Cooper S engine values

[Pete]

So this topic came in for some lively debate on a sales thread today, which I've snipped (not really necessary for such debates on sales threads).

So someone said they'd actually seen complete 1275S engines with boxes for rebuild sell for £10-£12K! So what's the general consensus cos if that's true I'm due for early retirement.

I've only ever seen one sell for over £5K and that was complete with all period correct ancilliaries, was thick flange and sold for a stonking £7500 last year. That was a record breaker as far as I know and has never been repeated before or after to my knowledge!?

So what are complete used 1275 S engines actually going for nowadays? I suspect it depends on the bore and crank sizes and whether they have the correct boxes on and/or correct head.

[bmcman.ie]

10 to 12k! so i am reliably told!

[Pete]

If that's the case I have two on the floor, one I'm hastily about to remove from an S and another from the Unipower!

[nippycars]

10 to 12k! so i am reliably told!

Is that your Romanian friends price??

Sorry Ian couldn't resist.

[Andrew1967]

A complete, untouched, 1071 lump sold at Stanford Hall last year for £5k so I was told.

[Pete]

That;s around the top figures I've seen Andrew but a member of the forum says he's seen them sell for £12K, hopefully he'll add to the discussion.

[Andrew1967]

Yeah, maybe I can offer more than I thought for an S engine (or two) that I know of.

[bmcman.ie]

yes fred, but i got 10 of them for that price!

[Highnumbers]

No way they are £10-12K for rebuild, that is a complete fallacy.

Location certainly plays a factor, but here is a somewhat pricey Mk1 1275 S engine (thin flange, correct head and gearbox), stripped, machined, prepped, painted and ready for rebuild. It's in New Zealand, but has sat for some time at $7000 USD (£5.5K).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1966-Mini-Coope ... 45?vxp=mtr

[Supersonic]

I must be living in another planet. The Mini Cooper engine was a rare child but only the block, crankshaft and connecting rods are unique to the Cooper S in all honesty. Today, crankshafts and connecting rods are available from many good engineering companies and from my experience superior by a country mile. In my opinion only the original Cooper S block is valuable if it is taken out no further than +20.

I know early Mk1 upmarket 1100 cars had Cooper S short motors but they have all now been stolen and installed in Mini Cooper S replicas.

I have no longer for sale a standard / standard crankshaft / +20 Cooper S engine but at £1,500 no one was interested in it so think that one over. I believe a standard Cooper S rotating assembly is worth no more than £2k and a Cooper S block maximum +20 is worth no more £1k. I never believe what I see on FeeBay so never take that as a measure.

Alan

[Spider]

In Aust, I have seen them in the $2k to $5k bracket, that latter including a Gearbox.

[999 ORX]

I sometimes think people like to talk about topics like this to blow smoke up each others bottoms to superficially inflate the price off parts they have stored away ready to magically offer them for sale the following week..

Rest assured, your only shooting yourselves in the foot because if the prices get to high some person will come along and have them re-cast and devalue the originals completely. If your stupid enough to pay it fair enough but, I've only ever felt disappointment driving a standard S so they are worth no more than anything else in my eyes, as I'd much rather use a good A+ block and put up with the snobs pointing and saying it has the wrong engine in it.. its like water of a ducks back..

[251 ENG]

I've got a fully reconditioned 1071 FJ and a mk3 cooper S short engine kits .

Yours for £3000 each .

If you want to pay £5000 each that's fine by me

[999 ORX]

I've got a fully reconditioned 1071 FJ and a mk3 cooper S short engine kits .

Yours for £3000 each .

If you want to pay £5000 each that's fine by me

[Pete]

I sometimes think people like to talk about topics like this to blow smoke up each others bottoms to superficially inflate the price off parts they have stored away ready to magically offer them for sale the following week..

Rest assured, your only shooting yourselves in the foot because if the prices get to high some person will come along and have them re-cast and devalue the originals completely. If your stupid enough to pay it fair enough but, I've only ever felt disappointment driving a standard S so they are worth no more than anything else in my eyes, as I'd much rather use a good A+ block and put up with the snobs pointing and saying it has the wrong engine in it.. its like water of a ducks back..

Wow, easy tiger!

The intent of my OP wasn't to blow smoke anywhere , it was to try and justify comments made by another poster that 1275S engines are £10-12K all day, which I'm pretty sure from the responses isn't sounding anywhere near true.

As for performance comparisons, Chris they're a 50 year old design, what are you expecting??

If people want the original spec engine in their Cooper S, does that make them a snob? The market will always level itself, so if there's a short supply they'll be worth strong money, whether we like it or not.

Guess what's in my latest track S? Yup, A+!

If you're looking for snobbery mate, you're on the wrong forum.

[paulmk1]

I've just been reading all your post, I thought I would ask if any body could tell me what a 1071 formula Junior engine with out 190 box. Crank on std/block on +20, what do you think the value would be. Thanks

[mk1coopers]

3-5k is More like the prices I've seen them sell for, If I was going to do a project engine I think I'd be waiting for the Minispares blocks to come on line, then build it up with a DC5 crank / Arden head, all nice new parts with zero wear

[smithyrc30]

Less than a grand apparently...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUSTIN-MINI-1 ... 2350982794

This includes a car as well so nowhere near 12 grand or even 5 grand....

[In the shed]

I bought my 64 from a guy called Terry Simmonds who lives near the McDonalds on "hamburger hill" (central cornwall). He had a whole garage full of Cooper and S stuff, including every variety of engine as he was a grasstrack hillbilly. He had enough stuff there for you lot to spunk £100k on and I bet the engines are lined up outside of his shed still.

Let's face it, 20 years ago, they were haveable for a few quid.

[Ronnie]

Rest assured, your only shooting yourselves in the foot because if the prices get to high some person will come along and have them re-cast and devalue the originals completely.

You get what you wish for, no sooner said than done http://www.department75.com/ then link Cooper S Eng Block. (perhaps)