hi, new to the forum, but not to minis.

I've driven a couple different minis, a couple 1980 somethings, and I liked them, for the most part.

there are some things I would have to improve on, like the front end lifting off the ground at about 60MPH, but my biggest issue with getting one would be the fact that most of them were carbureted, and limited numbers of minis have been brought to the states.

how easy to find/affordable is the fuel injected (preferably the twin point variant) engine? can this system be fitted to earlier engines, or is there an aftermarket system that works better?

how easy is it to find parts for minis? how reliable are they? I know the reputation of morris, austin, layland, rover, bmc, ect... is not spectacularon this front...

 

let's start with some simple facts

The injection Minis happened at the end of their production; the later cars.

In order to legally import a Mini to the US it must be 25 years old or older.

2013 - 25 = 1988

one reference I find says the first injected Mini - the SPi - came about in 1992. So technically they are not yet legal. This cuts down on the number you find for sale.

This is not to say you won't find one in the US. You will find gray market cars, also known as re-vins, which have slid in to the US with a bogus VIN. You may see them advertised for sale as "1977 Mini restored to 1997 specifications"

With regard to parts you can get just about EVERYTHING in the states thru places like MiniMania, MOSS, seven and MiniSport and many others .... with the EXCEPTION of SPi and MPi components especially replacement control computers and diagnostic systems. Why? No/minimal market. Why? The cars are not legal to import . . . . you CAN find the parts from UK suppliers via the web and have them shipped ... applicable taxes and duties may apply. Good luck finding a mechanic in the US for help.

Adding OE injection to a carb'd car? Hmm .... I've seen a number or articles about ripping the injection out for the reasons just mentioned. Lack of support.

Aftermarket injection? Hmmmm, can't say I've ever heard of that but superchargers and turbo chargers yes

front end lifting off the ground over 60 mph? ..... if I wanna drive faster than 55 I take the MINI rather than the Mini
but you can buy wings and air dams and sand bags . . .

 

thank you for the response.

yeah, I know about the 25 year rule, but I didn't know if that applied to the engines, too. I had planned on using an air dam or wing to solve the issue. I would probably leave the engine alone unless there were some simple bolt on parts to add power, I'm not a fan of how a supercharger or turbo shortens the life of the engine, and with some of the other things I'm going to do (any aero mods I can, and any lightening of the car I can), I'm not worried about power.

 

There isn't anything wrong with carb minis in fact they are more simple and easier to work on the only reason I imagine you want the injected model is for A/C and if that's the case you can always do a Honda motor swap either the k20 or b16 and for reliability and diagnosing problems this may be the best way to go.

 

I just want to comment on the front end lifting up. What are you talking about. I have had mine over 60 a lot and I still have full control over the car, it has never lifted up. I have never heard of anyone until now saying their Mini's front end lifts up over 60. I don't know.

 

25 year rule would not apply to parts, or even a complete engine - just a complete vehicle. Can't say I've ever seen an injected engine for sale .... the places that sell prepared engines tend to sell tricked up carb'd models (see MiniMani or Seven 7ent.com)

I'll second that if you want injected as an engine swap you may as well go VTEC. You can buy kits that make this pretty straightforward.

 

sorry for the long wait, I've been busy. I never drove one on the autobahn, but I was in it when the owner did, and he could move the steering wheel back and forth without the car changing direction at all.

my reason for wanting fuel injection is simple, it's better. especially with multiport, it gives better cold starts, better fuel economy, and keeps it's tune, instead of needing to be tweaked every now and then. when coupled with DIS, it's much more reliable, and needs even less maintenance.

I'm curious, is a 5 speed manual transmission easily swapped in with these engines? does gas mileage increase significantly with the installation of these engines?

thank you all for your input. I'm not trying to imply the carburetor on the mini is bad, I drove 2 of the cars and never had an issue, I just didn't know if the injected ones were better.