vtec or hayabusa?????

[tommy1]

hi guys just gave my mini to a mate for a lend hes a top drawer mechanic and said he put a vtec or bike engine in for me on the cheap, i just have to buy the bits, he has a mk 1 escort a hillman avenger and a sunbeam all do to perfection so i trust him, im lookin for some guidance a s to what everyone thinks would be the better option and maybe a guide of how much the parts would cost with new subframe for vtec and i know nothing about bike engines in minis so if anyone out there has experience with it out there id appreciate some info and links, i think personaly id prefer vtec but thats just because i know hondas, thanks in advance

[purplehaze]

id prefer vtec myself, bullet proof engine and poky in a mini, cheapest option is the b16a2 english spec dohc vtec engine, or the dearer option is the b16b type r civic engine or b18c type r teg engine , the subframes range from 1500 to 2500 then theres suspension , shafts, brakes, exhaust, and the front of the mini has to be extended, if you do not want it extended it takes alot more work and it will be a tite squeeze, plus new race rad with thin fan at a cost of 200 yoyos, youd have to stiffin the chassis also, then there wireing,alot of it, but its all doable mate, and it wud be a super car, but theres alot of work to do it but worth it, all mini places do the stuff for them but its pricy, u cud make ur own subframe and cut the shafts weld em together and use all the original mini brakes an hubs, but i dont know how long they wud last under the stress of a dohc vtec engine,,,,so, read into it, buy the guide off ebay or something, thats all i know so hope this helps

[minionly]

1500/2500 think there a lot dearer ted

[tommy1]

i hav 3 grand ther does anyone think its possible or should I be going on my very own ITALIAN JOB!!!!!! or just forget and if done how much do they go for???

[macker]

you might want to check out insurance first, see if their is anyone that will insure it and how much

[tommy1]

i never thought of that but id get round it some way i have 2 other cars so id hope for help from insurance comp but ill check that out on mon cheers macker, what do you think on the money side???

[DAVEY_C]

certainly doable within a 3k budget but tight .... check out 16vminiclub for inspiration and options... homemade subby is well up for it if done correctly.
TBH bike powered mini's aren't worth it compared to the honda conversion and honda engines aren't so expensive anymore
we could talk about it all night mate but i'd advise chattin to someone who has done it before or read a few build threads.
i have the watsons dvd on the conversion if ye want a loan, also have the z-cars dvd along with wellll all the ultimate mini dvd's their prity good and worth a watch

[tommy1]

is that watsons dvd available to buy caus ill go get tomorrow?? if not where are you and id pop out and borrow it if you wouldnt mind he droppin mini back in the morn so illbe out for a spin weather permitting, cheers

[DAVEY_C]

ye can only order them online mate as far as i know.
im in ballymore eustace in kildare if it any use your welcome to pop in for a cuppa

[macker]

to be quite honest with you, i don't think that it would be possible for you to get it done for under 3 grand, not if you want it to last any time,
fair enough all the big bits should come in just under 3 grand but then you have to think about all the engineering work that will have to go into it to get it right
to put a fairer estimate on it i would say you'd not have much change left out of 5 grand on the road

[CLUBMANGT]

You could go for the single OHC Honda engine thats been done or the eight valve Opel conversion both fit around nose mini and the GM motors are easy to get and the conversion is well supported . I dont know what sort of power they make but then a mini is light so you dont need massive power in a mini to have fun

[minionly]

Eh twincam conversion:-)

[DAVEY_C]

http://www.watsonsrally.co.uk/html/conversion_kits.html

if ye build your own subby its cheaper... if your mate has much of an understanding of the conversion he'll know what he can do himself, if built right its prity reliable.
twincams will require the 90mm longer front although as far as i know the alspeed frame will get a twincam under a standard roundnose, there a lots of grp fronts +90 available
a singlecam won't require and extra lenght.
the b18 requires bulkhead mods to get it in.

[oel159]

[quote="DAVEY_C"]http://www.watsonsrally.co.uk/html/conv ... .htmlquote]

What is the basic kit? it's looking a bit pricey at £7k when the rhd honda kit is only £1.5k!

[aidstap]

It would possibly be able to be done for 3k but not if your paying somebody else to do the work,
A more sensible option for that money would be the Swift gti engine,
What condition is your mini in now? Will the brakes be good for 160bhp+ there are loads of things that you don't even think about when you start out on the conversion but you will have replace with stronger components or things you thought would be up to the job but aren't. If I was doing mine over again I could do it a lot cheaper but not that cheap.

[DAVEY_C]

http://www.watsonsrally.co.uk/html/conv ... .htmlquote]

What is the basic kit? it's looking a bit pricey at £7k when the rhd honda kit is only £1.5k!

it includes engine and everything... there's always someone selling a whole conversion for alot less, ye don't need to get their engine managment also other things can be sourced cheaper.

here's the full kit contents http://www.watsonsrally.co.uk/html/kits_list_0.html

[Backfire]

There is no way you would get it done for €3k unless your mechanic was working for free. There is quite a bit of work involved, more than most people think. This is the reason why you see so many projects for sale in the uk, people take them on not knowing what is fully involved.

For example, the watson's kit alone is £1600. This doesn't include a lot of things such as metro wheels (needed as it is on metro hubs and mini wheels won't fit), metro brake set up, new ecu if you are not going to use the Honda one (dta is £900 or something like that), new front end that is extended, new arches if you don't have ones to cover 13x7" wheels, painting of front end and arches, engine and gear box (cheap enough but still a few hundred for a good one and you may need to get parts such as alternator, rad, exhaust manifold, etc).

Even getting these parts at good prices I reckon you would be talking at least £3000 (that's sterling not euro) for parts and painting of front end. That's before you even start paying someone to do the actual mechanics of the conversion.

If you were serious about it I would buy an incomplete project in the uk and get your mechanic to
finish it off.

[kerryminigringo]

I am coming towards the end of a Suzuki Swift Gti conversion and I know that 3k would struggle to cover the cost of all the stuff that has gone into it.I have done almost all of the work myself and if anyone tells you that a 16v conversion is easy they are either lying or have not done one.The problem with these conversions is that space is so tight that normally by solving one problem will lead to other problems down the line and you really need to think 2 to 3 steps ahead all the time.I suppose mine is a little harder in that most people that go 16v add the extra lenght to the front end or have a removable front end and I did not want either so it makes it quite difficult to fit it all in but it is possible.
Of the bike engine of Vtec I would go Vtec but in the latest MiniWorld there is a MKI with a bike engine in the front and it looks a neat conversion but also expensive.

[tommy1]

thanks for all the replies guys, im goin up to have a chat with my mechanic on friday and hav a sit down with him and the info and details of the kits and see what he thinks, as in time and most important money cheers ill keep you all updated

[flynny-8]

came across this if its any good?? would depend on what kind the shipping price is i suppose. http://www.plminishop.com/shop.php?action=full&id=2058

[DAVEY_C]

For the price of that and shipping the same can be bought here for cheaper.
put a wanted ad on forums like dtd or honda haven for a start and i'm sure you'll get a better return, its worth a shot