Mini Pocket Rocket

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-20T13:55:00.001-04:30

Retro Board Game Painting

2011-09-02T09:50:00.002-04:30

MINI picture of the day.

2011-08-18T11:29:00.000-04:30

Mini Cooper X-Ray

2011-07-26T16:09:00.000-04:30

The History of The Mini 1959-2007

2011-07-10T16:03:00.000-04:30

A BRIEF MINI COOPER HISTORY

1959 The Beginning of Greatness

The Mini began its public life on the 26 August 1959. Its designer, Sir Alec Issigonis could not have even dreamed of the impact his little car would have on world culture, society and of course automobiles. The Mini was designed simply to be an affordable car which could seat four adults and still be small enough to travel in safely. Originally powered by 850cc 34bhp engine, this was the Mini in its purest form, simple, clean and agile.

1960-1969 The Evolution

Although the Mini saw through six decades it is always the 1960s for which it will be remembered for. These ten years saw the Mini go from a 'housewives shopping car' to the must have fashion accessory, via international stardom on the rally scene. It took John Cooper, twice F1 World Champion Constructor, to realize the full potential of the Minis sharp handling and maneuverability. In 1961 the first Mini Cooper hit the streets, firstly with a 997cc engine producing a massive 55bhp, there followed a range of engines for the Cooper from the rare 970cc Cooper S to the ultimate evolution the 76bhp 1275cc S, the car which would form the basis for the Works Rally car. The Cooper S achieved superstar status when the 91bhp Works spec cars won the Monte Carlo Rally outright for 4 years running from 1964-1967

(although the Minis were disqualified from the 1966 rally for having faulty headlamps!)

Now that the Mini had proven itself in front of a world audience, everybody wanted a Cooper, and indeed everybody who was anybody in the 60s had a Cooper, from The Beatles and Peter Sellers to Graham Hill and Enzo Ferrari! Of course they couldn't have any old Cooper they had to be modified. Companies such as Radford and Wood & Pickett who made their name tailor making Rolls Royce's and Bentleys now were turning their hands to Minis, with everything from electric windows and leather seats, to wickerwork sides and hatch backs. Thus a trend was started which has been kept p to this day, meaning that it's near impossible to find a Mini which hasn't been modified in some way.

1970-1979 The Clubman, need we say more?

The 1970s is often seen as the dark era of the Mini, various attempts were made to kill it off, starting with the end of the Cooper in 1971 to the launch of the Metro. But still the Mini soldiered on, with just enough people buying it in order to keep it alive. The launch of the Mini Clubman in the late 60s gave the Mini a much modernized feel, and although the design is a case of love it or hate it, it added a bit of variety to a rather dull 70s Mini line up. The Clubman is differentiated by the hotdog grill with lights inside the "dog".

1980-1989 The Question Years

By the 1980s the Mini was starting to die, and in a desperate attempt by new owners, Rover to keep it's head above water an alarming number of themed special editions were launched, over 40 different editions were produced between 1980 and 2000. The most successful of which was the Anniversary editions, an idea which started with the 1100 Special back in 1979, produced to celebrate 20 years of Mini production. The 80s saw the Mini 25 and 30 birthday editions, which were undoubtedly integral to the survival of the Mini for so long.

1990-2000 Rebirth, Death or Evolution? You Decide

The re-launch of the Cooper in 1990 brought about a much needed revival of interest in the Mini, particularly in Japan.The 90's Cooper initially had a 63bhp 1275cc carb engine, then in 1991 had an injection version of the same engine.Perhaps the biggest change in the Mini came about in 1997 with the introduction of the twin-point injection engine with a front mounted radiator, this engine was introduced as standard in both the Mini and Cooper models along with safety

features such as airbag and side impact bars in the doors. Along with this modernization came the 'Sportspack' option which included 13in alloy wheels, large wheel arches. The final Mini rolled off the production line on the 6th October 2000.

2001 And Beyond

The launch of the New MINI produced by BMW in 2001 adds perhaps not a new chapter, rather a whole new book to the Mini story. The new MINI currently comes in three models, the standard MINI One with a 1.6 liter 90bhp Chrysler engine, the Cooper powered by a 115bhp version of the same engine and the Copper S adding a supercharger. First impressions are good, the styling is mini-esque Mini, although the size is not quite so, nevertheless it drives almost as well

as the original in terms of enjoyment, but is far better for long distance cruising. Overall while the New MINI is a far cry from Issigonis' original design, in my opinion it is a great car.

Mini gets sneaky with new set of kicks.

