1275 engine

[Greengrass]

I have just bought a moggy pick up it has a 1275 engine with a borg warner 35 auto gear box can i bolt on a a35/moggy gear box on

[chrisryder]

it depends. do you know if it is a marina engine or mg midget? the big giveaway would be where the oil filter is situated. the engine may have had a backplate change to accomodate the BW box. so you may need to pick up an MG midget backplate, or a modified 1098 minor one (modified with regards clearance for the end of the crank which is bigger on a 1275 than a 1098. if you can post a pic of the back of your engine, myself or others may be able to identify what backplate is on there.

[twincamman]

Don't forget that you can get a good price for the autobox, bellhousing and torque converter etc. on the Minor forums, as there's quite a few people would like to build and Automatic Minor.

[Greengrass]

The bloke told me it was a marina engine
Iv put it on sale on here to see if there is any interest
Is there any benifit off having an auto minor and do you think i should leave it in was told it all runs ok but i havent had it started yet

[alex_holden]

Is there any benifit off having an auto minor and do you think i should leave it in was told it all runs ok but i havent had it started yet

Not really if you are capable of driving a manual, but for people with leg issues it can make the difference between driving a Minor or having to give it up and get a modern automatic instead.

[bmcecosse]

As the others have said - there is quite a demand for the auto box -especially if it comes with the engine all ready to go. If you go manual - you will need to re-instate the missing clutch pedal!

[Chris Edgar]

My wife's Convertible has a BW 65 auto box on a Marina 1275 engine....the 35 was an earlier version.
As far as I am concerned it is very, very good!

If your pick-up is likely to be used in town a lot, i.e. lots of stop/start traffic, it is excellent & far more relaxing than a manual. The 1275 works very well with it.
To convert to manual, as well as the backplate, you would need to get & fit a flywheel & clutch (auto uses a flexplate) and would need to check that the propshaft is the same size or would need to replace it.
Clutch pedal has already been mentioned.
Quite a lot of work & expense.

My advice would be to use it as it is & see what you think before making you mind up. Don't rush!

As has been said, there is a demand for these boxes. Two of the main MM restorers have told me they have frequent enquiries regarding conversion to auto, but getting hold of the boxes is not easy. New auto boxes sell at about £1200 from what I can gather.

If you have any queries, please feel free to post or PM me

regards
Chris