• Spank
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  • From: Escondido, CA
  • Registered: 2009-06-10
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Topic: The quest for more power leads us 2260 miles RT

While the poor ole 998cc's of mini badness got us around Buttonwillow, I'm thinking we may want to go to the BIG BORE 1275 powerplant. Theres a potential treasure trove of mini parts/engines up in Oregon and that come with 2 cars for a pretty lowly sum. I'm thinking I may be able to play the game that others play-- I'll buy these parts cars, part them out, and bring my net cost for this/these 1275 engines down to zero (actually negative is a real potential, but I understand parts cars can't be sold into the negatives). Might even be able to get a whole 'nother mini out of it for another late season entry!

Why so far? Well, mini parts don't exactly show up all too frequently at your local pick-a-part. So all you "looking for car xyz and it has to be within a 10 mile drive" crybabies, take notice.

Yea, sure, we could probably figure out how to put a motorcycle engine in it, a vtec, or some amc product... but I think British Leyland deserves another go-round in the mini before we go (dare  I say) Harley powered.

Flying out early tomorrow morning, picking up a uhaul, and towing it all back. Some horrific weather is in the forecast, too. Portland to SD. Wish me luck.

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  • From: WOOTville USA
  • Registered: 2009-05-06
  • Posts: 2,415

Re: The quest for more power leads us 2260 miles RT

Go Leyland! Go Bastards! Go Leyland! Go Bastards!

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  • From: Spring, TX
  • Registered: 2009-10-25
  • Posts: 459

Re: The quest for more power leads us 2260 miles RT

spending more on transporting your parts home than actual value of parts.

two thumbs up.

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4 Reply by Judge Phil (edited by MurileeMartin 2009-12-29 01:22 AM)

  • From: Land Of Subarus, Colorado
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 9,416

Re: The quest for more power leads us 2260 miles RT

Can't you just swap some other small FWD engine/transaxle into it? Festiva? Early Civic? Your car was built before British Leyland (which came into being in 1968), so no need to stay loyal to the BL brand.

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5 Reply by Spank (edited by Spank 2009-12-29 05:19 AM)

  • Spank
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Re: The quest for more power leads us 2260 miles RT

MurileeMartin wrote:

Can't you just swap some other small FWD engine/transaxle into it? Festiva? Early Civic? Your car was built before British Leyland (which came into being in 1968), so no need to stay loyal to the BL brand.

Well, I used the BL loosely to mean Austin/Morris but the BL term still does apply to our 62 as the shortblock, front suspension, subframe and sheet metal are all from the Leyland era.

We'll get to the transplant stuff eventually, but then I'd have no excuse to run away for 2 days!

mikespeed95 wrote:

spending more on transporting your parts home than actual value of parts.

two thumbs up.

Don't I have to factor that in to the costs I need to reclaim, too? That's what I was counting on. Maybe a technical loophole, but I'll save those receipts, too.

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  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 1,640

Re: The quest for more power leads us 2260 miles RT

Spank wrote:
mikespeed95 wrote:

spending more on transporting your parts home than actual value of parts.

two thumbs up.

Don't I have to factor that in to the costs I need to reclaim, too? That's what I was counting on. Maybe a technical loophole, but I'll save those receipts, too.

If you bought something on eBay for $5 plus $45 shipping, you'd have to count the shipping price because the money for shipping would go to the seller. The seller is just trying to beat the system and make more profit. But if you're going up there to fetch the parts yourself and spending your own gas money, I really don't think anyone would make you count your own travel expenses into the price of the parts. Especially not for your car!

Where in SD are you?

The Homer: Powerful like a gorilla, yet soft and yielding like a Nerf ball.
  • Troy
  • Troy
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  • Registered: 2009-04-30
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Re: The quest for more power leads us 2260 miles RT

Regarding shipping and stuff.

I consider shipping a price of an item.  Whether I paid $5 + $45 shipping or $45 + $5 shipping, I still shelled out $50 at the time and place of the purchase to get the part in my possession.

If I go get it myself, I look at it as my time and don't count it.  It just happened to be a longer trip to the parts store.

The farthest I have gone to get parts has been about 300 miles each way.  We are heading to Austin to pick up another Z today.

Regarding parts cars and going negative, nothing about that in the rules that I am aware of.

If I scrap a $150 car and someone else scraps a $1000 car, why should I be limited to only $150 if someone else can do $1000?

I realized the other day as I picked up a $150 300ZX that I want to try and use for experimental upgrades for the 240Z that most teams would be happy to race the 87 300ZX as a LeMon by itself. 

Basically, most parts cars I have picked up were Lemons within themselves.

Troy

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  • Registered: 2009-05-11
  • Posts: 122

Re: The quest for more power leads us 2260 miles RT

MurileeMartin wrote:

Can't you just swap some other small FWD engine/transaxle into it? Festiva? Early Civic? Your car was built before British Leyland (which came into being in 1968), so no need to stay loyal to the BL brand.

Then he wouldn't get that special Austin/ BMC/ BL/ Rover sound.  You know, the special exhaust note that one gets from having only three exhaust ports which snake around the pushrods in a pig-iron cylinder head designed for the early-'50s Austin A30.

Which reminds me, someone needs to bring an early-'50s Austin A30 to Lemons.

Anyway, despite the A-series's ancient, compromised design, there's plenty of tuning knowledge out there to make it (as well as the rest of the Mini) perform well, even without spending a lot of money.  I think this is an awesome idea.  Good luck on your journey, Spank!

  • Registered: 2009-10-25
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Re: The quest for more power leads us 2260 miles RT

gotta do it......if 998cc is good 1275cc is MUCH better.....

