12 replies to this topic

[benfredjosh]

Hey woudl this fit in a mini? Clicky!

And also would a maestro 1600 a series engine drop straight in a mini?
Thanks in advance!

[Jackman]

Thats is that a RWD engine????

[benfredjosh]

makes no sense that is that??? sorry are they rwd engines???

[Jackman]

Thats is that a RWD engine????

LOL what am i saying.

It sounds like its a RWD A - Series to me. Can anyone confirm that.

This should suit any car with a rear wheel drive A-series engine, such as a Marina or 1275 MG Midget or Sprite. I kept it because I was planning to get a Midget at some point later. The buyer should do the research to make sure it is going to fit!

[benfredjosh]

ahh sorry i see what u mean now lol i should have read it in more detail! sorry surely that should fit in the front somehow? :wales:

[Wil_h]

If it's a marina 1275 a-series then its rear wheel drive.

You'd need a new crank to put a mini box onto it.

1600 Maestro engine is not a series (s-series I think)

Wil

[Guess-Works.com]

The ONLY engine which will drop straight into a Mini is a transverse configured A series..

Or those fitted to..

Austin/Morris (ADO16) 1100's, 1300's and 1300GT's
Allegro & Metro

and other Mini's & Variants of course...

Other A Series equiped cars are..

Morris Minor
A35 (I think)
Spridgets
Marina
Montego
Maestro
and possibly the Princess ( can't remeber if they did a 1300 )

Probably other's but my head hurts

*edit* forgot to add, the A's from other cars may need machining to fit as the castings are slightly different.

Edited by GuessWorks, 28 October 2005 - 02:41 PM.

[Skatiechik]

1600 Maestro engine is not a series (s-series I think)

Wil

Yes S series or R series depending on the year.

[Guess-Works.com]

O series actually, and it's not RWD either but transverse FWD...

[PikeyMini]

a 1750 maxi engine fits in like a glove - so im told

[Guess-Works.com]

Yeh, if it just so happens to be a welding glove, as that's what you'll need...

In the oldern days( yes I remember them ) this was a popular conversion, the "E" series was used unfortunately not for any performance or reliability reason, but rather that they were cheap as chips as you didn't even need to take them out of the donor car, they fell out of their own accord when the body rusted away...

You still need to do a fair amount of chopping of subframes etc etc, and now-a-day there are some far more refined and easier conversions, namely, the K series and Vtec's for a start...

Edited by GuessWorks, 03 November 2005 - 04:11 PM.

[Skatiechik]

O series actually, and it's not RWD either but transverse FWD...

I couldn't work out if you were referring to me but it was under my post. The 1600 in the Maestro and Montego is definitely R or Series.

The O series in the Maestro and Montego only came in 2.0 form.

[Jammy]

Taken from www.austin-rover.co.uk

O-Series finally launched

The first production car to use the O-Series arrived in 1978 - and that was the Marina. Sadly, Harry Webster's preferred plan of offering the O-Series in 1.6- and 2-litre form was scuppered by the cost advantages of using 2-litre version's head casting on the smaller unit, raising the capacity to the unusual size of 1.7-litres. Advantages over the B-Series unit were a lower all-up weight, but in terms of refinement and performance, the motoring press found little to get excited about.

Shortly afterwards, the O-Series Princess 2 appeared - and this was the first showing of the larger 2-litre version. The 1994cc unit produced a less than sparkling 93bhp at 4900rpm in single carburettor form, and did nothing to improve the Princess reputation with buyers for being a slow car.

That is not to say that the O-Series was without its merits; only that it was a bit of a "rough diamond" in the early years, offering little advantage over the outgoing B-Series - certainly in terms of performance and refinement. As stated though, it was a good 20kgs lighter than the B-Series engine, and the block was shorter and therefore easier to package. Also, the aluminium cylinder head allowed for unleaded fuel usage... (it is a shame that the O-Series powered MGB never made it).

It was also usefully reliable.

It also figured in Austin-Rover's 1980s plan for prosperity.

In 1980, the first rear wheel drive 2-litre O-Series powered car appeared: the Ital 2.0 Automatic. In 1982, a 2-litre twin carb version was installed under the Rover SD1's sleek bonnet, and then in transverse form in the Ambassador. In 1984, it appeared in the Montego and Maestro with an end-on Honda designed gearbox (and very effective it was, too) - so there was no doubt that the O-Series was an adaptable engine.

Of course, the O-Series story did not finish with the Maestro and Montego - and after an intensive development programme during the mid-1980s, it was transformed into the twin-cam 16V M-Series...

Fundamentally, the O-Series was a good engine, and if nothing else, demonstrates that when asked, BL could get the job done in the most trying of circumstances. Perhaps, it was launched when in need of final development, but given the lack of resources available to BL at the time, it is a miracle that it appeared at all.