5 speed A-Series?

[busta]

I have a 1989 Metro GTa which has a 1275 A-Series engine. It also has a 5 speed gear box. I'm assured by a mini loving friend that this can't actually happen but i guess it has happened at some point. Is this something that the mini comunity are aware of? I know there is much demand for 5 speed gear boxes in minis.
Have i got something special here or am i getting excited over nothing?

Bernie

[miniman]

I wasn't aware that they were ever mass produced, however, last week's Autocar has a Mini buying guide article which refers a couple of times to the very last run of Cooper Sportpacks having 5-speed boxes. They mention that they are best avoided, though.

[minimax]

busta said:

I have a 1989 Metro GTa which has a 1275 A-Series engine. It also has a 5 speed gear box. I'm assured by a mini loving friend that this can't actually happen but i guess it has happened at some point. Is this something that the mini comunity are aware of? I know there is much demand for 5 speed gear boxes in minis. Have i got something special here or am i getting excited over nothing? Bernie

let me know when you're breaking it for parts...

[vrooom]

As far i recall. 5 speed box only drop 500rpm lower.

[4WD]

I do remember from about ten years ago in the mags, that 5 speed boxes were an upgrade option for mini's. Cant remember who offered them now though.

[pdV6]

4WD said:

I do remember from about ten years ago in the mags, that 5 speed boxes were an upgrade option for mini's. Cant remember who offered them now though.

Cooper I think

[Plotloss]

They were never a factory fit.

Jack Knight Developments and KAD built 5 speed boxes.

John Cooper Garages certaintly marketed them (Cooper Sport 5 for example) but I think these were sourced from JKD originally. There were a very limited number (12 I think, maybe 5) 6 speed boxes not long ago for the princely sum of £4K but then the amount of work that goes into these 5 speed and 6 speed boxes really is quite spectacular so the cost has to be passed on.

If it is definately a 5 speed box and not just a 5 speed knob then you've had a result.

[GregE240]

Last weeks Autocar (or week before) had a quick guide on buying Minis (not MINIS), and they reckoned the 5 speed box was to be avoided at all costs?

[Plotloss]

Difficult to get parts and they have a habit of losing 5th so I am told.

[danwebster]

Have you ever seen one of those 6 speed boxes, the insides of it I mean....

Awesome piece of kit, my bro has one in his mini (Its on the latest Ultimate Mini DVD if anyone gets those)

If I could afford it i'd buy one now!

[Extra 300 Driver]

I had a 5 speed on my Mini, total waste of time. It meant I could drive with a 3.4 but cruise like I had a 2.7 fitted, about 90 @4000rpm. The trouble was that the 5th gear is weak as hell as the shaft is onlt supported at one end! I had it rebuilt 3 time, first time by a guy who didnt know what he was doing, told him I was going to take him to Court and got my money back. The other times by Carlow Engineering. Tony, at Carlow, made a bushing up for the shaft to hold it better than just in the gearbox casing. Worked a treat and sold it to a guy in the states.

Got rid of it as I was always concerned that it was going to go pop.

[speedyellow]

I've got a Jack Knight 5 speed box, all straight cut, no syncro that I have rallied for many years and it's done about 12,000 competition miles... the one thing that never breaks is the gearbox... even running a 1400cc 120hp engine running on a split pair of webbers....

So they can work if you buy the right one...

[busta]

Looking under the bonnet (duh!) reveals that it is in fact a K series, therefore not a 1275 as indicated on the V5! Strange, but explains the 5 speed. Still, might be worth something. How is the price of scrap aluminium these days?!

Bernie

[Mini1976]

Ok so its a K series. But some minis have the fitted dont they? What do you have to do body wise to get it to fit in? Can you fit it into a round nose or only a clubman? What are the main advantages of fitting a K series and what is the largest sized engine that will fit?

[eccles]

its not a simple job to fit a K series, it invovles major mods, and from memory uses a modified metro subframe and suspension.

[annodomini2]

Would try and find a honda b16 to fit rather than a K-series, crap engine!

[Mini1976]

Is there more or less or the same amount of modding required to fit a honda engine? As mentioned before what are the main benifits other than large cc of the engine.

[eccles]

fitting a standard honda/vauxhall engine in the front of a mini gives you big horsepower and the reliability of a standard engine.
to get the equivelant horsepower out of an 'A' series would involve major mods and tuning, and would probably not be a driveable, everyday car.

[love machine]

No, putting a low boost blower on an A series produces more welly than most 2L engines.

Stu

[eccles]

hence my comment "major mods"