Morris Minor Owners Club

This might seem a daft question but my brothers daewoo matiz recently needed some engine work so I had a chance to see it, this got wondering if anyone has thought or tried fitting a matix 800 or 1000cc in their minor?
- it wouldnt seem like an advantage and there's the FWD / RWD issue but I read the 1000 produces about 63bhp as compared to the minor 1100 at 40 something.

might get my flame retardant umbrella lol

Orkney was planning on doing a conversion to a daewoo lump. Think he has abandoned it now though.

I've been toying with the idea of a Peugeot 1.9 turbo diesel through a type 9. need to do some weighing first though

As always, tricky bit is getting the engine gearbox combo.

Seems like an awful lot of work and a big increase in complexity for a small power increase.

mmm, it's more of an initial idea right now, if I dont go any further I wont post about it and if I do then I'll start a new topic

Welung666 wrote:I've been toying with the idea of a Peugeot 1.9 turbo diesel through a type 9. need to do some weighing first though

I measured up one against my Minor on Sunday (still prefer the Zetec out of my Mondeo though)
Go for the LDV Cityvan version.
It might not be a turbo but that can be solved with swopping parts.
Advantage is it's already RWD and has a matching gearbox (might be LT77 or could be R380). LT77 has loads of different applications and very easy to work on compared to most gearboxes so you can swop tail housing over to put gear lever in the place you want rather then having to put up with it too far forward or back.

Paul Humphries

beautgrainger147 wrote:mmm, it's more of an initial idea right now, if I dont go any further I wont post about it and if I do then I'll start a new topic

Are you after a Matiz for a conversion? I know where there might be one going cheap-ish shortly. Some sort of electrical problem but the engine is mint, very well serviced etc...

I've been thinking of a very small diesel - 1400cc max - and using vegetable oil. Seems the Citroen unit works well!
I see this as the way forward for all 'non Company' run-of-the-mill cars. Small turnbo-charged diesels. High efficiency/ultra high gearing/max speed 80 mph - but maximum economy !!!

bmcecosse wrote:I've been thinking of a very small diesel - 1400cc max - and using vegetable oil. Seems the Citroen unit works well!

Metro's are a good cheap source of these 1400 & 1500 cc Peugeot engines (used by Citroen as well).
Unfortunantley new veg oil is as dear as diesel now and used virtually impossible to get - even if you offer to pay.

Paul Humphries

But modern diesels will not run on veg oil for very long. The older pre HDI versions will but these are often very heavy units. The much lighter modern diesels are much more fussy about the quality of fuel that you feed them.
The VW 1.4 FSI thingy engine, petrol motor does an alleged 80mpg, go petrol if anything and save us all the ghastly diesel soot. Better still go electric, cycle or use public transport for all local mileage.

jonathon wrote: The VW 1.4 FSI thingy engine, petrol motor does an alleged 80mpg, go petrol if anything and save us all the ghastly diesel soot. Better still go electric, cycle or use public transport for all local mileage.

I like diesels but agree that petrols currently are going to work out cheapest it run - especially if you have a conversion to run sub 60p ltr LPG.
I'm even considering fitting a petrol engine (not Land Rover unit which struggle to do 20 mpg) into my Land Rover during it's rebuild as veg oil is the same price as diesel now so even running on that that isn't a way of saving money any more.
As a local run around electric could be the way to go.
I understand all the arguments about placing extra burdens on generating stations so they then produce mroe emmsions and we (as a country) need further thoughts about the best ways of producing electricity as well.

Paul Humphries

The answer then is to put up a wind generator - and recharge your car with that! The old Citroen diesel does seem to run ok on veg oil - but it is now up to just over £1 /litre - still cheaper than diesel! LPG is the obvious answer - I kick myself daily for not putting our Meriva onto LPG when we bought it 3 years ago - it was on the 'todo' list - just never got round to it.

bmcecosse wrote:The answer then is to put up a wind generator - and recharge your car with that! The old Citroen diesel does seem to run ok on veg oil - but it is now up to just over £1 /litre - still cheaper than diesel! LPG is the obvious answer - I kick myself daily for not putting our Meriva onto LPG when we bought it 3 years ago - it was on the 'todo' list - just never got round to it.

Does the governement still give an allowance towards LPG conversions of new cars or under a couple of years old ?
Locally veg oil is now £1.25 per litre and no cheaper if you buy in 3 - 5 ltrs sizes. Even traditional cheap places like Lidl, Netto & Aldi are same price.
I've yet to try wholesalers but other people tell me their prices are bascially the same per ltr now as well.
There is a local place that used to supply used / filtered veg oil at 42p litre but suspect their prices will have increased plus you have to pay cash / buy in 205 ltr barrels.

Wind turbine & solar panels are already one of the things I'd consider for charging an electric vehicle.
Just think about gyms with all that energy wasted on treadmills and exercise bikes that could be turned into electricity as well

Paul Humphries

whilst mentioning older diesels as cheap transport. I used to run an old audi 80 1.6 turbo d on half pump diesel and half central heating fuel oil.

It never complained, drove as normal and saved a small fortune.

central heating oil is usually about half price, not as well filtered and doesn't contain the additives hence only running it 50% on it.

superchargedfool wrote:whilst mentioning older diesels as cheap transport. I used to run an old audi 80 1.6 turbo d on half pump diesel and half central heating fuel oil.

It never complained, drove as normal and saved a small fortune.

central heating oil is usually about half price, not as well filtered and doesn't contain the additives hence only running it 50% on it.

Unfortunatley central heating oil is prohibited for road use as no duty has been paid so the penalty, if caught , is the same as if caught running on red - big fine and seizure of vehicle.

Paul Humphries