Thoughts on 1400+cc on road

The pictures i quickly took today after the mini was dropped off to the magicians at AGI engineering for the rollcage work. I'm quite happy with the shell condition! From other shells i have seen, this one is solid but just a bit rough in some areas

I need to find a measurement for the centre of the seat so they can align the harness eyes up. However i don't have a seat and need to buy them (no idea where to go for that, any help? need to be high back buckets with ability to run a harness and regular seatbelts). It was said before that the steering wheel doesn't centre with the standard seating position. This is where i need some help, am i going to want/be able to mount the seat so it lines up with the steering wheel, or is it not worth it?

I need some external door hinges, is there anyone in the sydney area i could borrow some/a set from so AGI can mount the doors? I have scrounged up 3 randoms but dont know if they are top or bottom or left or right hinges. The guys want to tuck this cage as close as they can to maximise space and need to throw the doors on (my doors dont have pockets either, they were trimmed a while ago.

last final few photos to chuck up as it stands...

braad wrote:I need to find a measurement for the centre of the seat so they can align the harness eyes up. However i don't have a seat and need to buy them (no idea where to go for that, any help? need to be high back buckets with ability to run a harness and regular seatbelts). It was said before that the steering wheel doesn't centre with the standard seating position. This is where i need some help, am i going to want/be able to mount the seat so it lines up with the steering wheel, or is it not worth it?

I need some external door hinges, is there anyone in the sydney area i could borrow some/a set from so AGI can mount the doors? I have scrounged up 3 randoms but dont know if they are top or bottom or left or right hinges. The guys want to tuck this cage as close as they can to maximise space and need to throw the doors on (my doors dont have pockets either, they were trimmed a while ago.

Are you going fixed buckets ?

Centering the steering wheel may limit you passenger seat too much but is something that you would have to measure with the seats you are going to run. You could also maybe use some uni-joints too offset the steering wheel?

benjamin wrote:

braad wrote:I need to find a measurement for the centre of the seat so they can align the harness eyes up. However i don't have a seat and need to buy them (no idea where to go for that, any help? need to be high back buckets with ability to run a harness and regular seatbelts). It was said before that the steering wheel doesn't centre with the standard seating position. This is where i need some help, am i going to want/be able to mount the seat so it lines up with the steering wheel, or is it not worth it?

I need some external door hinges, is there anyone in the sydney area i could borrow some/a set from so AGI can mount the doors? I have scrounged up 3 randoms but dont know if they are top or bottom or left or right hinges. The guys want to tuck this cage as close as they can to maximise space and need to throw the doors on (my doors dont have pockets either, they were trimmed a while ago.

Are you going fixed buckets ?

Centering the steering wheel may limit you passenger seat too much but is something that you would have to measure with the seats you are going to run. You could also maybe use some uni-joints too offset the steering wheel?

I sure am going fixed back, well.... i have. i will go and update this thread

So looked around for ages for seats and compared sizes, etc. Sydney minis lent me a spare Velo Milano XL, but after sitting in it for 40 minutes i ended up with sore hips as it was too tight. After tha i went and bought two Velo GPT-2's and whipped them over to Adam at AGI in Peakhurst.

heres a photo of a Velo Milano ext to a GPT-2


the Velo Milano XL that i borrowed


thanks to that trial of the ill-fitting milano i went and ordered two GPT-2s. I ordered a set from the same batch as the yellow they use on their branding can differ from yellow to orangey, and my OCD wouldnt cope.





I got a measurement of 1140mm of a mates mini between the B-pillars, so with that in mind i sat the two seats in that measurement and ended up with an overlap

first stage of the rollcage. When i dropped the seats over and found a position. Fortunately i'm that tall that the seat wings are behind the B-pillar and that extra width enables the seats to sit side by side unmodified.














The completed rollcage on the jig before painting




just sent this pic of the cage all painted assembled for checking

So with the help of my brother and couple of mates we got the car back home yesterday. Roll cage is complete! I really couldnt help myself but i had to dummy the seats up











you can see how much space there is with the seats...

