technically yes, but it would be like new with all NEW parts inside instead of what at LEAST a 10yo old motor? no thanks.

A low boost smallblock has already proven to make 97HP reliably for 25,000km. More than your 1275 would make with a cam and port job it'd be lucky to hit 80HP for more money and again you don't know the history of an early 90's bigblock.

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Starlet Conversion:
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15484

hmmm very confusion lol.


Ok so basically a 1275+turbo would cost way too much... and be more unreliable than a 998+turbo?

I'm starting to think maybe I should just totally forget about a turbo all together... And go with a 1275 bored to 1330/1360 with cam/webber/extractors etc.. Then if I get stupid about it then worry about throwing a turbo on it..

I basically don't have a budget. Could spend as little or as much as would be needed. Mainly all I want is a mini that's quick down low for zipping around the road. And maybe around the 100hp ish mark if that's possible without going stupid on the $$

Just trying to get a general consensus on what you guys would do if you had a few thousand to spend and what you think would get the best bang for my buck.

1275 will cost more basically as they're getting harder and harder to find and you pay for it

If it was me, I'd build a nice turbo 1100. Nothing wild or crazy, just a good rebuilt motor, low compression ~8.8:1, ~5-7 psi of boost and away you go. 100hp at the motor should be no trouble

Then later when you've got more cash, there's plenty of things to do -- intercooler, open up the head, wind up the boost, etc.

Well that's what I was going to do anyway, its the most cost effective way to get big power out of an A-series

you could spend a lot of money and time rooting around with a turbo/supercharger and rebuilding and uprating a smallblock engine

or you could buy a low km bigblock and do some bolt ons and a cam and start having fun..

a 1275 turbo would only cost about $1000 more than a 998 turbo and it would make a lot more power and probably be more reliable.

i'd only commit to a high power turbo if you've got a lot of time and money.

a low boost turbo 4-6psi on a stock motor could be fun, reliable and cheap though.

My vote is to forget about the turbo.

Buy a 1275, get it rebuilt (it will cost the same to rebuild a small bore as a 1275) get it stroked and you will make some very healthy HP at the fly could be around the 115-130 mark with bootfulls of torque.

At the end of the day there is only so much power that you can put through the front wheels anyway.

there are some great turbo minis out there, and there are also some bloody quick strokers.

agreed.

won't the engine become very unreliable if it's stroked? So just keep it at 1275 and get it stroked? What else would you recommend I do to the engine what webber/extractors etc... stuff like that?

All this focus on the reliability of the engine, and nobody's mentioned the gearbox yet. Blown motors and anything developing biiig torque eats gearboxes, and that gets expensive fast. If I were you, I'd build up a stroker bigblock and not get too carried away

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Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges

Sounds like a politician....

You MUST have a budget, any good plan is exactly that...a plan. You need to set your goals appropriately and make you decisions based on these.




Everyone on this forum (myself included) base very little on anything other than emotion. It is unlikely that you will get an answer that satisfies you so the best method would be to take stock of all suggestions. To do that other users need to know:

What will the car be used for

Is it a daily

What experience do you have access to (to do the work)

HOW MUCH ARE YOU WILLING TO SPEND

Regards

Daniel
PS - I would rebuild the engine you have with a 1098 crank and put a turbo on it - but thats just me....

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Videos - Turbocharged A-Series on Dyno & at Wakefield
Mafs waz not my strong subgeckt at skkol

i think
start with a 1275, if you want to go crazy later you've already got what you need.

an A+ import motor is a safer bet than an unknown A- you know how many kms are on it, the box should be good, and you can get a package deal with the disc brakes you need.

LCB extractors inch and 3/4 exhaust with an RC40 muffler
send the head off to get modified to "vizard" spec

fit a Russell Engineering cam (RE-13)

a weber 45 and manifold to fit.

if the money is there you could have it going in a couple weeks and you can start enjoying it.

Ok well

Use: Weekend driving and maybe some hillclimbs/sprints etc. for fun

Objection: A nice lil mini that is quick enough to have people look and go "wow that minis quick" lol.

I have people who can rebuild an engine/gearbox and basically do anything to a mini that it would need.

Budget: well to start with I'd probably be willing to spend up to $7000ish which would include getting disc brakes doing whatever needs to be done to the engine, paying for paint (get the car sprayed for free), some minor very basic interior work, maybe a race seat and maybe tires depending how much is left.

So it wont become unreliable, all you are doing is stroking it

IMO......(yes another one )
.... I would go the 1275 (A+) route but only go to the first stage 1293 with a nice cam and small amount of head work so as to get a nice flow through it and a pair of 1.25 or (if the budget allows) or a pair of 1.5 SU's and a set of maniflow extractors, for a nice reliable road car (also a bit of a fun car on the track) and if you go this route you will be able to afford to rebuild the gearbox at the same time and even by everything you need for disc brakes.

