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 A few questions (currently 5,372 views) |
| Alex_Rowbottom |
| Posted on: May 27th, 2014, 23:37:25 |
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It was more for the look than anything, but as you all have said the structure and the strength of the panels is the problem. The carbon fibre was more for look than weight saving then anything as I thought it would look good but as said I probably don't have the skills to do this I mean I know one could be carbon wrapped but if done incorrectly it could look bad and could let water in.
What my overall idea originally wanted to go for was the carbon fibre look, with the gt front end side skirts and arches with the rear spoiler, force racing split rims chrome and red or black, vtec engine, recaro bucket seats, 6/8 point harness, fia roll cage, sound deadening, underlay black carpet, carbon fibre door cards, double din sat nav radio, front component speakers, a tablet computer for gauges, steering wheel with buttons for indicators and horn.
Hopefully that has painted a picture |
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Reply: 30 - 113 |
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| Neil KilBane |
| Posted on: May 28th, 2014, 06:55:30 |
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Maximum Member2
just a little fine tuning left to do.
Location: Newtown Forbes, Ireland
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Don't think there would be much need for a sat nav radio in a 400hp Mini Marcos.  |
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Reply: 31 - 113 |
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| Brian |
| Posted on: May 28th, 2014, 16:47:10 |
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Big Member
Location: San Mateo, CA, USA
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Random suggestion: if you are looking for the CF look on panels like the hood, etc, it might be worth asking on here if some folks can help out with those pieces, as opposed to just skipping them entirely due to not having experience with grp/frp. There's only one way to get experience  .
However, you have a long project ahead of you before getting there -- so you need to find a car and get it running before getring there . |
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Reply: 32 - 113 |
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| Alex_Rowbottom |
| Posted on: May 28th, 2014, 16:55:02 |
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Posts: 72
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Yeah that may be a good idea I hadn't thought of that is anyone capable of doing carbon fibre/Kevlar bonnet and doors?
I understand that I'm waiting for something to come up that I like the look of I am wanting a mk1/mk2 (the shells which have no tailgate?)
Does anyone have a mould of the gt front? Side skirts and wheel arches?
Alex |
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Reply: 33 - 113 |
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| Brian |
| Posted on: May 28th, 2014, 18:08:22 |
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Location: San Mateo, CA, USA
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If you really don't want a tailgate, also consider just bonding the rear gate to the body. You can do that and make it look stock. That seems that it would go like a fiberglass repair.
I will say that access to the back area, once you get a cage in there, will be extremely difficult, especially once you put in fia certified seats which will be fixed backed. You’ll have to remove a seat, and crawl through a small hole, or remove the rear window, if you ever wanted to maintain the wiring or fuel filler plumbing, or access the bolts to the rear sub frame to drop it.
An open able rear hatch seems very handy . |
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Reply: 34 - 113 |
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| mike brown |
| Posted on: May 28th, 2014, 19:03:15 |
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Big Member
Location: Southampton
Posts: 374
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Most mk3's have no rear hatch only the very late ones do and it was only an option. My brother's racer is a mk3 with no hatch we fitted a perspex rear screen on panel locks so you could access the rear.
Mike |
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Reply: 35 - 113 |
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| jimnaylor |
| Posted on: May 28th, 2014, 19:17:38 |
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Big Member
Location: Bedfordshire
Posts: 221
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| I've got to agree with the last two comments. It's impossible to get into the back of a mini marcos with a cage with fixed diagonal. My Mk3 has no rear hatch so I've had to use a hinged perspex rear screen with over centre catches so I can access the rear. Getting it watertight has btw proved impossible, but that has not been a real issue in events. If you have a hatch, keep it! or you will almost certainly regret it later. |
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Reply: 36 - 113 |
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| Martin_Loram |
| Posted on: May 28th, 2014, 20:56:00 |
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Minimum Member
Location: devon
Posts: 49
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| Driving to Le man with a load of camping gear in the back was a breeze with the rear hatch and I have a cage too and wouldn't dream of getting rid of it !!! |
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Reply: 37 - 113 |
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| Alex_Rowbottom |
| Posted on: May 29th, 2014, 01:38:11 |
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Posts: 72
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It's back to the thinking board again I think. After looking at power to weight ratio calculators if a mini marcos weights around 610kg road going with a 275bhp engine it has the same power to weight as a pagani zonda at 451 and it's is 11bhp off an Ariel atom (462bhp) and 74bhp off a Bugatti veyron so maybe less bhp on this one is better  so I think I will aim for around the 610kg weight and 275bhp
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Reply: 38 - 113 |
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| Brian |
| Posted on: May 29th, 2014, 01:49:59 |
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Location: San Mateo, CA, USA
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| I need to get mine onto a scale, but in race prep, I suspect that you can cut a bit from that 610kg. Especially since, iirc, the Honda power plant is lighter than the a-series. |
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Reply: 39 - 113 |
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| mike brown |
| Posted on: May 29th, 2014, 05:32:36 |
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Big Member
Location: Southampton
Posts: 374
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Any weight saving for race trim is put back in with the cage.
How on earth are you going to get 275hp on the road with front wheel drive and max of 175 width tyres.
Mike |
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Reply: 40 - 113 |
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| Alex_Rowbottom |
| Posted on: May 29th, 2014, 08:51:35 |
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Minimum Member
Posts: 72
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I was going to look into 4 wheel drive
Alex |
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Reply: 41 - 113 |
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| jimnaylor |
| Posted on: May 29th, 2014, 12:31:05 |
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Big Member
Location: Bedfordshire
Posts: 221
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| Re weight, my car is 620Kg and that includes all the rally gear; spare wheel, jack, plumbed in and hand held fire extinguishers, passenger seat, engine, tank and under floor guards, passenger foot rest etc etc, so under 600kg should by easily possible if strip it back to the bare minimum. Going to 4WD would add quite a bit though. |
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Reply: 42 - 113 |
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| Tom Springer |
| Posted on: May 29th, 2014, 14:09:53 |
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Medium Member
Location: Federal Way, WA USA
Posts: 164
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Another random thought...
Seek and drive as many converted Minis as you can. At least get a feel for what the added power will do the the car's balance. Here in the US it sems that many (most?) of the cars converted to alternate power such as VTECH, are for sale soon after completion. The engine swap spoils the car. As mentioned early on, a club member in California bought a bike engined car and found it very dificult to drive. He is converting it back to standard spec. There is s thread on the car on the forum somewhere. |
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Reply: 43 - 113 |
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| Brian |
| Posted on: May 29th, 2014, 16:35:23 |
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Location: San Mateo, CA, USA
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Sometimes there's just plain fun in making something. Many people will build their ideal project, then when.done, move onto the next thing.
Also, keep in mind, the condition of car that you were looking for, you'll be spending considerable time on the body work first. Many people here seem to spend years on that step, though I imagine that could be a bit faster if you don't have fulltime work and a family.
Why not find a car, and start getting the bodywork into good shape, and while that's working out, then think about the powertrain as the bodywork gets closer to complete.
And, in the meantime, try to see if you can find someone with an awd mini that you can drive.
Also, in a previous post, you were comparing the costs of items; I'm not sure what your budget is, but here in the states, the general sense is that a plain (non awd) vtec conversion will run about £20,000 (not counting the donor), and be worth about £15,000 or less when complete. Get onto some of the mini conversion pages there, and find how much that will cost (time and money). Make a spreadsheet with all the costs you expect to come across, and then double that. |
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Reply: 44 - 113 |
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Mini Marcos Forum > General Boards > Mini Marcos > A few questions
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