2011-06-08T09:13:00.000-04:30

Hard as it might be to believe, there are some people out there who are as into sneakers as we are into cars. Crazy, we know. But they're out there. Now Mini is trying to bridge the gap with a special pair of its own kicks.

The latest item in the Mini Lifestyle Collection, the Union Jack Sneaker are festooned with – you guessed it – the Union Jack, the flag of the United Kingdom that has graced so many a Mini roof over the years. The shoes are made primarily out of canvas, with white soles and laces and Mini logos aplenty.

Just like the latest Mini cars are unveiled at major auto shows, these sneaks were previewed at the Sneakerness convention in Cologne, Germany, and will go on tour with the traveling expo to Zurich and Amsterdam. But if you're not planning on heading there yourself, you can check 'em out in our high-res image gallery and the press release after the jump.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/08/mini-gets-sneaky-with-new-set-of-kicks/

Mini auctions Kiss Countryman cars to fund global relief efforts.

2011-06-07T09:41:00.000-04:30

By Michelle Koueiter, AutoWeek
If Dad's Gene Simmons poster is starting to lose its luster, you should probably sign on to eBay to try to win him a custom-painted Mini forever emblazoned with that tongue.
Mini and the rock bank Kiss partnered to auction four Countrymans (Countrymen?) that are custom-painted with the iconic likeness of each band member, in a 10-day Father's Day charity auction that started on May 29.

Official: Monte Carlo Rally returns next season to World Rally Championship.

2011-06-07T09:16:00.000-04:30

Every racing series has its iconic race. F1 has Monaco. NASCAR has Daytona. Indy and Le Mans hardly need any elaboration. And rallying has Monte Carlo. The thing is, the Monte Carlo rally hasn't been part of the World Rally Championship for several years now. But that's about to change.

The legendary event – organized by the same Automobile Club de Monaco that puts on the Monaco Grand Prix and a number of vintage racing events – dates all the way back to 1911, and aside from notable breaks for a couple of world wars, has been held pretty much ever year since. From 1973 through 2008, it was an integral part of the World Rally Championship, but after that it went to the rival Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

A landmark announcement, however, reveals that the Monte Carlo Rally is returning next season to the WRC, but not at the expense of the IRC. Instead, the round will act as the season opener for both rally championships.

The Italian Rally is also scheduled to return next season. An anticipated rally in Abu Dhabi, however, was excluded from the 2012 WRC calendar, which encompasses 13 rounds mostly in Europe. The Jordan Rally, which was so problematic this season, was also excluded, with overseas rounds held only in New Zealand, Mexico and Argentina. However, unlike F1, whose schedule is also set by the FIA, the Latin American rounds are not paired, but instead punctuated by a return to Europe for the rally in Portugal. Follow the jump for the full schedule.

Bizzare Google Earth Pictures

2011-06-06T11:50:00.000-04:30

Auto Antics
Think parking is tough where you live? In Westenbergstraat, Netherlands, drivers apparently have to park on the sides of walls.

it's always been about the rallies

2010-12-13T05:32:00.002-04:30

celicas.

Do we really know how to drive? how does IT drive?. lol. check out those STIs beasts. nice. the (due) respect to those EVO9s. An the X10 undestimaded sedan. previous STIs. drool. rally cars truly. But perhaps those AWDs, moms and dads... had something to say.

Or perhaps yeah, im just a crazy GTfour digger.

That front to back balance / power at the rear / power / accelaration / drivability. traction. + TRACTION. nice. "Show me how a machine can go sideways and i'll make it accelate fast enough to make ya wanna drive it harder.
damn japanes. crazy f-ers.

As a previous owner of an 89 3S-GTE turbo-transplant-daily-driver. imma tell you. when you feel those 16Vs taking it in. They go alright.

check out this link. the first video.
you know, the one that says pure engine sounds. props to the camara work.
TIP. if you mute the 2nd. y'all will enjoy it much more lol.

http://www.taringa.net/posts/autos-motos/6414635/Megapost_-Toyota-Celica-GT-Four-ST165_185-Rally-Car.html

Everything's always had a begining!

Quattros. Audi. ye. bring me AWD.
Dont mention those infamus... RWD out of the picture? nah. those escorts and not just the RS2000s but the XR3i with a whooping... 100 / 125HP? they knew shorter wheelbase was the way foward. 205 pugs and what not.

drive.

Hop to the near-90s / bit past 90s. there was, celicas. 16v turbo GTfour.
DRIVE!.

Ye. celicas. a tad-long coupe, shadow-ed by its muscle brother supra. [I did say muscle, but thats a diffent chat]
THEY were something.

Another porn moment.

