Mini City 1293
Discussion
Hello, Im new here! I own a 1979 Mini City 850, it fairly standard at the moment but its undergoing alot of work and part restoration to get it back on the road ready for my 17th birthday. With the help of my dad it slowly but surely coming back together and taking shape once again. As the story goes, it was involved in an accident many years back where is was sandwiched between to saloon cars, recently its been in the bodyshop and been pulled out on a jig, re-shaped, resprayed front and back, and generally put back to it standard form. So now the modding begins! Wide n' low! 
As I say its an 850, so whats that 30 34 bhp?
The colour is Vermillion, quite rare, only ever seen a few Minis in this colour, so I guess its unique to start with. Which is what I like. (The colour looks different on every picture!)
After the accident:
Back from bodyshop and with an empty wallet:
As I say its an 850, so whats that 30 34 bhp?
The colour is Vermillion, quite rare, only ever seen a few Minis in this colour, so I guess its unique to start with. Which is what I like. (The colour looks different on every picture!)
After the accident:
Back from bodyshop and with an empty wallet:
Edited by Mini_Lund on Sunday 29th October 12:04
PJR said:
Looks like a nice solid car for one that must be getting on a bit.
I was never keen on the 850 lump myself though. Should be a fun car none the less however
All the best, P
I was never keen on the 850 lump myself though. Should be a fun car none the less however
All the best, P
And why would that be may I ask! Yes every Mini is a fun car
Thanks for the compliments so far. It is a solid car for its age, its 27 yrs old! She's getting on abit now 
Arches going on soon.
Woosh this topics getting busy!
I'll tell you a little something... I have a 998 just sitting there... waiting!! Waiting to be stripped cleaned and re-built, using performance parts of course 1275 head
The picture:
I'm glad you've taken the time to have a look at the topic and see my lil' Mini and comment it!
It's due a wax-oiling soon!
Painted underneath in enamel paint, and under the arch:
WIDE!
I'll tell you a little something... I have a 998 just sitting there... waiting!! Waiting to be stripped cleaned and re-built, using performance parts of course 1275 head
The picture:
I'm glad you've taken the time to have a look at the topic and see my lil' Mini and comment it!
It's due a wax-oiling soon!
Painted underneath in enamel paint, and under the arch:
WIDE!
Mr2Mike said:
Lovely clean looking mini. I loved my 850, very sweet, free reving engine. At least it was after I changed the valve springs which must have gone weak with age and were allowing terminal valve float at around 5000RPM. I stuck a lightly ported and well skimmed 1098 head on mine (larger inlet valves than 850/998 head), and along with a decent small bore LCB, alloy inlet manifold and well set up 1 1/2" SU performance was quite reasonable.
Best power enhancing "modification" I ever made to it was replacing the timing chain just after I got it. The old one was in a very bad way, and after replacing it and setting up ignition timing it felt like an extra 50% more power
Even if you leave the engine stock I'm sure you will have an enormous amount of fun driving your mini. Making decent progress in a relatively underpowered car demands some smooth driving and reading of the road rather than the "point and squirt" that drivers used to more powerful machinery tend to use.
Best power enhancing "modification" I ever made to it was replacing the timing chain just after I got it. The old one was in a very bad way, and after replacing it and setting up ignition timing it felt like an extra 50% more power
Even if you leave the engine stock I'm sure you will have an enormous amount of fun driving your mini. Making decent progress in a relatively underpowered car demands some smooth driving and reading of the road rather than the "point and squirt" that drivers used to more powerful machinery tend to use.
What a great way to put it!
I have to ask, how can changing the timing chain increase performance? I am concidering putting a duplex timing chain on, but then it only makes it quieter, would I/should I notice a performance increase?
33 miles to the gallon...those SU's are thirsty bu&&ers, adding two means twice the petrol used!
Whats left to do, off the top of my head:
Gearbox strip down and re-building
Passenger side floor doing
Passenger side sills and rear arch tidy up
New door skins
Fit rear quarterlights (opening windows)
New door rubbers
New bump stops
Engine maintenance
Fit arches
Fit exhaust system
Fit twin red trumpet air horns!
Replace roof gutter trim
Fit chrome windscreen scuttle, (in the rubber)
New wiper blades
Sort the brakes
Sort the handbrake
Fit a whole new interior
Fit centre clock dash board
... etc
Any Ideas for the 850?
Stage 1 kit, Cooper freeflow, rc40 exhaust(rolled tip side exit)?
Mr2Mike said:
If you have an A+ engine than you can also retain the tensioner when you fit the duplex gear, giving you a very quiet, long lasting setup.
Its a Leyland Mini
I did an insurance quote for the Mini, fully comp from Liverpool Victoria, all modifications declared. The end quote was £1072.26 not half bad at all!
Yeh the engine at the moment is completely standard as with gearbox, however I have 2 red trumpet air horns (MOT passable?) ready to fit and go on! I was thinking of putting a new fibreglass bonnet on and cutting a few triangles or circles on the front and mounting mesh behind, but... nothin much is under the bonnet! I think the best way to go with the 850 breathing is to leave the standard air filter on, I've heard so many problems with people who have trouble with their engines after fitting K & N filters and other non-standard filters. It may look the part but sometimes can end in performace decrease, and I don't want to start fiddling around with setting up carb needles!