Best to do both at the same time so you know that they are all "clean" of any foriegn matter as they both use the same oil! (should be able to get away with all that for about the $4000ish mark, this is an estimate only, all depends on who you sorce your parts with and the cost of a good machine shop for your engine and cylinder head)
But if you can afford to build a hot turbo small bore or a "set the world on fire 1275+" then go for it.

Recommend speaking to Graham Russell (GR engineering, sydney) , Or the "miniman" on here (i think he's in QLD), or Lindsay @ Minis Plus (he's in Vic), they will im sure give you some sound advice in these areas.

Anyways if i was in your position now i would go the N/A way in any size motor 998, 1098 or 1275. You can get the small bores moving quite well (without a forced induction and not need the added cost of disc brakes at this point in time but do upgrade your single leading shoes to twin leading shoes)with a well built gearbox.

Hope some of this info is found to be useful before you spend to many $$

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDMkVq1jRGU

<EDIT> Never mind

A decent NEW late model ball bearing type turbo costs upwards of $1400
(I`m not a big fan of trusting 2nd hand or cheap chinese turbos)

A decent turbo carb/plenum & manifold, all set up & ready to go costs approx $300 upwards.

Turbo Manifold & Dump pipe can easilly cost upwards of $600

Decent Cyl head work to suit turbo application can cost upwards of $1500--> (quality guides, stainless Valves,,, Porting, Chamber work--> de-shrouding/shaping/opening/CC-ing & pollishing etc etc etc)

Gaskets & seals, decent flywheel & clutch assy, a full gearbox/diff & drop gear reco,,, decent distributor to suit the application, Turbo cam shaft, Cam & crank shaft bearings, cam followers, quality rockers to suit,,, Oil pump, water pump, radiator & oil cooler & all necessary & appropriate mods & fittings, oil & water feeds & outlets to & from the turbo etc etc etc (easy nearly another $4000 there) & so far no build labour cost apart from cyl head.......

Now!!!,,, What engine would you like all that stuff fitted to????????????
Small or Big bore???????????????

It` really doesn`t make any difference in """COST""" as to which engine you choose "APART" from the initial outlay for a decent (Stronger) big bore

BUT,,, The end result comparison between a small bore & a big bore (Whether it`s force fed or not) in regards to both preformance & reliability is pretty obvious & it`s really not something that "NEEDS" to be explained hey?
Anyone ever heard of the old saying--> "Chalk & Cheese"

Now,,,, All that said,,,, A well designed & built big bore (whether it`s force fed or not) "STROKER" engine can be (& quite often is) far more reliable than a poorly desined & built small bore (Whether it`s force fed or not)

& before anyone jumps down my throat & starts on the "But you`re not comparing apples with apples" ,,, think again because that "IS" exactly what i am doing... this is a very common place & very real senario

"""DECENT" engines cost "DECENT" Bucks

Play with 2nd hand "chuck togethers" & that`s exactly what you get

How deep is your pocket? & How fast do you want to go?

How much money are you prepared to throw away "Learning" where the right place is to put your hard earned ???

It really doesn`t matter what car we`re talking about, the same things apply,,, The mini is just way more fun & has way more character than most other cars.

The end result "SHOULD" be plain & simple """FUN""".

If you only have $5000-ish to spend right now,,, then package something up that meets that criteria, Plan ahead, talk to the right people in the know around your area & get on with having that fun, try not to listen to too many people, that will only confuse the crap out of you. Stick to the plan but also try not to put too much of a hard line on the time frame to complete the engine package, trust me in the fact that it most commonly blows out well past the ETA that you first dream up.

HOWEVER!!!!!!--> You will get used to that original engines power output pretty dam quick & will most probably want more again later,,, be VERY aware of that point,,,, so i suggest that you try to plan ahead to suit that, maybe go out & buy 2x big bore donks to start with & make something hot-road & track day package with one of them in naturally asspirated form first, or even just "maybe" do up a hot road type club race naturally asspirated small bore to start with & buy a 1275 with a plan for a fire breathing big bore later.... There are lots of options & avenues to choose from, that is part of the problem with anyone planning on going fast in a mini... that`s life hey? It woiuld be a pretty dam boreing old world if we all only had 350chevs to play with & nothing else hey?

& lastly--> Allways be prepared to spend more (Time & Money) than you first think,,, that`s just my advice.

NB: notice i even suggested to "maybe" build a small bore to start with in all that crap i`ve just typed???,,, so no one can claim that i`m biased towards the big bore-- even tho i obviously am

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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.