mk1-forum.net

HI,
I have a 1962 Mini Cooper with remote gear change. The car has been restored with most parts original. I am puzzled by the gear lever which has a dog leg in it. The car has been in NZ since new, and it has been suggested that the gear lever is an Australian type. Have searched various sites but cannot find such a gear lever in Australia. Have found the SPQR lever which is exactly the same as mine without the console. It seems that this gear lever was a replacement for the cars with magic wands and not the remote in a cooper. Why would the BMC remote be replaced by a SPQR lever or is it an Aussie one? Any thoughts. Cheers

Maybe post up a photo, it will help.

If this was the UK, I'd ask - Is your car really a Cooper, or an 850 with magic wand, that someone's fitted an SPQR to.

Does your chassis number start with a C or K.

But maybe BMC did things differently in the land of the long white cloud ?

Ernie wrote:and it has been suggested that the gear lever is an Australian type.

ernie

its a well known fact that Australian have very short arms, hence the need for a special gear lever.

they kept it quite in the parts books as they are embarrassed about it..........

rich@minispares.com wrote:

Ernie wrote:and it has been suggested that the gear lever is an Australian type.

its a well known fact that Australian have very short arms

Woyyyyyy

Hi, It is a Cooper built at Longbridge I Have the BMIHT certificate, exported to NZ straight from factory.
Minis were assembled in NZ but not Coopers., they were assembled in Australia with many local parts.Thus maybe they did change the gear lever design.I will leave the Aussies to reply to the other comment, they are our mates except in sport. As far as a photo it's exactly the same as the SPQR lever on the Internet.Will get a photo. Cheers

Aust Built later Mini Deluxes and Mini Ks did have a remote shift and the shift lever was fairly straight, the part no. of that lever was 22G1190 so doesn't appear to be a unique Aust part. The early Deluxe, Cooper and Cooper S shared the same stick, part no. 22A269, so again, not a unique Aust part, however this one did have more of a prononced bend in it down towards the bigger ball on it. I'm fairly sure those were the only two we had.

I'm not sure if the Morris 1100 / 1100S had a different stick, I don't have any info on them.

<edit, sorry, I did just find a AYA3086, this one it appears coincided with the All Synchro Box, it is an Aust one but is very similar (same I'm sure) as the 22G1190. end edit>

Spider wrote:
Woyyyyyy

Does it look like this one? I understood this was an Aussie one.

NZ Member, Many thanks for photo, will check in the morning.My lever is not chrome, but could be painted. The chap who restored thought it might have been used for racing, does the bent lever give quicker gear shits, as I have never raced I don't know.Cheers

An Aussie Clubman GT gear lever I think

NZ Member, Many thanks for the latest photo. With all this great advice I went to the garage and checked it out instead of going to bed. The last photo has solved the query.Its definitely an Aussie gear stick, it's less bent !! than the Brit SPQR A great thanks for all the replies. As a new boy to the forum have found it to be very informative and extremely helpful. Cheers Go the AB,s tomorrow

Ah, well, I'm fairly sure all the Aust Sticks for the Coopers were Chrome.

I have an arrow straight stick and change with the spring loaded brass cup under the lower ball in my 63.
I always thought insulated bent sticks arrived with aussie deluxes in 65 to combat the buzz and rattle