! we are not worthy!