Mini City 1293
Discussion
Hello, Im new here! I own a 1979 Mini City 850, it fairly standard at the moment but its undergoing alot of work and part restoration to get it back on the road ready for my 17th birthday. With the help of my dad it slowly but surely coming back together and taking shape once again. As the story goes, it was involved in an accident many years back where is was sandwiched between to saloon cars, recently its been in the bodyshop and been pulled out on a jig, re-shaped, resprayed front and back, and generally put back to it standard form. So now the modding begins! Wide n' low! 
As I say its an 850, so whats that 30 34 bhp?
The colour is Vermillion, quite rare, only ever seen a few Minis in this colour, so I guess its unique to start with. Which is what I like. (The colour looks different on every picture!)
After the accident:
Back from bodyshop and with an empty wallet:
As I say its an 850, so whats that 30 34 bhp?
The colour is Vermillion, quite rare, only ever seen a few Minis in this colour, so I guess its unique to start with. Which is what I like. (The colour looks different on every picture!)
After the accident:
Back from bodyshop and with an empty wallet:
Edited by Mini_Lund on Sunday 29th October 12:04
PJR said:
Looks like a nice solid car for one that must be getting on a bit.
I was never keen on the 850 lump myself though. Should be a fun car none the less however
All the best, P
I was never keen on the 850 lump myself though. Should be a fun car none the less however
All the best, P
And why would that be may I ask! Yes every Mini is a fun car
Thanks for the compliments so far. It is a solid car for its age, its 27 yrs old! She's getting on abit now 
Arches going on soon.
Mini_Lund said:
And why would that be may I ask!
When I say 'lump' I mean the 850 engine itself of course.. Its just a bit on the feeble side for me.
Its the sort of engine that I used to thrash the big ends off in the hope it would blow up. As even a good ol 998 engine was a worthy upgrade from an 850.
Anyway, im not knocking the car, as I like all Mini's really and still own a couple myself today.
Cheers, P
Lovely clean looking mini. I loved my 850, very sweet, free reving engine. At least it was after I changed the valve springs which must have gone weak with age and were allowing terminal valve float at around 5000RPM. I stuck a lightly ported and well skimmed 1098 head on mine (larger inlet valves than 850/998 head), and along with a decent small bore LCB, alloy inlet manifold and well set up 1 1/2" SU performance was quite reasonable.
Best power enhancing "modification" I ever made to it was replacing the timing chain just after I got it. The old one was in a very bad way, and after replacing it and setting up ignition timing it felt like an extra 50% more power
Even if you leave the engine stock I'm sure you will have an enormous amount of fun driving your mini. Making decent progress in a relatively underpowered car demands some smooth driving and reading of the road rather than the "point and squirt" that drivers used to more powerful machinery tend to use.
Best power enhancing "modification" I ever made to it was replacing the timing chain just after I got it. The old one was in a very bad way, and after replacing it and setting up ignition timing it felt like an extra 50% more power
Even if you leave the engine stock I'm sure you will have an enormous amount of fun driving your mini. Making decent progress in a relatively underpowered car demands some smooth driving and reading of the road rather than the "point and squirt" that drivers used to more powerful machinery tend to use.
Keep the City graphics on it......!! Set of Cooper S Discs/Hubs Disks and then drop in a tuned 1275 in it when the insurance allows (Remember it is a classic car - search the classic policies and you might even get some reasonable insurance quotes, even at the tender age of 17!! ). Then it would be a real wolf in sheeps clothing. Love the colour.
). Then it would be a real wolf in sheeps clothing. Love the colour. the body shop have done a fantastic job reparing and painting that!
my brothers first ever mini was that colour, i say first mini, it WAS going to be his first, that is until we hacked the wings off and discovered possibly the most rotten pair of inner wings ive ever seen on a mini - i doubt they had ever been painted from the factory!
shocking!
my top tip would be to slather as much waxoil as you can underneath it, its cheap, messy work, but in another few years you will be glad you did!
my brothers first ever mini was that colour, i say first mini, it WAS going to be his first, that is until we hacked the wings off and discovered possibly the most rotten pair of inner wings ive ever seen on a mini - i doubt they had ever been painted from the factory!
shocking!
my top tip would be to slather as much waxoil as you can underneath it, its cheap, messy work, but in another few years you will be glad you did!
Woosh this topics getting busy!
I'll tell you a little something... I have a 998 just sitting there... waiting!! Waiting to be stripped cleaned and re-built, using performance parts of course 1275 head
The picture:
I'm glad you've taken the time to have a look at the topic and see my lil' Mini and comment it!
It's due a wax-oiling soon!
Painted underneath in enamel paint, and under the arch:
WIDE!
I'll tell you a little something... I have a 998 just sitting there... waiting!! Waiting to be stripped cleaned and re-built, using performance parts of course 1275 head
The picture:
I'm glad you've taken the time to have a look at the topic and see my lil' Mini and comment it!
It's due a wax-oiling soon!
Painted underneath in enamel paint, and under the arch:
WIDE!
