I am close to pulling the trigger on one of these and I would like to speak with someone ("off board" as to not bother everyone with my questions, comments and concerns) who has one of these monsters. Anyone???
Craig

 

Even if there was varible valve timing for a MINI, it wouldn't be called VTEC, that is Honda's copyright.

Steve

 

Steve,

Vtec Mini: A Classic Mini with a Honda Vtec motor.

Craig

 

Craig, I sent you a PM

 

whatever you do, dont do it to a genuine S.

 

Or a regular MINI

 

Sent one back to you Rick!

 

http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=1

 

PLease talk here


I'm very interested in the Vtech Mini as well.

I have a friend out here with a classic that told me they were working on a better diffferencial for higher gearing.
Not up on the technical lingo but I would like to know If they have made a gearbox with more gears to compensate for the wheels being so small.

I would love to have a V-Tech that I could drive on the street and not just the race track.

 

Heh,

My bad, sorry.

That's what I get for viewing "New Posts" I forgot to look at what forum the post was in.

Having been on a lot of boards, I am very used to "Ricer's" trolling for trouble.

I did in fact read the article in Car and Driver, but forgot all about it. However had I paid attention to the Forum, I would have kept my mouth shut.

Steve

p.s. Just trying to get out of 1st Gear!

 

I saw one advertised in Autoweek about a year ago.

That engine was mid-mounted though

It was advertised at $25k and sold within a couple weeks

 

There will be a kit available very soon that will be an absolute bolt-on without extending the front end, as is required with nearly every other V-Tec conversion. The engineer behind the project has put several hundred hours into the design. http://vtec.pocketrubbish.com/

 

And to answer the tire-ratio question, he will be using a 3.44:1 ratio - the same as 90% of the classics made.

 

Will your kit fit on any model Mini? Clubman etc...
Craig

 

Yeah, the Clubman is not a problem now because there is quite a bit of room under the bonnet but the round-nose is a real challenge without extending the front. I should clarify because I said it is a direct bolt-on - the inner wings will have to be cut.

Oh, and it is not my kit. I just happen to know the person who is designing and building it - he is a long-time MOALA member and pretty good guy.

 

You may not be "making" them but, we can purchase them through you at a later date right?????

 

I see Steve once a month at the MOALA meetings and ask how it's going. That's my limit of involvement. I can get you the contact info, do any type of inspections you may want, and even help arrange shipping as a favor but I have absolutely nothing to do with this company or their R&D.

 

What about the gear differencial? Do you know if anyone is working on that. The way the Classic are now you already drive in the high 6s and 7s at 70 mph. I would love to see them add one more gear. I think it would help a great deal.

 

Groups like Jack Knight have had 5-speed gearboxes for sometime ... but if you are turning 6k-7k at 70mph, you have the wrong diff setup; Maybe your power unit was lifted from an MG1100 or Austin America and the diff gears were never changed - or you bought it from someone who just liked to street race - but a standard Cooper 'S' should be doing about 4200 or 4500 at 70 ...

 

It's a friend of mine that ownes that mini. I think he does have it set up for street racing.


What about a 6 speed. Do you think that would help any with a Vtech?

220 HP is a lot for that little car.

 

The first 5-speed's were setup for racing with close-ratio gearsets that weren't (usually) over-driven in top gear; Now, For A Price, you can order custom gearsets with an overdriven 5th gear ... 6th may not be necessary until you get a screaming race motor that needs to be kept in a particulay rev range - squeeling the tyres in 6 gears instead of 5 may be fun, but maybe also too costly ... and then there's the problem of limited space in a stock gearbox ...

 

Craig,
Check w/ Randy Webb. He was working w/ GOMINI in Atlanta I think but they had a large number of complaints, people putting down deposits and never getting thier cars. They even went so far as to change thier name. Randy was going to check out a hook up w/ a different company. He has a whole thread on the development and everything on his site.

 

I sent him an E-Mail about it and never got a reply....

 

is to get rid of the original mini tranny. Main mini fault of sharing
the tranny oil with the motor oil. I'm sure the Honda tranny/motor
don't share fluid's.........Or has this been resolved with the swap?


Cris

 

They seem like awesome cars. I remember seeing someone test drive one on a show a while back...cant remember which show though.

BTW:

V-Tech


Vtec


Just a pet peeve of us ex-Honda guys