Yes, I said that for a reason. But I've been passenger in more than a few.

I choose to have a faster car. That's my decision. People talk about smallbore revving out very high etc. How much higher do you need to rev than 6800? My car keeps speeding up and would go over 7000 if I wanted it too but that's a bit silly really.

The point of the tread was simply is a 998 worthless? No, it's not, i've said that twice now.

But the magic number with mini's is 1275 which seems to drive up the price of cars and engines alike. (cars more so becasue of disc brakes).

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1964 Morris 850, 1330 Supercharged - 81.8hp atws.
1975 Leyland Mini S 1100S powered - Nice and reliable.
1977 Leyland Mini LS - Project LS-T

Granted Slink however due to the acute shortages of 1275 engines(and the really stupid prices asked for them...), the 998/1100cc road is a choice more and more will be making in the not to distant future. If people wouldnt ask silly money for their (needs a rebuild) motors, maybe the 1275 wouldnt be an entirely out of the question proposal.

At the end of the day we can sit here and argue the point of what is the preferred motor. However the 998cc is not worthless(and will definitely appreciate in years to come). Hence why I am keeping a few in reserve for a rainy day...lol

My 2 bits

Hooroo

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Rob Forsyth
Miniot!!

Many years ago I ran a 1220 motor, 544 cam, 12G940 head, LCB, twin Amal Monobloc carbs then twin HS4s. It revved to 8500, did 16s at Castlereagh drag strip.

It went like stink until a piston circlip broke. Anyway, then I decided if I can't beat em, join em. So I put all the head cam and goodies onto a brand new 1275 short motor.
Surprise surprise, it was nowhere near the same...

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

the idea of that engine still excites me..

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Doc that does sound impressive.

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1964 Morris 850, 1330 Supercharged - 81.8hp atws.
1975 Leyland Mini S 1100S powered - Nice and reliable.
1977 Leyland Mini LS - Project LS-T

Am I right in thinking that mini engines 'break' often? owners seem to be changing them a lot??

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YDO005 1965 stock standard MORRIS MINI DELUXE

they're breaking now, 30 and 40 years after they were built

Not at all - the motors are fine if they are looked after and routine maintenance is done on them religiously. It is missing this routine stuff that may shorten your motors life(as mentioned in my first post in this thread I have just blown up a 280,000km factory original motor)and therefore here lies the expense - for the sake of a routine oil change every 15-3000 km with filter, basic tune and some genuine TLC, you should have a very reliable car.

Yes they have their little "quirks" however this forum is a wealth of help and advice - I know it has lifted me out of the poo from time to time. Patience and lots of beer usually gets you through(and a bloody heater here in Canberra!!!)

Hooroo

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Rob Forsyth
Miniot!!

DOn't forget either that we're talking about 1940's technology that's now being expected to rev and work reliably far above it's original design specification , how many mini owners here never take their motor above 4,500 rpm and are happy with 30 hp ?

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Well I don't rev my car above 4,500rpm (I go a bit more if I get too over excited but not usually) as it doesn't really feel as though there is that much left after that point.

Happy with 30hp - not a chance!

There's only 1 thing better than horse power - and that's MORE horse power!

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"In two years time your car will be like a lady's clothes, out of date, my car will still be in fashion when I am dead" - Sir Alec speaking to Pininfarina

I think that maybe all the talk of engine work may make people think that Minis aren't reliable. Like Wombat's other thread about rebuilding an engine (where everyone's telling him to keep a 998 block out the back as a spare). But I'd reckon that a fair amount of the engine work that gets talked about on here isn't necessitated by problems, it's created by that urge that Sports850's talking about. You can get a bit on a Mini with "bolt on" mods - exhaust and carbies - but you'll get much more if you play with the head, cam (which is an engine out job on a 1275, but not a small bore - one advantage of a small bore), etc. And when you're improving things at the top end, you want to make sure the bottom end's strong enough to handle it. Rob's (CPOCSM) 280,000km factory engine isn't too shabby by modern standards, even better when you consider it's run all that time in its gearbox oil!
For my point of view on this one, a 1275 will give you the highest ultimate power output - dollar for dollar, all things being equal. But there's nothing wrong with the old small bore. Not everyone can afford a big bore. And plainly some don't want a big bore. For mine, as long as it will keep your Mini going, it's worth something! But obviously everyone has a different dollar figure - from zero to much more than that.

I see you're of the school of thought where, If less is more, just think how much more MORE is..

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theres only one thing better than horsepower
TORQUE

and I quote

"Torque and power are inescapably linked by the fact that horsepower equals torque (in ft-pounds) times RPM divided by 5250, so people who talk as if they are independent are full of it. If you have a given torque curve for an engine, you have the horsepower curve also. Knowing how these two numbers work with each other lets you can poke through some of the BS you might read. "

I have a 998 in the 850. Its a ripper. Whilst I would like to get my hands on 1275 I think that the small bore is more than enough for "Morris".
Twin 1.25, extractors and the soon to be added 295 head and cam will be more than enough for his drum brakes. And in NSW I believe that if I was to go with 1275 I would also have to change to disc brakes. So....small bore are definitely worth holding onto or on selling.
The addition of the 1100 crank would up the power again. It all comes down to how much power do you want. IMO.

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