So got a few goodies today








And this little beauty will be helping the rear trailing arms




every millimetre counts! Since the picture below was taken we have shrunk that gap further...

Roll cage is very nice !!! they have done a really nice job . Those trailing arm adjusters I have similar on my BMW e30 . Was a kit I bought and welded in around $100 for memory .

Cage is a good fit, I bet that cost a few pennies.

have you confirm the engine build specs yet?

I ad a 84mm crank in my car for a while and I must admit the torque it had was awesome, its surprising how the capacity increase made such a difference.

maybe the next engine I build I might put that crank back in and see how it goes this time around now with the new turbo, ignition, intercooler, Quaife etc are fitted.

benjamin wrote:Roll cage is very nice !!! they have done a really nice job . Those trailing arm adjusters I have similar on my BMW e30 . Was a kit I bought and welded in around $100 for memory .

Yeah the cage is lovely. It has been well received by all who have seen it. I now need to build the rest of the car to the same level!

Yeah the camber pin idea is simple, but it will be interesting to see it on the rear trailing arms. It will also be used on the front (already welded in)

Boostedmini wrote:Cage is a good fit, I bet that cost a few pennies.

have you confirm the engine build specs yet?

I ad a 84mm crank in my car for a while and I must admit the torque it had was awesome, its surprising how the capacity increase made such a difference.

maybe the next engine I build I might put that crank back in and see how it goes this time around now with the new turbo, ignition, intercooler, Quaife etc are fitted.

It did cost a fair few pennies. I just keep reminding people that its more expensive to mod a bigger car so its easier to deal with. I was looking at selling my XR5T and buying a BF GT, there was a 10k changeover and then the supercharger kit i wanted was a further 10k. That money is now going to the mini.

Not sure on engine specs, i know it has an old isky cam & followers, has an unmodified 12g295 on it. Im thinking it might need a trip to Graham Russell to mod the head and set it up. The engine isnt something i have worried about yet, but i will see if i can get whatever specs my mate remembers.

Thats a great idea for your crank. Would be a great engine. Maybe chuck it on e85 whilst you're at it

braad wrote:

Boostedmini wrote:Cage is a good fit, I bet that cost a few pennies.

have you confirm the engine build specs yet?

I ad a 84mm crank in my car for a while and I must admit the torque it had was awesome, its surprising how the capacity increase made such a difference.

maybe the next engine I build I might put that crank back in and see how it goes this time around now with the new turbo, ignition, intercooler, Quaife etc are fitted.

It did cost a fair few pennies. I just keep reminding people that its more expensive to mod a bigger car so its easier to deal with. I was looking at selling my XR5T and buying a BF GT, there was a 10k changeover and then the supercharger kit i wanted was a further 10k. That money is now going to the mini.

Not sure on engine specs, i know it has an old isky cam & followers, has an unmodified 12g295 on it. Im thinking it might need a trip to Graham Russell to mod the head and set it up. The engine isnt something i have worried about yet, but i will see if i can get whatever specs my mate remembers.

Thats a great idea for your crank. Would be a great engine. Maybe chuck it on e85 whilst you're at it

So small bore engine? I thought you were going big bore?

benjamin wrote:

braad wrote:

Boostedmini wrote:Cage is a good fit, I bet that cost a few pennies.

have you confirm the engine build specs yet?

I ad a 84mm crank in my car for a while and I must admit the torque it had was awesome, its surprising how the capacity increase made such a difference.

maybe the next engine I build I might put that crank back in and see how it goes this time around now with the new turbo, ignition, intercooler, Quaife etc are fitted.

It did cost a fair few pennies. I just keep reminding people that its more expensive to mod a bigger car so its easier to deal with. I was looking at selling my XR5T and buying a BF GT, there was a 10k changeover and then the supercharger kit i wanted was a further 10k. That money is now going to the mini.

