1998 Rover 100 Ascot 'sleeper' (VVC)

Yeah i think that would be fair to say lol! I am running all uprated suspension, brakes, 185 wide A539 yokies so it handles pretty smart too. All fully declared and legal so isnt your usual 'still a 1.1 on the logbook so cheap insurance!'

Well my costs to do what I've done were about £400 including the purchase of the LSD at £150... However I already owned the donor car so this reduced costs some what and I actually convert and supply engine wiring looms so again a reduction in costs. So for me it was a budget conversion.

There are 2 ways that you can go about with dropping the engine in...a quick way and a what I would call the proper way.

First option is to use the standard metro gearbox, and a K series 1600 flywheel and clutch as the metro 1.1 and 1.4 clutches aren't up to the job unsuprisingly! This can quite litterally be 1.1/1.4 out, 1.8 vvc in with a converted loom, change the downpipe for a 16v metro GTi downpipe and away you go. This can prob be done with buying a £200-300 engine, few bits and bobs will bring you to £400-£500. You'll want to upgrade the front brakes to the Metro GTi/MGF vented set up too!

Second option is to use the gearbox that was intended for use with the 1.8 k-series which is a great deal stronger! Without getting into too much detail this is still fairly simple to fit but requires a modified MGF rear subframe or dump mount welding to the metro frame, mgf driveshafts and custom rover 25/200 gear linkages. It's prob going to cost about £700-800 to do this and a lot more work.

That is the route I went down.

I'll add some build photos up if you're interested?

This is totally great. Under the bonnet looks factory. If you've got picture of the build please post them so we can all perv over them.

A favourite of mine! Big thumbs up!

Sleepers FTW!
The best conversions are those that look standard and/or factory under the bonnet and nice and simple on the outside. This ticks both boxes and looks to be done to a very high standard, very nice work mate!
Definately need to see some build thread pics.

You can't beat a sleeper! Let's see the build pics please.

Well thanks for all the positive comments! ;D

Here is the rebuild. I've copied it from another forum so apologies for any 'Metro' speak... Just ask for any further info

So here it is before I started on the conversion:



Shock mounts welded in.




And one of the engine sitting in the 25 still:-


Wide steelies:-


This feels like a lifetimes work!


Anti-roll bar bits and pieces, Nylon droop stop spacers:-





Type B LSD - looks to be unused: Just awaiting steel caged bearing arrival:-




LSD fitting with Steel caged bearings.



Engine removal

105K worth of VVC

Cleaner Engine



Clutch cable mount fabricated on to MGF mount


Engine mount plates



Engine built up ready to go in


Engine going in


Engine in


Gearlinkages fabricated and installed. Along with the anti-roll bar.


The front hubs are back on with driveshafts, shocks and GTi vented calipers on. Here's the clearance with ground down calipers + 3mm spacer.






CAT mods:- (curse word to weld as retains water) Front hanger mount still to finish.


Second (post) lambda:- (Still needs coat of paint)


Loom:- With a few extras included




Exhaust upgrade:- How to make a super stealth exhaust system:-

Before - Super baffled refined (Restrictive) UNIPART 1.4 8v system:


Ingredients:-
* 1 x Janspeed system with a tatty finisher purchased years ago for £36
* 1 x UNIPART backbox



Recipe:-

Take the Unipart backbox, split along the weld line and remove the baffles (a lot easier to said than done!)


Cut off the Finisher from the Janspeed backbox and split down both sides. Remove the welds from the ends to allow half of the casing to be removed:-


Remove wadding material and cut through the two layers of perforated piping:-


Cut 90mm off the overall length of the casing:-

All the bits ready for welding:-


Re-pack the silencer with all the wadding that came out:-


Tap the endcap on and weld along all of the seams. Also welded on a down swept exit onto the end of the box:-


Create an exit in the lower casing of the Unipart backbox large enough to allow some clearance around the exit:-


Weld the Unipart casing to the modified Janspeed backbox:-


Weld the top half of the Unipart casing. Trim the rear exit flush with the bottom of the casing. Painted with high temp silver:-


Ta-da! Sleeper exit CAT back system


Whilst the exhaust and heat shields were off I took advantage of being able to re-seam sealing and stonechiping the backend as Rover seriously skimped on these last off the line models!
Rear Antiroll bar fitted too.

The installation is so tidy, it's easy to under-estimate the ingenuity of a lot of that work.
How gutting must it be to get burnt-off at traffic lights by a stock-looking Metro Rover 100? ;D

Love, this little metro! It's not even like a wolf in Sherpa clothing it's like... A lion in a kittens clothing! Great build mate