How Heavy

[Cooperman]

Can anyone tell me what the manufacturers listed weight is for a 1990 Cooper 1275. I'm trying to work out the nominal power/weight ratio, but I can't find a sec sheet with this info.

[miniman]

I have a Rover Tech CD at home which might have that info - I'll have a look in a couple of hours when I get back.

[Cooperman]

Thanks, James, that will be a great help.

Peter

[miniman]

On the other hand:

www.dataphone.se/~fixer/info.htm

Lists the 1275 Cooper 1990 onwards at 695kg. That sound about right??

Edit: and this:

www.globalcar.com/datasheet/Rover/1992RoverMini1.3iCooper.htm

agrees with a weight of 690kg.

>> Edited by miniman on Tuesday 23 March 17:06

[miniman]

I checked out the Rover CD-ROM and it lists the unladen weight with a full tank of fuel at 715kg. If you want, I can copy the CD for you (or anyone else who's interested)

[Cooperman]

Thanks for the info, chaps. It's interesting what you can do to save a bit of weight.
This weekend I've started to work on my 1990 Cooper Rally Car. First I removed seats and carpets, then I chipped all the sound-deadening black stuff off the floors. Collected all the bits and it all weighed just over 10 kg. The sound-deadening pads and mats weighed another 11 kg (approx)and the radio and speakers will save a bit more - I'll weigh them later.
I don't need a radiator header tank and a smaller windscreen washer bottle will save a bit more.
Fitting the 5.7 kg Sparco seats will save a bit more and I'm going to weigh the standard reclining seats this evening.
Anyone need a pair of 1990 Cooper seats in super condition - make me an offer I can't refuse!
Obviously the roll cage, sump guard and fire extinguishers will add a bit back, plus the navigagtion equipment, but I am hoping to keep to not more than 710 kg. That's 20 kg over manufacturers weight, so I reckon I can add about 45 kg. Any other ideas where I might save a bit and still keep within the regulations for a standard car?

[danger mouse]

Cuting cirles out of the cross member under the front seats, the lead edge of the rear seat squab, the side pockets, the rear valence and bonnet and bootlid inner skins will all remove a few more kilos and shouldn't hurt strength of the shell, especially as you are likely to end installing a rollcage anyway.

There have been various articles about shell lightening and strengthening in MiniWolrd over the years...

One of the others will probably knonwhich issues to consult.

Also loose the rear subframe... those are damned heavy... I should know I dropped one on my finger! :stiches:etc...

Mouse

[Neil8p]

I was told the manual window winding mechanism weighs a fair bit. Do the regs allow you to fit an electric window kit?

[danger mouse]

Have you ever picked up a mini door?

OMG!

...they weigh more than the ones on a CRX! I have one of each in my garage at the mo'.

If you can, loose the whole winding mech, and fit plexiglass. that will lower the CoG too.

[ludacr1s]

Hey, the CD that you talk about, the rover one. What else does it contain? Does it have any measuresments for a mini?

[Cooperman]

The big problem is the regulations. The body must be standard, the windows must be original glass and holes in panels are not permitted (holes that can be seen by the scrutineer,that is!).
I would not cut the tranverse box section anyway, as that has been known to bend when used through the forests. In fact the works used to double skin that part, even at the expense of weight.
My 1964 Historic Rally Car has perspex windows and lots of other weight saving, but I can't do that with my Enduro F1400 car. It even has to have a standard engine & box which, blueprinted, will give about 80 bhp. Thus, if I can keep the weight to about 710 kg will give c.112 bhp/tonne.

[Dodgy Dave]

I was looking for ways to save weight some time ago but soon relised that the greatest way to to that was to go on a diet!!!

>> Edited by Dodgy Dave on Monday 29th March 18:11

[minimax]

Dodgy Dave said:

I was looking for ways to save weight some time ago but soon relised that the greatest way to to that was to go on a diet!!! >> Edited by Dodgy Dave on Monday 29th March 18:11

not much help, but I read the other day that you know you're getting fat when you spend £500 quid on alloy calipers that save 4lbs, instead of cutting down on the pies!

[Dodgy Dave]

Lucky i bought the iron ones then!!!

[haynes]

I undertook the same exercise on my rover cooper for hillclimbs. I took out the sound deadening with a hot air gun and paint scraper. That was 10kg and i lost another 20kg from the radio, rear seat pockets etc etc, my aim was to ditch the weight which would be added by the roll cage. There's a huge lump of insulation behind the headlining which is worth removing. The doors are masively heavy, about 30kg each, with glass. You can get aluminium ones with sliding glass from the mini door co, i believe. What i'd like to know is how much difference weight makes, on top gear they stripped a jag xjs possibly losing 10%+, and gained 1 second 0-60, then i think 5 seconds 0-100, it would be so interesting to do the same exercise on a min. Miglia regs are 650kg with driver. A friend of mine looked at his clubman front and covered the grill with duct tape and gained 2 mph over the finish of a hillclimb, he then swapped to a mini style front in search of improved aerodynamics, only to discover that everyone had gained 2mph on that day, and he was back to his usual speed even with the rounded front.

[Cooperman]

Another saving I've just found is all the fresh-air trunking. You have to seal off the engine compartment from the interior, so the trunking has to be deleted and the holes thro' the dash blanked off. I reckon that's about 4 kg.
I'm a bit reluctant to take out the headlining, although I think I should remove the huge lump of felt there, so maybe this weekend, afterI buy a new can of Evostik to re-fit the headlining.
My aim is to keep as close to the homologated weight of 690 kg as possible with the cage, sump guard, fire ext., extra spare wheel, Cibie Super Oscar spotlights, bigger alternator and navigator's inst panel as possible. In truth it'll probably go to about 710 kg.
Any more ideas anyone - within the regs that is.

[Cooperman]

Got another 2 kg out yesterday after realising that the black stuff also covers the rear seat platform.
Then removed the rear subframe only to have two bolts shear off in the forward mountings - ah, well, one step forwards and two back (usual Mini story!).

[haynes]

theres also some thin sound deadening behind the rear 'door' cards. I've been thinking about cutting out metal from the inner door skin but havent got round to it. Why is a late carb cooper so much heavier than earlier cars? As for sheered subframe bolts, if its just the head, i managed to eventually prize the subframe out, leaving the stub of the bolt sticking out, which with loads of plus gas and some pipe grips managed to remove.

[Cooperman]

I think when they re-introduced the Mini Cooper in 1990 they wanted to make it much more civilised so added lots of sound attenuation material.
I thought the doors were really heavy until I lifted a mark 1 door which, in all honesty, didn't feel a lot lighter.The metal on a later car is no thicker than a 1959, so no big difference there.
I'll just rip out what I can and weight the car when it's complete with all its rally bits. Hope it's below about 710 kg. We shall see!

[Mr2Mike]

Weren't the subframes made from thicker metal at some point?