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  • From: 5,280 ft.
  • Registered: 2009-05-01
  • Posts: 1,298

Re: The quest for more power leads us 2260 miles RT

icemang17 wrote:

gotta do it......if 998cc is good 1275cc is MUCH better.....

27.8% better!

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  • From: Frogtown USA
  • Registered: 2009-05-01
  • Posts: 389

Re: The quest for more power leads us 2260 miles RT

I have everything you need to setup a motorcycle engine in the front of that car.  I'm just sayin'...

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  • From: Spring, TX
  • Registered: 2009-10-25
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Re: The quest for more power leads us 2260 miles RT

i dont think shipping/time/gasmoney has anything to do with Lemons accounting.

that makes absolutely no sense factoring it in.

Mike Peters
Former rotary brat pioneer.
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  • From: Tampa, Fl
  • Registered: 2009-05-29
  • Posts: 259

Re: The quest for more power leads us 2260 miles RT

Spank. I have a Vtech poweredClassic mini here.  If you want photos or measurments for the front subframe to do a honda conversion letme know.

The car is stupid fast, and the  torque steer is a littleto much.

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  • Spank
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Re: The quest for more power leads us 2260 miles RT

bam2002 wrote:

Spank. I have a Vtech poweredClassic mini here.  If you want photos or measurments for the front subframe to do a honda conversion letme know.

The car is stupid fast, and the  torque steer is a littleto much.

I went the other way:

http://www.vtecminis.com/shon/sdbc08/sdbc23.jpg

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  • From: Land Of Subarus, Colorado
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 9,416

Re: The quest for more power leads us 2260 miles RT

I must know more about that BMC A-powered Civic!

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16 Reply by Spank (edited by Spank 2009-12-30 11:25 PM)

  • Spank
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Re: The quest for more power leads us 2260 miles RT

Bone stock 60-somethin 848cc mini engine complete with 1-1/4" SU carb and sitting on the original "magic wand" gearbox from the mini. Also had mini seats, center speedo, and 10" wheels on the rear (didn't take the extra time to figure out how to do it up front without spending a bunch of money on custom adapters) Just my sense of humor.

I did it for Mini Meet West in '08 in LA. Even did the autocross with it. Didn't do too poorly!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDdo9Qh7A_w

Heck, if I'd have known about Lemons I would've never scrapped it and instead would have run it!

I could certainly recreate it in about, oh, 1 weekend after I find a donor engine and 85 crx smile


--Spank

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17 Reply by Spank (edited by Spank 2010-01-01 03:10 PM)

  • Spank
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Re: The quest for more power leads us 2260 miles RT

OMFG-- I just started cleaning out the 1 car and took a break to actually look inside one of the boxes that came with the cars-- you know the size-- the one that holds copier paper. Inside just this ONE box is about $1000 of NOS unused parts still in original boxes-- cv joints (inner and outer), a 731 Cooper S camshaft, lightweight flywheel and back plate, new distributer, coil, water pump, clutch disc, wheel studs, high lift rockers, MKI turn signal switches... HOLY COW!

I'm actually feeling a little guilty because I could conceivably triple my money and still end up with a 1275 engine with go-fast goodies outta the deal. I don't think that's in the spirit of the event, though, and I'd hate to get crushed sad

It wouldn't be until later in the year that it could happen. Gotta sell the stuff first and also get the sChitroen ready for March.

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  • From: Land Of Subarus, Colorado
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 9,416

Re: The quest for more power leads us 2260 miles RT

Spank wrote:

I'm actually feeling a little guilty because I could conceivably triple my money and still end up with a 1275 engine with go-fast goodies outta the deal. I don't think that's in the spirit of the event, though, and I'd hate to get crushed sad

There is no way in hell a Mini will get the Curse- everybody loves Minis, and the abstention=no curse vote rule means that a team must inspire genuine loathing from most of the other racers in order to get crushed. You got lucky, so sell the stuff, buy engine parts (but be sure to provide obsessive documentation), and race. Though I would suggest a stock-power rebuild with good bearings, forged pistons, etc, instead of a power-added rebuild. Stressed-out hot-rod engines almost always blow up at Lemons.

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  • JThw8
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Re: The quest for more power leads us 2260 miles RT

MurileeMartin wrote:

Though I would suggest a stock-power rebuild with good bearings, forged pistons, etc, instead of a power-added rebuild. Stressed-out hot-rod engines almost always blow up at Lemons.

I used to autocross a sprite with a very warmed over 1275, the engine had to come out for something new after every event.  They can make good power, they cannot make good reliable power.  Murilee speaks truth.

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  • From: Seattle, WA
  • Registered: 2009-10-28
  • Posts: 2,111

Re: The quest for more power leads us 2260 miles RT

Spank wrote:

I could certainly recreate it in about, oh, 1 weekend after I find a donor engine and 85 crx smile

A classic Mini drivetrain in a CRX is way damn cool.  Makes me wonder why I got to about the same point in a more pedestrian manner by buying this '82 MG Metro off Craigslist from the guy who brought it Stateside:

http://bringatrailer.com/2008/12/20/rar … -mg-metro/

Since then I've spent much of my spare time battling its ruptured hydragas suspension system.  I'm guessing that's less of an issue with a Honda.

1982 MG Metro 1300: IOE 2015 Pacific Northworst GP, Longest Distance 2010 Cd'L Box Wine Country Classic
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  • From: sacramento ca
  • Registered: 2009-11-25
  • Posts: 266

Re: The quest for more power leads us 2260 miles RT

build the super mini engine! lets see what it can do!  i nearly ran over a Austin mini on the way home from the bay area today.