I have a '68 Deluxe with a 998 engine in it and pretty much every thing stock except for the 8.4" front discs.

The engine is shagged, or pretty close to it.

I recently purchased a new engine, it's a 1275 from an MG Metro, engine number indicates its a leaded fuel one with a compression ratio of 10.5:1. It's in unknown condition, but apparently it was running before the car it was in hit something and got totalled.

I'm planning on putting this engine in my car pretty soon. First I will probaby rebuild it or get it rebuilt. I would really like to supercharge it, but this depends on budget, because while the engine is out, I'm going to get the shell fixed up and resprayed.

The question is, do I go the supercharged setup, which will no doubt involve switching to lower compression pistons during the rebuild, or just build a really nice NA engine with the high compression pistons in it. It's really a cost versus horsepower question. Is the extra money spent on the supercharger and appropriate bits going to be worth the horsepower over a nicely set up NA engine. I was planning on talking to Ben Afford, who apparently is in the know about superchargers and has a kit available or something.

I plan on using the car for supersprints and motorkhanas, and it also gets driven to work everyday at the moment but hopefully won't be in the future.

What do you guys think?

Keep it NA! It will still go pretty hard NA. I can't speak for supercharged engines, but boy a 100Bhp NA car is already scarey fast as it is! If I get mine to 100 horses I'd have to seriously think about a bucket seats and a roll cage!

Totally attainable if you perhaps did some head modifications, higher lift rockers and serious carburation and exhaust fitout.

I highly doubt that a supercharger will get you over 100bhp without some of the mods as mentioned... You're probably looking at alot of money too... (ie. supercharger + fitting + headwork + manifold + exhaust etc.)

NA engines last longer

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

In the end you have to ask yourself, how much hp do you want at the end of the day and how much money you want to spend. Then the decision can be made clearer.

IMHO Supercharger is for bling bling factor only. The A series will do well without forced induction, not that I am against forced induction (Allah the Golden Bullet Mobile ).

If you are thinking supercharger or turbo then go the full monty and do a starlet conversion or something...

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

How much money do I WANT to spend, or how much money am I ALLOWED to spend?!

I think to get the same HP out of an NA motor as a supercharged one, the NA is going to have to rev a bit higher. I think a supercharged engine will be a bit more drivable.

You're going the NA setup with your engine aren't you 68D?

Seeing as we're both starting with a 68 Deluxe, maybe I'll go the supercharged option and we can do a little comparison of the results?

No competition

I think you've got that wrong way around... the supercharger will need to spin pretty fast before it gets any power. I think (and don't quote me) you won't see much gain from the suparcharger until at least 3000 revs.

The rationale is that the supercharger itself eats up valuable hp (requiring hp to spin the turbine) so the loss vs gain only becomes positive at around 3000rpm or so.

Kev's NA car on the other hand, can pull (back breakingly) from 2000rpm all the way to 8000. Not that he does 8000 rpm regularly! no need! once your doing 5000rpm on second you'd be nearly breaking the law as it is!

This is what you need to do: Go ride a 100HP NA car. It will change your mind about supercharging! Trust me!!!

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

Oh my other comment is that the A Series has been tuned NA since the dawn of time (5 decades at least!) so all nearly everything you need to know about making your car go hard reliably NA way has already been learned!

What I mean is, A series was not really designed for forced induction and in the long run you may find it will cause you more problems than an NA car that's all.

If you are in it for the sport of having a forced induction car and bragging rights at the pub then by all means! I just don't think it will be a bolt on and forget type of modification, that's all...

Do yourself a favour, For $60 go buy Vizard's How to tune BL's A Series Engine. Worth Every Cent! It talks about NA as well as Turbo and Supercharger, the difference between blow through and suck through induction etc. Buy it before you spend $$$$ on any modification! In fact, even if you were to do mods, Buy it anyway so you learn what the mechanic is doing to your car!

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

Sorry! Lastly, the only reason I would think about putting in a supercharger is to get over 100hp from the A series. This is SERIOUS power! Like I said the crank and bearings on an A series is not designed for this type of serious power and you will run into problems. (like throw a conrod )

If you are just looking for a fast road car, then 100bhp is by far enough in my opinion. Anymore than this and you need to think about brake upgrades, bucket seats maybe even a roll cage!

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying supercharging is a bad idea, in fact I love the idea! it sounds sweet! just know what you're getting yourself into before committing a single $1! Don't just think you can bolt on a Supercharger to a stock car and me done with it... You will need to mofidy the engine and pay that money, then pay the money on top for the supercharger and custom intake etc which is extra money on top.

