BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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Sept 17, 2015 15:57:51 GMT
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Thanks.
I have had my fair share of leaking shacks, small sheds, driveways, muddy patches and sides of the road. Luckily enough I have managed to get this area to work on the car from a good friend. The minis stable mates at the back of the unit are his and he has built some very impressive motors.
Unfortunately this is not where the mini will reside for ever, he will be coming home to my very unimpressive car port when the big jobs have been completed.
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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Sept 20, 2015 10:03:54 GMT
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I have been visiting the car every night for the last week, seems like I'm not getting anywhere but hopefully I am! For the small block Vauxhall setup a shifter box has to be cut and welded into the firewall just below the crossmember. This is to clear the shifter mech. Hole cut. I then welded this in and under sealed over the top. The whole front end was under sealed so that I could whack the front subframe in. I also took all of the gunk off of the boot floor and did this area as well. At this stage I dragged the rear subframe over ready for it to be lifted into place. I struggled here big time. I put the rear mounts in first and then the heel board which just wouldn't line up. I then removed it and put the heel board mounts in first. With this I then found my new bolts wouldn't tighten up, only a few threads would go in. I thought I had bought the wrong thread bolts but after checking with my friends dad (who runs a machine shop on the same premises) he did confirm they were 5/16 UNF as they're supposed to be. He then dug me out a suitable tap! With this I went back next door and tapped out the heel board, offered the subframe up and sure enough it bolted up! The cost of this excellent service? A packet of biscuits! With the rear subframe in I fitted a set of spare cones I had kicking about and some hilos. These are just tempoary, I plan to run coilovers eventually. For now I will leave this here. I do have much more to add but doing this off of an ipad seems hard!
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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Sept 21, 2015 18:34:13 GMT
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Threw my front frame in. The subframe that came with the car had some good parts, unfortunately none of this is any good. All I've used is the top arms and hubs. I'm using adjustable rose jointed tie arms and heavy duty adjustable rose jointed lower arms. So I took some parts and built the front subframe up. My aim for the weekend was to get the shell rolling. I got the forks out and had a shuffle about and managed this... It moves! I pushed it back into the unit and stuck it in the corner, it would have been rude not to put a front end on it to make it look vaguely mini like. Next job is to get the engine in, I'm hoping to have this done one evening this weekend. Then Saturday will be to finish up the welding. Current problem is colour!
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luckygti
Posted a lot
I need to try harder!
Posts: 4,912
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Sept 21, 2015 19:45:46 GMT
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Hopefully there will be something's of use to you in here. I understand your reasoning, my Mk2 cooper will have a top notch restoration. On the basis of beretta, and my passion for the sport of shooting, have a look at this... u Wow, that's amazing. Sadly spellcheck changed be to beretta! As nice as the mini should be, it won't be to that standard
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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Sept 21, 2015 19:53:30 GMT
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Not in a million years haha, phenomenal standard. The Purdey workshop is, believe it or not, even more impressive!
Enjoyable clip I always thought.
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Sept 21, 2015 22:31:55 GMT
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This will be heaps of fun.
Now the million dollar question....
I don't suppose you'd like to sell the e16se?
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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Sept 22, 2015 6:08:04 GMT
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Once I've figured out a bike carb setup, and got myself a X18XE1 my E16SE will be up for sale.
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Sept 22, 2015 9:34:50 GMT
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I have a brand new Kent ast2 here for an e16se I don't know if you'd be interested in it? It's no use to me until I can find an engine for it. I'm definitely interested in buying the engine when the time comes. I will be following this closely as it has potential to be a reliable, fun little motor
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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Sept 22, 2015 15:53:08 GMT
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Thanks very much for the offer but in all honesty right now I would have to decline as I am not sure if I would keep the E16SE for long enough to warrant modifying it. I have to hold my hands up and say I never really rated much of the Vauxhall engines, I liked the C20XE and LET but they weren't really of any paramount interest due to them being very troublesome to fit in a mini with them often needing clubman fronts and bulkhead mods. That was until I sold my old ford ST last year and took a corsa in PX at the value of £500. This is the car... I have not been so impressed by a car in ages, or an engine anyway, 1.6 8v, pfff boring! Wrong, tonnes of fun! This is what gave me the idea, ideally I will eventually end up with a 1800, but I am not sure how simple the swap is and the immobilisers aren't my favourite thing about them. I read that the I lets on the newer Vauxhall engines are shockingly restrictive which is why I was looking at bike carbs. But you then get the carb troubles, many people I speak with mention them falling in and out of tune, needing constant tinkering and what not. Is it worth me sacrificing the reliability for the sake of 20bhp?