Cuyagua

2010-08-23T09:58:00.002-04:30

Mini goes to Cuyagua

2010-08-23T09:55:00.001-04:30

Mini gets stuck in the sand.

Mini lovers helped us to get it out.

Test your Petronix Ignitor Module / Prueba de modulo Petronix Ignitor

2010-01-23T12:34:00.002-04:30

English:

1. Connect the ignitor plate to the battery negative terminal
2. Connect the red ignitor wire to the battery positive terminal
3. Attach the black lead from the voltmeter or test light to the ignitor black wire
4. Attach the red lead from the voltmeter or test light to the ignitor red wire
5. Rotate the magnet sleeve in front of the module at aprox 1mm

The volt meter should fluctuate between battery voltage and 0 volts or light-on/light-off
A constant measurement indicates that the power transistor or hall cell may have failed.

---------------------------- o ----------------------------

Español:
1. Conectar el cable negro del Ignitor al terminal negativo de la batería
2. Conectar el cable rojo del Ignitor al terminal positivo de la batería
3. conectar el cable negro del voltímetro o luz de prueba al cable negro del Ignitor
4. Conectar el cable rojo del voltímetro o luz de prueba al cable rojo del Ignitor
5. Rotar la camisa magnética en frente del modulo a aprox 1mm

El voltímetro debe fluctuar entre el voltaje de la batería 12v y 0 voltios; o la luz de prueba encenderse y apagarse.
Una lectura constante de voltaje o la luz permanentemente encendida significan que el modulo está dañado.

Legally Blondes. 2009.

2010-01-20T15:50:00.000-04:30

Warning: do not watch this movie.

Upgrade Update

2010-01-18T17:13:00.005-04:30

Mini Launch's brakes have always been top notch even though standard.
It needed new rotors so I went for drilled rotors and uprated pads.
They warm up quite fast I'd say but take a bit longer that street pads.
It seriously feels like I have shaved off a few feets on stoping distance.

"Powers is useless without control" - unknown.

Not much to report...

2010-01-18T17:08:00.003-04:30

But a damn fine picture! lol
We installed the blank door circles a while back and I must say: I dig.

The Bank Job. 2007.

2010-01-18T12:12:00.001-04:30

The only bad thing about The Bank Job is not seeing Jason Statham drive the mini.

The Bourne Identity. 2002.

2010-01-18T09:36:00.002-04:30

The+Bourne+Identity+-+Car+Chase

The Bourne Identity mini chase is amazing, we will watch this part of the movie over and over again.

Beyond Borders. 2003.

2010-01-18T09:26:00.002-04:30

Video Coming Soon.

Beyond Borders with Angelina Jolie and Clive Owen. Sarah, Jolies character, upon her return to the US drives a mini.

If Only. 2004.

2010-01-18T09:22:00.001-04:30

If Only is not a great movie, but it has a mini in it.

Carolina Herrera Commercial

2010-01-18T09:21:00.000-04:30

The Italian Job. 1969.

2010-01-18T09:16:00.002-04:30

The Italian Job is a classic, Michael Cain is a master.

Mini Home Decor

2009-12-16T15:17:00.001-04:30

Colin McRae and Minis

2009-11-27T21:07:00.001-04:30

So one of my fav rally drivers (I say one of them, lol) Colin McRae, did drive a mini.

Not only that, it was his first race car.
What do you know!

You can check out the Corgi replica here:

Corgi Mini 1275cc modified to Cooper spec - West of Scotland Autotest Championship 1984, Colin McRae

RIP

Enjoy

Push Button Start

2009-08-03T22:33:00.003-04:30

Along with some other mods undergoing in the interior, i fitted this little gadget:

Pictures really dont do any justice as to how nice this button looks.

Interested in how it's wired? Check out the diagram:

The connections on the red outline are just my choice for one of the security devices. It can be moded or ommited as required.

Seats, door cards and carpet

2009-08-03T22:15:00.002-04:30

The interior's upholstery and all the carpet was done awhile back but i hadnt uploaded the pics.

The door cards was something my wife and drew together.
I'm still missing some pics for the rear seat and cards, check back later.

People and their cell phones...

2009-08-03T22:10:00.002-04:30

A while back, some jackass backed up into the front of my mini, of course because he was on his phone and didnt pay attention to the honking from behind.

Not much damage though, just a broken headlight and indicator.

I couldnt find any lucas replacements so i fitted these proyector ones and some MK1 clear front indicators i ordered awhile back.

What do y'all think?

Forgot to mention

2009-08-03T22:06:00.000-04:30

On the tail light project I had forgotten to mention that the rear lights have been rearranged, the stop light is now the turn signal and the old reverse and turn signals are the the stops

Did that make sense?

