Just wondering if anyone has ever considered an engine transplant for the MINI???

i was thinking about the tuning option avaliable for them and if you want to make BIG power it can get difficult. so what about swapping an already proven turbo lump into a mini???

now this gets you thinking what engine??? well a very tried and test transplant engine is the VW/Audi 1.8T. now before you all laugh at me jsut think about it a min. its the same way around as the Mini, the gearbox is on the same side, the turbo would be mounted at the back (like all turbo mini's), they would take standalone ECUs no problems, they are VERY tunable (350-400bhp on stock internals)......

so what do you guys think???

thanks Chris.

 

As a 1.8T driver myself, I can understand doing this if you're really looking for some large horsepower gains. Of course, if you REALLY want to get nuts, there is always the VW GTI W12...

 

What about a VR6 from VW? HPA turbo!

 

of a small Rover V8 put under the hood of a new Mini. But for the life of me, I can't find it anymore! Some guys in England did it. Looked clean and nice!

You can always call Jan at Revolution Mini for a stroker. I don't know if they're being sold to the public yet, but he's got a 2 liter in his drag car. I THINK some are, or are about to, go out.

The biggest issue is that the Mini has a shorter front end than most of the cars that use the 1.8T.

But go for it! If it works you could start a business on it!

Matt

 

The BMW M-Series V8 has been under the MINI hood before. I've seen electric motor MINI's with lithium cells as well...

 

Modded 1.8T's make more power than modded VR6's unless you go turbo on the VR6 and that is not a common thing. I do love that VR6 sound

 

I read some where that a Neon SRT-4 bolts up to our trans. If so that would be a cool transplant!!

 

VR6 no its far to heavy and longer than the im-line4 i think. also with it being wider i dont think it would fit.

a Rover V8 was put into an old mini, but they are cr*p engines anyway! lol and its not really in keeping with the MINI.

the 1.8T has been put into small car. someone fitted one in a Renault (sp) Cilo. they are about the same size as a mini. also they have been fitted in the lupo which is pretty small!

so can anyone see any technical reasons why it might not fit??????

Chris.

 

Yes, I do believe that there have been some SRT-4 motor swaps. It would be amazing because Jan can get to 2.0L, but the SRT-4 is a 2.4L!!!
Just think of what Jan could do with a 2.4...

 

This would require gutting the car for the transmission tunnel, plus radical rework and reinforcement for the rear diff/axle/suspension assembly.

Subaru makes the fronts of their cars unnecessarily long. The Boxer itself probably does not seem to protrude much further forward of the front axle line than the Tritec does in the MINI but would intrude into the MINI's current radiator and bumper area. Positioning the radiator, etc. would require some creativity.

Many caveats, but the drivetrain itself is proven rather than a science experiment.

 

But it was a new Mini....

Matt

 

Umm...you mean this one? E36 M3 motor...might be an E46 one. Cant remember

 

the renault is mid engined lol. that would be a much easier swap

 

Now, That is sweet!

 

Kinda like this one :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmP3au8UoXc

http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=730443


http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/showth...&pp=20&page=37

 

I want to throw a 1300 turbo busa motor in mine. that would be nice.

 

isn't there a racing one in new zealand w/ an s2000 motor?

 

Except for the fact that it'd be due for a rebuild in under 10k miles.

Always loved the low lifetimes of motorcycle engines. Especially high performance ones.

- Matt

 

ermmmmm no its wasn't it was a front engined swap! basically the guy (and he was a freind of a freind...) was sick of blowing up his Clio V6 (the mid engined one) with 150bhp of N2O and wanted a sleeper. so he dropped a TT engine with a few bolt ons into the front of a 1.2ltr Clio. think it made over 300bhp in a car the same size and weight as the mini!

Cheers Chris.

 

thats a nice car. seen it around a bit. think it was racing ove rhere in Eurpoe last i heard.

also there are a few spaceframed minis over here. one is running RWD and a Volvo 5pot turbo engine!

 

its can be done in an old mini. also the same company do a full spaceframed chassis.

see here:

http://www.zcars.org.uk/mini/index.htm original mini with andything form a R1 engine to a vtech

http://www.zcars.org.uk/montecarlo/index.htm spaceframe cars.

thanks Chris.

 

ok guys back to topic. could this work?? its only hypothetical (i just became a dad so i have signed the next 18 yrs of my life away lol) but could this be cost effective??

the thinking is to make the same power form a MINI will take a lot of work. really you are looking at TC or turbo only. no there is no bolt on ready to rock and roll TC or turbo only kit that will give you these kind of power figures. yes there are companies that will do custom turbo stuff (like Fireballed).

anyone know how much the MINI engines weighs??? also has anyone got any pics of a stripped engine bay showing mounting points??

Cheers Chris.

 

read post #151-153, it is hilarious.

 

Anything is possible... but to think it would be less $... I dunno.. what I do know is it doesnt really matter what motor it is... if you go big with it the cost is the same... so even if you get a 2.4 neon motor to fit.. fab up all the nessiary framing for the engine cradel... then with some standalone... like a motec... you have a stock 310 bhp motor.... you still have modding costs... the stage 3 package is only 355 BHP.. so... you add up all those costs... and well... you are still not making the same power.... and it prolly costs allot of $

I am not saying don't do it... I have thought about it... believe me... it's just allot of coin to drop at one time... and more over labor... even doing it yer self... it's just so much damn work LOL

and god forbid something ever happens... oh man... at least with a stock motor you could prolly get another chassis and swap the motor into it if the rest of the car was totaled... that I speak of from expirence... the car can get wrecked but hey if the motor is ok.. that's what really matters! LOL

that's the # 1 reason my motor is still in the front of the car... cause doing all that work... moving it to the back... to have it ruined by someone hitting me... etc etc... I'd kill...

 

LOL that is awsome... theres allot of those around here...they still cant believe that a 1.6 l can make so much HP... it's like they have been living under a rock LOL.... TECHNOLOGY.. neat huh?!