10 replies to this topic

[roy1964]

Hi, Could someone just clarify a few things for a newbie. Ive started restoring a mk1 and still deciding on what specs to rebuild too. 

Question ; Are all gearbox castings the same physical shape and size and its only the housing at the back which would change depending on shifter type i.e. remote,rod,pudding stirrer.?

 

if i decide to re power with a 1275 motor with a rod gearbox can you foresee any problems? i think that i will need to purchase or make a bracket to support shifter unit under the car, also do i need to mount this to the left of the tunnel to allow for exhaust. Any other brackets or supports needed?

 

I would like to cut the hole in the tunnel before i repaint etc, so does anyone have a template of the opening and its position.

 

 

[Spider]

Question ; Are all gearbox castings the same physical shape and size and its only the housing at the back which would change depending on shifter type i.e. remote,rod,pudding stirrer.?

 

 

No. The casings while at a glance may appear similar, they are quite different and not easily or readily 'changeable' from Pudding Stirrer / Remote to Rod Shift. It's WAY easier to kick off with the style of shifter that you'd like to end up with.

 

 

 

if i decide to re power with a 1275 motor with a rod gearbox can you foresee any problems? i think that i will need to purchase or make a bracket to support shifter unit under the car, also do i need to mount this to the left of the tunnel to allow for exhaust. Any other brackets or supports needed?

 

 

Not really an issue, fairly straight forward. You'll likely get a bracket with a used shifter. As you've foreseen, the hole in the floor will need to be sorted. You'll also want some additional engine steady brackets, while there were some factory types, there's also some after market ones to explore as well.

 

You'll likely also need to swap the Drive Shafts too, as it's more than likely the Rod Shift Box will take Inboard CVs instead of Uni Joints, but you can swap those bits over and fit uni Joints to the Rod Shift Box if you want.

Edited by Moke Spider, 16 February 2016 - 07:59 AM.

[nicklouse]

but as said above pic the box you need to fit the shell and then drop the engine of choice on to it.

[roy1964]

Thanks moke spider,

 

Im trying to figure out whether i should test fit a 1275 rod change motor into the body before i get the paint done. i would hate to have to drill/weld brackets and supports etc after I've painted/stone chipped. thats why i ask about a hole template and position.

[nicklouse]

Thanks moke spider,

 

Im trying to figure out whether i should test fit a 1275 rod change motor into the body before i get the paint done. i would hate to have to drill/weld brackets and supports etc after I've painted/stone chipped. thats why i ask about a hole template and position.

it is not a 1275 rod change it is just a rod change it has nothing to do with the engine size.

 

and yes do a test fit as you will need to make quite a few changes to the metal. don't forget to also work out which rubber gaiter you will use.

 

as they are very different. and mount differently.

 

rod change stick is further forward than a remote housing stick.

 

just rebuild the box you have a drop the block you want on top. way way easier.

[nicklouse]

from my build.

Need to make up something nice to get the later gearstick gaitor to cover the early remote. As it sits a little further back in the car.

remote housing under the clear bag. shell for a rod type change.

[Cooperman]

The alternative would be a remote change then it will be a 'period modification' which will not de-value the car. You can find 4-syncro remote change boxes

If you search a bit and the aluminium remote change adds support to the engine. 

The way Mk.1 values are increasing such a change will keep the value up and will be nicer to drive than a rod change.

Of course, if you could find a genuine Cooper 'S' engine .................  .

[roy1964]

This is the mini in question, 1964 morris minor mini, I'm the third owner(two from the same family) it has been parked in a garage unused since 1991 and done approx 60,000 miles. it must have been run as it arrived at ours on the back of a transporter, i put some fuel in, jumped the battery and it started and i drove it up the road and into the garage.

We are planning to do a full bare metal rebuild.

Body appears to be in great condition with only surface rust, worst around the front number panel/lip. whether there is anything lurking underneath only time will time when we media blast the shell.

I think the problem is that if it was a cooper of some sort then it makes sense to rebuild it to exact cooper specs, but being a standard mini it hard to know what to do to it. 

Its going to be a sunday driver and we live in a rural part of nz so we leave our house and we are on roads with 100kph speed so a upgrade to a 1275 is planned so that leads to better brakes/disc tires rims etc, seat belts fitted to back seats for kids/dog maybe classic cobra buckets in the front retrimed to match upholstery . i do like the twin tank look along with the white roof coloured body paint job (probably fiesta yellow) along with 10x 4.5 mini lights. Then it becomes neither a standard 850 mini or a cooper.

Attached Files

•  12377873_10208397157152013_8508088059975842638_o.jpg   55.08K   4 downloads

[Spider]

I think things are similar on your side of the pond as it is here, at least at present.

 

I've noticed that while standard and original (or restored to original) Minis are desirable, they are not pulling big money and those that have been modified don't seem to loose any value as a result.

 

I recall a couple of years back there was a show room, mint condition 61 (or 62) 850 for sale, the started asking $20k, after a few months they dropped it to $16k. As I recall, while the car was faultless, it only went for $6k - around the same money as other Minis, that were in much lesser condition.

 

Coopers, Cooper Ss and GTs are a different story though.

 

It is your Mini, do with it as you would like and you enjoy it. Go for it.

[roy1964]

Thanks Moke, i quite like some of the quirky things the mini has e.g. floor start button and cable door openers which would have to go if i was to go down the cooper replicar route.

[Cooperman]

I'm also in the process of restoring a 1964 850.

 

It was being restored as a Mk.1 Cooper 'S' replica and I got loads of 'S' parts including an early 3-Syncro 'S' gearbox. However, I have decided to restore it as an 850 as it came with the original engine & 'box. The only changes I'm making are to fit dry suspension. The previous owner had done a very poor body restoration so I had to re-do the work with new wings, sills, etc, and weld in a plate to repair where the hole had been cut in the tunnel for the remote gear shift. I shell do a complete engine and gearbox rebuild. It even came with a complete set of the correct Newton Commercial trim.

 

I shall do a bit of slight improvement to the engine by flowing the head a bit, increasing the C.R. and cleaning out the inlet manifold a bit. That will make it capable of cruising at 60 to 65 mph, as we used to in the '60's. Value when done - probably around £9,000 to £10,000. I saw one sold in similar condition for £10,000 in the village next to ours about a year ago.

 

All as-original or 'period modified' 850's are going up in value now as Coopers become harder to find and much more expensive. I did think about building a replica Cooper 'S' historic rally car, but I have one of those and it's a lot more work. Also, rally cars are not so nice to drive on the road.