Midwest Future VTEC Swapper Checking In!

[Ironraven]

Hi guys, I just bought my Clubby Estate and I'm working on getting her all prepped and ready for the swap sometime next spring. Here are a couple shots as she stands now:

http://www.ironraven.net/images/RR/mini4.jpg

http://www.ironraven.net/images/RR/mini2.jpg

http://www.ironraven.net/images/RR/mini1.jpg

This is right before I drove her from Winnipeg to Duluth, MN.

Anyhow, I plan on getting her painted and set up for the swap this winter and then taking the plunge next spring if I can save up the cash and acquire the parts in time. Hopefully I'll need advice from you guys real soon!

[jimfai]

did you get that from Karl up in winnny peg?? eh sweet looking ride, i have a nice woodie kit if you are interested???

[Quickcarnut]

will the woodieeee kit fit a pannel van lets talk thanks mark

[Ironraven]

did you get that from Karl up in winnny peg?? eh sweet looking ride, i have a nice woodie kit if you are interested???

I got her from Dan Pang in 'ol winny, he's a standup guy. No woodie look for me; I personally think it looks silly on a car with fender flares and I plan on putting 13x7 wheels on when I do the vtec conversion. If you still have that B16 I'll take it off your hands in a month or so though.

[magic robots]

IronRaven that thing is awesome. Are you planning on doing something mid-engined, RWD? Or sticking with convention?

Can't wait to see it go through the paces.

[Ironraven]

IronRaven that thing is awesome. Are you planning on doing something mid-engined, RWD? Or sticking with convention?

Can't wait to see it go through the paces.

I'm most likely going to be using the SAlexander frame as it's substantially cheaper than the alternatives, is lighter, retains stock wheel base and mini suspension components AND doesn't require a custom intake manifold. I don't want to go mid-engine because this will be a daily driver for me in the summer and mid-engined minis are loud as... I don't want to have to wear headphones just to drive to work :lol: Also I want the wife and child to be able to ride with me and I got the Estate so I could fit a little luggage inside just in case I can convince her to take a road trip some day. Besides, with proper slicks on the front I should be able to run decent 1/4 mile times... and I'm more of a road race/autocross man anyway. Should be lots of fun, I can hardly wait!

Right now I'm trying to decide if I want to do the conversion first and then make her pretty or if I want to get her painted and fit wheels, arches etc first. There's a little bit of rust on the back doors, just bubbles but if left alone for too much longer it'll be a problem. I'm waiting for quotes from a couple autobody guys to see how much a complete paintjob will set me back; if it's over 1500 or so then I'm going to park the car and start taking parts off to prep for the VTEC conversion... so probably within the next week or so I'll be getting started (as I'm sure they are going to quote me over 2k :| ) I'm tempted to try painting it myself, but I know I'd just make a mess of things.

[N. J.]

Good start, there!! All the best on the project!! We're all here (and "there", too) as you need us!

N J

[Ironraven]

Good start, there!! All the best on the project!! We're all here (and "there", too) as you need us!

N J

Thanks bro, I appreciate it! Your diary will be most helpful I think; I'm sure I'll be asking a billion questions and screwing up all over the place, just hopefully I won't mess up the bits I have to cut off :shock:

[N. J.]

Well, if you retain the Clubby front clip without flipping it, there won't be much cutting to do!

Trimming the inner wings will be about it.

N J

[Ironraven]

True true... there will be some hacking on the floor too right? For the shifter install? That's pretty minimal though. Oh, and fitting the arches will require some trimming on the front fenders too, but hopefully that won't be a big deal. I just wish I had the cash saved up to start right NOW! :lol:

[Meno]

Congrats, Iron. It's been a long and patient road for you. The dark side awaits...and we await the pictures. Your last ride was blue right? So is blue the new schema?

[Ironraven]

Congrats, Iron. It's been a long and patient road for you. The dark side awaits...and we await the pictures. Your last ride was blue right? So is blue the new schema?

Nope, I'm through with blue... I want an elusive metallic green color that I am currently digging around to find.... it's called "Chidori Forrest Pearl" and apparently was used on some year Holden; but I can't get the only person I know who has a car painted this color to tell me where he got it from... but isn't it HOT?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2270/1813816281_1bc5999829_o.jpg

I want black Alleycats and carbon fiber arches and a black offset pinstripe on the bonnet and roof with a black clubman stripe on the side... I've got it all figured out... If I can't find the exact color I'm thinking I can match it pretty close by using the Jeep metallic green color... but it's a little darker with less gold in it. Hopefully I can get precisely what I want; I think I'm swapping the engine first and worrying about body modifications and paint second. That way I can get it all done at once instead of waiting to get the engine bay painted. It'd be too much trouble to pull the engine twice.

Oh and for anyone wondering what my last ride was...

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k52/Ironraven_01/shoot4.jpg

:cry: I miss my boosted RSX... but having a kid changes the cash flow. Obviously it hasn't shifted my habits though as here I am getting straight back into modding again the second I can save the cash :lol:

[N. J.]

In the saloon using the MTB kit (not the MTB2) the shifter comes up through the same hole as stock, albeit at the rear of that hole. BJ can tell you if the MTB2 kit works different to that. One giveaway to a VTEC swap in a Clubby is that the front wheels aren't centered in the wheel openings. What some have done is "cheat" the appearance by mounting the arches slightly farther forward than they otherwise might have.

The amount you may have to trim the leading edges for tire clearance will be dependant upon the wheel/tire combination that you actually fit and how low you want the suspension.

