1989 998cc Mini
It cost me fifty quid, a seemingly wonderful bargain at the time, but I am paying 100fold for it now! Bastard thing!
My engine died at the beginning of March. It had to happen in the pouring rain, and just out of phone signal. Waited 1 ½ hours in the cold for the AA man (who was great) to tow us to my mums driveway, where it stayed until a new engine was bought.
Meanwhile a new car had to be bought. Luckily while waiting for the AA man to arrive, one of my mates stopped and told me of a Sierra Sapphire for sale nearby, which turned out to be a 2 litre injection twin over head cam model (a bloody good and very powerful engine). Apart from a few electrical faults to do with the lights, and needing a new fuel tank which took 3 hours to install, it runs well, and with the new fuel tank, its pretty economical though twice size of a mini.
We can rebuild it, we can make it better, faster, stronger but unlike the six million dollar man it needs to be done on a limited budget!
Until the mini is fixed I guess I just have to struggle on using the following formula:
Big twin cam engine + Rear wheel drive + snow = a bloody good laugh!
The engine
transplant has been nothing but trouble since I started it and to be honest if I
cant fix it soon I will have to surrender. If I could invent a time
machine I'd travel back and kick Alec Issigonis in the bollocks.
Ryan's Top Tip
The best 15 quid that you can spend is definitely the ultimate engine steady kit. Now the engine does not move at all, the car handles better, gets the power where it should be rather than shifting the block, it's great! It's a bit noisier though since it's bolted to the bulkhead and vibrates a bit!
Top Tip 2
If you want to impress passing mini owners jumping your car off hump-back bridges seems to do the trick, 55mph is about right.
"Check" out the paint job!
I have fitted my exhaust, manifold and alloy inlet manifold, then my water pump broke so I had to have a day off work and fix that too, what an arse of a job that is!
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The interior has been stripped to make way for a pair of bucket seats and is looking forward to a 4 point cage, the rainbow steering wheel and a skull shaped gear knob being the only home comforts! The complete lack of soundproofing is interesting!
While on the phone in a car park a passing chav offered me a burberry interior but seemed less than pleased when I told him I'd rather stick a piece of splintered balsawood up my arse than part with good money for that!
I have uprated my brakes to Metro 4 pot brakes (they need specially machined hubs to fit, which makes having a brother who is a mechanical engineer useful!).
I recently got some race style numbers fitted by a local sign company, the bloke who fitted them had obviously seen me around and accused me of "driving like a prick"............which was nice.
Surprisingly I may be sending more trade his way, so maybe it pays to be rude to customers, I'll try it myself and find out: "of course I can help you you ugly twat.. etc"
From this...
...to this
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