4 replies to this topic

[robminibcy]

Hi just seen a topic with a link to guessworks engine no translator. I put my number in and now in itching to find out more. My no is 99h791p 387919.

 

Its a 79 998 pre a plus mini with what i belive to be its origional engine and guessworks seems to confirm this. What I want to know is what the various parts of the code are for. Also in my gearbox spec it said:

 

 

Std. Ratio Rod Change gearbox with Pot Joints 3.44:1 final drive A Series Gear Ratios (A+ Mainshaft)

Is the 3.44.1 final drive the shortest factory spec? All I know is she screams!

 

The bit that confused me the most though was the a+ mainshaft, what is it and why is it fitted when its an a series engine?

 

The final and slightly unrelated thing is that on the v5 it only lists the engine no as 687919. I guess this is a mistake by either bl or dvla as should it not have the other letters and nos at the start and the 6 should be a 3.

[robminibcy]

Sorry can this be moved to chat please? Did it on phone and must have clicked wrong topic!!:-S

Edited by robminibcy, 06 September 2013 - 09:45 PM.

[jaydee]

Shortest factory diff was a 3.67 but i dont think it was fitted to any A+ gearbox

[Dan]

  Development of gearboxes and engines wasn't concurrent.  A+ means a slightly different thing in gearboxes, it is still a development but the name of the gearset isn't really related to the engine.  A+ gearboxes as compete units were introduced in 1982 but parts were in use before that.  In terms of engines it would not be uncommon to find A+ parts in a '79 engine.  Because the two are largely compatible with each other, as parts became available they went into use.  There were quite a few Frankenmotors produced between '78 and '80 and in fact one such half breed became standard in terms of the A+ 1098 which retained an A series crank to the end of its run.  Having said that '79 seems very early to me for any A+ gear parts to be available but if the engine is A series and the number says it has A+ parts I suppose it must be right.

 

  BL didn't register your car, unless it has a Longbridge or Cowley plant office registration.  Dealers register cars, and before the system was modernised that meant filling in the forms by hand and copying across from the documents that came with the car.  Often by the dealership secretary or Saturday boy and not the salesman who actually knew what model you had bought.  Then this form got copied out by another person at the licensing office who might not have read the original handwriting very well, etc. etc.  Loads of cars had errors in the paperwork back then, there are Minis registered as all sorts of things.

[Tamworthbay]

Development of gearboxes and engines wasn't concurrent.  A+ means a slightly different thing in gearboxes, it is still a development but the name of the gearset isn't really related to the engine.  A+ gearboxes as compete units were introduced in 1982 but parts were in use before that.  In terms of engines it would not be uncommon to find A+ parts in a '79 engine.  Because the two are largely compatible with each other, as parts became available they went into use.  There were quite a few Frankenmotors produced between '78 and '80 and in fact one such half breed became standard in terms of the A+ 1098 which retained an A series crank to the end of its run.  Having said that '79 seems very early to me for any A+ gear parts to be available but if the engine is A series and the number says it has A+ parts I suppose it must be right.
 
  BL didn't register your car, unless it has a Longbridge or Cowley plant office registration.  Dealers register cars, and before the system was modernised that meant filling in the forms by hand and copying across from the documents that came with the car.  Often by the dealership secretary or Saturday boy and not the salesman who actually knew what model you had bought.  Then this form got copied out by another person at the licensing office who might not have read the original handwriting very well, etc. etc.  Loads of cars had errors in the paperwork back then, there are Minis registered as all sorts of things.

Very true, I have a 1940 brockhouse corgi, well that's what the DVLA say. The original log book says 1948 and the company didn't exist until 1946 so how it travelled back in time to be registered is known only to the DVLA. Sadly their systems are so regimented that they refuse to change such mistakes even when it is very obviously a misreading by whoever registered it onto the new system.