Hi Colin & Ron,
Thank you for replying to my post and may I reply to you both in one post, if you don't mind.
First of all to Ron, I assume that you are talking about a Mk 3 coupe when you are referring to round headlights. I may have to do this mod again on my Mk 3 convertible, when I re-engine that! So I would be interested in any mods that you do to your headlights. Tony Moss ( Club Sec.) mentioned that he had found some headlights which are only about 1inch (25mm) thick for a project that he is doing. But he hasn't updated me further.
Still on headlights and referring to Colin's post. I think that the lights will move further forward, but I don't know how much until I refit the engine again, as I've said earlier, I had the engine and subframe in but it was only the first fit and I've made alterations to the subframe and engine mounts, enabling the engine to sit lower in the car.
I will make fiberglass covers in line with the wings etc., just as you suggest (Colin), but I will smooth up the body shape with "Plexiglas" covers joining up to the fiberglass covers, just as they do on modern cars. I have no fiber-glassing or Plexiglas skill, so that should be interesting!I don't want to use perspex, just as Ron suggests, it just goes dull a blocks out the light.
With regards body strengthening, I don't think that there is any need! I think our Midas secrete, which the rest on the Mini fraternity have not twigged, is that this is such a strong body-shell in the first place. One of the Mk1 cars which I have has been rolled and all that happened, was that the body-shell deflected and the Windscreen broke! One day I hope to put that car back on the road too. On the picture with the nose cone removed, none of the bodywork has been altered, it is as Harold built it. It may look a bigger hole, but it has just been painted Matt black. The nose cone was removed only to allow access to the lower engine compartment.
Stuart Leach is really to blame for the engine upgrade. He took his lead from the
http://www.16vminiclub.com . The Mini guys have been fitting various engines to their Mini's, such as the Honda Vtech, the Vauxhall Red top. Suzuki 1300GTI and the Vauxhall 1600cc engine both in single cam and twin cam. The Vauxhall is the engine we tried to run with. The main reason being that it is that you do not have to extend the front wings to fit the Vauxhall 1600cc (and the Suzuki 1300 GTI)
Stuart bought a complete conversion kit to fit the Vauxhall 1600cc into a Mini. He fitted the modified subframe into his Midas, but it didn't quite fit! I was lucky enough to have site of this subframe and made a Midas friendly version. Stuart became ill and decided not to carry on with the project, so the baton was passed to me!
That engine which you may have seen in a picture on another post is an 1800cc Vauxhall twin cam about 130bhp. I also have a 1600cc single cam engine 100bhp, which is a nice torquey engine with a five speed box. This I hope will fit into my convertible as it will make a nice road car.
I'm hoping ultimately to fit a 1600cc twin cam into the Mk2, this in standard form produces about 109bhp, but is not as torquey as the single cam. If you change the induction system on the 1600cc twin cam to a set of individual throttle bodies from SBD, the power goes up to about 160bhp and without doing any other engine mods. This should be a very interesting engine in a Midas! If I can make it work.
These Vauxhall engines are plentiful and cheap and it is easier to buy a whole car. Vauxhall make a range of engines known as the "small block". They come in 1400, 1600 and 1800cc, the other dodge which you do it to fit a diesel gearbox, which gives 70 mph at about 3000 rpm!
I hope that answers your queries but if there are any more please ask?
Colin you were the founder member of the club "but not making a big deal of it". Well Sir you should. I know from previous experiences helping to run a Microlight airfield, how much time and effort you must have put in. It doesn't matter how good or bad you've been there are is very little in the way of thanks, lots of criticism, but no thanks! Yet here we are some 30 years later, still in existence, limping a bit, but still in existence. Colin well done and thank you from the people who are to shy to post. We just need to make the marque exciting again (160bhp exciting).
To you other people who have viewed this polling post, why didn't you vote. Come on 50 views and only 5 votes, join in that's what this forums about, some people are going to a lot of trouble (David & Hans) with again no thanks! this forum will only be successful if you participate
Sorry for the long post and the rant.
Alan