MINI and METRO AUTOMATIC

[2286]

marina was longitudinal engine and rwd, only 1.3 was a series the other engines were b series.

Not sure what internals the marina had, but would have been in its own case and not sharing engine oil.

[Theshed]

Brings back fond memories of the Austin Maxis I drove. In total seven of them, if memory serves. A dark green one, a beige one, blue, orange even... All 1750s. Brilliant cars. Did on average 2,000 mpg in them. Yes, you read right: 2,000. Oil that is. The green Duckhams stuff. The car John Lennon crashed, and we all know what happened to him...

It is like Wittsend writes: the gear box is in the sump, clutch to the side. I never had one with an auto box, but maybe this thorough write-up on the AP automatic gearbox could be of help...

Richard

The Maxi, a great car, a head of it's time.
I never owned one but traveled in plenty. Hatchback, 5 speed 'box, Htd rear screen, multi' adjustable seats. "You could lie down" ...

[Richard]

"You could lie down"

We did in fact sleep in ours. Front seats forward, backs reclined, rear squab raised at the back, back reclined, and voilà, bonne nuit, as they say in France. I still have two front seats, cloth, black, always wanted to turn them into a piece of furniture of some sort, keep the memory alive, but then life goes on. I offered them to the Dutch Austin Maxi club, but nobody ever came.

There's one for sale close by, in Amersfoort, not even 20 km from where I live, but they're asking far too much, mistaking insurance value for market value. I've seen worse, and the body seems okay-ish (respray), as far as you can tell from the pictures, but the horror is underneath, aluminum valve cover "rusted" from the engine not being used, missing ignition cover, RAC-installed battery ("wegenwacht"), and the inside is horrible, switches glued into the dash, missing carpet... Asking price at first was a whooping € 7.000 IIRC... Months and months ago... I saw one for that money on carandclassic some time ago, but that was in pristine condition.

And when I think of what I had to do to get it through MOT. I once launched a dipstick by plugging too many holes to get the CO-reading down.

Richard

[Richard]

Brace yourself   I'll shut up about Maxis now...

Richard

[Richard]

I'll shut up about Maxis now...

After this... The videos by this young man are as brilliant as the car he reviews.
Richard

[diffwhine]

Gave up at 4 minutes 48 seconds... Too much for me. There's 5 minutes of my life I'll never get back.

[Exile]

I had an automatic Mini (white, reg KNO145J) way back. It was bought for my sister who was disabled so it also had a crude hand throttle behind the steering wheel. She didn't take to it, so I got to use it - to thrash up and down the M2 to Canterbury in 1970/71.

My memory says the auto was rather jerky and noisy - and didn't accelerate like my manual Mini van!

So I found it rather flat and uninspiring.

It was soon sold.....

[Richard]

But 

Gave up at 4 minutes 48 seconds... Too much for me. There's 5 minutes of my life I'll never get back.

But the effort is very much appreciated.
Richard

[Theshed]

I'll shut up about Maxis now...

After this... The videos by this young man are as brilliant as the car he reviews.
Richard

Great reviewer there and an interesting watch.
Thanks for the pointer.

[2286]

"You could lie down"

We did in fact sleep in ours. Front seats forward, backs reclined, rear squab raised at the back, back reclined, and voilà, bonne nuit, as they say in France. I still have two front seats, cloth, black, always wanted to turn them into a piece of furniture of some sort, keep the memory alive, but then life goes on. I offered them to the Dutch Austin Maxi club, but nobody ever came.

There's one for sale close by, in Amersfoort, not even 20 km from where I live, but they're asking far too much, mistaking insurance value for market value. I've seen worse, and the body seems okay-ish (respray), as far as you can tell from the pictures, but the horror is underneath, aluminum valve cover "rusted" from the engine not being used, missing ignition cover, RAC-installed battery ("wegenwacht"), and the inside is horrible, switches glued into the dash, missing carpet... Asking price at first was a whooping € 7.000 IIRC... Months and months ago... I saw one for that money on carandclassic some time ago, but that was in pristine condition.

And when I think of what I had to do to get it through MOT. I once launched a dipstick by plugging too many holes to get the CO-reading down.

Richard

I slept in a rover sd1, felt like a glass coffin with the huge rear window.

It also rained in thanks to panel gaps rot and seals.  Luckily just at foot end.

Maxi went maxi 2 soon after the model in the video, ditched all the chrome for sulking goth and more importantly to bl cheap black finish.

Re mini auto, I also thought the auto had a higher engine and gearbox or other gubbins that required a taller bonnet line/height.

[Theshed]

I had a couple of SD1 V8's. cracking cars. Reliability aside 
Actually the standard Series 1 V8 was great, it was my Vitesse that spent half it's life on an RAC truck !
Six of us went from Liverpool to Rochdale with my mate's brother in the boot. He was quite comfortable considering he a big guy.

