The A series is compact but it's bloody tall. If the exhaust exited the front there is no room to tuck under the engine. You can't go cross-flow because there isn't enough depth in the bay.
On the front you have: Dip stick, Oil pressure valve/ spring/ filter, Distributor and Alternator. Some are easy to move, others not. Not the best way round as the minis were reknowned for water issues in their electrics as they were front facing to the grill, hence weather shields. You can get 8 port heads that move the inlets to the front allowing dual weber carbs or throttle bodies, which is an interesting upgrade and sometimes means bonnet cutting to create a weird nose... I believe the carb was moved to the rear to save it from carb-icing, though I think it wouldve been better with a different bulkhead that allowed the carb to be mounted further back from the heat of the exhaust. Again this is a common mod for someone fitting long weber carbs. (Something that the Midas actually has thought of, but I am yet to take advantage of yet!) Edit: This too.
Easy route over the top of the flywheel there if you were determined. Carb icing is a tricky one, but again with the exhaust being so close I can't see it being too hard to keep them warm. Love the cross-flow head mods, I bet being chased by an ITB'd one sounds awesome.
We used to get a MG 1100 head, carbs and exhaust that way you get 4 branch exhaust pipe and twin carbs.
New door pics I forgot to put up a while ago (taken on the 3rd of September): Need a flat back, more paint then some laquer.
Haven't done much lately, but I just fitted one of the new door windows. I'm sure they'll be scratched and scuffed in about 5 minutes time, but they look alright now. Haven't finished painting the new door yet but I will try to this weekend, then I can do the other side.
Looking great, polycarb windows look the bollocks whatever you do with them. How did you spray the door up? Rattlecan or compressor? I presume you just flat it back and polish it up from the previously-pictured slightly orange-peeled state? (No offence intended, I'm ruminating on doing some paintwork of my own soon.)
Just got to make sure there's enough paint, so that when you flat it back you don't end up going through. We did the bulkhead on the Taimar with rattle cans, then flatted with 1500 wet, then T cut, and it's come up really nice, for a rattle can job anyway.
Exactly as Cerb says - make sure there's enough paint before flatting back. I'm just using rattle cans as I'm planning on a full respray once the project is ready for it - but that's a while off yet.
Not much progress really, but the door is ready to go on. It needs a polish, but it'll do for now. The whole car needs paint, so I'm only getting it far enough to use, rather than perfect. That said, I'll give it another going over once it's on the car. If I get a chance tomorrow without rain I will swap the doors over and start re-fitting the furniture. Also, I have a reverse light thing on the back, and I got the wiring working today, but I have no idea what sort of bulb to use on it - any ideas?
That's one odd bulb holder. It's not just a H3 is it? *Edit* Doesn't look like it. Sure someone on The Mini Forum would know, quite a few of them have them fitted.
I haven't seen the inside of that type of light unit for many years (a few too many to mention) and it brings back memories of me as a nipper 'helping' my dad fix his car and his Mini had the same type of light unit on the back Unless I'm much mistaken that's a Lucas 576 light unit (5.25" diameter) which depending on the bulb contact plate can take either a single of dual filament bulb, but in both cases they require a British Pre-Focus bulb (BPF). Having had the old memory cells jogged I duly remembered an old cardboard box malingering on a shelf in the garage and having opened the box (take the money !) I found a yellow (or amber) dual filiament BPF bulb A quick search reveals a suitable supplier of said BPF Bulbs Hope that helps.
Give me a shout if you have any carb trouble, been rebuilding SU Carburettors for about 7 years now. Note that the carb you have on the engine now is different to the one you need for the turbo setup.
Forgot to say - thanks for the offer, but I have a brand new turbo carb ready to go on when I turbo it.
Got the door on - was a bit of a pain and I guess I'll have to do it again at some point. I couldn't get the hinges off since all of the bolts seem to have been rounded by someone else at some point - I didn't even try to turn one. I removed it from the door gap to the door instead, and then re-fitted the same way. The downside in doing this meant I had no adjustment on the door, so it's not perfectly in the frame at the moment, but it doesn't rub and it does shut. I'll order some new hinges and re-fit at some point. Only took one pic as it was dark by the time I finished.
Fitted the window, and took a photo in daylight. Could do with another polish really, but when the whole car needs paint, what's the point? Next big job is painting the frontend (check how dull it is!) but I'm going to MOT it first, since it's more boring when it's not road legal! a
After a bit of cocking about, track rod ends, ball joints etc I think it's ready for an MOT. Shame it's not a turbo yet, but I still am not sure what to do with it now after finding my 'good engine' is blown. A few pics of how it is at the minute:
MOTed Two advisories - small oil leak and some minor corrosion. Not bad! Wifey driving after grabbing the car and getting tax.