The turn signal (top) and the reverse (bottom) light up when I press the brake.
The stop light (middle 2nd) is now the turn signal
The middle 1st still as normal, it lights up with with the number plate lights, dashboard and such

Hopefully people will see me better when coming from behind

Intergalactic.

2009-05-22T14:28:00.001-04:30

Spotted at: 0:42

Travelling through Venezuela in a mini.

2009-01-15T08:48:00.004-04:30

That round bum, yeah

2008-10-20T14:47:00.003-04:30

Righto, so I got around to finishing the few cosmetic touches I had in mind for the mini:

Remember those small fog lights at the front? I was never too proud of them, so off they came

One of those, plus my recently painted tail lights and it all turned out like this:

Well, let me know what you think
Cheers

Tail lights

2008-10-11T10:24:00.000-04:30

I don´t know if you guys have noticed that my tail lights look out of place, well that´s because they are not original pieces.

I guess the previous owner had the upper parts made up.

Anyways, since the exterior hasn´t been my priority in this project I never got replacements, however I wanted them to look a bit nicer and experiment with paint so I did this:

Took them out and sanded them, removed all the markings and lettering,

masked the reflectors,

And went on happy painting,

I used glass paint applied with a brush. Flatten down when dry and then sprayed 2 coats of clear coat.

They look ace!

I owe you guys the pictures of the finished product, check back later :)

A few more mods

2008-10-11T10:10:00.004-04:30

Right, it´s been a long time since i done something worth mentioning to mini launch. The turbo project has been put in the back burner.

This month I had some surplus parts from a few orders, that and some free time and this is how he ended up :)

The part list was:
AAA neddle
RamFlo airfilter
K&N stub stack
Maniflow LCB
Payen head job gaskets
DEI exhaust wrap left-over

A few mins of boredom and we had this:

A couple couple of days of grinding away, we had this:

I went the extra mile and ported the stubstack + filter + carb + spacer + intake manifold all mounted together including gaskets.

Now remember those ally rads I had mentioned, we mounted one too. All marked by our own brand and serial # included.

Some cleaning and de-coking and we were ready to bolt on. I even used some of the wrap on the fuel line:

Took my time polishing the dashpot and it ended up looking like this:

2008-10-06T16:31:00.003-04:30

Oct 4

Sad day.

A day just like this past saturday the last mini rolled out of the production line.

The mini´s production ended Oct 4, 2000 @ 10:30am

Keep your minis on the road. Long live the mini

Twin Mini

2008-09-04T13:16:00.002-04:30

Camo skin, check

2008-08-07T13:22:00.002-04:30

Gather up:

Days come and go, and I keep thinking turbo, and the voices in my head go in sync "turbo, turbo, turbo" with a sort of echo to it. I can't stand it anymore, I must boost.

I'll take this project very slowly and build everything first, and when all is ready, install and bolt on to minimize downtime.

I have done a DYI turbo before, but there were a whole different set of rules; I had a $1200 budget, EFI and tons of scrapyards to snatch things from. This gave me 13.4sec 1/4 mile, and about 40k miles of fun without any mayor engine problems.

Now we have, a car half the size and carbureted, no accessible scrapyards but I do have access to a nice garage so $$$/per work hour will be very very low, and of course top notch craftsmanship!

So let's up the ante, cut the budget in half, I say: $600! Yeah it's mad but read on.

I know the engine will probably handle about 15psi or so, but I'll be aiming for 8psi for a start, maybe 10psi on the odd night.

Let's see what we have/need:

Engine: DONE, no need to spend more money in this area.
Freshly rebuilt, nicely broken in, about 7.200RPM red line (I don't dare take it past that)
1030cc, 8.3:1 CR (you can tell this was the plan all along -insert evil laugh-), mildly ported head, bullet-nosed valve guides, 276 cam, uprated differential pin.

Turbo: FREE
Used T25/T28 with flanges

Carburetor: FREE
HIFF 38, needs rebuilding and pressure proofing.

Fuel pump: DONE
FACET Solid state, installed when rebuilding the engine.
Return line also installed.

Rising rate FPR: $40

Plenum chamber: BsF 200 - about $60
SS or aluminum, haven’t decided.

IN - Piping: BsF 200 - about $60
2" aluminum all around

BOV: $70
Although I was offered a used dump valve, guess what, for FREE!
This is a very considerable option, and it has a recycling setup, very well for a stealth project. However I do enjoy the sound of the open air BOV.

