A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head (reg WUR709)

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Andrew1961
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by Andrew1961 »

Hi
Who supplied your wheels?
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Yoof
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by Yoof »

3 or the a series head studs line up with the bmw head. The rest will need drilling including the repositioned water ways all with help from the specialist components template.

My mate that works at a fab shop in the same industrial est as me did the wheels.

Meanwhile couldn't help but buy the specialist components exhaust manifolds, the welds are very good.
I was going to fabricate my own but my tig welding skills don't quite cut it...
they have two systems for sale, one for race and one for road which is what I bought as it is tuned for mid range torque.
Its disigned to fit a mini so will need some modification to work on the a30

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Yoof
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by Yoof »

Little update,
Block is finished, all the new studs are in ready for the bmw head. All arp head studs.
Also got hold of a morris minor flywheel and skimmed it and fitted and new starter ring gear.
Also drilled 4 extra holes for the 6 bolt morris ital crank.
This was done with am indexer on a milling machine.

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You can see here the 4 new holes drilled on the same pcd as the originals giving 6 equidistant holes for the crank.

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David Swain
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by David Swain »

A very interesting thread!
Thanks Yoof, keep the updates coming. :thumbs:
David Swain. Member No. A1743
Contact for 'The Suffolk Group'.
Contact Email suffolk@austina30a35ownersclub.co.uk

A30 van 55 'R.G. Swain', A35 4 Door 59 'Little Gem', A35 2 Door 59 'The Rev' '+1'
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Neil Evans
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by Neil Evans »

Dave Clark wrote:You said it !!

I admire anyone who will go to these lengths with an A series when any one of a dozen modern engines would be easier to fit (and more powerful) but you have probably spent more so far than I did to completely restore an A35 van.
I'm sure Dave is already aware, but for the benefit of others, this conversion was developed for racing where the class rules force the use of an A series engine but allow any amount of modification to the cylinder head...

Our own Troutrunner's son has built one similar but is into classic Minis rather than A35s... :thumbs:
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Yoof
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by Yoof »

Some very expensive arp head studs and a very expensive head gasket...

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Countryboy
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by Countryboy »

Very interested in this
Great variety of modifications that our cars attract :thumbs:
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jannie.52
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by jannie.52 »

It is going to be exciting to see how this Austin goes..hope you are going to make us a cool video...
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Yoof
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by Yoof »

Getting there, valves lapped in and valve clearances measured, just need to shim accordingly now.
Then time up and plasticine on the pistons before final build.

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stoney13
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head (reg WUR709

Post by stoney13 »

great work mate, but with the height of the engine now why not go all the way a fit a super charger on top, no really great tread, cant wait to see finished project :clapping:
'K' zoid & Avon Austineer
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David Swain
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head (reg WUR709

Post by David Swain »

It looks like a work of art, :clapping: Skills :clapping:
David Swain. Member No. A1743
Contact for 'The Suffolk Group'.
Contact Email suffolk@austina30a35ownersclub.co.uk

A30 van 55 'R.G. Swain', A35 4 Door 59 'Little Gem', A35 2 Door 59 'The Rev' '+1'
Big Daddy
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by Big Daddy »

Neil Evans wrote:...this conversion was developed for racing where the class rules force the use of an A series engine but allow any amount of modification to the cylinder head...

Our own Troutrunner's son has built one similar but is into classic Minis rather than A35s... :thumbs:
Mini presents the challenge of mating any alternative engine to Mini transmission (in sump). Also complete FWD powertrains from other cars are usually too wide to fit (unless Mini adopts huge front track). Good reason to stick with A-Series base... :whistle:

Fortunately A30/A35 is not similarly constrained, accommodating various modern engines from the scrapyard... :thumbs:
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Big Daddy
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by Big Daddy »

Yoof wrote:Getting there, valves lapped in and valve clearances measured, just need to shim accordingly now.
Then time up and plasticine on the pistons before final build.

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I'm at risk of being seen as overcritical and a troublemaker :whistle: But hey what's new... :mrgreen:

Couldn't help admiring that beautifully machined custom front engine plate in whatever grade of aluminium. Have you considered stress raisers and potential material fatigue around the scalloped mounting points :?:
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Dave Clark
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head (reg WUR709

Post by Dave Clark »

A tribute to skill and determination to be different(not that I would ever try to be different )

Although I know that it works my limited engineering experience feels a little uneasy about the location of some of the head studs partly in the parent material and partly in the blanking plugs for the original locations, some of which are brass.
Big Daddy
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head (reg WUR709

Post by Big Daddy »

Dave - you're almost as bad as me (or is that "I am" ? )... :whistle:

In defence of the BMW head conversion, it has been executed on other A-series engines satisfactorily. Overlapping studs locations impose some risk (eg loss of gasket clamp) but maybe that does not occur.
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