advice on building a modified mini

[vannistelrooy10]

Now that my school life is nearly over i am lookng to get my dream mini. from reading miiworld from the past two years i know what i want. hopefully the car will have the following when finished. only one problem,do i have to source the parts from uk like the shops in miniworld or is there a place in ireland i can get them. i live in dublin by the way.
Twin Supersport Exhaust system
Adjustable Suspension (could you give me the price of the best and most popular)

Chrome Grille mk5
Bullet Style Mirrors
Stainless Sump Guard.
13x6 or 12x5 Chromed superlights with tyres and 13x6 or 12x5 ultralights(non
chrome) all deep dish.
chrome bumpers
chrome door handles
Centre Console
Rear roll cage with diagonal
Front roll cage with door bars.
clear rear lens.
3 sports dials oil, volts etc.
button start
chrome Fuel cap.
Quickshift gear lever
Zeemax arches and side skirts.
has anybody done anything like this before?? i also need a mini but from looking in buy and sell they are waay over priced and it has to be red. i have about e2000 to play with on the car?? anybody looking to part around june??

[The Marcos Graveyard]

The first thing you should do is contact an insurance company and see what age Mini and what cc engine they will give you a policy on, this will give you the parameters on what you can get, then start looking. No point in having a Min and not being able to drive it.

[vannistelrooy10]

[quote="The Marcos Graveyard"]The first thing you should do is contact an insurance company and see what age Mini and what cc engine they will give you a policy on, this will give you the parameters on what you can get, then start looking. No point in having a Min and not being able to drive it.[/quote]

yes i have done the best quote is e2300 bit expensive but worth it

[The Marcos Graveyard]

Well , what age limit and cc limit did they give you ?

[vannistelrooy10]

[quote="The Marcos Graveyard"]Well , what age limit and cc limit did they give you ?[/quote]

well they say max 15 years old, and the engine cc is up to 1500 but i want a 1275. however i have seen some real nice 998cc. could you tell me if it is worth going for the 1275cc over the 998. i know a modded 998 will give you a better return than a 1275 standard. i was thinking of fitting a stage 1 kit and building a no-claims bonous, then going for a 1400 or a 1.5 v-tec transplant about 5 years down the line.
what do you think??

[The Marcos Graveyard]

Modded 998 would cost a good bit more than the Standard 1275. the standard engine would be more reliable in theory. Again check if the insurance will allow you to fit a stage 1 kit. Will they allow you any modifications ? they will load you for sure for fitting alloy wheels, unless they came as standard on the specific model Mini you have.

As for the Vtec, we can all dream. :)

[vannistelrooy10]

[quote="The Marcos Graveyard"]Modded 998 would cost a good bit more than the Standard 1275. the standard engine would be more reliable in theory. Again check if the insurance will allow you to fit a stage 1 kit. Will they allow you any modifications ? they will load you for sure for fitting alloy wheels, unless they came as standard on the specific model Mini you have.

As for the Vtec, we can all dream. :)[/quote]

well as far as the stage 1 goes it isnt my number1 priority, if they wont insure me on it then fine but i had told them exactly what i wanted and that was the quote they gave me. i would imagine that the mini is quite nippy as it is standard,and i am going to take the back seats out and put buckets in the front so, it should go even better. but at the end of the day speed isnt what i want at the moment what i want is a mini. as you said above it could be worth getting a sportspck cooper but i dont think ill get one for e2000.
what insurane company do you recommend i was quoted off britton.
is there anywhere in ireland to gt a respray done or is a diy job feasible??
and fitting a stage1 is it easy??? and as for the wiring system on a mini can it take a decent ice install???

[The Marcos Graveyard]

[quote="vannistelrooy10"]
i would imagine that the mini is quite nippy as it is standard,and i am going to take the back seats out and put buckets in the front so, it should go even better[/quote]

Doubt if that weight saving would do much for performance

[quote="vannistelrooy10"]
what insurane company do you recommend i was quoted off britton. [/quote]

Ask everyone, it costs nothing to get a quote.

[quote="vannistelrooy10"]
is there anywhere in ireland to gt a respray done or is a diy job feasible??[/quote]

Lots of places do resprays, but you tend to get what you pay for. DIY is possible, but professional job will be better, (you would hope)

[quote="vannistelrooy10"]
and fitting a stage1 is it easy???[/quote]

It is straight forward enough, but to get the best out of the engine it would need to be set up on a rolling road.

[quote="vannistelrooy10"]
and as for the wiring system on a mini can it take a decent ice install???[/quote]

As far as I know, if you were doing a "decent ice install" you wouldn't be using any of the original Mini loom.

[nannyc]

i got my insurance with quinn direct for a standard 998 was pretty reasonable

[vannistelrooy10]

i was just looking at a zeemax bodykit, is it possible to fit a chrome bumper over it to retain the original look????
where would you reccomend i get the parts from???
and do the 13x6 superlights come in chrome or do i have to chrome them and will they stand up to irish weather. am i better off going stainless steel?
as for welding body panels, is it recommended to go professional or to buy a mig welder and diy.