When you're done though it should be a 100bhp+ car which will be insane!

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

Sorry bud - just did quote you - but I think you are confusing a supercharger setup with a Turbo. yes turbos need some revs before they generate any benifit. but a Blower is direct driven and is available from idle.

I am heading down the same path with my 1275 setup so i have the same dilema. My solution is to go NA until I am happy. As mensioned before, to blow the motor your going to need all the internal mods for strength anyway, so I'll do all these first over time. So when it is all sorted via NA then the next step is to prepar a "boost head" based on a 940 casting but ported and chambered with forced induction in mind, and it's just bolt on the blower.

As I understand it supercharger that is the right size for your car should provide more power down low as the revs rise the supercharger runs out of puff and the effects will start to fall off.

Contrast this with a turbo which runs off the exhaust gasses and down low there is little exhaust flow so the turbo doesn't spin up but as the revs go higher the turbo provides more boost

to solve the problems with both turbos and surperchargers you can get turbos and superchargers on the one engine the supercharger provides boost down low and as it starts to fall off the turbo starts to provide boost.

Alternatively there are twin turbos where one turbo is smaller and spins up quicker to provide boost earlier as the exhaust gasses start to move too fast for this turbo it is bypassed and a larger turbo provides boost.

But I figure there is probably not room for either a twin turbo or a turbo and supercharger in a mini.

This is not to say that I don't agree with 68 Delux I recon a NA engine is the go that way if you still don't have enough power you can supercharge it later (provided you haven't bored it out too far, another thread was taking about this I think)

If you want drivability I think that a supercharger is preferable to a turbo, but all this is just hearsay as I have only driven a couple of turbos deisels and no supercharged cars

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Roads need more corners
A Deluxe(CG13DE), 2 Clubbies(998 and 1275) and 2 Morris 1100Ss

You're probably right! I have no idea about forced induction actually... only what I have briefly browsed through Vizard about

Anyway I've said my piece and will go back to my corner now

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

I hear you, and you're probably right about power over 100hp.

But seriously, if I were to do a car over 100bhp then I'd do a Starlet Turbo conversion like Brads car! reliable, probably cost the same (?) and huge hp!

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

If I'm getting the engine rebuilt anyway, then I might as well get it rebuilt and set up for supercharging. Do it all now instead of half now and half later.

Hey guys what kinds of warrenty's are being given with quotes for these kinds of motors?

I'm assuming they are costing a pretty penny so are 60 000 - 3 year gurantees being given on motor work?

Just wondering

Steve

ok here goes first all the work was carried out by LW parry in sydney ph 9599 2871
they gave me heaps of help and explained everything to me (this was the first time i had built an engine.) but my dad was a mech engineer and he said the machining was really good and was very happy.

* chemical clean of engine and component $55
* messure check inspect & report $27
*remove and replace welsh and gallery plugs $39.60
*rebore and houn 4 cylinder to suit piston $148.50
*surface grind cylinder block face $59.40
*remove and relace cam bearings $36.30
*contour grind 8 cam followers faces $35.20
*demantel and rebuilt & align 4 piston and conrod $48.40
* bore and hone 4 conrod tunnels $66
*crack test 1 cylinderhead $27.50
*recondition & surface grind of 1 cylinderhead $148.50
* remove and replace ring gear (not part of engine rebuild) $27.50
* supply 1 set of pistons and piston rings $244.20
* 1 set of conrod bearings $63.80
* 1 set of main bearings $69.30
* 1 set of main bearings thrust $13.20
* 1 set of gallery and welsh plugs $33.00
* full engine gasket set (1275) $96.80
* 1 competition exhaust valve $46.20
* 1 ring gear $86.90
* remove and replace 4 exhaust valve guilds $22
*supply 4 exhaust valves $28.60
* 8 conrod nuts $44
*Delivery fee $5.50

price exclude GST
TOTAL including GST $1499.30

I got the cam reground later at the same place for $121 including GST

have been posting this around a fairbit but noone seems to no how to search on this site.

a supercharger kit will cost u at the least 2000. dr tim has a contact that build sc-12 supercharger kit for 1200 bucks less carb then u need a metro turbo carb (sorry can't remember the propper name for it) which will set u back 500 bucks. then there are other cost like postage so 2000 big one to be safe. so u are up about a $4000 buck just on the engine then u need a gearbox. but if u have deep pockets go for it.

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FOR SALE MInidlx, 1293, GR head, RE-13, GR worked Redline Manifold, 45 mm DCOE,pulsar dizzy , "S" Disc's, Mk II "S" box, 3.65 diff. Minator 10X6's On the loose

Thanks for the list Stuart.