Turbo EX Manifold + downpipe: BsF 200 - about $45
DYI job. I get to polish my recently learned welding skills.
The manifold will be as small as possible that way there is no need for mods to the bulkhead.
I'll need to modify the engine steadies or "dog-bones" to allow me to tilt the engine a bit forward. Maybe add an extra one lower on the radiator side.

Exhaust: FREE + some clamps.
Single box straight through.
2" Recycled SS piping + high temp paint. You'll never know the difference.

That will take a good chunk out of my budget. I must keep on searching for bargains.
Still need a wideband AF to help me profile the carb needle and of course a boost gauge.
An intercooler is also on the list but I might be getting a used one, if it's free then well, we're still on budget, hehe
I also need oil supply and drain lines; we will see how we figure that one out.

A good list of things have to be taken into account so if I forgot something then I better hope is not the expensive ones.

Expected finish date: 04/04/09 hehe just in case.
HP aim: 95 - 100 @ the flywheel. A bit conservative I know.

100 hp will make a whooping 140 hp-per-ton.
See ya corsas and other small road animals.

Comments are welcome, as well as donations and used parts.

El mini goes everywhere.

2008-08-07T09:03:00.001-04:30

Stealth

2008-07-16T18:02:00.006-04:30

One of my favorite types of 'moding' a car is the sleeper type.

You'd usually see a rather 'ordinary' or stock car on the outside, but pull it up to the tree (xmas tree/dragstrip lights) and then you will truly see what sleeper means.

Mini Launch has been behaving awesomely lately, well maybe because I tend to look the other way when something goes wrong, not going off on it but rather just fixing it and making it better.

We have almost cover 10.000 kms since the rebuild and belive me when I say: we've had some good times!

So with the engine done, I can't stop thinking about the next level, and so I keep pondering...

To boost or not to boost, that is the question

Goodbye Pork Pie. 1981.

2008-07-10T15:37:00.001-04:30

The chase.

Mini Geek Talk v2

2008-06-04T11:12:00.003-04:30

Fellow readers (I always wanted to say that), the way I see it;

Mini = mini = classic and THE only one mini :)
(I feel much better now, had to get it off my chest)

MINI = New MINI = Bini or otherwise known as BMW's attemp to gain customers with a nostalgic (retro) design and demerit-ing an all time icon.

Not ranting though, I still like them (a bit) but not as Minis. Just basically the same way I like many other modern cars.

Cheers

mini geek talk

2008-06-03T22:25:00.003-04:30

MINI refers to the new MINI
mini is the original mini.

...and that's what I learnt about minis today.

Thought du jour.

2008-05-29T15:54:00.004-04:30

Hang on to your seat.

It´s not just an expression in a MINI.It is a rule.

(From the book: Things you learn in a MINI)

2008-05-20T16:25:00.006-04:30

So we took a little trip to the beach. This time we headed to Paiclas Key (Cayo Paiclas) which is about 1 hour and 20 minutes drive from Valencia, and a 10 min boat ride from Tucacas/Morrocoy.

We had such a great time. At least that's what I'm told anyways, I had all the fun driving there and back, lol (you might even be able to spot my evil-mini horns in the picture).

The mini is behaving so well. You can really feel that 88 bhp-per-ton. Especially when coming back up on the twisty climb from El Palito to Valencia. We recond the trailing arms the previous weekend and that gave it enough time for the suspension cones to settle. The ride is still as bumpy as a mini though, so I've been thinking in the spring conversion, not the coilovers, but the rubber springs replacement.

Don't get me wrong, I love how the mini feels and handles, but it also feels like the roads here are tearing the mini apart. We'll see...

Useful info

2008-05-19T13:43:00.003-04:30

Hmm I had thought about posting this for a while but never came around to it so here it is, at last.

Ever gone to the store and wondered: "hmm I wish I remembered that part # now..."
Well it's happened to me a few times when planning my routine maintenance.

This applies to mini cords (91-95), but not exclusively, so do your own research.

Oil Filter, spin on type:
FRAM: PH3616
WIX: 51348
MILLARD: ML-3614 (personal favorite)

Spark Plugs:
NGK: BP6ES (the one and only favorite)

If you have electronic ignition you may want to choose the BPR6ES. These have a resistor. However on my electronic ignition setup I have never experienced interference on the non-radio Amp+iPod sound system (ya! lol).

CHAMPION: N9YC (not bad but not NGK)
CHAMPION: C57 (race use)

Thermostat:
ACDelco: 131-73

This I use due to the lack of mini specialist in Venezuela. It has the same diameter, rated temp and is also available everywhere.

