This has been 6 years in the making everyone! I have been wanting and dreaming of a Mini for too long and it is finally happened!

Just picked it up in Charlotte this past weekend. 1976 Mini 1000. Original motor has already been taken out and have lots of spare parts. I will be going straight to VTEC conversion, so I wont need most of the drivetrain parts.

I do have some bodywork to do (what Mini doesnt?). I will be back with plenty of questions though as this is my first Mini. I will also post more pics as I take them.

If anyone around the Asheville, NC area is knowledgeable with Minis, please contact me (n8revo@yahoo.com). There are a few areas of the car that I hope will not get me in over my head.

Thanks all!
-Nate

 

loosk great... well; done

 

Great looking project, If we can help in any way- don't hesitate to call or write!

 

If you're going straight to Vtec, I think you're already in over your head!

Looks like a fun project, but you do have a lot of work ahead of you based on the rust spots that can be seen - there'll be a lot more that can't be seen that you'll probably find as you tear into it.

Good luck with your project and do post a build thread with lots of pics as you go along!

Whose Vtec kit are you going to use? Which motor?

Have you talked to anyone who's already done this? It might be worth your while to do so, to learn the in's and out's if nothing else. What's your total budget for the project?

 

I am planning to go with MiniMania's VTEC kit. Didnt know there were others?? Would like to go with B-series motor, as it has the least modification. I have only looked at the kit itself, but never talked to anyone who has done it. As far as a budget, I dont see the point, I will blow through it and not even know it! But if I were to put a total number, it would be around $15k or so, but I will spread that out over many years. I plan to spend the next year or so just getting the bodywork done, interior cleaned up, and replace/replace existing parts. After that, I will tackle the drivetrain.

I will start up a build post tonight with more pictures as it is now. I welcome any and all feedback/advice/warnings, etc.

 

how are your body work and welding skills? & equipment?

if not up to point you might want to look into adult education classes via the county at high school sites or community colleges. In Norfolk area I found a place I could get access to a full body shop and all the tools for $100 a semester under the auspis of an adult education class in body and fender work .... full paint booth too. There was a lot of experience in that class; guys who'd "taken the class" every semester for years, just to get access to a shop where they were restoring their cars. Everything from a Model-T, thru a Model-A, a couple of 60's muscle favorites and a lil ole Mini . . .

I'm reading you might need a good starting point and this would be it . . .

 

Awesome! Thank you for the advice. I have zero welding skills and zero bodywork skills. I knew this would be a challenge and learning experience. I will definitely look into classes!

 

Welcome to the club! Glad to see another classic in NC. There are some places/people in Charlotte that could offer up some assistance. My classic is currently being restored/redone in Charlotte. Body shops/painting places, engine shops that know Minis etc for reasonable prices. If you need some help for some contact information, just holler.

Did you pull the engine? I know you've got alot of work to do but its nice to have a running car, even if its being worked on/sorted.

Definitely do some research on the vtec swap. Although I have never driven one, I have heard they are stupid fast and often have as many problems as original components until they are worked out. I have also heard that most owners pay for the conversion and don't have the cars longer than a year for one reason or another and are stuck selling the car for much less than what they have in them.

You sure can do alot with $15K to keep a A series motor under the bonnet...

Good luck, lets see some pictures!

 

Hey Ryan! I will definitely keep you in mind when I have questions. Honestly, I am not opposed to keeping the car original, but I do want to autocross it and may be take it out to Track Daze at VIR. The engine was already out and disassembled when I bought it. I pretty much have all new engine parts (minus bearings and gaskets), just need to do machine work. It is the 1000 motor, so if I were going to keep an original Mini motor, I would want the 1275. Took pics last night, and I will post them up tonight!

 

if starting from ground zero you might want to check out

Eastwoodco.com
good source for a ton of specialized tools for body work

por15.com
another 'rust killer' - one I've used many times

millerwelds.com
good source for welding training videos


and almost forgot

got a Haynes yet?

 

Congrats! Looks like a lot of fun to me...keep updating so we can live vicariously thru you.

 

Well, plenty of people have A series motors and still track their cars, especially in autocross because its not drag racing. Our classics arent super fast (by most accounts) in a straight away but they make up for it on a track with plenty of turns. Will a A series classic keep up with most modern cars? Probably not. Will a VTec smoke $100K sports cars? Good chance at least.

