15 replies to this topic

[Agget]

G'day Guys.

I have purchased a 1969 Mini and know nothing of the breed. I'm led to believe it is an Austin Mk2, with an 850cc motor, but cannot confirm this.

My plans are to upgrade the motor/transmission, convert to disk brake front end, install electronic ignition, upgrade carby/aircleaner, replace the exhaust with extractors and a decent pipe/muffler, and fit a better/bigger radiator.


Can anyone please give me some advice on these changes and a reputable source for parts?? I live in Penang Malaysia (Air Force, based here for 2 more years) and I'm a mechanic so will do most of the work myself.


Cheers.

Agget.

P.S. I'll get the eng/chassis numbers of the car tonight.

Edited by Agget, 15 February 2013 - 12:17 AM.

[F1L8EY]

welcome, grab some photos and upload them... it'l help.

all those jobs are fairly simple especially for a (one makes the assumption) aircraft mechanic... SAC??? (im RN LAET)

mini spares, minisport, there are a few... look at stage 1 kits they cover most of the upgrades you want. Rust and paint are normaly the 2 biggies people on here tackle 1st unless she is sound already ??

Filbey

[Agget]

Thanks Filbey. First need to establish exactly what I've got. Hopefully someone can tell me from the Engine and Chassis numbers below.

Engine- 85H213 H15912

Chassis- AA2SB-1310063

[Woreign]

Your engine is an 850 with an HS4 carb. You can check here: http://www.guess-wor...Tech/engine.htm

It also states that the engine was used from '76 on, so it may be a replacement.

[Agget]

Cool, now I'm getting somewhere. Did they make a 1300 motor (I've never heard of anything bigger than the 1275) because the local Mini "expert" (keeping in mind I'm in Asia) can supply and fit what he calls a 1300, and if I get a newer transmission with CV joints, I can then do the disc brake conversion.
I'm guessing the HS4 carb would also need to changed to something bigger??

Were the Mini's still made by Austin in 1969??

[tiger99]

The "1300" is possibly from an Austin/Morris 1300, or an Allegro, or maybe a Metro, which is an A series engine and actually 1275.

[Cooperman]

Treat the 1300 and 1275 engines as the same thing. They are both the A-series 1275 engine, but they come in a wide variety of standard power outputs. For example, an Austin or Morris Cooper 1275 'S' had 75 bhp, whereas the Mini 1275GT had 55 bhp from basically the same engine. The difference came from different cam, different valve sizes, different compression ratios, different carburation and different exhaust systems.
If you go to a 1275 engine you could have an engine with the following:
An MG Metro or Kent 266 cam (they are virtually identical)
A cylinder head with 35.6 mm inlet valves and 30.5 mm exhaust valves
Compression ratio set to be 10:1
An HS6, HIF44 or twin HS2 or HS4 carburettors on a good alloy inlet manifold
An LCB exhaust manifold with an RC40 Twin Box exhaust system
A distributor with an advance curve suited to that specification.

That is for starters and would mean that disc brakes were really vital. You would want to run a higher final drive ratio than with an 850, probably a 3.2:1.
A 1969 Mini would have 10" wheels, so to keep at 10" and to go to disc brakes would mean fitting the 7.5" Cooper 'S' brakes and wider 10" wheels.
On here we can discuss the brakes more when you decide what you want to do.

Austin & Morris still made the Mini in 1969. You could, in fact, create a replica Cooper 'S' if you got all the right bits.

I hope this helps for starters, but feel free to ask more as this will probably throw up more questions.

[Noah]

Cooperman is really the man to ask.

Minispares will ship overseas but its not cheap.

[Agget]

Thanks Cooperman, this gives me a starting point. The motors he has on offer don't have manifolds, so I guess I'll aim at fitting the stuff you have outlined.
Is there an electronic ignition system that suits these dizzys?? I put a Fireball (I think, the Rover is still in Aus) system in my Rover 3500 with no dramas.

[Cooperman]

Thanks Cooperman, this gives me a starting point. The motors he has on offer don't have manifolds, so I guess I'll aim at fitting the stuff you have outlined.
Is there an electronic ignition system that suits these dizzys?? I put a Fireball (I think, the Rover is still in Aus) system in my Rover 3500 with no dramas.

Ah, the Rover 3500. I had one back in 1974, a V8 Auto. Fine car.
Not familiar with the Fireball ignition, but quite a few here have fitted the 'Megajolt' system which is reported to work well. I normallyn use the old 'points-type' distributor as it's so easy to work with.
I guess you'll be getting the bits shipped from the UK and if you contact 'simon@minispares.co.uk' he will be a great help. He posts on here so you could easily PM him via this forum. Others can help with used parts when you are ready and it'll be easier than going on ebay and risking getting 'ripped off'.
Come back with any questions you might have, but I'm off to bed now as it's 00-30 hours here and tomorrow I've got to finish my Innocenti Mini-Cooper ready for MoT test next week prior to it being offered for sale.

[Woreign]

_{And if you become a TMF+ member, you can get a 7.5% discount at Mini Spares. That would help offset the shipping charges. And at only 5 pounds a year, it's a no brainer!}

[Agget]

I will do this, however it will have to wait until we return from your end of the world. We'll be in Newcastle for a couple of days and then travelling through Scotland to Inverness.

[Agget]

Right, now I'm a member. Can start the fun and games when I get back.

[62S]

Engine- 85H213 H15912

Apart from getting cc correct the previous answer of

Your engine is an 850 with an HS4 carb. You can check here: http://www.guess-wor...Tech/engine.htm

It also states that the engine was used from '76 on, so it may be a replacement.

is completely wrong. It is an early engine 85H engine from 1969 and therefore probably the original for the car.

213 = Lucas C40 dynamo & Centre-change gearbox - all speed synchromesh

Chassis- AA2SB-1310063

is from May 1969.

[62S]

For got to add that if it is original the carb it will be a single 1¼" SU.