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CaptainSlog
Part of things
Posts: 506
Club RR Member Number: 180
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1980 Mini, 1.6 8V rebuildCaptainSlog
@captainslog
Club Retro Rides Member 180
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Sept 22, 2015 16:46:37 GMT
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I agree with you there the 8V 1.6 Opel engine was a lot of fun, should move a Mini around OK.
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Sept 22, 2015 17:29:30 GMT
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No worries I thought I'd ask. As for information on the x18xe1 engines migweb and png group forums would be worth a visit for any information regarding these. As pointed out the inlet is very restrictive on the x14xe/16xe's and Lexmaul,dbillas and various other companies make a non restrictive inlet which frees up a fair bit of bhp.
I'm a BIG fan of the vauxhall 8v engines hence why I'm here! They are hard as nails and a little bit of fun. I'm not so down with the xe units as it's too much weight upfront for a little car (I have a nova) without going to town on the suspension. I'm sure a mk2 astra gte 16v would be perfect with the wider track.
I did build an xe nova a number of years back but it didn't handle (understeer) anywhere near as well as it did with the standard 8v so I pulled out the xe and sold it on.
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Sept 22, 2015 17:33:35 GMT
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It's a c16se in that corsa - no dizzy
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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Sept 22, 2015 18:32:18 GMT
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Thanks again for the comments.
That's right, C in my old corsa, E for my mini. Only difference I've read is the ignition, they make the same BHP I believe?
It is interesting to read your thoughts on the 8V. I have to hold my hands up and say I have very limited experience. I helped friends build XE & LET corsa a and Novak many years ago. One of which springs to mind has gone back down to a smaller 1600 from the 2000.
Thankfully there is a huge amount of choice in respect to suspension for the mini, protech make them to order and are a common choice for the mini guys building 20xe minis.
When, or for that matter, if I go for XE I think I will go for megajolt on bike carbs. It seems as though the intake systems you mention are pretty costly. The megajolt and bike carb option will probably cost in the same region, but also take a whole lot more time and effort to set up, but the megajolt seems as though it may be more rewarding in the long run in the way you can dress it in a way to suit various needs.
I think it's fair to say that for now my mini will have the E16SE for a good while. I was very content with my old one and only sold it because it came in as a PX.
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Sept 22, 2015 21:25:46 GMT
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Thats right about the C and the E, sometimes there is a dreaded cat involved due to the year of manufacture and it being compulsory. There is a vauxhall code guide somewhere explaining what all the letters mean in the vaux engine codes. Handy as vauxhall built alot of curse word engines, with a few diamonds in the rough.
Bike carbs and megajolt is a good work around for the inlet and cost effective. Even better if you could fabricate an inlet yourself, you seem pretty handy with a welder? I've always fancied playing about with megajolt as I'm a bit of a geek like that.
Your old one? As in your old E16SE mini? I'm pretty sure I've seen pictures of at least another one and always thought that its a good idea.
Also what gearbox do you plan to run with either engine. I'm hoping F13CR for the e16
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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Sept 24, 2015 20:13:04 GMT
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Sorry, I meant my old 1.6 8v I the above corsa. My other mini has a micra engine, this will be my first Vauxhall engined mini.
Yes I will be running the F13 box although I think I may have to play around with the gearbox a little.
I was hoping to have the engine in by now but unfortunately one thing and another has taken priority and I was only able to get the engine over to the unit tonight.
Hopefully the engine will be installed tomorrow night and I am really hoping to have the thing running by Saturday but I am not totally convinced that's going to happen as I expect to hit a few problems. Nothing is ever simple is it?
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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Sept 24, 2015 20:14:34 GMT
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Car meet engine. Also ordered the paint yesterday!
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Sept 24, 2015 21:43:04 GMT
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I've done excactly the same as you. I have an E16se in my mini and a Z18xe (same as x18xe1) waiting to go in.
I can confirm the e16se is alot of fun in the mini.
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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Sept 25, 2015 5:27:39 GMT
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Think we're on a couple of the same forums dude, have you got a 100+ page build thread on TMF, another on 16v club?
Enjoy reading your build.
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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Sept 25, 2015 21:49:37 GMT
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Well it's in. Some proper photos will be up tomorrow. Needs offering up properly tomorrow and bolting in.
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andy-v
Part of things
i like cookies :D
Posts: 358
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Sept 26, 2015 9:13:55 GMT
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looks the dogs danglies
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