I had a dream. I dreamt of an article in which all the Mini things about which I was curious would be explained. Then, I had another dream. In that dream there was a club survey which would ask the membership what they wanted in a newsletter. Then the second dream became a reality, and the membership spoke! They said “Tell us about our cars because we’re not mechanics and we simply don’t know stuff!”. And I grinned. For there are others like me, and I am not alone.

So I approached Rob Fram, one of the club’s Technical Gods, and he agreed to allow me to pick his brain on many of the things that make the car go, go faster, go safer, go smarter. This is the first article in a series which I hope will be as interesting for you to read as it has been for me to learn. Many of these words are Rob’s, I’ve just provided some literary fluff and extra thoughts where possible. This is just part one in a multi-part series so more to come!

Part I

Wheels & Tires
10 vs. 12 The choice here is mostly personal. 12" are easier to mount and balance but may have fender clearance issues depending on the wheel / brake combination, 10" only can fit up to 7.5" discs and not all aftermarket calipers clear all wheels, slightly lighter weight with 10", if speedo is not matched to tire diameter then reading will be incorrect.
145 vs. 165 165 tires have significantly more grip than 145s, and in today’s driving environment that translates into a safer car - less likely to lock a tire in a panic stop, more grip for emergency lane change etc. 145 tires tend to be made more for the budget shopper - less quality in the carcass construction and a harder compound but are typically better in heavy rain - less hydroplaning, and are better able to cope with snow - narrower footprint is better able to cut through. 165 Yoko A008s are about the worst snow tires on the planet [Ed. Note. It’s true, from personal experience!] (but very fun in the dry). 165s are a squeeze on stock 3.5" rims, and can have clearance issues on bigger wheels particularly with disc brakes. 145 tires should not be used on 6" rims

Braking
MiniFins - $$ - Pro - Anything to help stock drums is a good thing, most noticeable at high speed or repeated stops. Con - Can't work miracles won't make up for neglect of the rest of the brakes, are only available now with the spacer built in,
Discs - $$$- Pro - vast improvement over drums, good for repeated stops, wider front track helps handling.

Accessories
Higher power headlights - An H4 conversion is dead simple to perform and is a night and day difference, however do not use more than 55/60 watt bulbs in mk3 or later cars or you will be changing light switches frequently. Even then adding a pair of relays is highly recommended

Part II
Here is the second instalment of this series, with more to come. Many thanks to Rob for providing all this great information!

Engine
Hi lift rockers -$$
Pro - Easily fitted, noticeable increase in performance, minimal effect on emissions, can work with future upgrades such as bigger camshaft, one of the best bang for buck improvements.
Con - best fitted at time of cylinder head overhaul - past wear of valves and guides can be accelerated with H/L rockers
Cam - $$$
Pro - Very significant gains can be had when matched with a few other changes.
Con - Engine out job to change, can have a detrimental effect on emissions - must choose carefully to pass Aircare, best done in conjunction with intake and exhaust mods.
Header - $$
Pro - gets rid of the crappy exhaust connector at the back of the engine, can add a few hp on it's own or a few more in conjunction with other changes, sounds great when done with a performance exhaust system.
Con - The cheap ones don't fit very well, engine steadies must be in good condition or it will crack, sometimes sealing can be a problem, must be done with a large bore muffler and pipe such as RC-40.

Accessories
Tachometer - personal choice but I think should be in every car, can be a hassle to mount where you see it.
Rally lights - will you ever use them or just a style statement? they can be a pain to keep aligned, must be relayed, and add weight and more things to be hit out front.
Spare tire & jack - The tire should actually hold air and have tread! Also helpful if it fits the car - will the spare wheel clear over your new big brakes, is the offset correct to clear the rear shocks, will the lug nuts from your other four wheels fit the spare or are they different? Does your lug wrench fit all four wheels as well as the spare? Do your rocker panels still have the jacking points (many don't) and the reinforcements? does the jack still work after 20+ years rattling around back there? will it go low enough to pick up a car with a flat? Might be better to pick up a Japanese jack from the wrecking yard - try 80s-90s Mazda, don't forget the crank handle.
 

Part III

Suspension
Hi-lo - $$ - Pro - Absolutely one of the best parts I've put on my car. Allows the ride height to be adjusted as necessary - drive by yourself most of the time and like the car low, no problem, going camping with three friends, presto no problem, provides a slight increase in spring rate (a good thing), can be adjusted with the car on the ground.
Con - Original Hi-Lo's - need to drill a hole in the rear valence for the adjuster key, must pay attention when adjusting (be consistent side to side) or you can quickly create an evil handling beast. Copies - must jack up the car and remove the tires - removes much of the convenience. Can be a bear to get the original trumpets off of the doughnuts.
Negative camber arms - $ - Pro - By eliminating the stock positive camber and creating a small amount (1/2 to 1 deg) of negative the handling can be transformed, most use stock or upgraded bushings, can be fitted at home.
Con - Need an alignment check before ordering to see what you need (every car is different) and another alignment after to reset the toe, can wipe out tires quickly if not realigned or too much camber is used (more than 2 deg)
Performance shocks - $ - Pro - can really tame the ride, if shorter shocks are fitted handling is vastly improved on lowered cars, much longer lifespan than cheap replacement units, most are adjustable - some easier than others.
Con - Left rear is a pain to change because of the gas tank.