Air Filter, HS4 only:
K&N: E-2601 Replacement for air cleaner housing
K&N: 56-9320 Cone Filter

It's been proven that the best option (performance wise) is to use the replacement filter inside the original housing with slight modifications (few holes here and there, make sure you drill on the outside of the filter location!). The cone filter goes best for aesthetics with some compromise on gains. Anyways we're not discussing performance this time, because I could argue that cone+stub stack could mean looks=/+power...

So really what are you after?

I couldn't imagine anyone still using paper filters and I don't have part numbers.
Might add them later.

Accessories Belt, Air Conditioning models only (BA):
BANDO: 40430

Hit the crab with a stick!

2008-04-25T14:13:00.004-04:30

It’s always easy to blame stuff and to jump into conclusions.

I had started to think that either the rear subframe mounts had gone kaput or that I had bent/cracked the right side trail arm. The later being the most logical as per the situation. So I called up a friend to whom I had sold, yeah you guessed it, a pair of spanking new trails arms, ha!, ain’t life a female dog?

I almost paid him twice of what he had bought them for (from me non-the-less)!

Moraleja: Do not take wild guesses!!

To cap this off; investigating on the matter we found:

The situation is that the pivot shaft on the right side had snapped on the inner side of the trail arm.

Confusing? Not really, a shaft goes through the trail arm at one end to make it pivot with the suspension.

Apparently due to a poor previous installation (don't we all love previous owners?) it was left loose on one end and along with the weight and side forces (hitting a dip a high speed) caused it to break

And guess what, the trail arms are ok which is really good news.

So a pair of these kits is in order:

Might as well do the other side while I'm at it.

It seems the trail arm needle bearings are always a concern so I'm glad they come in the kit too.

I'm actually considering taking the whole rear subframe off and giving it a once over.
We shall see…

Bounce, Bang!

2008-04-25T14:04:00.005-04:30

So it has been a couple of months of joyful mini'ing... really... despite a couple of small problems and a blown headgasket but hey, it's a mini after all.

It's all hard work to get it at near perfect condition.

The story is; coming home late at night, took a dip on the road a little faster than usual (really it wasn't faster but let's blame it on speed) and now my rear is sunk. It seems the rear subframe has misaligned itself...

It's crabbing... (whatever that is)

Explained like this:

(Please excuse, it´s not my picture but it is was late at night, apologies)

I have exagerated a bit on the graphics, but thats basically the idea.
The right side tire rubs on the inside at the rear of the wheel-well (boot side)

The left side seems to have it´s normal height, but the right side has dropped a bit, however not enough to rub at the top of the wheel well (arch)

Good thing this happened just a couple of blocks from my house, so i drove it very slowly and noticed it pulls a lot to the left.

Poor Imaginativa! had to follow me on foot (kisses)

Well, I'll have more on this when I find out what the damage is.

and now, the build!

2008-03-13T08:41:00.001-04:30

Clean clean

Build build

Paint paint

Cooling

by-pass blanked off

stat mod

Attention to details:

the picture doesn't really make justice, but the finish is stunning. Black with aluminum flakes and super glossy.

TDC

and....

Tah Dah!

There you have it. All this in about 6 weeks

to the rescue

2008-03-12T08:43:00.003-04:30

So yeah yeah, I owed you guys an update. Well get comfy.

I can't have pictures of everything but...

Pistons

Rings

Oil Pump

Long story, they sent me the wrong oil pump, I got a slot drive for 1275cc, kinda hard to exchange when you're so far away from the distributor. Well call it coincidence, luck or whatever you want; driving on the freeway a lady asked me to pull over, guess what, she deals with minis and needed a 1275 oil pump and had a 998 on stock. Score.

Rod, Main & Cam bearings

Gaskets & gaskets

Water pump

Valve job

(it's impressive how big the seats look, lol)

Camshaft kit w/kent 276

Parts List 2

2008-01-14T10:10:00.001-04:30

Well, due to circumstances we have added a few more things to our list.
Most of these were found locally:

1 Engine mount
1 Facet electric fuel pump
4 sets of poly bushes (front shocks, engine steady, gear box steady)
1 3-core Radiator - aluminum core made locally
1 88deg 'stat - with slight modification ;)
1 bunch of rattle cans (aluminum grey, black(matte), black(glossy), ford blue

And well you know the usual: oil, filters, carb cleaner and other expendables

The car is coming along well, a lot of wiring has been fixed and rearranged, we put the engine back in, all hooked up. There is more wiring to be done.

I have a ton of progress pictures so keep checking back.

Part list - to the rescue

2008-01-10T21:32:00.000-04:30

So to the rescue,
I ordered all of this from MiniMania in California and had them forwarded to sunny Valencia.
It's good to be in the import/export business.

