Just bought a 16v k mini

[peskett]

Was looking on ebay for another k series engine last week and found this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4560205660&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1 I already knew of this car but didn't realise it was for sale :D So thought it was to good to miss as i found more holes in my cooper thought it would make a good replacement :D

[Geehawk]

Not one I've seen before.

Looks like a good starting point 8)

[BassAddict]

Congrats on the purchase ! I had a look at that the other day on eBay!
Rich

[peskett]

by removing the pully cover and changing the rocker cover for the mpi one i've managed to get the engine beneath the standard bonnet so hopefully by shortening the subframe it'll fit under the standard frontend

what on earth is that the back of on geehawks picture icon.

[cables]

is it a tvr of somekind, possibly a sagaris?

[MattG]

is it a tvr of somekind, possibly a sagaris?

yea , boss just got his yesterday !! very nice

[Geehawk]

Its a TVR T350t 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

[FatKev]

Almost looks like a heavily modded backend of a Mini if you squint at it.... for a long time....

[Geehawk]

Almost looks like a heavily modded backend of a Mini if you squint at it.... for a long time....

Exactly what I thought, but I was dissmissed as a looney :lol: :lol:

[BassAddict]

Gotta agree there - it does look a bit like a mini ! I wonder who'll be the first to make the back of their mini look like a TVR now ?! Wonder if they'll fit the engine too ?! :) !!!

[BigAndy]

Or make their TVR look like a mini :lol:

[FatKev]

Hmmm flared arches... large ones... starting right at the bottom of the side windows.... lots of fibreglass... lots of filler... and some funky custom made lights.... sorted - back end of Mini looks like a TVR. Easy! :shock:

Only big arched Mini I've liked were the space framed Fortech (thats the right name isnt it) Minis. But then I'm more of the old school mk1 look with no arches, just a chrome strip.

TVR engine into a Mini? Might be cheating, but use the Rover based TVR V8! Spag, and a few others, have fitted Rover V8's.... :wink:

[cables]

could almost be the back of a broadspeed mini

[peskett]

Still got this in my garage as an almost bare shell bar the front subbie and engine. Also just got hold of another 1.4 spi engine the same as which is already in it. Am tempted to go the same route as big andy with the rear mounted engine. and leave the one in the front. Only problem i can see is the gear linkage and cooling. Can anyone else think of any other problem i may come across? Apart from the obvious like getting the clucthes to work together.

MMMmmmmmm 32valve , 2.8 , 4wd could be fun. Will be for very occasional road use and the 1/4mile/track use.

[BigAndy]

Clutch wont be a problem - convert it to hydraulic as used on the mgf, then u can have a split system putting equal force on each clutch plate. for cooloing u could have a rad in the back for the rear engine, and one in the front for the front engine, theres plenty of room in the back behind the engine. You might go through a few headgaskets until the cooling systems gets set up properly tho. Gear linkage could be done by using a metro solid gear linkage as a starting point, and then adding length, and tunring a few bits round to do the rear 'box's gears. then just weld on the linkages for the front box.

Go for it, u know u want to!

[peskett]

Where did you get the cage from and is the front and main hoop just a normal bolt in job? Good thing about this is i wont have to worry bout the rear track being different! well thats my excuse for it any way :D

[FatKev]

As light as the K is, wouldn't the car still weight a lot? Does the extra engine (and driving wheels I guess) really pay off? Just wondering, not trying to be negative! Personally I would have thought you'd be much better wth 2 1600 Ks :D

Kevin

[Geehawk]

As light as the K is, wouldn't the car still weight a lot? Does the extra engine (and driving wheels I guess) really pay off? Just wondering, not trying to be negative! Personally I would have thought you'd be much better wth 2 1600 Ks :D

Kevin

Thats like saying you'd be better off with 2 1800 Ks :P

If one 1.4 K series can shift a 750-800kg car to 60 in 8ish seconds then I'm betting 2 engines and 4WD would knock a fair chunk off that even if the car is 200KGs heavier.

