it is but for 5k i think i will pass. mini's as has rightly been pointed out seem to attract a premium on import. front cuts for most jap cars are cheap. I know the parts are worth alot more seperated but really, if push came to shove i would just stick a/c on my engine and get EFI. Anyway, the prices weren't quite what i was hoping for so i will keep the plan on the backburner until i find one at the right price.

Cheers

Aaron

I would just make him an offer....see what happens

Minimad

_________________
You can take the boy out of the racer.........but not the racer out of the boy!

still not quite the price i was looking for. might throw an offer in though

Cheers

Aaron

I would buy that if I had the cash. The parts from that would finish J_A_M off completely!

A mate has done it this way.

In 2000 he bought a 1998 front cut with A/C from Northen Mini (for $3500) and loaded it all into a 1969 MkIII UK shell. It has a Cooper S grille, tail lights, badges etc and is running 10" rims on Cooper S brakes. From a distance it looks like a MkI Cooper S. Up close the MkIII doors give it away. Inside it is another world with the modern wood dash, airbag, Barina seats and A/C. He reckons it's the best of both worlds.

I'd rather have carbs, as the SPi has a reputation for unreliability, and ten years from now sensors, computers etc may be hard to find.

When I was offered an A/C kit from a Japanese Mini I snapped it up! This will go into my Traveller eventually. No, I will not sell it.

_________________
Brett Nicholson
Greendale (near Ballan) VIC.
1971 Morris Mini Moke
1966 Austin Mini
1965 Morris Mini Traveller
1973 LR Series 3 88
2007 LR Freelander 2

yes well the a/s unit really is the key. go fast or be cool. i'll take be cool.

It *must* be possible to develop an A/C setup with readily available parts here.

Before I got my genuine kit I was looking at suitable bits at wreckers and swap meets:

- Toyota Tercels have a nice compact condenser, very similar in dimensions to the Mini one.
- Under dash units are available everywhere - if you picked a compact one it could fit under the LH side of the dash like the genuine kit. I pulled one from a mid-70's BMW.
- Smaller jap cars have compact A/C pumps that may be used. Use a Mini Clubman pollution double water pump pulley to drive the A/C pump or repositioned alternator.
- Dryer, hoses etc are easily sorted.

_________________
Brett Nicholson
Greendale (near Ballan) VIC.
1971 Morris Mini Moke
1966 Austin Mini
1965 Morris Mini Traveller
1973 LR Series 3 88
2007 LR Freelander 2

For A/C I too went looking in the wreckers, and was fairly sure that a starlet one, with fan and all controls etc would fit.

Just need to have the evaporator made to suit.....all up running I estimated about the $1500 mark with me doing all the fitting up.


Minimad

PS Add up what you would pay for the indivdual bits and peices on that front cut and it Doesn't take long to hit the $5000 mark!

_________________
You can take the boy out of the racer.........but not the racer out of the boy!

Evaporator? That's just the unit under the dash that suppies the cold air.

Just use an under-dash unit from a 70's car, unless you want to integrate it with the heater somehow?

Or do you mean the condenser - heat exchanger thingy normally found between radiator and grille?

_________________
Brett Nicholson
Greendale (near Ballan) VIC.
1971 Morris Mini Moke
1966 Austin Mini
1965 Morris Mini Traveller
1973 LR Series 3 88
2007 LR Freelander 2

Condenser......er...yes, that was what I was thinking of

Yes I was looking for a whole package at the time. My 67 deluxe has had the heater and fan etc all removed.

Minimad

_________________
You can take the boy out of the racer.........but not the racer out of the boy!

On Mini A/C there seems to be three schools of thought on condenser location:

- compact one just behind grille on clutch side - used up to 1994ish? on Japanese Minis. This is the type I have, and only requires a few screw holes in the shell. See:

http://www.geocities.com/b_nicho/TravProj3.htm

(takes a while to load - sorry!)

and

http://www.geocities.com/b_nicho/mini_ac.html

- fit a similar sized condenser to a Mini radiator mounted on the inner guard, just like the radiator. This was used 94ish on in Japan. I rejected this type because I did not want to cut a huge hole in the traveller to fit it, and I want all mods to be reversible.

- in the rear subframe - for some reason the yanks favour this one. In Aus it's probably not a good idea because of the constant danger of impact damage on our moonscape roads!

_________________
Brett Nicholson
Greendale (near Ballan) VIC.
1971 Morris Mini Moke
1966 Austin Mini
1965 Morris Mini Traveller
1973 LR Series 3 88
2007 LR Freelander 2