Another thing is its on drum brakes and my friend is rantin on about how his Cooper S discs are far superior...maybe, so but when drums are kept well maintained and generally kept on top of they are really good! No doubt about it, anyone comment on that?
cooperman said:
The best head for a 'nice' 998 is the 12G295 casting, as used on the 998 Coopers, with, maybe slightly larger inlet valves and a bit of opening-out and general gas-flowing. For the cam I would go to a Kent 266, a 1.5" SU on a decent inlet manifold and either a small-bore LCB or a Cooper-type 3 branch into a 2-box exhaust with a small-bore RC40 as the back box (probably centre-exit).Nicely assembled this should give around 55 bhp, i.e. about the same as the original Cooper 998, but without the insurance loading.
However, I would certainly do something with the braking system. 7.5" 'S' discs and hubs would be the ideal.
Peter
However, I would certainly do something with the braking system. 7.5" 'S' discs and hubs would be the ideal.
Peter
I also could get the block pocketed, and get a 940 head onto it and a Swift tune 5 cam...
Mr2Mike said:
If you have an A+ engine than you can also retain the tensioner when you fit the duplex gear, giving you a very quiet, long lasting setup.
Mine is only an A series as its 1979, A plus engines came in I think 1984 when 12 inch wheels came in, therefore mine HASNT got a timing chain tensioner, just the chain on 2 sprockets..
cooperman said:
Push an 850 much beyond 6300 and you are pushing your luck! I'm sure there will now be those who say it's good for 7000, or somethikng like that, but they don't have to take it all out and get a new block and gearbox if/when it all lets go. The 998 is a different matter as it's much stronger and will take a regular 6500. However, I wouldn't cruise either at much over 4500-5000.
Personally I think you would be better off not fitting a fibreglass front, and especially not fitting a full fibregalss flip-front. I know I've gone on a bit on here about the loss of structural integrity with the flip-fronts but, IMHO, for ordinary road use they are bloody dangerous in any sort of frontal impact.
The drum brakes really are not very good, although we did race and rally with them in the 60's. If drums are to be retained, a good bit of advice would be to renew everything including the slave cylinders and linings, new drums (Minifins if you can afford some) and make sure you regularly adjust them. The full 'S' disc set-up can be expensive and I guess you want to keep on 10" wheels (they are best for any Mini).You don't need to cut any holes in the front as 850 and 998 cooling is never a problem. In fact cooling is only an issue with the very big engines on hot days in competition.
The best thing you can spend your cash on is suspension improvements like decent dampers, suspension bushes, correct front and rear settings, etc.
Personally I think you would be better off not fitting a fibreglass front, and especially not fitting a full fibregalss flip-front. I know I've gone on a bit on here about the loss of structural integrity with the flip-fronts but, IMHO, for ordinary road use they are bloody dangerous in any sort of frontal impact.
The drum brakes really are not very good, although we did race and rally with them in the 60's. If drums are to be retained, a good bit of advice would be to renew everything including the slave cylinders and linings, new drums (Minifins if you can afford some) and make sure you regularly adjust them. The full 'S' disc set-up can be expensive and I guess you want to keep on 10" wheels (they are best for any Mini).You don't need to cut any holes in the front as 850 and 998 cooling is never a problem. In fact cooling is only an issue with the very big engines on hot days in competition.
The best thing you can spend your cash on is suspension improvements like decent dampers, suspension bushes, correct front and rear settings, etc.
Hi, I'm not going the flip front route thats for sure, need as much metal in the car as possible! I was offered some Cooper S discs and rebuild kit whic hhe said i wouldnt need for about £200. ?? Good?
Hello all It's been a while, nearly forgot about the forum!
But dont worry I'm still here
To be honest, no progress has been made since the last post really, its just sitting at the top of the drive deteriorating
Bullet mirrors starting to corrode and pit, losing shine (crap cheap metal 
) Aston filler cap doing the same, went round it with some WD40 spraying it all up... bits of rust are coming through on the boot floor, nothing serious at all and its fully water tight with new rubbers so should be okay... So all in all not too brilliant really, waiting for weather to get better so ore progres can be made... she's reluctant to start too, and not as shiney as she desperately needs a wash, battery going flat from trying to start her, need to put some more petrol in thats all! lol Just finished AS Exams so might find some more time on my hands but I've started more Units at 6th form now. Oh well! I've put a progress video on youtube now and this is the link:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO0uZIzYUP4
And all that were following this topic...It's time to get back into it! May need some advice soon so will hopefully be on here more often and start making some progress!
Thanks...
Tom
But dont worry I'm still here To be honest, no progress has been made since the last post really, its just sitting at the top of the drive deteriorating
Bullet mirrors starting to corrode and pit, losing shine (crap cheap metal ) Aston filler cap doing the same, went round it with some WD40 spraying it all up... bits of rust are coming through on the boot floor, nothing serious at all and its fully water tight with new rubbers so should be okay... So all in all not too brilliant really, waiting for weather to get better so ore progres can be made... she's reluctant to start too, and not as shiney as she desperately needs a wash, battery going flat from trying to start her, need to put some more petrol in thats all! lol Just finished AS Exams so might find some more time on my hands but I've started more Units at 6th form now. Oh well! I've put a progress video on youtube now and this is the link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO0uZIzYUP4
And all that were following this topic...It's time to get back into it! May need some advice soon so will hopefully be on here more often and start making some progress!
Thanks...
Tom
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