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General MINI TalkShared experiences, motoring minutes, and other general MINI-related discussion that applies to all MINIs, regardless of model, year or trim.
So I have a 2003 MINI, 1.6 NA 5 speed. 209,xxx on original engine, transmission, and clutch. I have done a fair amount of maintenance on it including swapping an S head in when my sorry Justa exhaust valves burned out. It is a well sorted car with a well tuned suspension, and a bunch of small upgrades that make it a really fun car to drive. I LOVE this car but the power, or lack of power, is....frustrating. The engine is starting to get tired, the clutch is on its last legs, and honestly I'm surprised the Midlands transmission is even hanging in there. This car with the mileage it has now (and drooping headliner and cracked windshield) has little to no resale value but is still a great shell to build off of.
Since it is going to need the entire drivetrain replaced in the near future anyway, what are the opinions of the good members of this forum as far as motor swaps are concerned?? Should I swap in an S motor with a 6 speed? Or a K20/K24 out of a Honda with a 5/6 speed?
A K-swap will be lighter and the basic engine/trans combo will be cheaper than an S motor with blower and all associated crap to make it work. But the fab end makes it much more complicated. A well sorted K24 will be lighter, and have the same HP and Torque as a stock S motor and also take 87 octane where the supercharger requires 91? 93?? I drive 40,000+ miles per year so reliability and economy are huge to me. The Justa has been great in that regard. Also, once the Honda bits are in, parts and replacements down the road will also be cheaper. I have spent HOURS looking for info on K-swapped MINs and have really only found 1 well documented swap. With the trend to put K series motors in EVERYTHING the last few years I'm honestly surprised I haven't found more.
Not sure any motor swap is going to be cost effective....
If cost is a big factor for you, and you drive 40k miles per year, I would pull the engine and do a full tear down and blueprint rebuild, new clutch kit, and have the gearbox refreshed. Update all the suspension rubber bushings with poly, replace all ball joints, all new struts, and enjoy another 10 years of driving fun.
Part of the cost is the cost to put gas in a car that gets that many miles put on it. As in a K series runs on 87 octane and the mini motors require 91, or mine does. I honestly dont even know what is recommended for the S models. In a Honda, the K series gets similar mpg to the supercharged S models. Makes sense because they make about the same power. A justa is lighter than either though so my car with a K20 might get better mpg than either. The other thought is, in my experience, the hondas are lower maintenance than the Minis.
My entire drivetrain is worn. So even if I go with another mini motor, it will need a clutch at the same time and if I add power, I doubt the transmission will last much longer. I do all my own work so the only cost is the cost of parts. The Midlands trany thats in it can be rebuilt, or it could, not sure if parts are still available because I haven't looked. Long term plan is to replace the transmission with a 6 speed if I stick with mini parts and if I swap in Honda bits, I honestly dont care what trans I end up with as long as its a manual. The other thing I just started looking into is using an S motor in my car with a turbo.
And as far as the rest, I have Tiens wrapped around Bilstein B4's with IE camber plates and a Eibach rsb. I also have an assortment of Powerflex bushings and some brake upgrades. It handles exactly how I want for a street car.
I guess the situation is, since so many parts are near end of life, now is the time if I'm going to K swap it. And the biggest driving force is the original engine is such a turd. I can replace the drivetrain cheaper than I can replace the car. Not to mention starting with a new car I'd have to go through the entire thing again to get the maintenance up to date which adds more cost.
I'm not broke but like most average people, I don't have unlimited funds.
While looking through an old thread for suspension suggestions this thread popped up so I figured I'd update it. I bought a 2005 S model to replace my justa. It's a fairly well modded car but the brakes are lacking and it came with some beat, cheap, raceland coilovers. I love the blower noises and its a solid platform to build off. So far I'm happy with my choice.