Mr2Mike said:
Lovely clean looking mini. I loved my 850, very sweet, free reving engine. At least it was after I changed the valve springs which must have gone weak with age and were allowing terminal valve float at around 5000RPM. I stuck a lightly ported and well skimmed 1098 head on mine (larger inlet valves than 850/998 head), and along with a decent small bore LCB, alloy inlet manifold and well set up 1 1/2" SU performance was quite reasonable.
Best power enhancing "modification" I ever made to it was replacing the timing chain just after I got it. The old one was in a very bad way, and after replacing it and setting up ignition timing it felt like an extra 50% more power
Even if you leave the engine stock I'm sure you will have an enormous amount of fun driving your mini. Making decent progress in a relatively underpowered car demands some smooth driving and reading of the road rather than the "point and squirt" that drivers used to more powerful machinery tend to use.
Best power enhancing "modification" I ever made to it was replacing the timing chain just after I got it. The old one was in a very bad way, and after replacing it and setting up ignition timing it felt like an extra 50% more power
Even if you leave the engine stock I'm sure you will have an enormous amount of fun driving your mini. Making decent progress in a relatively underpowered car demands some smooth driving and reading of the road rather than the "point and squirt" that drivers used to more powerful machinery tend to use.
What a great way to put it!
I have to ask, how can changing the timing chain increase performance? I am concidering putting a duplex timing chain on, but then it only makes it quieter, would I/should I notice a performance increase?
33 miles to the gallon...those SU's are thirsty bu&&ers, adding two means twice the petrol used!
Whats left to do, off the top of my head:
Gearbox strip down and re-building
Passenger side floor doing
Passenger side sills and rear arch tidy up
New door skins
Fit rear quarterlights (opening windows)
New door rubbers
New bump stops
Engine maintenance
Fit arches
Fit exhaust system
Fit twin red trumpet air horns!
Replace roof gutter trim
Fit chrome windscreen scuttle, (in the rubber)
New wiper blades
Sort the brakes
Sort the handbrake
Fit a whole new interior
Fit centre clock dash board
... etc
Any Ideas for the 850?
Stage 1 kit, Cooper freeflow, rc40 exhaust(rolled tip side exit)?
I love that!!!That car looks great. The reason you canget improved power by fitting a new timing chain is because as the chain wears it stretches and the cam timing retards gradually.
I, too, have fond memories of my many 850's over the years from about 1961 onwards.
Currently I'm rebuilding an 850 for a customer and the biggest problem has been getting the right parts. I had difficulty finding crankshaft thrust bearings and pistons. I found them in the end, but had to pay rather 'over-the-odds' compared to 998 bits.
For a road-going 998 I would recommend not going for the 1275 head (12G940 casting) as the block has to be pocketed to obtain valve clearance.This is really only worthwhile if you intend to race the car. The best head for a 'nice' 998 is the 12G295 casting, as used on the 998 Coopers, with, maybe slightly larger inlet valves and a bit of opening-out and general gas-flowing. For the cam I would go to a Kent 266, a 1.5" SU on a decent inlet manifold and either a small-bore LCB or a Cooper-type 3 branch into a 2-box exhaust with a small-bore RC40 as the back box (probably centre-exit).Nicely assembled this should give around 55 bhp, i.e. about the same as the original Cooper 998, but without the insurance loading.
However, I would certainly do something with the braking system. 7.5" 'S' discs and hubs would be the ideal.
Good luck with it, it will be super to drive and look great when it's finished. Mind you, you are not the youngest Mini-restorer, my 11-year old grandson is currently doing a 1986 Mayfair 998 which should be on the road by next Easter if all goes well - all I have to do is to find him somewhere to legally drive it.
Peter
I, too, have fond memories of my many 850's over the years from about 1961 onwards.
Currently I'm rebuilding an 850 for a customer and the biggest problem has been getting the right parts. I had difficulty finding crankshaft thrust bearings and pistons. I found them in the end, but had to pay rather 'over-the-odds' compared to 998 bits.
For a road-going 998 I would recommend not going for the 1275 head (12G940 casting) as the block has to be pocketed to obtain valve clearance.This is really only worthwhile if you intend to race the car. The best head for a 'nice' 998 is the 12G295 casting, as used on the 998 Coopers, with, maybe slightly larger inlet valves and a bit of opening-out and general gas-flowing. For the cam I would go to a Kent 266, a 1.5" SU on a decent inlet manifold and either a small-bore LCB or a Cooper-type 3 branch into a 2-box exhaust with a small-bore RC40 as the back box (probably centre-exit).Nicely assembled this should give around 55 bhp, i.e. about the same as the original Cooper 998, but without the insurance loading.
However, I would certainly do something with the braking system. 7.5" 'S' discs and hubs would be the ideal.
Good luck with it, it will be super to drive and look great when it's finished. Mind you, you are not the youngest Mini-restorer, my 11-year old grandson is currently doing a 1986 Mayfair 998 which should be on the road by next Easter if all goes well - all I have to do is to find him somewhere to legally drive it.
Peter
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