[wayno]

Whats people thoughts on this? Should I or should I not!!

Anyone seen and/or heard about this conversion from newminispares?

I am now waiting for a price but from what I can see from their site, I am very impressed!


Regard

[bkwalker]

that is huge!!! how do they get to 280bhp?!?!?

you dont have a deathwish by anychance do u

haha

but hey, if u want that sort of power.. thendo it!
you'll be the fastest S out there!!!

[monsta]

wayno, please do not make multiple posts in different areas asking the same question.

I have deleted your other threads in 'Cooper S' and 'General Discussion'

[DinkaDonka]

HMM , from looking at it 250bhp is fairly easily achieved i reckon they must put a 25 shot of nos on but i bet ur looking at about 6k! for the whole 280bhp conversion

[uae mini]

want my advise... if u've got cash on u..
change the pistons, conrod, valves(if nessesary, i think the valve is good enough)
then off we go to change the oil pump, fuel pump, so on and so forth....
i don't know much about the mechanics of cars but u have to balance everything out to get what u want...
in other words a reliable engine that wont die in a year or so..

[moorlockx]

Even if you get that kind of hp rating, you'd never be able to use it to maximum efficiency. The rest of the driveline wouldn't take it for very long. There's already someone here or on MCO that's talking about wringing axles in half with only 230 or 240. To boost the Mini to 280 hp is going to seriously put a dent in extended reliability. You've got to keep in mind that the cars built for racing only have to last one afternoon so they can get away with major hp gains.

[wayno]

I tell ya

I am very impressed at their website. They have Limited Slip Diffs, 5 and/or 6 Speed dog boxes, Biggers intercoolers, Reworked heads for better flow etc, Straight through exhaust getting rid of the power sapping cat.

What else did I see, oh yeah they got unrestrictive air filters i.e no air meter, pulley upgrades.

I tell ya if none of you have seen this site go there now, they have loads of bits for the inside outside engine bay alloys and shiny bits and performance upgrades.

If you asked me I reckon the 280bhp upgrade is realible, seeing all the bits they have on there it must be.

Most impressive thing I saw was the lightened and balance bottom end and flywheel.

I guarantee if you can shed 100kg of wait, then even the standard s would be as fast as a 200bhp one, and with 280bhp which is done properly and has all the right bits on it then I am sure this car will frighten alot of cars!!

Regards

[aris]

Unless you make your monthly salary from bets racin on the streets, my advice to you is ..dont ruin your car my friend!

Tuners might get these numbers on the dyno in ideal conditions (cold interoolers, racin fuels, etc) but that doesnt mean that your car will beat EVO 8's or GT2's on the street. Most probably you will end up with a blown up engine or tranny after pushing it hard..

If u want a race car, buy one.Dont make your street car a racin one cause it will never be one!moorlockx and wayno are right. take some weight off the car (about 100kg will make a huge difference mate) or go for minor mods (lighter pulley, chip, flywheel,etc) and u will be amazed!!

good luck!!

[Simon Jackson]

Has a manic day at work today, your e-mail will be over soon! 250 BHP is more easily achieved than the 280, and is much more in peoples price bracket! For the 280 kit, lots is changed, I have the list at work and will mail it shortly. Personally Speaking anywhere between 240 and 250 on a road car is plenty, and will be more reliable and useable on a road car. Like I say sorry for delay, first chance I have had to be on here today!!

[timcuculic]

Did anyone get the specs on either the 250 or 280 hp kit?

I emailed them but got no reply.

If I could get 280 hp, I would really have no regrets about not buying that WRX I was lookin at.

[Simon Jackson]

Sorry, been a bit busy, but will get around to it ASAP! Shouldn't let people take holiday! The Kits are a fitted set, so therefore only available in the UK!

[timcuculic]

Quote:

Originally posted by Simon Jackson
Sorry, been a bit busy, but will get around to it ASAP! Shouldn't let people take holiday! The Kits are a fitted set, so therefore only available in the UK!

Wait a second... so if I pay you $15,000, you won't send me a 280 hp motor in a crate?

[aris]

getting this much hp from a 1.6 engine can be done (we all remember those 600hp sierra Cosworths,the 500hp EVO's or the 600hp+ turbo M3's) but you are pushing to the limit though...i ve seen friends blowing up top of line engines on the track that you d never think they would.

