30 replies to this topic

[PoolGuy]

2 Engine types are available.

Type 1. 1273cc short block kit @ £16,660.00 + VAT

Type 2. 1171cc wet liner block kit @ £18,660 + VAT.

You can always tell when sellers know that their product is expensive, the list it + vat. 

[Gaz66]

Wonder if there's any wriggle room on the VAT, cough, cough!

Edited by Gaz66, 07 August 2023 - 04:36 PM.

[DeadSquare]

 

2 Engine types are available.

Type 1. 1273cc short block kit @ £16,660.00 + VAT

Type 2. 1171cc wet liner block kit @ £18,660 + VAT.

You can always tell when sellers know that their product is expensive, the list it + vat. 

 

"Short block" and "Block kit" mean that you still require a cylinder head and ancillaries.

 

I wonder what bore and stroke they have used ?

 

Kicking about somewhere, I have a 70.5mm bore X 75mm stroke, 1,171cc, aluminium block, rods and pistons, but no crank.  At £18,660-00 I think I could probably get a crank made for less than the £3,732-00 unmentioned vat.

Edited by DeadSquare, 08 August 2023 - 10:08 PM.

[DeadSquare]

Wonder if there's any wriggle room on the VAT, cough, cough!

It would be praiseworthy to have the foresight to acquire a spare engine for the stand-by generator to power the computor in case of a power cut when doing the vat return.

[Gaz66]

Wonder if there's any wriggle room on the VAT, cough, cough!

It would be praiseworthy to have the foresight to acquire a spare engine for the stand-by generator to power the computor in case of a power cut when doing the vat return.

A smart move 👍

[mab01uk]

 Ascaso Engineering - Gearbox press release:-

"The JTS 5 speed sequential classic mini gearbox. This is a full-on motorsport gearbox. It is designed to perform without breaking, capable of withstanding the harsh environment of off-road motorsport such as rallying, as well as the power produced by turbo and supercharged twin cam engines.
Will fit all classic A series engines and our A+5 engine.
The gearbox can be removed from the car without removing the engine.
Recommended to be controlled by electronics and paddle shift gear change.
Gearbox, primary gears complete with LSD and flywheel housing to fit to your engine and subframe will be around £16000. Drive shafts to suit your application £450 to £500.

This is the initial press release, follow up posts will give greater in-depth details of the gearbox build."

https://www.facebook...91&locale=en_GB

 

Edited by mab01uk, 04 July 2025 - 05:21 PM.

[DeadSquare]

I do have to wonder what the point of this is other than an interesting engineering exercise for someone.

 

This is now so far removed from the original A-Series that you might as well just get an engine out of something else and fit that, it will be a lot more reliable, cheaper and depending on what you use the tuning options will have already been sorted for you.

 

Its fair enough if people want to see how far they can push the original A-Series but this is just an expensive engine thats a bit similar to the A-Series with no real benefit over other options or market that I can see.

If (That wicked little word) as Mini enthusiasts, we can agree that Sir Alec's unique / paramount stroke of genius was to fill an otherwise empty sump with gears, a concept, with a tail on the crank, that permeated every  Mini, 1100 etc, through changes in ignition , carburation, turbocharging, bore, stroke and block castings, while we wistfully hoped that the Imp might spur an aluminium block and the MGA, a twin-cam;  Surely we can applaud a 50 year too late engine of our dreams, that will sit on Sir Alec's sump full of gears.

[sonikk4]

As much as i love this whole concept the sum of all parts is knocking on the door of a very clean Mk1 Cooper S.

 

I do understand the cost of something like this but for the average joe mini owner its on a completely different level of cost.

 

This is now lottery winning time affordability but it would look bloody good sitting in Paddys engine bay with a decent twink head.

[Spider]

I've refrained from making comment here - until now.

I do most sincerely respect the engineering and manufacture of these engines and gearboxes, the amount of work here is huge, it really is and iit appears to me that they have really tried to cut down on as many compromises as possible, while retaining flexibility for cylinder head options, engine capacities, and that the gearbox suits their engine as well as the original A and A+, their efforts here are truly amazing and quite ground breaking, this will go down in the history of Minis and the A Series along with the originals and specials from the likes of Gorden Allen and others of the 60's.

While I have that respect and high praise for this project, I also have to wonder just where in the world it fits. It's clearly 'all out' power aimed squarely at competition use, I scratch my head at just what classes of competition it falls in to, where really it can only be used in the few 'open anything goes' class, where it's acceptable to put a fully blown big block Chev in to a Honda Civic and likewise say a Honda Turbo 2.0 Transverse Engine in to a Mini.

 

While the tune of the engine could be tamed for road use, I have to again ask where it fits as here, there's no need to fit in to classes of competition, but just what can legally be done and still be able to register & insure the car for the road and again,,,, as we have all seen over the years, there's a myriad of engine / power units available that give sensational results and the guy at home can do these conversions with little outside assistance.

 

Against this too, I have to add that even for the major car manufacturers to develop a new engine, even with a department full of engineers, and in many cases 50+ years of engine design and development experience to draw upon, it still takes them 5+ years (though typically closer to 10 years) to develop an engine before it's suitable to be fitted to production cars. I did pick up on some very basic engineering details early on in the development of this engine that while these guys have extensive engineering and CNC experience and capability, basic things like oil seals they didn't fully understand just how they work and what was needed for them to seal.

The gearbox, while little details have been released, again is squarely aimed at competition, but what class ? Given that it's almost certainly straight cut close ratio (probably super close) and of a dog box type, along with the computer driven shifter, it's no where near suitable for the road nor can be 'converted or de-tuned' for the road.

