A project with Deadlines-- thats how things get done!

  I turned a swiss cheeese, parts in buckets.  artally Dissassembled rust bucket Moke into a presentable road worthy vehilce in 7 Months.   Your just swapping engines, Easy peasy!

 Like said - Post pictures- Lets see some progress! 

August is a very aggressive timeline! Be sure to keep us updated with pictures, it'll help keep some of us on our toes to make progress on our own projects!

well start the clock, it has to make a 750 mile drive by 9 aug.  I'll start pulling it apart on Saturday. 

After having gone through everything you are about to go through and a heck of a lot more (2L in a stock nose) I have to concur with Dr. Mini on this one.

Not everything ordered will arrive in the time period you have been told and likely not all parts will be correct.  I am one of those that would have become Completely frustrated if I hadn't seeked out Expert help to complete the project.  Sure we had it running not long after the parts continued to arrive but it has taken a good 3 years since of high dollar tinkering to get her dialed.  I'm one that expects everything to work and as it should so that takes a lot of trial and error.

Going with a nice D series will take a lot of the hassle out of the build and you won't have as much trouble when it comes to concurring the torque steer and cooling problems I had plus it should make for a real fun daily driver.  I could never drive my VTEC daily (and it was never meant to be) but I sure have a great time on the track in it!

Good luck, not that you will need it as you sound pretty inclined to doing this and open another thread when you start the build, it's quite enjoyable for all of us to follow along and help out!

i admire all kinds of engine conversions! and we' re "blessed" to own a car that has so many power options available! i do agree that the final decision is up to the owner, its his car and money in the end! theres plenty of info and dos and donts out there and many owners to share their vtec experience! To me its more about character than engine building at this point! some people learn through experience others by asking in advance or both.

Steve,

was only in town for the weekend the car is in TN, ill be drop the 1275 out this weekend. I appreciate the offer to do it there.

as I said, I was ordering the vtec minus the h on Tuesday and just needed some advice from people that had done the mod, I wanted to go biggest and baddest but minimike brought me back to the d kit for being a better fit for my needs. the parts are ordered 9k worth, if I finish under 15k im good. I have been in the army 20 years and married for 18, I know things don't go as planned but as a mechanic with the h I will figure it out.  And with people with the knowledge base to help me out its doable. 

As for not having driven one before, it's not always possible.

I'm currently working on an engine conversion for a Corvair, and have to do it blindly. Sometimes, it's just fun getting there.

And my Mini Marcos kit car...there are how many of those in the 'states? I had to go into mine having no clue if my fat ass would even fit inside. I just figured that when there were problems, I'd need to fix them. and I'm getting there. Yeah, I'm a year slower (and counting) than I'd hoped, but I'm making progress, and that's good for me. My car is all new parts (except a few I could only find used), and I had made a spreadsheet of all the parts I'd need. I'm on track to come in within 10%  of my original budget.  

I dislike that people are so judgmental and rude here. There's use in critical advice and warnings, but after that, we're all adults and can decide what's right for ourselves, and the personal taunts, counter bets (which aren't in a lighthearted tone), etc all bring me back to grade school. There's a big difference between "this is a big project and will cost thousands more and take 2x as long as you expect" (which is useful and largely correct advice) and some of the replies here. 

Oh, I respect his right to do it, I just think that anyone who attempts a project like this without even driving a car that has been converted is in for a rude awakening.  It will cost a whole lot more than he thinks, it will take a whole lot more time than he thinks, and the conversion will not be straightforward and easy.  I know of several folks who have attempted this and find that stuff either never gets shipped to them or the parts they get do not fit as well as they should.  Sometimes you get two left side parts instead of one for each side, etc.  I don't know why it happens, but I have seen it happen to at least 3 different folks who bought kits from Minitec.  The builder then either gets frustrated and quits or seeks out help from someone who has done the conversion before and can supply the parts that fix (as we in the USAF Engineering Dept referred to as) "latent design flaws".  Good luck on your conversion and I hope you enjoy the experience as well as the finished product.  Keep us posted on how the project is going. 

Don't let them get you down. While not a big fan of what you are doing I respect your right to do it. If you want to sell your current power unit I'm interested. If you like we can pull it at my shop then use my trailer to return the balance to your place. Steve (CTR)

Sounds like everything you need to get the job done.  Any bets on whether all that you ordered will be shipped or how much will be on "back order"?  I hope all goes well with your conversion but I am in the camp that thinks it will take twice as long as you thought it would to complete, cost 3 times as much, and the end product will not be what you thought it would.  Keeping it 5 years after you finish is optomistic...