These hp numbers come at peak overboosting only for a few secs on the 1/4mile strip, the street or track.

remember those aftermarket 500hp+ (ball bearing garrets) 2nd generation rx7's. they did win some races but half of the times they were towed back..

dont get me wrong i am pro modifying anything. even the lawn mower machine

i was discussing this 280hp package with my friends during midnight racing last night (M3's, M roadsters, S3's, stage 3&4 Cupra R's, Evo's etc) and they all said the same thing.."280hp mini..? it will blow up!"

a 210hp package will be more reliable, drivable and easy on the tranny. plus with a 100kg diet plan on the car u will be the talk of the town!!

if u insist on 280 though be prepared to make regural visits to your mechanic

best of luck and safe rides to you

peace out to all the car nuts!

[Simon Jackson]

No, because the Cars are all mapped on the Rolling Road. I am hoping to do some Mail Order Kits shortly though!

[JimW]

There are no easy absolutes. A 280hp 1.6 is like a 525hp 3.0, now there are plenty of 500+ hp Supras and Skylines, etc out there, as well as 300+ hp 2.0l motors (really, how tough would it be to get there with an Evo 8?) that do not blow up every weekend. If the weak areas (rods, pistons, head clamping, main cap walk, fuel system, whatever the case may be) are addressed, then there is no reason that a 280hp 1.6 shouldn't live. A bad tune could wreck a 170hp 1.6, and a bad driver could wreck a trans in a stock S. The old saying.. "Some people can break an anvil with a glass hammer" is very true. Remember, BMW got well over 800hp out of a stock M10 block with good internals, and made it live for a while, and there are new Cobras already running 10's with a stock driveline (big time airflow mods), and now 9's on the stock bottom end with Nitrous. Several of our own have been running nitrous, and so far there's a 106MPH trap speed out there.. And if you look at the car and driver being 2600 total, that's around 280FWHP, and no scattered parts yet, even using two power adders and drag radials... I'm pretty excited to see actual dyno sheets and track times for these next level beasts, and can't wait till next summer for all the bugs to have been worked out of the 250+level (I know there will be a point where people will start eating motors as the weak links are stressed, and I expect the less careful tuners to start creating boat anchors around this hp level)... With any luck, KB will produce a bolt on blower for us so we can get the Eaton out of there and see some serious boost..
Jim

[si_sti]

right a lot of it comes down to the block and the components of the car.

You have to appreciate that this turbo kit would be intended for the cooper and one, now the cooper is designed to run 130 bhp iirc, this means gearbox, clutch etc is designed to easily take this power. Most cars will take a 50% hike in power no problems, but when we are talking 2.5 times more power it could cause problems.

Obviously you are going to need to lower the compression ratio of the standard engine, they will probably use metal (wider) headgaskets and low compression pistons to do this. However, the strength of the conrods and crank might be questionable at this power, last thing you want is a rod coming through your block. I would assume it will include new conrods and crank (unless the mini items are very very strong). Even with these internals sorted we have the problem of the blocks strength.

Obviously you will be running a far higher pressure in the combustion chamber and things will be running a lot hotter, meaning the car has more chance of overheating and subsequently detonating. The block itself might split or crack under the extra stress. Dependant on whether minis use closed (sandcast) or the cheaper opendeck blocks, they will take varying levels of abuse.

Fuelling would have to be seriously whacked up, with a high flow fuel pump, new fuel pressure regualtors and far bigger injectors. To give you an idea at 350 bhp my injectors are flowing 600cc, which is quite a lot. You will also need a better oil pump and perhaps an oil cooler if the temperature becomes too much.

To keep charge temperature down and stop knocking and detonation, which will kill your engine! an intercooler will need to be plumbed in as well and will need to be of sufficient size and mounted in such a place as to recieve sufficient air, so the front bumper would need cutting a fair bit to incorporate it.

Air intake pipes would need redesigning, as the ones ive seen on the mini look very restrictive and would probably not flow enough air to meet the extra fuel increase causing the car to run rich and like ****. On the other hand if the injectors and fuelling isnt spot on (and im assuming the standard maf wont be able to cope) then it could run lean which is the way to melt your engine.

Obviously would need new ecu and quite extensive setting up and to flow enough air for 280 bhp you would need a sufficiently large turbo T3 ish which would need a load of room in your engine bay. you will need a new exhaust too as performance systems for turbos need to be much less restrictive than ones for NA cars.

