Customising / modifying old cars..

Originally Posted by custard

have seen a v6 mini. that was a touch quick.

morris minor

I remember seeing on blue peter, no honestly, a V8 mini that done 0-120 in 11. something seconds.
V8 was massive and bulkhead had to be moved back loads.
Always fancied a quick mini, ultra light and handles decent as well.

I'd quite like an unmodified slightly tatty looking Vauxhall Viva HC 2 door saloon body fitted with a 2.2 litre Lotus twin cam engine, 5 speed ZF gearbox and LSD from a Jensen Healey, running on Chevette HSR suspension (It all fits, cos I know someone who built just this car)

Originally Posted by specialone

I remember seeing on blue peter, no honestly, a V8 mini that done 0-120 in 11. something seconds.
V8 was massive and bulkhead had to be moved back loads.
Always fancied a quick mini, ultra light and handles decent as well.

There's footage of it on youtube, belongs to a guy who lives just outside Canterbury (friend of my ex). He's also got a late 70s Mini Clubman with a modified MR2 Turbo lump in it. His wife uses that as her shopping and commuting car.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RlktUKNJq0

Originally Posted by Lozzo

There's footage of it on youtube, belongs to a guy who lives just outside Canterbury (friend of my ex). He's also got a late 70s Mini Clubman with a modified MR2 Turbo lump in it. His wife uses that as her shopping and commuting car.

Coool, i have to look out 4 that

Originally Posted by Lozzo

There's footage of it on youtube, belongs to a guy who lives just outside Canterbury (friend of my ex). He's also got a late 70s Mini Clubman with a modified MR2 Turbo lump in it. His wife uses that as her shopping and commuting car.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RlktUKNJq0

LOL that car should be in the dictionary under "Torque Steer"

[Ruffy]

Minis are ripe for this sort of work (Yes, I like 'em!). Honda VTEC or Vauxhall engines are fairly common conversions.

I always fancied putting a VFR engine in one, preferably with some sort of 4x4 transmisison (Fiat Panda donor, perhaps). Wouldn't be that quick being only 100hp-ish, but the sound would be better than original or any IL4 conversion.

Another sleeper ideas I had was to fit an original Beetle with Porsche 911 lump & uprated suspension/brakes etc.

My boss is currently musing over a Morris Minor fitted with a Ford 2l Duratec (mild tune to c.200+hp).

Oh, for more time/space/money to indulge such engineering fantasies!

minis are also good for hyabusa engines, two of them in some cases

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGr4kKemUOQ

2m 45 secs

[dirtydog]

Apparently a 2.0l ford engine from a mondeo or something fits quite nicely in a ford Ka

Originally Posted by Lozzo

I'd quite like an unmodified slightly tatty looking Vauxhall Viva HC 2 door saloon body fitted with a 2.2 litre Lotus twin cam engine, 5 speed ZF gearbox and LSD from a Jensen Healey, running on Chevette HSR suspension (It all fits, cos I know someone who built just this car)

My uncle had a 1972 Viva with a Chevetter HSR motor in it, that was some time around 1981, it used to eat 3.0 Capris for brekkie.

Our local Vaux nut has a pair of Chevettes, one has a Calibra turbo lump in it, the other has a V6 from I think an Omega in it. Quaife boxes and Manta axles.

I had an old Lada 1600 with Fiat Argenta running gear and a 1600E Orion with a RST lump in it.

I'm more of a fan of restroration rather than customising. I personally get more enjoyment and reward out of getting a car back to it's original condition. If it was slow and handled like carp in the 70s then that is how it should stay!

Modern rims on any old car is a crime.