Mid-engined V6 Mini

[MK_Bob]

Well it's that time where i can move from the accumulating parts stage to starting a build diary! Yay!

The original idea was a 4WD mid-engined V6 Mini using running gear from a Sierra XR4x4 re-jigged to have the engine at the back. And after realising just how difficult this would be to do, i simplified the idea to a mid-engined RWD Mini.

After a few more months of thought, i became very concerned about the gearing and tiny-brakes issue caused by small wheels. This is the dark sinister period of time where i thought a Nova in place of the Mini would be a good idea as i could have normal sized wheels and brakes.

So i got myself a suitable donor car, a 2.5 V6 Cavalier. Near 100k, very well looked after family car, owned by a mechanic.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/cavengine.jpg

A few weeks later...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/lifting.jpg

And at the bottom of that picture, the Nova intended to recieve the V6. :oops:

So to cut a long story short i decided that a Mini would be cooler and here it is!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/Mini.jpg

A-reg, solid, mostly original except for the cooper stuff. As for the gearing and brakes issue, i've calculated that with 13 inch wheels 80-90 should be seen in 3rd, and top speed will be near 130 thanks to the Cavs very tall gearing, and some Minisport four-pot vented performance disk brake jobbies will slow it down quickly enough (i hope!). I'm debating whether to have servo assisted brakes or not.

So a fortnight ago i got the Mini into the garage sideways and i began!

All interior and everything see-through was removed, then the engine went...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/minicrane.jpg

The cav rad slots in nicely, meaning i don't have to flip-front it right away.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/minirad.jpg

Lifting the rear by two seat belt mounts to check that there will be enough space to slide the engine under the car and then lower the car onto it. Also took the opportunity to remove the exhaust and drop it on my hand, almost poo'd myself as i thought the whole car was falling on me!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/minilift.jpg
(axle stands were under the car when i ventured underneath, hydraulic things are unreliable!)

And that's it so far. Next stage is to start chopping out the rear, and figuring out how the engine will be mounted. I'm hoping to make my own rear subframe that bolts to the original Mini subframe mounts, and that will also carry the engine and transmission. Lots of additional bracing of course!

:D

[MattG]

can't wait to see progress .. i have changed my mind a little...

Matt

[MK_Bob]

Changed your mind? Had you lost faith in me since i became a member and then dissappeared for 8 months? :oops:

Truth is i've been waiting for the garage to clear of other projects. All work on the Mini has taken place in two weekends. Of course now that i have to actually put stuff back together work will slow down, but hopefully not too much.

[jimfai]

Hummmm matt, sounds kind of cool, what do you think of adding another 2.5 to the rear of the wagon???? twin engine V6(s)????

[MK_Bob]

Temporarily built up the engine and bolted the gearbox to it over the last few evenings. The alloy is borrowed off a friend for reference purposes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/IMG_0950.jpg

Took some measurements, marked out the shell and chopped out the least amount of metal i could get away with. At this time in the project i'd like to leave in as much of the shell as possible to hold it all together.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/IMG_0965.jpg

And finally, lifted the rear of the shell and dropped it over the engine Z-cars style.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/IMG_0971.jpg

Note that the engine will be a bit higher, a bit further forwards, a bit to the side and not at an angle when mounted!

Next i need to make some kind of engine trolley to position the engine accurately so i can work out how the rear spaceframe is going to work.

Need to order some tube...

[MK_Bob]

Quick update after some on-off progress:

Sierra hubs...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/Sierrahubs.jpg

... which just about fit (some minor scrapage) in these 13x7 Weller's:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/wheels.jpg

And some framework:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/rearframe.jpg

Progress really should be swift now as i have a few new tools and all the materials and components i need. It will be rolling by september.

[BigAndy]

nice progress, looks like there will be a few interesting minis running in the next couple fo years

[QuadCam]

jeeeez man ... ever so slightly jealous you're going to do it before I do mine :lol:

excellent progress :up:

[QuadCam]

is the motor's subframe the std H frame from the Cav?

[MK_Bob]

Nope. I did consider using it complete with its wishbones, but it's far too wide. I knocked up my own H frame (with some additional bracing) that, like the original, also carries the gearbox mount and wishbones, but is a little thinner.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/rearsub.jpg

I'll get a picture of the rear assembly in situ today when i push the shell back onto the floor after fully welding the frame.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/rolledmini.jpg

If you're considering using the cav subframe bits, my donor ones are on ebay if you want some to practice chopping up:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=015&item=250021694476&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1

[QuadCam]

that's some work there ... :? :shock: ... obviously no stranger to a bit of light fabrication! heh heh

I still have my donor H frame to chop about if I need it, thanks for the offer.

Brilliant progress ... git ... ;)

[MK_Bob]

Cheers! I think i'm going to fall short of my rolling by september deadline though. :?

