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Not sure what this is - maestro? check out the oil filter ?? will it fit in a mini?



Cheers

Paul

Its an Aplus of some kind my first thought was MPI, but they dont have hole for the distributor,
so maybe a block for an autobox, thats been fitted to a std box (didnt know if this can be done?) can it ?.

I beilve there were blocks in south africa like this, essentially it is the inline A+ block as used in the marina and ital but machined for the transverse box.

SA block with an A+ head fitted?

South African 1275GT
"While the Clubman story was very different in Australia, as detailed in Issues 19 and 25, the South African Clubman had its own unique history – particularly the 1275GT. Like Australia, South Africa dictated local content levels to obtain import excise rebates and greater tariff protection. However, where Australia’s local content rules were based on a percentage of production cost, South Africa’s was based on a percentage of vehicle weight."

"Based on the UK 1275cc Cooper S engine block, the South African engines featured integral side covers and an internal oil filter gallery, which allowed the filter to be placed high on the block, above the starter motor. Like the Cooper S engine, the bore was 70.64mm and the stroke was 81.33mm to achieve 1275cc. 1098cc was easily achieved with a shorter-stroke crank and different pistons (and requiring a different camshaft), giving a stroke of 69.85mm – as opposed to the 68.26mm of the 1071cc Cooper S.
This allowed a great deal of interchangeability of parts which, combined with the 1275cc unit being used in the ADO16 models and a local 1300 Marina, provided a significant cost saving over using different engines.
With this background, the South African Mini Clubman was released on 6 August 1971 – ten days before the Clubman was released in Australia. Unlike the Aussie Clubman, though, the Springbok version looked very much like the UK version, with concealed door hinges, full-width winding windows and no door pockets."
More:
http://miniexperience.com.au/issue-26/1275gt.html

Whatever it will fit a Mini if fitted on that gearbox............the A-Series Maestro unit would have VW end-on gearbox.

JC T ONE wrote:Its an Aplus of some kind my first thought was MPI, but they dont have hole for the distributor,
so maybe a block for an autobox, thats been fitted to a std box (didnt know if this can be done?) can it ?.

It was reported in one of the Mini Magazines recently that the Japanese, where auto 1990's Mini's and Cooper's were always more popular than manuals, have recently made the necessary parts to fit the auto block to a manual gearbox, as they now have so many auto engines available on the secondhand market but with failed AP automatic transmissions.

back of block (seems taller to me?)

yup it sure does look like one of our (Serf Effriken ) 1275 / 1100 blocks - they were A series, not A+ - but that head is NOT an SA head, appears to be a UK A+.

But i'm not sure about those ribs on the back, let me look for some pics as a comparison.

Oh and the article above about the SA 1275GT, we didn't have a locally made 1275GT, they did get some imported from the UK in the early days, the SA public wanted more power so we got the GTS (Not called a 1275GTS, just GTS)

Hope that helps.

PS - Blocks are good, had one bored out to 74mm in 1998 and its still running today in my mates GTS. Current 1380 runs same block.

This is a GTS


and this is my 1380 - check out the back picture.

Didn't the last A+ blocks in the UK / Jap market use the screw on filter like the South African blocks ?

Guru ???

Austin Maestro / Montego 1300 to fit a mini

Cheers for all the input

interesting topic as its the first one i have seen

probably will take the plunge and buy it

thanks once again

Paul

That looks like a Maestro block that been put on Mini/Metro gearbox. The Maestro had an end on gearbox, hence later cars having a 5-speed option.

I have seen on of these blocks in a '65 Cooper before, so I guess it can be made to fit!

I'm sure John Kelly had a maestro engine in his Cooper (probably who you're referring to, Surf?!)

Could be.

Sean1380 wrote:Didn't the last A+ blocks in the UK / Jap market use the screw on filter like the South African blocks ?

Guru ???

Yes.........but as mentioned the Mpi block did not have the hole for the distributor.

Yes JK did have one , we built it for him .

We had 20 brand new engines , some went in mini,s and some in Morris Minors .

I have such an engine in my S.A. MINI Traveller 1000 from 1967.
It´s obviously not the original engine for that car but was replaced sometimes during the seventies. In my opinion this kind of engine in S.A. came out from the AUSTIN Apache.
http://www.kewengineering.co.uk/apache/brochure.htm
scroll down.........

Hi again,

the block/engine/head is DEFO an Aplus, look at the distributor & its fitting,
single bolt, and the "webbing on the block is also Aplus only = 1980 & on

Well I took the plunge and bought it last night

Have'nt seen it in the flesh collecting it after wedding

P