Here's my 1969 Austin Mini Rotary, located in Norway
Converted to RWD with Volvo rear axel, GAZ coilovers, a 1994 13B-REW engine and a N/A 5 speed box
Not a convrsion for the lazy... the bay is a bit crowded!
The engine is stock, except from a single turbo conversion, water/meth. injection instead of intercooler, and Adaptronic ECU.
Just had it in a Dynapack for tuning, and it made 286,5 rwhp at 0.85 bar.
Since it is no more than 650 kg (about 1435 lb) it is quite quick!

 

I wanted to do something very similar to this for so long. Glad to see someone did it! I would rock that car till i died. Any chance of takin it down the 1/4 mile for ***** and giggles? Got some engine pics?

 

+1 on the engine bay pics

 

Ah another Healey , very nice, X2 on the engine bay pic and a video or two!

 

Fantastic! I also would love to see more pics and info about this! Any chance we can get a full write up on the project from start to finish... hahaha sorry to be so demanding.

I have also really wanted to do a rotary Mini but thought the FC 13BT would be good.
Any reason why you chose the 13B REW?

 

that things looks GREAT!!!!!!!!!! very cool build!!!!

 

that would be a weapon! plus if you ever hit a guardrail there would be no need for a coffin just weld some handles on the side and wallah. great car get us some pics

 

Sweet ride.
i have a friend with a 1964. i keep telling him to put a rotary in but oh well. please post engine bay pics so i can show him it can be done.
i saw this one last month.

 

more pics please this is a awsome project..

 

On popular demand...here's one of the engine bay...

 

fffffffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uu win/

 

I'm quite blown away! I've seen some people through 'honda-power' into those petite cars, but I couldn't imagine how fun that would be to drive.

 

Bravo ! ! !
What Alternator did you use? It lookes like it could be from something like a suburban.

 

Sorry for all the questions.

What did you do with the firewall? Did you cut it out and complete fabricate the trannty tunner or did you cut the tranny tunnel from something else?

When I considered doing this we were planning to use an FC firewall and transmission tunnel.

 

I have 3 mini's and couple of rew motor maybe . I should ?? . can you post some detail pic's and some more info.... i'm in love with this project!!!!!!

 

sweet jesus. that thing must haul ***

 

holly crap

 

There's nothing really more to be said. Except +1

 

it looks nice...

 

Thanks for the positive feedback! It warms after a year in the shed...
I'll try to answer some questions..
(Sorry if my English is a bit strange sometimes...I am Norwegian after all!)
I was opting for the FC engine when I started, but came across this engine and it seemed like good value for the money. Presto, REW it is...
It has been a constant fight regarding space, the engine bay in a Mini is quite small.
I started with a hack-saw, and made a hole in the stock firewall, big enough to house the box. I use a N/A 5-speed, cause it is a bit smaller than the turbo-box. Figured it would cope with the power, since the car is so light...
Then we bolted the engine o the gearbox, made some custom engine- and gearbox-mounts and bolted it all in place. Easy!
The rear was a bit more challenging. Its never easy to convert a FWD to RWD.
I used a 4-link system from a Ford Escort, and made it fit. A Volvo differential was placed in a corner in our work-shop, so I made that fit also, som new damper mounts was fabricated, and all of this and a panhard is welded to the roll-cage in
a space-frame-like-design. Very stiff, and very strong!!
Got a custom propshaft made (good for 1000 bhp so it won't snap off) and
put it all together. Not so hard, but time-consuming!!
The gearbox and prop is actually INSIDE the car, so before i fabricated the tunnel, I made sure my own safety was taken care of. The propshaft is lead through 2 steel-rings which will keep them in place if it snaps for some reason, and the clutch-housing is surrounded by a drag-blanket.
The rear brakes are a combination of Audi and BMW parts, the front brakes are vented racing brakes from Minisport..
The engine side of the story is straight forward rotary stuff, so I won't bore U with details. The only thing is that I don't use an intercooler...it didn't fit anywhere!!
Instead I use a methanol/water injection system, that squirts above 0.4 bar boost. Worked like a charm at the rollers... NO pinging what so ever!
Oh...the alternator is Volvo....

 

That is a h*ll of a conversion into a mini but I bet it is a rocket when/if you can get the power to hook up and go. I wish I could build stuff like this.

 

You definately did an outstanding job with the tranny tunnel !
I have seen a couple guys in Europe running no intercoolers and meth injection and they tend to be drag race set ups. What do you plan to do with your mini? (sorry if I missed where you said).

Looking at the last pic I was wondering if you are running the stock brake pedals and brake/clutch master cylinders? If I recall correctly the stock gas pedal is real close to the right sidewall of the interior, and see that you have a cage there also makes me thinkg it might be annoying to have the cage there...?

I am holding off showing this link to my friend who wanted to do the same thing but using FC parts. I think I will tell him as soon as you get it going and I can show him what the end result is hehehe.

Have a great weekend!

 

Its running the stock clutch cylinder and a front/rear split brake master cylinder from the last Mini without servo.
The stock gaspedal is in place, and there is no problem having a cage there eighter.
By all means, it IS narrow, and there is no dance floor down there, but the picture
lies a bit. The engine is actually placed a bit to the left for better weight-distribution, and need of space. The passenger seat is a 15,5 inch Kirkey seat (for those who dare to sit there...), so you can do the math...
Regarding grip, it doesn't seem to be a problem. I feared it would be spinning a lot, but I actually had to soften the suspension due to the fact that the grip made the car squat, and then the springs and dampers would push it up, then squat again and then push up, and so on...
It felt like the effect was pulsating really badly! I adjusted the dampers a bit softer
and it ran smoothly. (read; it felt like my eyes got sucked into my scull when I floored it!)
I'm racing the car on track, hillclimbs, and generally having a blast with it whenever I get the chance. I will try to make a drag-event or two, and when I get a LSD on it, it might see some sidewise action as well...
Good wekend to you all!

 

wicked- more of these sorts of conversions are needed!!! woo hoo.

Whats the deal with 'MOT' etc in norway. I know that in some European countries you are not even allowed to fit an extra cigar lighter in place let alone do conversions like this!

Thats why I miss being in England- anything goes there. Now I'm back in NZ even cutting big holes in the rear parcel shelf for speakers will fail a car applying for it warrant of fitness! Any major work has to be checked over by an engineer (money$$$$$$)

 

Time for an update...
This car is still alive and kicking. Had some small problems las year, so i had to change some bits and *****. We added an intercooler to the system, changed the China-crap-turbo to a Turbonetics T-66, added CDI ignition, made 3" exhaust all the way, and upped the boost to 1.2 bar... on the last test run before the snow hit us, the car ran perfectly! Haven't had it on the Dyno yet, but it is due during the spring. I am guessing somewhere between 350 and 400 bhp. It is certanly enough in a car weighing about 700 kgs.
Winter is long in Norway, so I have had time to change the looks of the car a bit...
Hopefully the front and rear spoilers will keep it from taking off!