2.0ltr 16v (c20xe) or mg metro turbo conversion

[badger88]

HI all im new to this forum and also new to owning a clasic mini. after drivig my mini for the 1st two days i carnt blieve how fun they actully are for a 1275 they go quite well! bt i want more speed more fun i had a redtop in my corsa b4 this mini and it went well but i want to see how well it goes in a 650kg mini!

im in two minds i really want to 2.0ltr it but every1 i now keeps tellin me just to do a metro turbo conversion that will be faster nuff and cheaper just want more opinions really let me now what u think!

cheers all. lee

[chrisj_abz]

yep a metro turbo conversion will be much cheaper but units can be hard to come by nowadays, Red top conversions aint cheap, the frame, driveshafts and suspension bits will be well over 1.5K before the cost of the engine and all the other bits!

couple good sites to check out for more info are

http://www.16vminiclub.com/forums/

http://www.turbominis.co.uk/

[DanGT]

The main problem with the red top is how heavy it is. Power is very good. The turbo is good but you will probably want more power than it comes with. This is not hard but it depends on how much you want to spend. If it was me and I did not want to spend to much I would start with a turbo unit and add to it as and when I got the money. You could also look at adding a super charger to the motor you have now. There are kits you can get to add the one from the new mini cooper S (just the super charger not the hole engine).

[badger88]

ok cheers lads! how much will it be to supergharge my 1275 engine then? and what wil it go like?

[Shoot Blair]

Sadly, you can't really have your cake and eat it.

If you want a gearbox that won't explode, you need to run straight cut gears. These are designed for silly race engines and are mega close. So you either have to smoke the clutch off the line and have a good top speed, or be screaming your tits off at 70mph.

Sadly, a mini is a mini and is best at tearing the hell out of A and B roads. Forget your ashtray lump.....Do you know what caused torque steer? If you want a car to handle like a pig before you fit an LSD, fit an ashtray motor. 1 driveshaft is 50mm and the other is about 600mm. Daft. If you want a big engine, put it in the back and make a kit car that has a mini body.

I've been through a few mini engines and you just have to realise that it won't go 130mph. What you want is the feel. You want to feel like you're stting yourself in a racing car. Get the 1275, do a Vizard on the head, put a Weber 45 on it and a 3>1 manifold. Stick a 649 cam in, along with a ST SC gearbox with a 4.1FD. Get out there and st yourself.

Highly strung minis are the way to go. My latest one is a totally and utterly full race job that runs on aeroplane fuel......It will be an engaging experience.

Want to go fast, get a 2.0 Astra. Want to feel like your car is about to take off and expode? Tune the hell out of it.

[DanGT]

Not all quite as I found it. My mini with a SC gear box did over 110mph and could be geard to go higher. You can go non SC but with a stronger diff and not do gear boxes in if you dont go to made on the driving. www.minispeed.co.uk/classic/index.cgi?task=showgrp... Do kits for about £1500. It would be worth talking to them even if you dont go that way. You can also get equial length drive shaft kits.

Work out what you want and total cost befor you start. There are a number of people how do kits and a lot how have done all the work on there own. Good luck in what ever you do.