Not sure on engine specs, i know it has an old isky cam & followers, has an unmodified 12g295 on it. Im thinking it might need a trip to Graham Russell to mod the head and set it up. The engine isnt something i have worried about yet, but i will see if i can get whatever specs my mate remembers.

Thats a great idea for your crank. Would be a great engine. Maybe chuck it on e85 whilst you're at it

So small bore engine? I thought you were going big bore?

Nah still big bore. Why do you say?

braad wrote:

Not sure on engine specs, i know it has an old isky cam & followers, has an unmodified 12g295 on it. Im thinking it might need a trip to Graham Russell to mod the head and set it up.

So small bore engine? I thought you were going big bore?



Nah still big bore. Why do you say?

You said 12g295 that's a 998 head

benjamin wrote:

braad wrote:

Not sure on engine specs, i know it has an old isky cam & followers, has an unmodified 12g295 on it. Im thinking it might need a trip to Graham Russell to mod the head and set it up.

So small bore engine? I thought you were going big bore?



Nah still big bore. Why do you say?

You said 12g295 that's a 998 head

Ah! Sorry, i meant 12g940 head

Ah yep , so just naturally aspirated to start with ?

Who is doing your rear subframe ?

benjamin wrote:Ah yep , so just naturally aspirated to start with ?

Who is doing your rear subframe ?

yep, 1408 with a weber to get it going. I would absolutely love to turbo it down the track in some form. My XR5T has grown my appreciation for boost


So initially i got the rear beam made up by a local metal fabricator....



but it didnt fit properly... on the right side the bolts wouldnt fit...




What happened was that i made an error, the spacing between the pairs of bolt holes was 1280mm, and i had somehow given them a measurement of 1276mm. They also cocked up by drilling one end perfectly but the other was (vertically) all over the place. It was never going to work!

So i went back the next day and we had a chat. Rather than making a new one that was overall 4mm longer, a decision was made to weld up the 4 holes and re-drill the two pairs 2mm closer to their respective end. That gave us the 4mm needed, and saved money, time and effort. The original holes were 8mm, but i deemed them too tight, so they have been re-drilled at 9mm. I picked it up and bolted it to the car this afternoon

the result is this -




cant see it that well, but there's only 2mm of extra space left to the side of the beam. It's the same on the other side



I also got a delivery from Velo of seat mounts and one seat slide. I'm confused as how the slides meant to go together properly, but im sure it can be figured out without growing grey hairs

rail setup 1


rail setup2



seat with bracket, it now doesnt rock!

I just ordered these wheels from force racing, but with black centres and polished outer.

They are 10x7, 3.5" inner and 3.5" outer rim




Will probably take a 3-4 weeks to be made and get here from the UK

braad wrote:I just ordered these wheels from force racing, but with black centres and polished outer.

They are 10x7, 3.5" inner and 3.5" outer rim




Will probably take a 3-4 weeks to be made and get here from the UK

Those wheels are very nice !!! Can I ask how much ?

With your subframe is there room under it for exhaust or are you going to notch like the top ?

benjamin wrote:

braad wrote:I just ordered these wheels from force racing, but with black centres and polished outer.

They are 10x7, 3.5" inner and 3.5" outer rim




Will probably take a 3-4 weeks to be made and get here from the UK

Those wheels are very nice !!! Can I ask how much ?

With your subframe is there room under it for exhaust or are you going to notch like the top ?

They ended up at $435/wheel delivered. Not bad when my old 17x8 simmons FR's cost $770 a wheel without shipping. At least, thats what i keep telling myself!

Yeah the beam will be notched to follow the curve of the trans/exhaust tunnel. I have sketched it out but i dont see it worth the money until the engineer has given the okay to continue. He could hate the beam idea so i dont want to spend unnecessary money in that event.
aiming for a high boot level so the exhaust can be tucked up out of the way

The engineer came over on wednesday afternoon. We went through everything we could think of. The engineer was super helpful, and gave us some great additions.