Here's an older picture, before i welded everything up fully (no space to put the Mini down today, the garage has been made a huge mess by my dad and brother).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/rearframe-1.jpg

And this is with the engine in. Clearance between this and the frame is around 10mm in places.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/rearbonemounts.jpg

It's all good fun!

[MK_Bob]

..... yeah, so, i missed the september deadline slightly. :|

Since september while i've been at uni the Mini has been sat outside under a cover because the garage space was needed. So now that i'm back, i've got to work on it outside. I thought this was a pretty devastating blow to the amount of progress i would be able to make. However i think it's been the kick in the ass i need to stop fannying around and just get on with it!

The fact that this thing is going on the stand at MITP is also making me sweat a bit!

So mainly over the last few weeks i've...

Stuck on some metro 4-pots:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/brakes-1.jpg

Bought another engine:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/ce_1.jpg

Welded together some wishbones and uprights (unfinished and just tacked at the minute):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/hubcarrier.jpg

Bolted the rear wishbones in place in situ (top wishbone unfinished), with the hub carrier and hub, then bolted a wheel on. That's going to be one short driveshaft!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/rearbones.jpg

This is what it looks like from the outside:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/wheelmounted.jpg

And finally, i've mostly mounted the radiator with a fan from a pug 306:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/fans.jpg

The reasoning behind the 306 fan is that the radiator doesn't fit at the front of the engine bay, so i had a lot of wasted space with my original rear-mounted fan. The 306 fans blow, so are mounted in front, so i have lots of space behind the rad for a fuel tank. Plus twin fans look hardcore! 8)

I'm actually starting to enjoy working outside when it's not raining and Planet Rock is blasting away in the background. :)

And i've just noticed while previewing this post, that the wrong upright has been bolted on, so that the gold coloured adjustable balljoint insert is on the wrong side. :oops:

[BassAddict]

Cool ! 8) How did you go about making the wishbones and uprights - are they based on a design for something else ? Looks like an interesting approach :)
Gonna need some BIG arches though :) !!!!! Can't believe the 306 looks so big in a mini engine bay !
Rich

[BigAndy]

What width are those wheels and how far do they stick out? Looks like ive been beaten for the widest rear track :cry:

[MK_Bob]

The wishbones and uprights are very home brew, i designed them about 4 months ago. I built a rather complex jig for the wishbones, which was a pig to set up. The uprights so far have been very simple, however there are a lot of reinforcing components yet to be welded on.

The idea is that the upright is supported on one side at the top and bottom by balljoints, then the single lower balljoint on the other side has the gold coloured adjuster insert which will allow me to adjust toe without having to seperate balljoints. Unfortunately, i can't have this adjuster insert on the top wishbone due to space issues, so to adjust camber that top balljoint will have to be seperated to screw it in or out.

The wheels are 13x7, i'll measure how much they stick out today. It's a shame the car won't look as standard as i hoped it would. :?

But meh, i think i'll put the standard arches on the car for MITP, cos it does look kinda cool!

[Swiftmini]

Have you copied the geometry from a different car or have you gone home brew on the geometry as well?

Kev

[MK_Bob]

The geometry is similar-ish to the Minis front geometry. Previously i was going to have much shorter top arms, and the bottom arms would have been mounted further inwards. But as i may need more than an inch of suspension movement on the rear, the wild camber gain wasn't suitable. So i've adapted the design to make it similar to the front suspension, a side effect of which is a wider track, but hopefully a more stable set up.

The constraints on space and packaging have made using double wishbones very difficult, i'm not sure whether it would have been better to use trailing arms. I guess i'll find out once i drive it.

[MK_Bob]

Ok, some progress:

One side is built up fully, i have all the parts i need to get the other side built up, but the welder has decided to blow a fuse whenever i ask it to weld. :angry:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/RLsuspcomplete.jpg

Motordrive seat (I'd never heard of them either).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/seat.jpg

Seat mounts have been fabricated, i may clean the edges up and hammerite them if i have time/can be bothered.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/seatmounts.jpg

Got a pair of wellers for the front.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/frontwellers.jpg

And the fuel tank is underway, using the original fuel pump. There will be a 'sump' at the bottom which the bottom of the pump will sit in, to act as a swirl pot.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/bobotheclownh938/fueltank.jpg

The Mini will be rolling very soon (as soon as welder is fixed), then the next jobs are gear linkage and driveshafts.

[zoookii]

Motordrive make excellent seats!!

We use them in off road racing alot.


Russ

[MK_Bob]

Ah, my naivety is showing! :oops:

Your bump after my last 8 month old post has made me feel incredibly guilty about the lack of progress. So much so that today i've returned from uni to measure the driveshafts, from which i'll hopefully exploit the universities facilities and turn a couple of adaptors!

[minidream94]

Hiya mate

Any more progress, looking fab

[miron]

did this ever get finished?

[bhphunter]

I was really loving this build too.

Would love to see some progress.


David.

[miron]

any idea on how these gear linkages work???