Morris Minor Owners Club

Afternoon folks.
This has probably been covered before many times, but here goes.

Is there a general consensus on how far you can go improving, uprating your engine for more poke, or replacing it with a bigger one, and still keep the original suspension & brakes? In other words, at what point, in terms of power output, do suspension improvements & disc brakes become necessary?

cheers (expecting umpteen different answers )

Neil

I wouldn't go above the 1275 engine with standard brakes/suspension.
Given that you can tune a 1098 to stick out close to 70BPH with just a CAM and Cylinder head change, that's hairy enough.

Ditto!
1275 is about the limit on standard stuff imho.

Oddly I found handling rather than braking to be my main stumbling block.
I find the brakes perfectly adequate for the 1275 engine but the handling not so.
I have to slow down more than I'd like to on certain bends and start to loose confidence in the car at speeds around 80-90mph.

There are a few 'racer' types on here who should hopefully reply to this with more experience.

I'd always improve handling/stopping power before engine power. In terms of covering ground quicker on anything other than a straight road either works just as well but one is clearly the safer option.

Its no fun being able to out-accelerate some rusty 'lad-filled' nova only to have the same rusty nova overtake you going downhill or on a bend.

I have to slow down more than I'd like to on certain bends and start to loose confidence in the car at speeds around 80-90mph.

Never even thought about attempting a bend at that sort of speed you must have nerves of steel

Mild mods to the original engine will still be ok on the supension - although stiffening up the dampers with thicker oil is always worth doing. It's more the old narrow tyres that limit road adhesion more than any other factor. Brakes - depends how you drive. The standard 8" front drums (in good order) will lock the wheels and give you a good stop - what they won't do is that stop over and over again unless they get to cool down in between. So - downhill Alpine Passes are not good - but normal Uk motoring will be fine!

biggest improvement I find is to fit a front anti roll bar. Yes I know front discs are nice. More power is easy with 1275 but a few hours and a cortina roll bar make the world of difference for little outlay in terms of money or time.

ndevans wrote:... at what point, in terms of power output, do suspension improvements & disc brakes become necessary?

Disc brakes become necessary by adding 98 octane fuel
Seriously, I changed to discs when I had a 1275 in, that I eventually removed as I didn't get on with it and went back to 1098. But I dont regret fitting the discs!

superchargedfool wrote:biggest improvement I find is to fit a front anti roll bar. Yes I know front discs are nice. More power is easy with 1275 but a few hours and a cortina roll bar make the world of difference for little outlay in terms of money or time.

Thats easy for you to say - you have a workshop! My 'toolkit' consists of a philips screwdriver and a large hammer. And I often get confused which one of those is the right one for the job...

fair comment but I will say the large hammer is far more usefull when working on old cars than the screwdriver ever could be!

superchargedfool wrote:fair comment but I will say the large hammer is far more usefull when working on old cars than the screwdriver ever could be!

Using both, often as a combination, works very well sometimes!

youngun wrote:Using both, often as a combination, works very well sometimes!

You put the hammer on the car and hit it with the screwdriver?

I think brakes are more important when uprating, I'd rather be massively overbraked than squashed. having done more than 130mph in the minor
and want to do 200mph(yes i know Im mad)I've consider lots of upgrades also lowering will help the handling(not wallowing):roll:


James

I want your Minor! (Or at least want to drive it!)

I actually did manage to out-accelerate four lads in a rusty old Nova, from a standing start at Red Hill Circle in leicester, in 'Ector! He had no mods either - the looks on their faces would have been priceless, I suppose, but I was nearly half a mile away before they really moved over the stop line!:D That's what you get for loading a knackered old hatchback down with a massive sound system, I suppose! ;)

Did anyone see the episode of Top Gear where a rather old sporty car thrashed a souped-up Citreon Saxo up a hill in a time trial? I'm trying to remember what the make and model of the older car was, the episode was a superb example of the excellence of older cars. I remember the Saxo being loaded down with a huge sound system and a typically naff bodykit, fat wheels, the works . . . . the older car, before commencing its run, was stripped of its "unnecessary" extras, including the two side doors, before a lovely bearded gentlemen proceeded to cane it up the hill and take something like six seconds off the Saxo's time, somewhat upsetting the hoodie/baseball cap crowd . . . . . . lol

You and anyone else can drive my minor as long as they show funds available to buy it if they bend it! plus insurance.

I do like to ol' A series for tuning up and a minor will keep up, on acceleration with a hot a series in it.
I don't remember the top gear thing
Also on topic I do intend to uprate my engine and gearbox for my 200 goal, down side is the best part of 5k! I'm saving

Did anyone see the episode of Top Gear where a rather old sporty car thrashed a souped-up Citreon Saxo up a hill in a time trial? I'm trying to remember what the make and model of the older car was,

I remember that.
I am sure the car was a bright yellow Frogeyed Sprite with a 1275cc engine which put the youngsters in their place and proved that spending lots of money doesn't always make for a quicker car.

Yes, it proves a classic car with proper mechanical bits in it worked on by guys who know what they are doing will allways be better than modern rubbish! (Saxo).