Your gearbox and clutch might not be strong enough to take these power levels, also consider drive shafts which will be under a lot of strain. These would be the things i would expect to blow up first.

Really anything is possible, look at what they are doing with skylines these days. Mario of exvitermini has just run at 1350 bhp at 60% power from a skyline lump stroked to just under 3 litre, thats 1800 odd bhp at full power which is 6 times standard bhp, but nothing is standard on that car.

I totally agree you see 600 bhp scoobies now, but none of them are even remotely standard. Most run the rs block wich is a 2.5 litre, with new gearboxes and running gear and they still have problems. My friend has just finished building a 800+ bhp evo for ten of the best and it has custom everything. 800 bhp in an evo is a similar power rise to what youre suggesting with nigh on 300 bhp in a coooper.

The saxo turbo kits all ran at about 200 bhp and look at how many of them exploded. Simply because the kit was not decent and did not cover all the weaknesses in the engine. The extra power exploited these weaknesses and caused problems.

I would be really interested to see the spec of the kits claiming 280 bhp from a 1.6 as they would need to contain a lot of parts imho, and thats assuming that the box and clutch etc can take the power.

Its doable, look at renault 5s with 350 bhp from 1.4s. But it is not as easy as slapping a turbo on your engine and adding a tickle of NAAAWZ in fast and the furious styleee.

Oh on the subject of NOS if u guys need it give Mini Cruiser a shout and ill see if i can sort out a good group buy through her 4 u lot as my friend runs a company that specialises in it.

[wayno]

Well I am still waiting for my email.

I know all about modifying cars, I have a gtturbo that has 200bhp also.

I know that 280bhp is easily done with a 1.6 engine, and I know with that type of power the internals i.e. conrods, pistons,crankshaft, big bearings, clutch will definitely need lightening and strengthened to probably grp a spec to cope with the power.

Bear in mind, no one drives with full power all the time.

I can see myself running about around 250 for everyday use then wacking her up to 280plus when I want to really show off or prove something.

Still waiting for this email simon

[Simon Jackson]

Sorry Wayno, I am trying to build a web page up to answer everyones questions all at once, as well as get out Catalogue together. Send me a PM and I will send you through the info I have in raw form tomorrow! Not enough hours in the day I am afraid!

[si_sti]

I dont know anything about minis really, but i know about cars and turbos. I owned a 230 bhp turbo 306, a 350 bhp rx7 and currently have a 350 bhp impreza. Have also helped build cossies and rs turbos.

I am assuming from previous experience that the parts listed would be too weak. My only qualm with the kits would be ive seen a lot of 'BOLT ON' kits and a lot of the time they dont include all the neccesary parts and consequently blow up. Take the saxo turbo kits as a prime example and theyre running less power on a 1.6 than this kit is.

I would be very interested to see what this kit for 280 bhp consists of as it would give an insight into how reliable it is going to be. For example if it only bolts a turbo onto the side and ups the boost and fueling to hit 280 bhp there are going to be a lot of broken minis.

btw if people do want the nos asked and can get it for about 500 a kit for wizards of nos, highpower stuff with 5lb bottles if more than 10 are sold.

This is a couple of hundred down on retail i believe

[JimW]

No one (outside of the joint venture engineers and people that were involved in the engine program) will know just how much extra beef is in this plant until the first or second "whoops".. If the 280hp is turbo Cooper or super "S" hasn't been mentioned that I'm aware of, but if you took an "S", extrude-honed the head and intakes, upped the boost (more than 15%), changed the cam, T-body, injectors, and gave it serious free flow intake and exhaust piping, possibly a better intercooler solution, and a very aggresive tune, I'll bet you'd find your 280 hp, as long as the temps are right.. (judging by the raw head pictures, just a nice bowl blend to remove all that material left after the seats were cut would find 20+hp..) This is kind of, sort of, bolt on, but the tune should not be done mail order unless there is a ton left in this motor, I believe that would cause problems. I think where people will kill these cars is wheelhop creating driveline shocks, more often that not, traction will save the clutch and axles, so it's the drag and rally guys who will put a hurting on them, and bad tuning creating lean conditions and detonation, especially for long duration high RPM runs.

Jim