Alex, I'll take that sidebet. 

What would you care to wager that you finish on time and on budget ?

Separate sidebet - what would you like to wager that you actually like the conversion on a day-to-day basis when you are finished, and keep using it for 5 years ?

is my current engine with 35lbs oil presure after hours of driving.  15 min drives its at 50 lbs.  currently have oil spitting out the spark plug hole when cranked on the number 2 cylinder.  it has a new clutch, alum radiator and kn filter on it now.

it was out of the car last year about this time for resealing, pulled it out in a barn with a tractor in germany.

i have spent a lot of time with this engine on seals and such, i am stoked to try something else.

do i think this will be problem free heck no its putting a 90s honda engine into a mini for goodness sake.  But i do think that alot of the issues were ironed out by the true trail blazers doing it from scratch, im buying a kit that was developed from thier trial and error. 

Go for it. Good luck and keep us posted with lots of pictures and updates. Join //minivtec.com/ if you haven't already. (You'll get way more positive encouragement there, BTW) My D-Series is just fine for daily driving, although I don't drive it to work, just because where I have to park is about 1/2 mile from where I work, and it's too tempting a target for jackasses.

Don,

You should take to heart TurboDave's reality check at the end of his post, "instead of being miniless while the vtec is being fitted". No one needs 140 to 160 horsepower in a Classic Mini, (unless you have daily access to the German Autobahn!) Have you driven a vtec powered Mini or ever been a passenger in one? When something has just waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to much power for its own good, it can go from fun to scarey in a matter of seconds. I owned a 1966 Austin Mini Pickup, (nicknamed "Bottle Baby"), with nitrous oxide injection that I raced at the Drag Strip on rare occasion. It was street legal, but I knew better than to hit the button in traffic!!! I wish you would reconsider the 1380, (the A-Series Big Block). My last Classic Mini had one, and blasted through the mountain ranges and down the highways with the slightest pedal. Our Host can provide you with the ultimate setup.                Mini Estate

This Package Includes: JDM Honda D15B VTEC Engine/Transmission Complete, MTD Kit, D Aluminum Radiator Kit (not pictured), Poly Engine Mount Kit, Superbrake Kit, Swivels Hubs, Drive Flanges, D Axle Upgrade, S Coil-Over Shock Kit, D Chipped ECU, D Wiring Harness, Bump Stops, and a modified shifter.

Racing Pedal Kit Includes: Aluminum Racing Pedal Assembly, Racing Pedal Bracket 1, Racing Pedal Bracket 2,  3 x Master Cylinders, 3 reservoir kits, a bulkhead capping plate, and one stop light switch with bracket. The pedal box mounts to your Mini using the unique Mini Tec mounting bracket

for gauges going with the phantom kit from auto meter

electric fuel pump and line to run.

using my disk brakes and 12 inch wheels so the wheel track will be intact.

not doing the hood now so no cutting or painting.

no need to cut the firewall due to the angle of the engine and the mini tec intake (silicone elbows) ill change that later.

will be selling my drive train and smiths gauges have the tach water and oil white faces.

nope, never driven one. If I build it and don't like it ill sell it but im not to worried about that.  I have built a 2 liter vw bug which was rough to drive but a blast.  as it sits I got an engine setup that has been a pain maintaining for the last 2 years, and when I went to order the parts to fix it they are on back order. im frustrated and want a change. I found this car in Europe and brought it back to the us, im not making any modifications that could not be reversed, the car will be intact.  I'm just wanting to go a different direction with this car for a bit.  wish me luck or don't i'm good with either.

don

Congrats!

Are you going to box the fire wall or cut and silicone the manifold?

Whre is your donor drivetrain coming from?  Engine? Tranny ? Axles?

Brakes thoughts?  Do you have boosted setup now ?

Clutch operatoin, WHat masters will you use? mini not compatiable to Honder.

Please build a tear out thread. Whens the A series lump for sale?

Have you actually driven one yet ?

ok took minimikes advice, going with the d kit with engine from mini tec, going with their gauge kit and pedal kit.  Not cutting off the front so that should be a time saver. have 20 days till the kit arrives so ill be knocking out the prep work and routing the fuel line installing the pedals and dash. going to keep my disk brake set up so I can keep the original looking stance and use my 12 inch wheels. almost went with the 1380 but decided to go with the vtec minus the h. this is going to be a long 20 days.... little obsessive I am.