I am not a purest in the least. Many classic owners will scoff at you for even thinking about a VTec conversion. If my pockets were deep enough, I'd probably jump into it too. There are some people here at NAM that have VTec classics and they can tell you what they think of them. I have talked with MiniTec some about doing the swap too and there are ALOT of added expenses beyond paying for the motor and kit. Take a look at the for sale section on MiniMania, there are MiniTec classics for sale in the low $20K's and they are losing money. MiniTec will have a wait as well (I was told 6-12 months when I inquired).

If you are dead set on a VTec powered Mini I would recommend looking for a "used" one that has been sorted out and "take advantage" of the economy and the inevitable loss a seller is going to have to take. Because most banks would not finance on a car like this, not alot of people have $20K laying around for a FAST toy and would probably be willing to entertain a trade, say, your Mini and your $12K-$15K for their car. Give it some thought and look around. Just don't get in too deep where you have to finish a project in order to not completely lose your butt over selling it as a project. Hell, we have all seen "project" VTec cars sell for $10K. Thats what the kit costs alone if you were to do it and you're getting a car with it.

I would also recommend checking out the forum at minimania.com. Although this forum offers a wealth of knowledge, sometimes it appears to be more of a social club primarily consisting of BINI owners. The Classic section sees little action besides the "Free Classic Mini" thread, which at this point is completely unrelated to Classic Minis. At the MM forum, there is a thread on people autocrossing their cars, plenty on how to get the most out of a A series motor, etc. I DARE you to go over there, post pictures of your car and tell them you have $15K to spend under the bonnet and want some suggestions. It will be like Christmas for those that know what they are doing and they will be shopping vicariously through you and offer up plenty of help.

Also check out www.theminiforum.co.uk. Its a VERY active classic mini forum in the UK and will offer alot of help. In addition, you're gonna need plenty of parts. If you join The Mini Forum (UK forum) and become a paying member (only a few dollars) you get 7.5% all orders at MiniSpares. Take a look at what MiniSpares charges for parts and then look at MiniMania's retail side. I honestly think most US Classic Mini parts retailers/distributors (like MiniMania) are smoking some really good stuff to ask what they charge. I understand they have to ship the parts over here to sell them but the mark up blows me away. I suppose they have to keep the lights on and pay their staff but wow. Even heavy pieces (wheels and tires) or awkward large pieces (body panels) are STILL cheaper to buy from the UK after high shipping prices and because they are shipped international expedited, will arrive sooner from the UK than they do from a US shipper. Do yourself a favor, get The Mini Forum's discount and buy from the UK. Sorry if this offends anyone that knows/works for US distributors, I'm just trying to save the guy some money.

There is also a retailer in Florida named Dion (www.djminis.com/) that sells parts for nearly what the UK charges and is VERY easy to work with. If he doesn't have the part he will get it from the UK at a very affordable price. His number should be on the website. If need be, I think I have his cell phone number I can dig up for you.

Post some pictures, looking forward to seeing the car. Start saving money!

 

Man, thanks Ryan for your advice and opinion. I will definitely take it to heart. To set things straight, I WISH I had 15k lying around to spend, but I dont. I havent put any budget amount for this car, because frankily, I dont have any money at this point. I was lucky enough to buy the car for 2k. My plan of attack at this point is getting the body in good shape, getting the brakes to work, and more over just getting the car in a state where I would be comfortable driving it. I honestly think now (after reading some posts here and talking to a few friends), it may be best to use the motor I have, get it machined and asssembled, and at least drive the car. Then, I could start saving for a 1275 or Vtec while I work on more cosmetic issues.


And no, I am not dead set on a Vtec either. I figured I might as well plan big, and then if I need to dial it back, I can. At the bare minimum, I would want a 1275. But as I said earlier, I may get the 998 running since I have most of the parts I need to put it back together.

I will post pics tonight of the car in its current state. Stay tuned!

 

my two cents is get it running and safe and let the smoke settle

while doing this get a subscription to MiniWorld and develop some more concrete plans . . . if it can be dne to a Mini, you'll see it in Mini world. VTEC is simple compared to some of their stuff while at the same time you'll see plenty hot 1275's.

http://www.miniworld.co.uk/

My two cents which isn't worth squat is that once you re-engine to a VTEC, or a motorcycle engine or what ever you cross a line that says it is no longer a Mini. Like a t-bucket ain't a model-t anymore. That just happens to be the body on your hot rod. Like the car you see in the background of my sig' pic. That's a 50's Packard Hearse - with a blown Ford big block V8 and an interior stripped out of Tahoe. Is it a Packard? It's very cool indeed . . . put is it still a Packard? It's a hot rod isn't it? On the flip side I was disqualified in a show cuz I wasn't 'rat' enough for a rat rod show . . . too close to stock.