My track mini

[Matty]

Some of you may of already seen a few pics on my intro thread, but thought I'd do a thread for those interested.

I've owned this for about 12 years now, and it's gone though several engines,resprays,interiors etc..but this is definitely the final build on it now.

Current spec is, stripped out shell, custom bulkhead, any part that's not needed on she'll removed or lightened, aluminium door skins, fibreglass boot, front end, and bonnet. Polycarbonate windows. I'm hoping the next weigh in to be under the magic 500kg Mark as I've taken another 80kgs out of it since the last drive 3 years ago.

Engine is an A series with BMW k1100 motorbike 16v head, full sequential injection, rotary muffler , fully worked and forged bottom end, custom double plate clutch, 6 speed sequential honda VFR gearset fitted into mini box. I've just dropped the engine back in today, so not long until my first test of the gearbox.

As it stands today.







In its former state.

[Steven Leece]

Looks very impressive Matty!!!

Sounds like some very complex engineering, do you do all the work yourself??

[Matty]

Thanks, yeah I do all machining and fab work myself. I have to say the gearbox got a lot more complex than I first intended, the layshaft was relatively straight forward, the input shaft a bit more of a pain, selector mechanism a fiddle, but believe or not trying to fit a reverse gear was the worst part.

It's all a bit experimental at the moment with the box, the engine has been together and working well for years now.

[Steven Leece]

Very impressive! I wouldn't know where to start on any of the engine work you've done let alone the box! Glad to see you've stuck with the A series even if you have modernised it a little or a lot!

I guess that with the box as a bike doesn't have reverse you would need to do a lot to get something to work, but gearboxes are like a mystic art to me!

[Matty]

I know it's changed a lot from standard, but I still think the A series is the best engine for the mini. Besides they are still the quickest minis out there.

The bike boxes are VERY simple, about as basic as you can get really apart from an old crash box. This is inside the box. Reverse gear is operated pneumatically at the moment, so I've made an air pump that runs off the original fuel pump lobe on the camshaft, to pressurise an air reservior.



You can see the pipes here going into the air cylinder.

[Steven Leece]

Simple....I'll take your word for it!!

What are your plans for your GT turbo?

[Matty]

Haha, they certainly look complicated!

My 5 is my daily so I'm not going too mad with it, although it may go EfI at some point in the future.

I'm basically going to concentrate on optimising the standard setup. By making a nice flowing manifold and downpipe, I'm going to stick the same turbo I have on this engine on my 5 as I know it's good for 250bhp+, and with a decent intercooler it seems quite effiicient up to 20-25psi. I've ported the head and inlet manifold already and fitted that. The IC wil be a double capacity type, in standard position, but I'll be making an aluminium ducting for it and sealing the feed to it, which should take up most of the open section between the fog lights. I used to run an R5 cooler on my mini and the difference between ducting it and not ducting it was about 20bhp, so hopefully it should help on the 5 too. the only reason I went for the 2wd cossie cooler was due to space in the engine bay, but there frontal area isn't far different from memory. I managed 150bhp on this engine on 10psi of boost (before I went silly) by optimising everything I could, so the goal is to get good power and keep boost to a minimum, and make it so no ones knows anything has been changed...if I can! Lol

[Matt Cole]

That's awesome! Bet it goes really well.

I sometimes pop over to green and white for bits of machine work on parts for the five.

[rabbitstew]

Awesome. I regretting chopping up & scrapping my old Mini Cooper about 5 years back now.

[scratcher]

Wow, some serious effort has gone into that. Good stuff

[Matty]

My track car didn't make it on to the track again this year, but it is a little bit closer now..ready for summer 2016 with a bit of luck, and more importantly stopping me from tinkering with my 5 and making it as impractical as this has become...Ready for some more boost!

[Alex]

Awesome stuff. I have a pal that's into his Minis and has a 1380cc A series. He has the BMW cylinder head but hasn't got round to fitting it.

[R5MJH]

what engine is that? mates got a mk1 sleeper, horrible dull green, looks box standard but has a NA civic type r engine in it pmsl😆😆😆

[Matty]

Alex, it is definitely worth him fitting the head, it transforms the engine and makes it so much smoother. Quite a few people have 200bhp out of these now on an NA setup.

R5MJH, its an A series engine, just fitted with a motorbike head.yeah the Honda conversion a realtreally popular now, I've started making some plenums up now for the type R conversion, to avoid chopping the bulkheads up, its a bit of squeeze getting it all in a standard length front.

[Alex]

Alex, it is definitely worth him fitting the head, it transforms the engine and makes it so much smoother. Quite a few people have 200bhp out of these now on an NA setup.

I imagine its well worth fitting, standard Mini heads are awful looking inside the ports (restrictive) He's actually had the car for what must be about a decade now and is yet to actually drive it any further than up the road and back! It spends virtually all of the time just sat in his garage, a shame really as it a super cool little car.

[R5MJH]

R5MJH, its an A series engine, just fitted with a motorbike head.yeah the Honda conversion a realtreally popular now, I've started making some plenums up now for the type R conversion, to avoid chopping the bulkheads up, its a bit of squeeze getting it all in a standard length front.

the guy i know may of been one of the first to do this conversion, he bought a breaker and made all the mounts etc on the breaker and then moved it all once done to the horrible green mk1 lol, hes a clever sh1te

[Matty]

I imagine its well worth fitting, standard Mini heads are awful looking inside the ports (restrictive) He's actually had the car for what must be about a decade now and is yet to actually drive it any further than up the road and back! It spends virtually all of the time just sat in his garage, a shame really as it a super cool little car.

Yeah for sure, being a bike head the ports are pretty damn straight and there isn't a massive amount you can do to improve them, especially for a turbo setup. It also gets rid of the Siamese port charge robbing issues which makes fuel injecting it a whole lot easier!

[Matty]

the guy i know may of been one of the first to do this conversion, he bought a breaker and made all the mounts etc on the breaker and then moved it all once done to the horrible green mk1 lol, hes a clever sh1te

Haha, yeah the first one I saw was a fair few years ago now! I've seen quite a few converted to turbo now too, which would makes things even more lively at the front!

[Matty]

With the 5 off the road now and needing some major work, I thought I'd get this project finished to make room for it. It's been too long!

New manifold made up with external wastegate, so hopefully no more boost creep above 25psi, water system plumbed in, gear shifter fitted and wired in, lots of bits and bobs finished off...slowly but surely getting there!

[Trevhib]

Utter madness!

[Matty]

Haha, I'm getting nervous now I just hope I make the magic 300hp mark, and my gearbox does let go!

[Matt Cole]

Love this. Looks awesome