Mini + Gtfour build

[FC Zach]

You are not kidding!

 

[underscore]

Normally I wouldn't, but for this build I'm not surprised. Some of the stuff I kind of wonder why they don't just stick with the original setup (even if it's crap) and then come up with something better as a winter project when the car is done or something. Stuff like the wipers, exhaust, flares, doors, locks, HVAC, and the crazy flip front. The custom work is neat to see but it seems a bit odd to spend so much time on them when you don't even know if you'll like the way the car feels to drive afterwards. I'd bang out the bare minimum mechanicals, hook it to a jerry can, and go for a drive. Then again maybe they've done that already but never mentioned it.

 

[deecee]

I think they are taking this approach with ancillaries in the engine bay as the turbo and intercooler system is going to take up significant room. Better to understand the actual available room instead of investing time on making it go and handle. And I think they know that it's going to handle like a front loaded pig with the amount of weight they have up front.

 

[Locker]

I also believe that they are spending all the time/energy on the small things like wipers, power doors etc as the show is their form of advertising. If you are looking for a shop to build your dream and have watched the time and effort these guys put into simply making things work based on the application the work they do on the small stuff I'm sure helped to drive additional business their way.

 

[fussellbug]

Episode 19 is now on YouTube

As many of you who have learned from personal experience, automotive wiring can be a daunting task. In this episode, the boys take on the task of fitting a 2004 MG harness to the Mini and prove once again that it pays to have the right tools for the job.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=QBXT1sHP92w

 

[fussellbug]

Episode 20 now available!

Continuing with the previous episodes wiring, the front and rear lighting is sorted and wired. What comes next is a very abbreviated version of how they mounted the alternator and A/C compressor over the transaxle driven by a specialty flex shaft. As the boys aptly put it in their video description:

There's an unbelievable amount of work in this one, far too much to show in one 30 minute episode without killing it dead, so there'll be an additional machining video out in a couple of weeks for anyone who'd like to see more of the detail in the latter part of this episode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIyxrvO3dRk

 

[underscore]

Holy smokes, that was a crazy amount of design and engineering for that alternator setup. It's been so long I can't even remember why they aren't using the stock setup though, I assume hood clearance?

 

[fussellbug]

For those who enjoy watching lathe and mill machining, the first installment of "Howie did it" is now available. In this video the boys machine their crank pulley, accessory pulley for the flex shaft and the housing for the flex shaft coupling.

Not as comical as their average video, but interesting to hear the occasional words about the why and how of each piece's design and fabrication.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tzWC2G3mr0

Additional footage is promised in part 2 for the machining of brackets and other parts to mount the alternator and A/C compressor.

 

[fussellbug]

Here's the second installment of "Howie Did It", with all of the transmission side parts machined and assembled. This includes the two piece mounting bracket, alternator pulley and connector to the flex shaft, along with their spider adapter to hold the driven end of the flex shaft.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPYNCt5yV-U

For those who would like to skip the machining and see just the assembly portion of the video, you can jump to 38:22 using the link below:

https://youtu.be/PPYNCt5yV-U?t=2303

 

[FC Zach]

Really nice components however I feel that an assembly with that much mass should be held to the trans by more than two bolts. . I can see the selector shaft housing being what fails for this retrofit.

 

[underscore]

I spied a couple of unused holes in the assembly at the end, so perhaps those will end up tied in to the head somewhere for more stability. I only saw one bolt go on for the alt though which seemed odd, I'm assuming they just forgot to film the other one.

 

[fussellbug]

The boys go back to the interior to adjust the shifter height and steering wheel mounting depth. Along the way, cable trays are made to tidy up the wire runs and a full center console and lower dash panels are made to cover it all. They also finish fitting the dashboard and make all new door cards. As is their normal method, everything is more complex than actually necessary but looks and fits great when finished.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0pNV_FPH10

 

[fussellbug]

The latest episode focuses on stereo and speaker install but also includes wiring the rear end of the car and mounting their standalone engine management system, the Link G4+ Fury. The boys create a full Alpine sound system with 6"x9" speakers mounted in the rear side panels adjacent to the seats, a component speaker set fitted in the doors and a custom remote head unit setup to fit the shallow dashboard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUeytYlxW7c

 

[fussellbug]

Still a bit more wiring with center console and dashboard switches installed, dome light and dashboard camera mounted, along with a new antenna placed on the roof. The oil pan gets reworked to clear the exhaust pipe and an a section added to makeup for loss in capacity. The windage tray is made removable and has new baffles installed below. The lower radiator connection is cut out and replaced with a longer vertical pipe to make a hose connection more feasible, and radiator fan attached and wired. The guys finish the episode by testing all of the electrical circuits to verify fully operational.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG1p336CZH0

 

[CMS-GT4]

The most exciting bit out of this episode was the mention of "turbo choice". While they did not go into it, it does sound like they might be going outside the realm of the ct26. Not as if this light car needs a lot of power. But that should make for a good episode.

 

[gt4tified]

Surprised you guys haven't updated this thread...I'm amazed at how long this build is taking though (mixed feelings lol)

Here's the latest episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPUQBtmLqpw

 

[underscore]

I love every second of the build, it's definitely taken a long time but they didn't skimp on any of the things they easily could have. The DBW TB has me trying to remember if they had a DBW pedal setup in the earlier episodes or not.

 

[gt4tified]

I love every second of the build, it's definitely taken a long time but they didn't skimp on any of the things they easily could have. The DBW TB has me trying to remember if they had a DBW pedal setup in the earlier episodes or not.

Honestly, I would love to watch it all, but truth be told I only paid attention to those episodes that involved the powertrain and drivetrain. Don't have time for much else. But yes I did notice the DBW throttle...good way to incorporate newer tech into a 30 year old engine! And their attention to detail is matched only by their mad machining/building skills.

 

[underscore]

I liked how they showed the kerfuffle with the injectors, they could've just removed that footage and hidden it like most car builders would. I wonder how much of the DBW was newer tech and how much as just not wanting to deal with trying to route the throttle cable through all that madness.

 

[___Scott___]

After a prolonged period of silence from these guys, they finally posted a new video:
https://www.youtube.com/user/badobsessionmsport/videos