We have a revised design for the rear end beam (will now pick up the original rear most subframe mounts), but we can have a higher/flat floor, move the battery into the cab behind the passenger seat, create new seatbelt mounts for lapsash when we tie the main roll cage hoop into the b-pillar, have a turret brace in the rear, run a fuel cell with a swirl pot (for future EFI), have a type of side intrusion system in the doors, we have a design for the seat mounts thats solid and works, should be able to legally run 10x7 wheels, braided brake lines, dual circuit brake system with lines in the cab, run an AFR guage, and a weber bulkhead box...

All completely road legal!


So grabbed some sound deadener this morning. I wasnt expecting to buy any yet but it was 40% off

John Leffler called this afternoon and gas some parts for me. I think they're my front hubs that i got him to rebuild for me, but its been about 2 years so im not exactly sure

A mate and i have ordered 2 sets of Dunlop tyres.
CLICK ME for 165/70R10 FORMULA-R D93J

Emailed Carl @ Force Racing last friday and he has received payment for wheels. I need to email him again this friday for an update. He seems to have been pretty busy the past few weeks (before i paid), so hopefully he has some good news.


Errrmmmm... i think thats it. Apart from me lacking any Motivation

braad wrote:John Leffler called this afternoon and gas some parts for me. I think they're my front hubs that i got him to rebuild for me, but its been about 2 years so im not exactly sure

A mate and i have ordered 2 sets of Dunlop tyres.
CLICK ME for 165/70R10 FORMULA-R D93J

Emailed Carl @ Force Racing last friday and he has received payment for wheels.  I need to email him again this friday for an update. He seems to have been pretty busy the past few weeks (before i paid), so hopefully he has some good news.


Errrmmmm... i think thats it. Apart from me lacking any Motivation

I bet when you receive the wheels it will increase you motivation !

benjamin wrote:

braad wrote:John Leffler called this afternoon and gas some parts for me. I think they're my front hubs that i got him to rebuild for me, but its been about 2 years so im not exactly sure

A mate and i have ordered 2 sets of Dunlop tyres.
CLICK ME for 165/70R10 FORMULA-R D93J

Emailed Carl @ Force Racing last friday and he has received payment for wheels.  I need to email him again this friday for an update. He seems to have been pretty busy the past few weeks (before i paid), so hopefully he has some good news.


Errrmmmm... i think thats it. Apart from me lacking any Motivation

I bet when you receive the wheels it will increase you motivation !

Speaking of motivation! Carl at Force Racing posted this pic of a wheel on their Facebook page overnight. Its exactly like what mine should be, and he mentioned they're for a far away land (australias pretty far from the UK!)

Even if not, my wheels are exactly this. Same offset, inner/outer dimensions, colour and style.
I have sent an email to confirm, but being from pommieland i could get a reply anytime up to about 2am (6pm UK time)




In other news im going to drop my weber and 12g940 head off to John Leffler. He has finished my hubs with new bearings and CV joints, ball joints, brake lines, new brake switch etc; but wants the driveshafts so he can put the CVs and everything together. IF i have driveshafts then i'll drop the head and weber off together. Otherwise Leffler will order them in


I have also heard of a new 200+hp supercharged lightweight mini coming up. Cant say anything more, but it should be special. It has the right people involved!

Tonight i was stuffing about with some of the steel, got more angles and lengths cut for the rear frame. The top length in the boot will be the first strut brace (required by the engineer), but i think it might change to allow fitment of a fuel tank. It also looks naff being so agricultural. We'll see!







I figured i'd grab some photos of the motor. As far as i know, AEG312 means it's a thin walled block? but the flange for the gearbox is thick? They're Hardy Spicer joints arent they?















I think the number on the gearbox casing says 22G1128. According to http://www.ozcooper.com.au/new_page_3.htm it's a Mark2 Cooper S gearbox?