Hey guys

I've looked at 2 classic mini mark I's, one S and one cooper. Both had "built" engines I guess at least 1275. Each had 4 int 1 headers and webers, and one had a lopey idle that suggests a mild cam.

What I experienced though is that each was dog slow. Now I'm not expecting 300hp thrust feeling, but each car tached out at 3500 RPM and did nothing after. I did not take them much above that as a respectful test driver, but I found them falling somewhat flat.

If I short shift, and try to keep in the low end, they lug, and we go slow.
If I rev, they make nothing but noise.

My thoughts are that these are not really built engines at all, or this is how these cars are. I guess I had higher expectations seeing them rip up autocross tracks on videos.

Anyone out there have a "built" motor? Can you describe your power delivery?

Thanks

 

I have a 1380 in mine. I don't know the specific internals since it was built in the UK and I'm the second owner since then, but this is what it's supposed to be. http://www.jonspeedracing.co.uk/inde...14527&cID=2095
It has some LCB, 123 ignition, HIF 44 carb w/ K&N cone filter, & sportex (twin box?) side exit exhaust. That's about all I can tell visually.

The guy I bought it from said the previous owner that built/restored the car told him it was supposed to make 103hp. It is pretty peppy and accelerates all the way to 7000 rpm which is as high as I've taken it.

 

Thanks Nub for the reply. So is there a lag hump, like do you have to hold it pas a certain RPM, or does it rev from 2-7K freely?

 

Mine pulls from 2-7k freely, but I have no idea what engines the cars you drove had. They could have only made 30hp stock and are simply rebuilt and make about the same power, so your experience may be normal for the car.

 

David: The "tuned" cars you drove may still feel slow if they don't have much over 100 hp and associated torque. Maybe the tuning wasn't very effective, or the gearing doesn't fit the engine tuning very well. A 7k rpm redline on the 1275 engine is beyond my experience anyway.

I owned and autocrossed a stock 1964 Austin Mini Cooper 1275 S about 40 years ago. It was rated at 75 hp; I don't remember the rated torque. As I recall, it pulled steadily to redline (which was much lower than the 7k mentioned above) in each gear, but, even with the lower weight of the old Minis, it didn't come anywhere close to plastering me against the seat back. I don't remember the SCCA stock class it ran in, but there were Porsche 911s and Lotus Elans in it. The Mini didn't accelerate as quickly as those cars, but seemed more agile through a tight course; thus maintaining momentum. If the course was more open though, I was doomed.

 

Thanks. My guess is that they are not sorted, or maybe their tachs were off!

 

The power curve on my mild 1275 starts at about 4k and produces it's best power at around 6k. A classic Mini racer friend of mine suggests wearing earplugs while on the track to prevent you from instinctively shifting due to engine noise and instead relies solely on the tachometer.

Sooo, if you're running those cars to 3500 RPM, you're still well below the power curve.

In the future, ask the seller how far you can run the RPMs, then warm up the engine and do that. One other thing to find out is who built the 'built engine'. Was it a Mini specialist like Heritage Garage or Seven Enterprises or Mini Mania, or some mechanic that has no experience with Mini engines. Just my $0.02

Hope it helps,
Jeff

 

if you want to see some examples of what people get out on Minis lay your hands on some back issues of MiniWorld.

Aside from the featured cars which can have some radical engine builds from turbo or supercharged 1275s, to tricked out VTECs all the way thru transplanted superbike engines; every month they feature a number of 'regular' cars that have visited a dyno (rolling road). They tell you the mods - from none to many - and tell you the hp pulled with comments from some good Mini mechanics.... Good reading and over time you get a good feel for what to expect from what mods.....

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

 

You sure that's the correct URL? I get a server not found error.

Jeff

 

worked for me just now but if you still have a problem

google MINIWORLD and try that way . . . it is a UK site and publication

 

Hey guys

Got to test drive a Domino HT that WAS really built yesterday. revved like a monster. Something must be wrong with the other cars, or they are stock 1000 cc's! This thing had a howl and broke traction.

 

Well, I did wind up getting a classic, a 94 Rover mini. It's going to the dyno today, lets see what it can do.

 

I would have traded you mine for your 997


Let us know how it goes, I've wanted to dyno mine and see how low a number it puts down.

 

If it's an MK1 and an orgional engine, it should have one of the following:

Standard 850 - 34hp
Cooper 997 or 998 - 55hp
Cooper S 970, 1071 or a 1275 - 65hp, 70hp, 75hp

The MK1 Coopers also had 7 inch or 7.5 inch disc brakes as well a a green shift indicator light in the dash that would flash when it was in the shift zone.

 

No such thing as a "green indicator shift light" in a MK1 Mini.

 

My bad, I was getting the signal indicator which was added to the S, mixed up with the Magic wand and remote shift

 

well bog standard 1275 is only 64 bhp an 'S' 1275 is 74bhp, 1071 is 65bhp and a 970 is 63 bhp, a tuned 1275 with webbers and a mild cam might just get you 75bhp, after that you would need a rebore to 1293, 1310, 1330, and offset bore 1380 these will take you to 100+ bhp

 

how did we jump from

Well, I did wind up getting a classic, a 94 Rover mini. It's going to the dyno today, lets see what it can do.

to a discussion of HP on MK1's ????

I'm SO confused . . .

but I would say that HP rating of various engines are intersting factoids today, and if you want real world data read a few months of MiniWorld where a regular feature is describing the DYNO results of several cars with their setup described and recommendations provided . . . .

*** a shift light in a MK1 Mini .....

 

heh, it did 55hp @ the wheels. I've just collected my specialist components 16v 1380 (130hp) engine so we'll see where we are in the spring.

 

Capt, his origional question was about an MK1 and it's horespower. Then he stated he picked up a 94. Guess some of us where still commenting on the origional question.

Also if you have an ipad you can get both Mini World and Mini Magazine in digital form. I get one in magazine form and the other on the ipad.

 

Nice, a 16V 1380. Is this a finished unit you've picked up or purchased the parts? Have you checked out the EFI-Mini forum? Good info.

Looking forward to seeing more.

 

Hey there

It's a finished unit - I was waiting for my JCW to come in and replace the classic as my DD. I'm getting very excited to build it up. I think I have most of what I need including an engine hoist.