Damn sight cheaper too. You could probably buy four 1.4 engines for the cost of one 1.6 or 1.8 :lol:

[BigAndy]

The 1.4's are dirt cheap compared to the 1.6 or 1.8.

The cage was made by fabricage. He built the kit up especially for me, consisting of...

a standard bolt in front section and main roll over hoop with door bars, a weld-in cage extras pack consisting of floor bar, dash rail and front inner wing bars for me to weld in my self, and then he sold me a load of bars for me to make up the whole rear section to my own specification. Its all quite an extensive cage

The pic of the fornt footwell isnt great, but its the best ive got on my computer at the moment. You get the idea of the wing and floor bars. Dash bar isnt fitted yet.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/DSC_0033.jpg

DOnt you just love wiring!! :lol:

[peskett]

As light as the K is, wouldn't the car still weight a lot? Does the extra engine (and driving wheels I guess) really pay off? Just wondering, not trying to be negative! Personally I would have thought you'd be much better wth 2 1600 Ks :D

Kevin

Thats like saying you'd be better off with 2 1800 Ks :P

If one 1.4 K series can shift a 750-800kg car to 60 in 8ish seconds then I'm betting 2 engines and 4WD would knock a fair chunk off that even if the car is 200KGs heavier.

Damn sight cheaper too. You could probably buy four 1.4 engines for the cost of one 1.6 or 1.8 :lol:

Also haver to remember how much the rear floor,seat,boot floor probably weigh.

Am hoping if i get it sorted to upgrade to 1.8 at a later date. No point in wasting money if i dont get it done. Also will be good to compare 1/4 times aginst as i upgrade.

What did you pay for all that cage mate? Was qouted £500 for a full weld in cage but that was early this year.

Also forgot to mention that i'm gonna keep it a left hooker to try and even the weight out a little.

[FatKev]

Thats like saying you'd be better off with 2 1800 Ks :P

Not really, seeing as its the 1.8 K that (supposedly) has the most problems. Also 1.6 is best comprimise between power and a nice free revving motor. Might as well say two VVC engines... wait then you need two of those heavy and bulky PG1 (or soemthing) 'boxes...

I have a feeling the weight penalty might be more than 200kg with a nice big chunky rear cage and subframe set up to replace all the strength you've removed from the rear of the shell. Not forgetting you've doubled the cooling requirements, at least doubled the fuel consumption (limited its range), doubled number of exhausts... see I think it clearly adds up in the end. Two engines is like doubling your power but with a hefty weight penalty is the main issue here.

Despite the price difference between the 1.4 and it's larger brothers, why stick two smaller cc engines in place of two larger cc engines for roughly the same weight penalty? Or look at it this way - 200hp from one 2800cc engine... Much better ways to get 200hp in a Mini without all that extra weight in my opinion. Only advantage here might be awd.

Kevin

[BigAndy]

I cant remember exactly how much it was, around £600/£650 i think. I bought it in two stages as and when i needed it. you dont 'have to' have a pg1 box, its possible to stick with the metro gti box, its just not as strong, and there's issues with the timing marks on the different size flywheels, but evolution has sorted that i think with his megasquirt ecu and ford timing pulley(?).

[chrisg]

who cares about adding up advantages and dissadvantages? id just do it for shits and giggles! k's are cheap and theres lots of them, any metro subframe will fit a k16 and theres loads of them about. sure its not as much power but personaly i like the build as much as the drive, i mean why bother going to all the trouble to fit a k under a standard front end with standard track? it just dosnt make any sense whatsoever! everybody said i was daft and would never do it, but i did. hmmm this rants getting me thinking of a new project, standard length twin engine mini :D

[peskett]

Hopefully will be standard lenth :D Gonna move the engine back on the k subframe then shorten the front frame.

Any ideas if i'll need to run two alternators? As it would be great if i can get away with one as its one less thing under the front end.

[chrisg]

dont see why not, not sure about fuel injected engine power consumption with all the little gizmos and sensors to make it go, but shouldnt be beyond the range of a standard alternator. even if it isnt should have room to fit a better one on the back engine. wish i had another engine to drive my alternator, pesky things still giving me trouble! :P