2 replies to this topic

[cooperd70]

Have a period JC Conversion kit fitted to my 1990 Flame Red.

Would the head be the same spec of the MkII 998 Cooper? In any original documentation I have from its original owner it states that it's a Stage 3 head. It is stamped Cooper, but was just curious. Obvs it's a later A Plus engine.

[Turbo Phil]

The original 998 Cooper was fitted with the 12G295 head, the later castings can be modified to give the same kind of results.

Phil.

 

[minidizzy]

It is not the same thing. The MkI and MkII 998 head was mostly developed in-house by BMC. John Cooper had put a Formula Junior A-series engine in a very early Mini together with disc brakes and a remote gear change. He persuaded BMC to follow his example but the initial low-risk strategy was to adapt the original 850 engine to 997 by increasing the stroke. Cooper was Formula One World Championship car constructor in 1959 and 1960 and the Mini Cooper was more of a branding exercise for which BMC payed royalties. The success of the 997 meant that BMC could invest more into the Mini Cooper and the 998 was developed using a larger bore. John Cooper was retained as an adviser.

The head on your 1990 Flame Red was developed by Janspeed and John Cooper, initially in 1987 and independently of Rover and aimed at an enthusiastic Japanese market. They are much prized by those who own them.