When I first went to 13's (pre VTEC), I marked and cut doing it that way, following the tire's line. The resulting dimensions turned out to be about a 1/2" shy of the results I'd have gotten from following the published instructions to do it.

I'd acquired two Clubby front clips and was going that way until my wife expressed her opinion of the Clubby appearance. Hence, the MiniTec flip front.

N J

[Ironraven]

In the saloon using the MTB kit (not the MTB2) the shifter comes up through the same hole as stock, albeit at the rear of that hole. BJ can tell you if the MTB2 kit works different to that. One giveaway to a VTEC swap in a Clubby is that the front wheels aren't centered in the wheel openings. What some have done is "cheat" the appearance by mounting the arches slightly farther forward than they otherwise might have.

The amount you may have to trim the leading edges for tire clearance will be dependant upon the wheel/tire combination that you actually fit and how low you want the suspension.

When I first went to 13's (pre VTEC), I marked and cut doing it that way, following the tire's line. The resulting dimensions turned out to be about a 1/2" shy of the results I'd have gotten from following the published instructions to do it.

I'd acquired two Clubby front clips and was going that way until my wife expressed her opinion of the Clubby appearance. Hence, the MiniTec flip front.

N J

There's a fender trimming template on minifinity.com that is reputed to be very accurate... my goal is 175/50/13 alleycats. I'll probably have to order them from the UK though so I'll wait until the USD recovers a little bit so I don't get killed from the exchange rate. Not sure what shipping would be but the wheel and tire package is only $835.00 US from huddersfield spares...

I don't like the way clubman saloons look but I love the clubman front on the estate... it just looks like it fits for some reason; especially with deep dish 13's and big fat flares :twisted:

[N. J.]

Hey...It's hip to be square!

N J

[william75]

[quote user="N. J." post="290"] it just looks like it fits for some reason; especially with deep dish 13's and big fat flares :twisted:

did somebody say big fat flares???

[N. J.]

Can you say "Fortek", boys and girls?

N J

[Quickcarnut]

WOW can you say just looks plan meeeeeeen

how do you get

[steve]

Will; So how does the flip front open; bend the flares out to clear the seam?

[william75]

They are actually the 2nd Gen Fortech Flares from the GT5 series...ya steve, as you can see i notched the flare where the seam is and all i do is pull out a little and it clears the seam, then i lift the whole front off...no flimsy hinges here.....still havent got around to painting them yet..... :roll:

[Ironraven]

Sweet! A little aggressive for me though.

I'm actually beginning to consider a turbo'ed d-series instead of a b-series... boost is a drug and I'm an addict :mrorange:

[steve]

I bet they will flap like wings at 120! Better put a zeus at the bottom

[william75]

i have a total of 4 dzus's...if you look closely at the pic below above the bumper you can see one.....ive had it up to 124mph and the hood is still on.... :lol:

[steve]

William, how was the stability at 120+ ? have you taken it out to Willow yet?

[william75]

it was actually on the 2 fwy south just passing the 134 fwy in glendale.... just up ahead I saw that a JCW MINI getting on the fwy at the Mountain onramp, so I timed it perfectly that I will be right next to him in the #3 lane as he got onto the fwy....dumped the clutch, rpms dropped, only had to downshift into 4th, we both looked at each other at 80mph and it was on....we went at it for a bit until I hit VTEC and I was gone....next thing in know is that im going 123-124 and looking at him in my rear-view....with all the adrenaline pumpin I guess it felt pretty stable...it was time for the ol' skool to show the new skool some new tricks.....havent had it up at Willow yet, maybe we can plan at 16V Track day when everyone is done with their project....... :lol:

[Ironraven]

Ooooo... I wish there were tracks around here. I'd be tempted to come out for a weekend once my mini is finished. I might even be able to pull it off if I ply the wife with chocolate and wine :wink:

[Canyon Mini]

it was actually on the 2 fwy south just passing the 134 fwy in glendale.... just up ahead I saw that a JCW MINI getting on the fwy at the Mountain onramp, so I timed it perfectly that I will be right next to him in the #3 lane as he got onto the fwy....dumped the clutch, rpms dropped, only had to downshift into 4th, we both looked at each other at 80mph and it was on....we went at it for a bit until I hit VTEC and I was gone....next thing in know is that im going 123-124 and looking at him in my rear-view....with all the adrenaline pumpin I guess it felt pretty stable...it was time for the ol' skool to show the new skool some new tricks.....havent had it up at Willow yet, maybe we can plan at 16V Track day when everyone is done with their project....... :lol:

Is that **** legal?

[steve]

Practically nothing is legal anymore.

[Pepper]

RE: Is that **** legal?

Canyon Mini: -(And Steve) :lol:

Of course it is, any car with a wheel base of 80-5/32" or shorter, is allowed to go up to 135mph, as long as the vehicles don't touch; only in Southern Calif, however, cars with 4 headlites are only allowed maximum of 110mph (CVC 5011.18)
Yes, William came close to, but just under the limit.
-Pepper

[Canyon Mini]

RE: Is that **** legal?

Canyon Mini: -(And Steve) :lol:

Of course it is, any car with a wheel base of 80-5/32" or shorter, is allowed to go up to 135mph, as long as the vehicles don't touch; only in Southern Calif, however, cars with 4 headlites are only allowed maximum of 110mph (CVC 5011.18)
Yes, William came close to, but just under the limit.
-Pepper

LOL!! Im glad to see there are people around here, it gets a little quiet here. Iv'e already read everything here and I am looking for more!