Mk1 Mini Cooper

[Jacktegla]

11:1, good luck with that!

How’d you mean

 

[Neilj]

Here’s the spec sheet for the engine View attachment 231159

That's an A+ block not a Pre-A+, the older blocks didn't have the external strengthening ribs. Not that it matters unless you want it period correct.

 

[Jacktegla]

That's an A+ block not a Pre-A+, the older blocks didn't have the external strengthening ribs. Not that it matters unless you want it period correct.

We know it’s not quite the right engine block, however, we just want a nice car that we can take out and have a bit of fun with.

 

[Neilj]

I was more referring to the receipt than anything, that says it's a Pre A+ block.
Looks like you've got a pretty solid shell there, looking forward to seeing updates on your progress, I do like minis

 

[Jacktegla]

It got a few bit of rust, and it looks solid from some of the repairs other people have done before

 

[RWD3M]

Hi Jack,

We have a very early MPi which is now 23 years old and is probably only a couple of MoT's away from needing some metal work so I too will be following this with keen interest.

I've done a lot of panel work on classic Mini's over the years and it's made me consider simply doing a re-shell on ours once it starts. Perhaps your journey will persuade me otherwise!

Good luck and a following wind fella!

Richard.

 

[Jacktegla]

Hi Jack,

We have a very early MPi which is now 23 years old and is probably only a couple of MoT's away from needing some metal work so I too will be following this with keen interest.

I've done a lot of panel work on classic Mini's over the years and it's made me consider simply doing a re-shell on ours once it starts. Perhaps your journey will persuade me otherwise!

Good luck and a following wind fella!

Richard.

We would’ve loved to reshell it but just too expensive

 

[RWD3M]

Yeah, they are pricey!

I think if I had a mk1 Cooper I think I'd probably try a bit harder to save the original shell but on a late one I'm not too fussed.

I used to work in the motor trade and recall what it was like repairing Mini's. We'd get them coming in on an annual basis, fist for a set of sills, then front wings and A panels. Then rear skirts, then inner sills, then rear subframes.... You know where I'm going!

So a part of me is thinking, once it starts, just get a new shell. If you prep it properly (E Coat, wax injection, decent paint etc) it should never need doing again.

We'll see!

 

[arther dailey]

I think the serial no for the head was something like 12g295 or something like that , it was the head everyone was after back in the day

 

[Melvyn Best]

Had a 12G295 head and 88G229? (997Cooper) cam on my first car 850 Mini with a few other mods , went like stink but it only had single leading shoes on the front . The recklessness of youth!

 

[arther dailey]

I kept one untill a few years back when I had a clear out , stupidly it went on the scrap pile , regretted it days later....

 

[Neilj]

I had a 998 as my first car. Found a 1100 engine free which was a nice upgrade. Then found a 12G295 head in a scrapyard and fitted that with a MD266 cam and the usual air filter / LCB exhaust mods. Then got fed up of chasing rot so bought a new shell and spent nearly 7 years building it up from scratch. Current spec is a 1293 with a turbo and injection (wet manifold, Emerald ecu) that gave 138hp on Emerald's rolling road.

 

[minimutly]

@Neilj you were being nice and sensible for a minute there...
@Jacktegla I would suggest that head and compression ratio are not suited to the cam (which is actually a sensible road cam), but try it and see. If you're running 10 inch wheels I would have gone lower ratio, but it depends what you're doing. On road rallies the last small bore engine I used was a 1100 with 295 head, big valves and a copy of the early cooper 997 cam on a single 1.5 su. If I recall it had a 4.1 diff, like driving around in 3rd all night.

 

[garethp]

Hmm, I'm now wondering if I've got any bits left at my parents, I did have an unused 1275 block and an 998 head that hand been ported and fitted with rim flow valves, the head was supposed to be for my mini but I upgraded to a low mileage 1275 out of a friends crashed car instead, cant remember what spec it was but it went well off the clock on a standard speedo

I dont recall ever getting rid of them, I do remember giving away a right hand tank as i didnt want to cut a hole in my newly sprayed bodywork!

 

[Jacktegla]

@Neilj you were being nice and sensible for a minute there...
@Jacktegla I would suggest that head and compression ratio are not suited to the cam (which is actually a sensible road cam), but try it and see. If you're running 10 inch wheels I would have gone lower ratio, but it depends what you're doing. On road rallies the last small bore engine I used was a 1100 with 295 head, big valves and a copy of the early cooper 997 cam on a single 1.5 su. If I recall it had a 4.1 diff, like driving around in 3rd all night.

well just see how it goes, to be honest we let jonspeed build it how they wanted to, we’ve had good results with their engines before so I’m sure it will be all good for what we want to do with it.

 

[DAPPH]

@Jacktegla
Put up a picture of the battery box and the rear subframe … our mini was a net of rust in that area … skillfully disguised by well painted glued on thin card that was given a coating of spray on underseal on the outside , sprinkled with sand & dust etc on the inside .. it's a wonder the battery didn't fall though in the second month we'd had it as it was the first time we'd taken it out when it was chucking it down with rain .

 

[Jacktegla]

@Jacktegla
Put up a picture of the battery box and the rear subframe … our mini was a net of rust in that area … skillfully disguised by well painted glued on thin card that was given a coating of spray on underseal on the outside , sprinkled with sand & dust etc on the inside .. it's a wonder the battery didn't fall though in the second month we'd had it as it was the first time we'd taken it out when it was chucking it down with rain .

 

[octo0072000]

Here’s the spec sheet for the engine View attachment 231159

as said 11 to 1 comp ratio 5 star fuel only will pink like a bar steward on 4 star
also mk1 mini was not on hydrolastic suspension so either that is a later mk2 shell with mk1 rear lights ?

 

[Jacktegla]

as said 11 to 1 comp ratio 5 star fuel only will pink like a bar steward on 4 star
also mk1 mini was not on hydrolastic suspension so either that is a later mk2 shell with mk1 rear lights ?[/c QUOTE]

No most of the mk1 mini coopers were hydroelastc

 

[RWD3M]

as said 11 to 1 comp ratio 5 star fuel only will pink like a bar steward on 4 star
also mk1 mini was not on hydrolastic suspension so either that is a later mk2 shell with mk1 rear lights ?

That's no big deal, there are plenty of octane boosters out there. I used Tetra Boost in my GT6 for a while before I converted the cylinder head to run unleaded. I have to run 98 or 99 octane in it (I don't think 4 star or 5 star exists now ) now and it really doesn't like 95 which is a bit of a nuisance when touring Orkney and Shetland, but easy to work round.