I am thinking of getting back into BMC land after a long departure. My first car was a snappy little Morris 1100 with an 1100s block out to 1310, a MK2 Cooper S head and wobbly cam. They were the days.
I am entertaining the thought of snapping up the rover/deluxe hybrid for sale in Melbourne, but I have a real drama with the fact that it is automatic. I still have a few 1100 engines under the house and was wondering if anyone knows more about auto to fun conversions.... both technically and legally.

Any thoughts?[/img]

Welcome Coop...if you do a search on auto and then maybe 1100 you will find all the wonderful words of wisdom Dr Mini in Aust has regaled us with....why not just leave the slush box and enjoy the Mini experience again....

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"Show me the Mini!"

1275 1100S Auto - Manual Conversion:

http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1461

Not sure how applicable it is to a 998...

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Starlet Conversion:
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15484

The car's no speed demon off the line, but still goes round corners like any other mini.
Drive it round as is for a couple of months whilst you either look into it further
or save and buy a whole new engine for it.
Could NOS it!

i'm looking into this myself
the main thing is getting a manual subframe i think

Nah, you can put a manual box into an auto subframe
just not the other way around.

You just have to use the engine mounts off the manual

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Too many cars, and too little time.

All you need is a couple of spacers made up to fill in the difference.

Yep as said, to put manual into auto subframe, make 2 spacers to go under the manual mounts, on the subframe- they need to be steel, 3/8" thick.
Oh and you need to drill an extra hole in subframe at the radiator end.
Spot it from the manual mount.
The auto mount was funny bolt spacing, so they could charge more $$ for it!:lol:

As for converting a 998 auto engine block to a manual, forget it. The world is littered with manual 998/1098 ones, just go grab one.

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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.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... 36631&rd=1

if it's this one, keep looking - it's a rover with a deluxe ID plate rivetted on.... could be trouble... I don't see the point in dropping that kind of cash on a car, then having to put another motor & gearbox in, makes it a $10,000 effort (if you pay what they're listing at) and you're better off finding something that's already built - there's a race winning group Nb car in the vic mini club mag (or www.mini.org.au) for $10K - that'd get you back in the game

tho manual gearboxes are easy to get hold of, and you could use one of your 1100 engines - the rover subframe is different to an australian car, so you'd need to source a manual rover subframe, or use the spacers as Doc has said