1 DUPLEX TIMING CHAIN KIT STEEL LIGHTENED
1 KENT 276 CAMSHAFT KIT SLOT DRIVE
(inc: 276 + FOLLOWERS + DUAL SPRINGS + LUBE)
1 WATER PUMP
1 SMALL BORE ENGINE GASKET SET
1 HEAD GASKET SET SMALL BORE
1 CONVERSION GASKET SET
1 OIL PUMP SLOT DRIVE FOR SMALL BORE
8 SEAL VALVE STEM
8 CYLINDER HEAD VALVE GUIDE
1 CAM BEARINGS (set)
1 MAIN BEARINGS 998 +.020 (set)
1 ROD BEARINGS +.020 (set)

And all the way from Minisport in Australia:
1 998 +.040 Hypatec Piston set and Hastings Ring set
I have to add that these 4 ring pistons are quite the nice piece of art, the look so nice i even had doubts about putting them in and getting them all dirty, lol
There is mixed info on their dish, some say they are 6cc, others 7cc. I measured them and I got 6.6cc (or something like that)

Pics of parts will follow.

Overhaul 3

2008-01-08T13:34:00.000-04:30

And this my friends, is my fav part. I laugh sometimes, some others I wonder...

Piston 1

Piston 2

Piston 3

Piston 4, special feature

this has to be my fav of the 4. Notice the crack all the way up to the piston crown

TBC: to the rescue...

Overhaul 2

2008-01-08T13:32:00.001-04:30

Tear down starts

Everything can be done with the right tools :) we marked the caps

Head inspection

Lots of carbon

The cleanest of them all

Now, notice the exahust valve totally closed off by carbon build up. This could explain why there was so much smoke coming out of the oil filler cap. And this actually having poked it a bit with a screw driver.

Rod bearings

Mains

Cyl bore

Overhaul 1

2008-01-08T13:14:00.000-04:30

So this is Mini Launch,
We have been through a lot in the 4 months we have been together.

Anyways, pictures, we all love them:

When we got it

Few weeks after

Around town

Some bearings, brakes and suspension work was done, no pics.

Dec 21, radiator blown... what the... lets get started

Dirty eh?

Mini with a/c

And tah dah!

Meh, just kidding. This is my mates engine getting finished.

Anyways, out the engine came...

I was happy to see that head gasket was mint, don´t know why but it was a happy moment. Now laugh, notice the carbon build up

Couple of notes here: This much carbon build up can be credited to a master cylinder failure, break fluid going up the vac assist, which also caused tons and tons of oil leaks.

More to come

New Battery! 800

2007-11-18T13:09:00.001-04:00

MiniLaunch got a new battery today and it is running nice! No more worries about running out of power.

Photo taken on 18/11/2007 in front of The Cathedral, in Valencia, Venezuela while testing the new battery.

Mini withdrawls symptoms.

2007-11-12T17:32:00.000-04:00

Mini Lauch was put in the shop for some work in the I dont know. But it´s been 4 days already and he is still there. I think OAP will start shaking from withdrawls symptoms soon.

No more tears

2007-10-30T13:17:00.002-04:00

Just when I thought I had figured out how to take care of my car. (gas, oil change, tire pressure, water, air filter, etc.) You know, basic "girl car knowledge". I was to keep my husband company while he replaced the water pump. Well, that was the hooking line, just replace the water pump.

Not quite. MiniLaunch was spread apart. We created a gasket around the cleaned water pump. We cleaned the area around the area where the gasket would be placed and carefully inserted the clean pump.

Done? well no. We then changed the conveyor belt, replaced the fan, cleaned around the area. Just in time to start raining. Thankfully it only sprinkled for a bit, so we were able to replace the radiator, the attach the motor mount, fill the radiator and tada! star the car.

Just when I thought we were done... we had to wait until the water boiled, to replace the cap and then... put the hood back on, in hopes of stoping the leak. My husband put all the wires back behind the grill and we finally had a roaring mini with no more tears.

Wow, I am amazed I can remember all these names (pat on the back)

Discovery Saturdays

2007-10-29T15:54:00.001-04:00

Driving along discovering the city in a mini.

Water Pump

2007-10-28T15:43:00.000-04:00

Took out water pump to check it.

First Oil Change

2007-10-20T15:45:00.000-04:00

Mileage:
Type of oil:
Type of filter:
Total expense:

South American Mini History

2007-10-16T16:50:00.001-04:00

Originaly written in Spanish by: Ricardo & Miguel Plano

1990
FACORCA (Fábrica de Motores y Carrocerías Cordillera) a the factory located on Mariara (Carabobo State, Venezuela), the idea of building Fiberglass Minis is gestated. After more than a year, on April of 1991 an agreement is reached with Rover Group Ltd. to obtain support, technical supervision, and to provide all the mechanical parts as well as all electric components, Facorca would assume the body, interior trim, radiator, radio, wheels, and tires. The factory molds itself for a maximum production of 10 cars per day, but the normal production would eventually become of 6 cars per day.