[w3526602]

Hi again,

With the "departure" (Very ill, or worse) of Honest John, who can we turn to for obscure knowledge?

I'm still seething about Barbara's Hyundai (mentioned previously in these columns ... FSH, but new clutch required at 13,000 miles from new.

In the FINAL morning it would still "burn rubber" when exiting roundabouts, just by hitting the loud pedal, (OK, in first gear), and hitting the pedal when in a straight line, in first gear, at 20mph, would sometimes cause the front tyres to squeal.

By LUNCHTIME, the car was barely drivable, due to clutch slip.

The Sprog in the Main Dealers Reception declared it was my fault the clutch was slipping, due to me slipping the clutch to get a fast take off from traffic lights. I don't! The engine alone is plenty adequate with 1600cc (with lesser versions of the same car having only 1100cc) £700+ to replace the clutch ... NOT a warranty job.

I can't wait until next time I meet that gentleman. Barbara has decreed that we should start thinking about "going electric", (not from that dealer) and buying NEW, which is rather sweet of her, as she has been confined to bed for over a year. The problem is transferring her from bed to her power chair. I haven't watched, but suspect they have tried to lift under her armpits ... she has no right shoulder. However, I has just managed to re-connect with the Disability Law Society website, who have a team of disability lawyers giving a Q&A service.

A little research has indicated that people with a disability can buy a new car with 0% VAT, with only a few restriction on who can drive it... BUT ... the car must have had substantial welding. My pocket calculator suggests that the "Disability" VAT saving will be mostly eaten up by the WAV (Wheel Chair Accessible Vehicle) modifications. Gibbo ... did you say there was a pre-owned WAV specialist in Milton Keynes? Can we face returning to buying second hand?

602

[w3526602]

Marina was longitudinal engine and rwd, only 1.3 was a series the other engines were b series.

Hi again,

The Marina engines A and B Series could be swapped with very little alteration to the car. The "chassis rails" were drilled and tapped to accommodate both engine lengths, and I think they could accept either gearbox. Maybe the prop-shaft needed changing, due only to length. I think the differentials were interchangable, but 1800cc pulling a 1300 differential was quite interesting.

I once read an article (Possibly in CARS & CONVERS  IONS magazine) about a Morris 1000 fitted with an MGB engine.

The Morris Marina 1.8TC used the same engine as the MGB.

I believe somebody fitted an MGB engine into a Land Rover S1, but have been unable to trace the magazine article. Memory says it was lacking in torque, so didn't like 750 tyres ... max indicated speed 80mph on 600s, but only 50mph on 750s.... or something like that ... it been 40 years since ....


602

[Alan Drover]

One strange difference between the Marina TC and MGB engines. The MGB engine had a far superior forged crankshaft while the Marina had a cheaper cast one. MGB engines had forged crankshafts right to the end of production.

[Theshed]

Hi again,

With the "departure" (Very ill, or worse) of Honest John, who can we turn to for obscure knowledge?

I'm still seething about Barbara's Hyundai (mentioned previously in these columns ... FSH, but new clutch required at 13,000 miles from new.

In the FINAL morning it would still "burn rubber" when exiting roundabouts, just by hitting the loud pedal, (OK, in first gear), and hitting the pedal when in a straight line, in first gear, at 20mph, would sometimes cause the front tyres to squeal.

By LUNCHTIME, the car was barely drivable, due to clutch slip.

The Sprog in the Main Dealers Reception declared it was my fault the clutch was slipping, due to me slipping the clutch to get a fast take off from traffic lights. I don't! The engine alone is plenty adequate with 1600cc (with lesser versions of the same car having only 1100cc) £700+ to replace the clutch ... NOT a warranty job.

I can't wait until next time I meet that gentleman. Barbara has decreed that we should start thinking about "going electric", (not from that dealer) and buying NEW, which is rather sweet of her, as she has been confined to bed for over a year. The problem is transferring her from bed to her power chair. I haven't watched, but suspect they have tried to lift under her armpits ... she has no right shoulder. However, I has just managed to re-connect with the Disability Law Society website, who have a team of disability lawyers giving a Q&A service.

A little research has indicated that people with a disability can buy a new car with 0% VAT, with only a few restriction on who can drive it... BUT ... the car must have had substantial welding. My pocket calculator suggests that the "Disability" VAT saving will be mostly eaten up by the WAV (Wheel Chair Accessible Vehicle) modifications. Gibbo ... did you say there was a pre-owned WAV specialist in Milton Keynes? Can we face returning to buying second hand?

602

I would think the Mobility expert you mention will give you all the info' you need but surely if Barbara receiving the care you describe she will be eligible for full DLA ?
There are many less deserving who have new cars on the Motability scheme.