As for the coin that's being asked, I can 100% see why they have these prices, I doubt they are making any money out of it at all, or if they are, the margins are quite tight.

[DeadSquare]

I've refrained from making comment here - until now.

I do most sincerely respect the engineering and manufacture of these engines and gearboxes, the amount of work here is huge, it really is and iit appears to me that they have really tried to cut down on as many compromises as possible, while retaining flexibility for cylinder head options, engine capacities, and that the gearbox suits their engine as well as the original A and A+, their efforts here are truly amazing and quite ground breaking, this will go down in the history of Minis and the A Series along with the originals and specials from the likes of Gorden Allen and others of the 60's.

While I have that respect and high praise for this project, I also have to wonder just where in the world it fits. It's clearly 'all out' power aimed squarely at competition use, I scratch my head at just what classes of competition it falls in to, where really it can only be used in the few 'open anything goes' class, where it's acceptable to put a fully blown big block Chev in to a Honda Civic and likewise say a Honda Turbo 2.0 Transverse Engine in to a Mini.

 

While the tune of the engine could be tamed for road use, I have to again ask where it fits as here, there's no need to fit in to classes of competition, but just what can legally be done and still be able to register & insure the car for the road and again,,,, as we have all seen over the years, there's a myriad of engine / power units available that give sensational results and the guy at home can do these conversions with little outside assistance.

 

Against this too, I have to add that even for the major car manufacturers to develop a new engine, even with a department full of engineers, and in many cases 50+ years of engine design and development experience to draw upon, it still takes them 5+ years (though typically closer to 10 years) to develop an engine before it's suitable to be fitted to production cars. I did pick up on some very basic engineering details early on in the development of this engine that while these guys have extensive engineering and CNC experience and capability, basic things like oil seals they didn't fully understand just how they work and what was needed for them to seal.

The gearbox, while little details have been released, again is squarely aimed at competition, but what class ? Given that it's almost certainly straight cut close ratio (probably super close) and of a dog box type, along with the computer driven shifter, it's no where near suitable for the road nor can be 'converted or de-tuned' for the road.

As for the coin that's being asked, I can 100% see why they have these prices, I doubt they are making any money out of it at all, or if they are, the margins are quite tight.

 

I'd  like to put it in the back of a Unipower GT at Le Mans.

[DeadSquare]

Ascaso Engineering Billet Alloy 5 main Bearing engine & Kent Auto Developments - 4V Gen 3 Head

 

427 !!!!!!! Bhp on CMR Engine Dyno in New Zealand:-

https://fb.watch/mdXAFL9hCY

 

Just needs a gearbox that can take the BHP now....

 

Any chance of transferring these 3 articles, off facebook ?

[mab01uk]

 

Ascaso Engineering Billet Alloy 5 main Bearing engine & Kent Auto Developments - 4V Gen 3 Head

 

427 !!!!!!! Bhp on CMR Engine Dyno in New Zealand:-

https://fb.watch/mdXAFL9hCY

 

Just needs a gearbox that can take the BHP now....

 

 

Any chance of transferring these 3 articles, off facebook ?

 

 

Ascaso Engineering

427 !!!!!!! Bhp on CMR Engine Dyno in New Zealand:-

"Fantastic work by the team on proving the potential of the billet 5 main bearing block being used in conjunction with Kent Auto Developments - KAD Gen3 16v head that has been engineered for turbo applications, we now have a complete engine that has Been designed specifically for the Mini.

World's Fastest Mini Build my thanks is to you and your team that have taken my vision which was only a blank Cad screen prior to Covid to probably the most powerful 1071cc mini based engine ever produced!

With Kent Auto Developments - KAD joining forces with us and the development of their Gen3 head took the short block to the next level, then when Reg Cook contacted me asking who he could use for mini parts off the “poms” as he calls us I recommend KAD based on my experience working with them and coining a phrase that Reg often uses although in a different context “ THE KAD CAN DO” attitude that everybody I’ve interacted with while working with them is the only mind set they know.

So with the three companies in the “mix” great things have been achieved with only better things to come.

I’m honoured to be part of the team and looking forward to the journey."

Edited by mab01uk, 14 July 2025 - 10:13 AM.

[mab01uk]

Latest from Ascaso Engineering - Birmingham

"NOTICE we will be at the FMITW in August with the A+5 engine And the all new JTS-5 sequential gearbox so pop along and check it all out.

Looking at the CWP

One of the major key feature of the gears is that they are all fully machined after heat treatment to ensure that everything is concentric and the tooth forms are theoretically correct.

It may be expensive but how many gears sets and possible engine failures do you have to suffer before you start to realise that if you look at the overall picture they are a lot cheaper in the long run.

Please share the post.

Another picture of the gearbox 007#"

https://www.facebook...00051214636757/

 

 

Edited by mab01uk, 14 July 2025 - 10:14 AM.

[ac427]

I met with Ascaso at the Mini Festival. The gearbox came about due to the original gearboxes breaking during rallys. So they set about creating a much stronger gearbox. I asked about road going versions, different gear ratios, etc. but it looks like there won't be anything like that available, unless you want to go rallying of course.

 

Great engineering though. So near yet so far.

Edited by ac427, 18 August 2025 - 04:27 PM.

[DeadSquare]

Somewhere, Mr Surman mentions that before the introduction of the Bespoke 5 bearing crank,they modified an existing (Presumably off the shelf) crank.  I would like to have asked him the origin of such a crank, but we had the wife's relations staying.