1991
The series production started in December, assembling total of 113 Mini Cord on that month. Two basic models with 1000cc enter the market (the project of launching a 1275cc engine was never achieved). The Mini Cord FA, deluxe version, which brought amongst other things, air conditioning, complete leather interior trim, central console with tachometer, chrome bumpers, spotlights, Minilite Type GB wheels. Mini Cord SB, Standard Version, with cloth interior trim, and steel wheels with deluxe wheel cups. All Colombian versions came with Minilite type GB wheels.

1992
In 1992 768 Mini Cords were produced, specifically for the Colombia, Venezuela, and Antilles market, of which 164 were imported to Colombia. That was the best year of production.
If you visit the BMIHT museum (British Motor Industry Heritage Trust) you’ll be able to find, in a privileged place, amidst the most important Minis, a Red Mini Cord FA, with white roof.

1993
By 1993, a few improvements are made to both models, changing the interior trim to a better one, much more comfortable, original Rover rearview mirrors, and new design on the forward emblem.
The 1993 Production descends to 391 units, due to the different economical problems, and problems among the partners, which drive the Factory to an almost decisive shut down. 62 Units are officially imported to Colombia, and the Distributors in Colombia, Mini City, cease to function as well.

1994
In 1994 FACORCA finds itself in a very difficult financial situation, but the success in sales and of possible exports to Colombia take the Company to the hands of Abisaad Janna & Cia, who are convinced (by the partners left at Facorca) to re-open production.
Assembling the Mini Cord restarts, and two Beach Minis prototypes get to be built first, two unique convertibles, a conventional Mini with Kit Cooper 1.0 with 10 inch wheels, and another standard engine and Pilmico Style. Together with those, the Mini Cord with John Cooper 1.0 Kit deluxe is launched, with 13 inch Revolution wheels, Three-Clock-Central Drive Board, and Leather Interior. All should have been silver, although, because of special requests, some where painted otherwise, on other colors. The total production with Cooper and the standard versions by 1994 was of 24 units a great deal of these series reach Colombia, and all this due to the Economical situation of Facorca. This takes Abisaad Jana & Cia, to cancel their contract.

1995
In 1995 only 15 units are assembled and commences the dismantling the installations.
Between the years 1991 and 1995, only 1309 Mini Cord were produced, in the standard and the Deluxe Version, Cooper and Convertibles, which makes it the smallest Mini Productions ever.

(SPANISH VERSION)

Movie Car Chases

2007-09-30T13:13:00.001-04:00

Mini in Punta Brava

2007-09-29T15:47:00.001-04:00

We took MiniLaunch to Punta Brava on a camping trip at the beach. Happily we had no mishaps getting there nor coming back. Though going down to the beach here is a real trip downhill, not many cars make it back up. Second weekend in a row going to the beach.

Isla Larga

2007-09-22T15:53:00.001-04:00

MiniLaunch makes it back from a quick trip to the beach.
The road down from Valencia to Puerto Cabello in a mini is comparable to a ride in an amusement park, not for the weak of stomach or heart. There were so many bumps and craters along the way, sometimes the little one levitated up in the air. Just getting there was half the fun, so much fun, that we spent 3 hours at the beach and decided to head back right away.

The way up the hill is no easy task, slowly but steady MiniLaunch made it back safely into the city.

New pair of shoes

2007-09-20T16:31:00.001-04:00

Mini Launch gets new set of tires.

MINI Facts

2007-09-05T20:57:00.001-04:00

Did you know?
The mini was constructed in plants in the United Kingdom, and later also in Spain, Australia, Belgium, Chile, Italy, Portugal, South Africa, Uruguay, Venezuela and Yugoslavia. (READ MORE)

Mega Mini Adventures Begin...

2007-09-01T16:06:00.001-04:00

We were suppossed to go to the park, instead we went on our first road trip in MiniLaunch, all the way to Maracay 1 hour away from Valencia.

Mini Launch Original Specs

2007-09-01T15:46:00.001-04:00

Date Purchased: 08.2007

Make: Mini Cord

Model: BA

Color: Pearl Blue

Year: 1993

Milage: 60 000 Kms

Name: Mini Launch

(aka Pocket Rocket)

Interesting Facts: Made in Venezuela in fibreglass body.