Hi all,
Before deciding to get back into mini's, I was going to rebuild a fiat500 bambina using the drive train from a suzuki alto works 4wd turbo as it was the same track width and same wheel base. No that I am happily getting back into mini's, what do you think of a transplant of the Alto Works into a mini? I think it would go off its tits... Scuse the expression.

I agree, off it's tits!

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But he's thriving and striving and hugging the turns.

I think it would be a fun idea.... But boy O boy the work in it would be huge.. Imagin all the work in the floor? Doing the tranny tunnel and all the hanging points bolt up points yadda yadda ydaa the list goes on... I think its a great idea but like I said the work in the floor alone would be huge..

Go for it be sure to take pics as you go and plenty of how toos ..

Thanks Colins

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If it cant be fixed with a hammer it cant be FIXED!!

Interesting idea. But would it not be easier to graft on a mini body to the Alto chassis. Surely an equal amount of work would be involved...

Then again, you can get fibreglass kits for some of the kei class cars to make them look like the original minis anyway.

Not to discourage you, I'd love to see the result!

Madmorrie

Since you wouldn't be retaining the subframes at all, it would probably be considered an ICV - Individually Constructed Vehicle. Therefore it would need to meet current ADR's for a 2007 vehicle. Which means a lot of hassle and money.

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Brett Nicholson
Greendale (near Ballan) VIC.
1971 Morris Mini Moke
1966 Austin Mini
1965 Morris Mini Traveller
1973 LR Series 3 88
2007 LR Freelander 2

I was gonna do one of those, but decided 650cc's wasn't enough - 1600cc honda awd for me

it's a pretty normal conversion job, but a custom backend - no putting the mini body on a suzuki chassis, bugger that

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

Power to weight ratio of the 650 shouldn't be underestimated, I have seen an alto works clean up a supra and sti impeza in town, it was modded to the max, but then again so was the sccoby & the supra
I don't think the alto works is much diferent in weight to the mini, so there could be some fun there.

Why wouldn't you use the subfames and retain the mini geometry? There is no reason not to, it all fits within the inner gaurds, and is very close to the same wheel base and track width. I have gone down the rout of ICV doing the clubman before, so I know what is involved there, but because I would look at it by keeping the suspension geometry and subframe structure, there are less hasles.

Grafting the mini body onto the Alto works pan is definately not easier, I did investigate this when I was looking at doing this for the bambina. Marrying up parts is always harder than fabricating from scratch. I have never seena kei kit that makes them into a mini, and not heard of them either. Besides, the suzuki alto turbo works 4wd never came to Australia, the only way to get one here is half cut with running gear at the rear.
The Alto is here, but is drastically diferent to the works internally.

You could probably retain a chunk of front subframe, but how are you going to retain the rear one and still incorporate the AWD bits? You would need to replicate the 4x4 Moke prototype rear end I guess. That's what skssgn is doing, I think? Yes, you could probably avoid ICV.

BTW: Cutting the body of the Alto floor and substituting a Mini or Moke body is still considered an ICV. I've already enquired about a similar conversion. But if you use a full chassis donor it can be done though. eg: Take a Suzuki Sierra chassis and put a Moke body on top.

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Brett Nicholson
Greendale (near Ballan) VIC.
1971 Morris Mini Moke
1966 Austin Mini
1965 Morris Mini Traveller
1973 LR Series 3 88
2007 LR Freelander 2

I have seen pics of the setup of a 4wd mini, and it doesn't need any work on the pan, the tunnel is large enough to accomidate the prop shaft and exhaust including hand brake cable. A modified rear subframe would be the go to hang a live axle as it isn't IRS, but... I would love to have IRS on the rear end of the mini, it would be worth investigating rear diff options that are small and of the right ratio. It would be no diferent to me making the wishbones for the clubman in this case, or go trailing arm setup... Would have to work it out properly, but I don't know, it is all thoughts at the moment, but that is where wild projects start.

Definately do-able, and there are soooo many options for the rear end.
Any small IRS setup can be used, just need to pick one that is the lightest & needs the minimum of modification.

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Too many cars, and too little time.

can you share these pictures? the 2 conversions I have seen have either widened the floor or put the exhaust under the floor and poked it out the side. The factory moke has a very skinny tailshaft (actually using a mini driveshaft for the first part of it - serious!) and a skinny exhaust

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

I will try find some pics for you, have them somwhere...

Like the Ringmini pickup?

http://www.ringmini.de/English_Version/My_Minis/my_minis.html

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Too many cars, and too little time.