new mini owner needs help please!

[sl5]

ive recently bought a h reg mini check mate with only 27000 on the clock. its my first car and my dream car ive always loved minis since watching the italian job from an early age. ive had it serviced and nothing wrong with it eccept the manifold was rattling so got that fixed and put a 2.5 inch peco exhaust on (sounds nice)! within a year when ive saved enough im thinking of putting a new engine in or getting the existing one rebored to an 1275 0r 1380.
however with my next few paypackets im toying with the idea of adding a cone k&n filter to add a bit of extra noise and a couple of horsepower, also can anyone tell me im also thinking of adding a stage one conversion kit but keeping my existing peco exhaust is it possible to get a mini manifold to fit my existing peco backbox and exhaust and is it advisable.
how do i remove the check mate stickers on the side and stripes as it looks a bit old ladyish without damamging the paintwork, any ideas?
also thinking adding thicker wheels whats the biggest i can go without any body modifications and will it compromiseon speed and handling? how do i add some extra grill spotlights aswell is it easy enough and does it mess with the electrics drain the battery etc? any info on the above would me much appreciated (i havent a clue really but am willing to learn) dont want to add components that are gona damage and wear the engine as i intend to keep this car for at least ten years and add things bit by bit? hopefully see you at one of the meets will be joining club soon

[Deano]

Welcome to the forum Sl5. Cricky where to start lol stage one kits usually come with a new exhaust & air filter:) The stickers should come off with a hair dryer.

165/60/12`s should fit but some need body mods:cool:

The spotlights need fitting via a relay some minor electric experience will be rqd to wire them up

Sounds like a nice mini please feel free to come down to the meetings and have a chat with us we are all willing to help

Cheers Deano

[moddinmad]

Welcome SL5 to miniaddicts sounds like some good plans you got ther.
hope ya pop down to a meet soon. we have a few runs planned and events coming up to freel free to pop along

[Gr4H4m]

HOLY MOLY thats a lot of work:eek: I have the Peco exhaust on mine if its the one I'm thinking about is had a step down pipe on the back so it would connect to a pee shooter exhaust pipe. This can be cut off and a standard exhaust pipe welded on, you can get pipe form CES in Chester and most mini hops in the mags will sell you a new manifold and link pipe to match. If fact you are better getting the manifold and link pipe first so you can work out the size of the new pipe you need welding on the back box. You could just get a new exhaust and sell your old one on.... Remember to factor in the cost of getting your car setup after installing the stage one kit so you can make the most of your upgrade:cool:

[sl5]

cheers folks that advice is helpful, all my spare time im reading the haynes manual and another service book by lindsay porter. with adding 165/60/12's do i just need to add wider arches? hope to have all that work done within a couple of months. im addicted to my mini so the website name is great! when/ where is the next meet?

[Gr4H4m]

The club meeting is the first wednesday of the month @ the Red Lion In Northop @8pm in the restaurant side of the pub. Its junction 33 off the A55 then head towards Northop and its about 800yards on the right opposite a big church

[supadupacupa]

Check mates came with "Mini special" arches on as standard.

To fit 165's the only thing I would recommend is to fit a thin spacer on the rear wheel's (I think it was about 1/4 or 3/8's thick). Check with suppliers but you should not need longer stud's either.

I know people get away without doing that, but corner hard and the tyres flex, rubbing the shocker.

It was the thing John Coopers fitted when you went for the handling pack on your motor. So practically factory approved!!

Your arches will still cover those tyres/wheel's if its still fitted with the factory alloys.

If it need's body mod's it's because the cone's have had it on the front or the Knuckle joint's are worn out. Standard rims have the correct offset. The back is unaffected as it keeps the same goemetry as it get's lower.

As for the exhaust, you will find it is easier to change to a whole stage 1 kit at once. They come with everything you need (well the good ones do anyway) look at the minispare's kit (I dont work for them!).

You'll mess about sourcing pipes and manifold's, cutting and welding up, sorting leaks and I have always found it to be not worth the hassle.A good kit just bolts on, less than a day max. Sell the Peco on ebay or on here and it will go to cover the rolling road cost's as Gr4h4m say's.

Prob not what you wanted to hear, but without wanting to sound old or overly wise, 25+ years playing with them tells me so.

Electrics are not hard and Hayne's do a good book on building modifying mini's and I'm sure it's covered in there. just don't use the wrong wire and make sure you fuse everything.

Don't be embarressed about asking anything, we all started somewhere. I fell asleep in the back of my first Mini (a 1973 850) because I closed the door when I was cold one night, whilst hammeriting the floors und the ligh of a leed lamp!!. My dad got me out of the car, woke me up and watched me whilst threw up getting over the fumes. Great day's and the first and last time I encountered solvent abuse!!

Perhaps i should start a new thread, see what every one else did.

[KAYE (Mrs Jones)]

Hi sl5 welcome to the forum. Our next meet is our 1st birthday. 7th March hope you can make it we are having a PARTY. :)

[TONYELF]

MMM Hammerite eh? solvent? inflammable? That ring a bell Deano?:D

[Siano :)]

hi there and welcome to the forum, as people have said we all have to start somewhere, i still pretty clueless but hoping to learn quick and fast :D as also said our next meeting is wed 7th march red lion northop be great for another freindly face to appear, plus its our 1st birthday :D hehe

Cheers Siano :)

[charlie_mini]

Electrics are not hard and Hayne's do a good book on building modifying mini's and I'm sure it's covered in there. just don't use the wrong wire and make sure you fuse everything.

any ideas what that book is called? i've got the restoration manual and that touches on it but doesn't really goes into electrics in much detail or custom/modding touches?
cheers :D

[sl5]

thanks for the advice on putting spacers on the rear wheels. im will hopefully pop down to ameeting soon1