Deisel

[PAULJ]

Can anyone recomend a deisel engin that will go in a moggy without to much bother
Thinking about next project.
Cheers

[GAS]

Here is one for you,it's a cracker.
And goes like s#*t off a shovel
http://mog.myfreeforum.org/about1404.html

[PAULJ]

Here is one for you,it's a cracker.
And goes like s#*t off a shovel
http://mog.myfreeforum.org/about1404.html

How nice is that, You may have seen Im looking for a pickup and im thinking deisel but ill take the van

[bmcecosse]

For very best economy (but probably not much performance) the Citroen 1.4 or 1.5 diesels are likely to be best. But no idea what it would take to mate one to a Minor gearbox. They should however run on veg oil from the chippy!

[Matt]

ford 1.8 TDI from an escort/mondeo/sierra. Cheap as chips good power and economical. Will bolts straight up to a type 9 gearbox too ;)

[chickenjohn]

Don't ruin your Minor by getting rid of the lovely A series!

If you want better economy the best thing you can do is:-

1) Make sure your A series is running at its best- that may include a top end overhaul and decoke and bedding the valves in again.
2) Drive economically!!! (this makes a HUGE difference).
3) Drive less miles.

I get 45+mpg on a run from my Traveller- that is real measured full tank to full tank economy, and 38.8mpg round town/commuting. No need to change the engine when our cars are already as economical as modern cars. Plus an A series, with proper servicing and careful driving will outlast any modern engine by decades.

[bmcecosse]

Hmm - strange that none of the original road tests ever achieved that figure. I'm pulling together a list. Note that most recorded a speedometer almost 10% fast although they didn't mention the mileometer - but it's entirely possible it also will be reading 'long' leading to apparently enhanced fuel economy..........

[chickenjohn]

Maybe the original road test drivers- as per journalist drivers- were not driving economically! (Clarkson, etc getting only 40mpg from a prius etc).

BTW, my traveller has been driven in convoy with a quality German performance car that certainly does have an accurate speedo and 60mph in the 944S2 was also 60MPH in the Traveller- I was surprised to see the driver keeping up easily at an indicated 60mph in the 944- also in my Traveller at an indicated 60mph!!!!

If you do not get these figures on a run (44-45mpg), then either something is not right with the car or one is not driving economically.

[bmcecosse]

Both my moderns have speedos 3 mph fast.....I haven't checked their mileometers. But I struggle to hold 42 mpg in the Punto despite driving as economically as possible and rarely any traffic work. Now this is a modern 5 speed high final drive car - with 'slippery' shape, low rolling resistance tyres and supposedly high efficiency 1350 fuel injected engine........... The Clio manages 44 but it's only a (very good!) 1200cc engine.

[chickenjohn]

Modern cars are very heavy- and their engines more highly tuned than a 1098 A series, hence they use more fuel. The Punto probably weighs 1000lb more than a Minor.

The official MPG figures given out by manufacturers are pure fantasy- only achieveable under perfect laboratory conditions and few owners check their consumption full tank to tank.

[chrisryder]

Back to the question at hand, in our fleet/stable/collection we have a 1.5 turbo diesel renault clio. weighs less than a tonne a kicks out 105bhp

it's my mums car and she drives it daily and the on-board (...not to be trusted...) mpg readout says 55mpg or so, but that's probably because she never takes it above 2000rpm (the turbo comes on song at 2200!). It's a very frugal little thing when you drive it gently, but drive it like a teenager (which i did when i was) and it's a torque-steery tyre-smokey lift-off-over-steery hoot to drive. maybe that's because i'm used to half the power though!

its good for 116mph officially, and it would happily sit at 85, 90, 95, all day long. it got me from the Lickey Hills down to the brooklands museum in 1hr 30 once...

if i had my way, my mum would give me that clio and i would somehow fuse it to the minor together. ok it'd be front wheel drive but the way the clio is set up, even me in my innocent youth could 'feel' what the front was doing and cope with any understeer, which you only ever got from going on the brakes too late or the power too early.

arguably if you were going to such effort to do a floorpan swap or whatever, you'd choose a bigger better powerfuller donor, but the 105bhp 1.5dCi has, to me, the best balance of economy and useable power. i can't see how anyone needs much more than 100bhp per tonne on the road.

oh god. i've just realised something. it's french

[chickenjohn]

Please don't do that Chris Ryder! The floorpan swaps are the worst of all mods. If you need a small french diesel and want the looks of a Minor, just run two cars!. A Minor is so cheap to run that this is easily feasible. Floor pan swap will end up destroying two perfectly good cars.

55mpg showing on the cars dash board does not mean it gets 55mpg in reality! These things are optimistic and the only true way to gauge true fuel consumption is to brim the tank, make a note of the milage and brim it again and calculate.

[mike.perry]

I drive my Minors enthusiastically, no point in dropping a 1275 in and not using it. I use the fuel gauge to see if I have enough petrol to make the next filling station. What's 40mpg?

[Alex'n'Ane]

Minors are meant to be fun to drive! Enjoy driving them, and stop ruining it by thinking about fuel economy! Drive half as far and have twice as much fun!

[chrisryder]

i wasn't really planning on doing it, my mum won't relenquish her clio any time soon anyway. but i think i might do it now just to spite you

i wouldnt take a perfect clio and a perfect minor, i'd find a minor with the floor rusted out, and a clio with the... body rusted out, ok that doesnt work a lot of it is plastic... but you get the idea, take 2 cars that wont survive on their own and hybrid it up to make a working car.

nobody seen the dark metallic blue saloon with a 2.0 astra grafted in? used to go on MOT a lot, reg was WOF something, that was a lovely car!

[bmcecosse]

Since you mention the Lickey Hills Chris - a friend was telling me there used to be week-long holidays arranged for train spotters - to watch steam engines pounding up the Lickey Incline. Apparently - they were known as Lickeyweeks..........
I'll get my coat..

[mike.perry]

Time to hug a few trees

[chrisryder]

you can't do Lickeyweeks any more. the guy who came up with them went into hiding

interestingly it probably takes a train about a week to get up the incline. there are two guys burried in a churchyard in Bromsgrove, that have the accolade of being the first people to be killed by a train exploding trying to get up the Lickey Incline.

which brings us back on topic..... the diesel loco's get up fine!

[bmcecosse]

[simon68]

I drive my Minors enthusiastically, no point in dropping a 1275 in and not using it. I use the fuel gauge to see if I have enough petrol to make the next filling station. What's 40mpg?

I agree Mike.I've never chosen a car because of its MPG.Unless your doing serious miles every week it's never gonna make that much difference.Nearly every Car i've sold(well over 100),new owners asked me 'what does it do to the gallon' & i've never been able to answer it.I just tell them i put it in when i need it.