11 replies to this topic

[MiniCarJack]

Hi,

I currently have a 1965 Mk1 Mini with its standard 850 engine and running gear fitted, but I've found someone who has a Mk1 Cooper S 1275 engine for sale and I'm keen to repower my mini with this and make it a cooper replica. Since the 1275 is also from a Mk1 I figure it will be easier to swap as it will be more 'compatible', but I'm still not 100% sure what other parts I may need to get with the engine, and which parts I can re-use. I've already got a near-brand-new aluminium radiator so that shouldn't need upgrading for the bigger powerplant, but I'm unsure if I will need to possibly get some different engine mounts, driveshafts, diff and if I can re-use some of the parts I already have like the dynamo and water pump.

He's also selling a Mk2 cooper 4-synchro gearbox which I would prefer to have since it's a much stronger/better box, would this be an easy fit without any modifications needed to a Mk1 motor?

Any advice would be appreciated!
Cheers

Edited by W1NG3D, 22 January 2014 - 10:47 PM.

[Cooperman]

With an 'S' engine and to make a replica 'S' you definitely need the 'S' gearbox. The 'S' box has a remote gear lever and closer ratio gears. You need to cut a rectangular hole in the tunnel for the gear lever and fit the correct bracket to the body.

You will need different drive shafts, 7.5" disc brakes/callipers, different wheels, 'S' brake master cylinder, different rear brake drums, 'S' distributor, twin HS2 carbs + manifold, 3-into-1 exhaust manifold, Cooper 'S' exhaust pipe and a few other bits & pieces.

[Sheikh Pip]

Driveshafts are the Hardy Spicer (universal joint type) on a proper Cooper S, but Engine Mounts, Water Pump, Dynamo will all be the same.

 

Carbs and both Manifolds will be different too,  plus the S used an oil cooler...

[Cooperman]

Only the very early 'S' had an oil cooler as standard. The 'S' had rubber cruciform couplings until early 1966.

[MiniCarJack]

With an 'S' engine and to make a replica 'S' you definitely need the 'S' gearbox. The 'S' box has a remote gear lever and closer ratio gears. You need to cut a rectangular hole in the tunnel for the gear lever and fit the correct bracket to the body.

You will need different drive shafts, 7.5" disc brakes/callipers, different wheels, 'S' brake master cylinder, different rear brake drums, 'S' distributor, twin HS2 carbs + manifold, 3-into-1 exhaust manifold, Cooper 'S' exhaust pipe and a few other bits & pieces.

 

My mistake, the gearbox is also an 'S' type not just a Cooper - also one of the previous owners has already cut a nice hole for the remote shifter and there's a plate screwed over it at the moment so that saves me some effort. The car I have also came with a bunch of parts including a remote shifter which I should be able to use.

That aside, this sounds like a rather expensive shopping list! And that doesn't even cover all the interior and trim, but I think if I'm going to build a Cooper S replica it ought to be done properly, so it looks like I'll be saving up for a while.

 

[MiniCarJack]

If I wasn't overly bothered about being 100% true to the original Cooper S, could I use a pair of HS4s rather than the original HS2s, and could I also use a standard non-'S' type distributor?

[Ivor Badger]

Was it not the other way round and the early S had an optional oil cooler

[dklawson]

Yes.  The oil cooler was optional until 1966 after which it and the RH fuel tank became standard on the -S.  The pre-1966 oil cooler was not the horizontally mounted one most people are familiar with.  The early oil cooler was smaller and mounted vertically below the dynamo. 

[Cooperman]

I remember rallying in 1965 in a 1071 'S' which originally had that strange little oil cooler which was changed for a 13-row cooler quite soon after.

I must admit I wasn't aware the cooler was standard from 1966, although the twin tanks certainly were.

 

Twin HS4's would be good on an 'S' replica as they were period modifications as homologated in Group 2 at the time.

 

the other thing you'll need is the chrome trim around the doors and the gold brocade trim.

 

Also the boot board and boot board brackets, 120 mph speedo, centre mounted with oil & temp gauges in the same binnacle.

 

The 'S' also had a remote servo and a educed diameter fresh ait pipe through the engine bay.

 

The front panel stiffener was diagonal instead of vertical.

 

The doors handles were short chrome ones instead of the string of the 850.

 

I'm sure we'll all think of things I've missed.

[dklawson]

Some additional comments.

 

The diagonal slam panel brace was not introduced until the horizontal oil cooler appeared.  The diagonal brace was needed to clear the cooler.

 

The fresh air hose size depends on what year of production you are talking about.  The early hoses were the then standard (odd) size (3.25" ???).  I am not sure but the transition to the smaller hose with adapters may have happened very late in Mk1 production but should have been in place by the time the Mk2 appeared.

 

I am fairly confident that the 3 gauge cluster was also used in the Super Deluxe but of course the Deluxe had the 90 MPH speedo, not the higher speed one of the -S.

 

The inside trim may not be brocade.  That depends on the paint color of the car.  There were a couple of the colors (like my Almond Green car) where the interior colors were solid dove grey and a green (porcelain green?  Wedgewood green?).

 

If you are planning on building a replica, your first investment should be in a copy of Parnell's book on the history of the Mini Cooper and -S.  In it you will find details on a lot of the unique features of these cars.  He does not claim he has all the answers and points out where there are conflicts or uncertainties in the production records.

[MiniCarJack]

Thanks for all this info guys!

A few bits of trim you mentioned have already been installed in the car, for instance the correct Cooper 3-clock centre binnacle with the temperature + oil pressure gauges, however it has a metric 90mph/140kph speedo which I may change out at some point. It's also already got the chrome door handles in place of the pull-cables for opening the doors, the boot board/brackets, and also more obviously the grille and overriders + corner bars on the front as well as the Cooper S badging. This was all done by the previous owner and clearly it was his intention to do a Cooper S replica too, so it makes sense to me to continue down that path since visually it's already well on the way there.

 

I believe my car is also Almond Green like yours, they certainly do look very similar from the pictures.

 

I've not actually heard back from the guy with the engine yet and am figuring it will probably be quite an expensive bit of kit, so maybe I'll look at investing in some other bits and pieces first like the chrome window trim, or maybe some interior upholstery. I'll definitely look into that book and see if I can get my hands on a copy!

Edited by W1NG3D, 25 January 2014 - 08:20 AM.

[dklawson]

Though there are probably better places to buy the book, you will easily find copies of it for sale on eBay.co.uk.  Search there for "Parnell Mini" and you will find several copies of the book on sale for about 19 GBP plus shipping.