19 replies to this topic

[Jimbo1998]

Apart from the cosmetic differences, is the Sprite a worse car......and would it take much to upgrade it to cooper spec? 

Best, James

[pusb]

I think it has a different cylinder head? 

[panky]

Mine has an MG Metro cam, as far as I know like that from new. Also aluminium inlet manifold and originally a twin down pipe exhaust off the cast manifold, not sure if the Sprite had the same.

[whistler]

RSP has an MG Metro cam.

Edited by whistler, 02 February 2018 - 04:53 PM.

[FlyingScot]

If your talking fuel injection Cooper has a higher output engine courtesy of a higher compression ratio (different pistons) and a different ECU (different fuelling curves) from memory 50 Bhp versus 63

FS

[alex-95]

Didn't the cooper's come with HIF44's and the sprites HIF38's.

[Jimbo1998]

If your talking fuel injection Cooper has a higher output engine courtesy of a higher compression ratio (different pistons) and a different ECU (different fuelling curves) from memory 50 Bhp versus 63

FS

Would it be possible to upgrade a sprite to produce the same figure? Would it handle and drive the same as the cooper?

[Jimbo1998]

Didn't the cooper's come with HIF44's and the sprites HIF38's.

I have read this too. If I could lay my hands on an HIF44 is it possible to simply switch it out without any further changes as a knock on effect? thereby making it drive like a cooper?

[panky]

The carb is only one thing to upgrade, you will need the cam, exhaust and possibly some work on the head before fitting a HIF44. Simply bolting on the new carb wont do a lot.

Take a look at Stage 1 kits, supposedly can deliver up to 20% increase in power.

[Arthy]

I remember reading somewhere that adding a good head, 1.5 rockers, HIF44 and a recurved dizzy to a stock sprite engine & cam, it's possible to get 80+ BHP. Very drivable too from what I remember reading.

 

For a start, the obvious is a stage 1 kit. It made a hell of a difference to mine! 

[Sprocket]

All 1992 onwards 1275s came in two varieties non cooper 53hp and Cooper 63hp

The non cooper had a HIF38 carb up until early to mid 1995 where it then received fuel injection

The Cooper had Fuel injection right through.

The non cooper was 9.4:1 compression and had what is basically the cam used in the late 998 engines. The final drive was 3.1:1.

The cooper had a different cam to the non cooper, 10:1 compression and 3.2:1 final drive.

Some confusion comes from the RSP coopers and the subsequent cooper carb between 1990 and 1991, which did have the HIF44 carbs. From memory it was the RSP cooper that had the MG cam, but the cooper carb had a slightly less playful cam that is maybe what the later SPI coopers had.

Edited by Sprocket, 02 February 2018 - 06:30 PM.

[Jimbo1998]

I remember reading somewhere that adding a good head, 1.5 rockers, HIF44 and a recurved dizzy to a stock sprite engine & cam, it's possible to get 80+ BHP. Very drivable too from what I remember reading.

 

For a start, the obvious is a stage 1 kit. It made a hell of a difference to mine! 

Does adding that kit affect insurance dramatically?

[Jimbo1998]

All 1992 onwards 1275s came in two varieties non cooper 53hp and Cooper 63hp

The non cooper had a HIF38 carb up until early to mid 1995 where it then received fuel injection

The Cooper had Fuel injection right through.

The non cooper was 9.4:1 compression and had what is basically the cam used in the late 998 engines. The final drive was 3.1:1.

The cooper had a different cam to the non cooper, 10:1 compression and 3.2:1 final drive.

Some confusion comes from the RSP coopers and the subsequent cooper carb between 1990 and 1991, which did have the HIF44 carbs. From memory it was the RSP cooper that had the MG cam, but the cooper carb had a slightly less playful cam that is maybe what the later SPI coopers had.

Hang on, the model I'm looking at is a 1995......if it has fuel injection will that give it closer to the 63 hp of the earlier cooper?

[Sprocket]

 

All 1992 onwards 1275s came in two varieties non cooper 53hp and Cooper 63hp

The non cooper had a HIF38 carb up until early to mid 1995 where it then received fuel injection

The Cooper had Fuel injection right through.

The non cooper was 9.4:1 compression and had what is basically the cam used in the late 998 engines. The final drive was 3.1:1.

The cooper had a different cam to the non cooper, 10:1 compression and 3.2:1 final drive.

Some confusion comes from the RSP coopers and the subsequent cooper carb between 1990 and 1991, which did have the HIF44 carbs. From memory it was the RSP cooper that had the MG cam, but the cooper carb had a slightly less playful cam that is maybe what the later SPI coopers had.

Hang on, the model I'm looking at is a 1995......if it has fuel injection will that give it closer to the 63 hp of the earlier cooper?

 

No, it's still a 53hp engine.

[Sprocket]

If your talking fuel injection Cooper has a higher output engine courtesy of a higher compression ratio (different pistons) and a different ECU (different fuelling curves) from memory 50 Bhp versus 63

FS

It does have a different cam in there too