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

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

Post by Yoof »

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My dad found a 1956 A30 4 door about 15 years ago and its been in our lockup waiting for restoration ever since. Luckily its a very dry and well ventilated lockup.
Currently the car is rolling and is completely stripped, looks solid, some rot around bottom of windscreen and all of the 6 front wings have rot in the same usual place! but apart from that the shell is good.

anyway its having a 1275 engine fitted with a bmw k100 cylinder head using the conversion kit from specialist components. Should be good for 110 bhp and 90 ft lbs from 1500 rpm!

Also fitting a ford type 9 5 speed gearbox using the bell housing conversion from the morris minor centre.
6J x 13" banded steels with 185 60 13 tyres.
The shell is going to a local car restorer as I don't have the space and he also has a paint shop, colour is going to be the original light blue (speedwell blue?)
Last edited by Yoof on Fri Jun 19, 2015 10:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Countryboy
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by Countryboy »

Good luck !
Sounds exiting :thumbs:
Conway Blue ? :study:
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Yoof
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by Yoof »

Things are moving forward,
Engine block is away getting the top surface ground as all the blanking plugs are in ready for the BMW head. Crank has been reground.
Cylinder head has been welded and skimmed and machined for the cambelt.
Found suitable seats in the shape of OMP classic race seats. http://www.sportseats4u.co.uk/omp-reviv ... _3238.html
Steering wheel modified to suit after market wheel.
Ford type 9 bell housing conversion kit ordered.

So you could say its been an expensive few weeks... :|
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Dave Clark
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by Dave Clark »

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.
fsmlittler
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by fsmlittler »

I think the BMW head conversion is a fantastic idea but I also wonder when an A series stops being an A series. Its still a boat anchor, albeit a very powerful one.
Sounds like an amazing project and will be great to watch the progress
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Yoof
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by Yoof »

The engine conversion will cost me under £1000 including pistons and the head (which I got for nothing).
I am doing most of the machining myself.
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by Dave Clark »

Not strictly a fair comparison, but I have 140bhp from a turbo A series and the engine uses secondhand turbo pistons, (£100) a rebuilt turbo (total cost , including the turbo £80) Metro turbo manifolds (£50) and set of rings, bearings, seals and gaskets ( c. £140)

Still is a recognisable A series when you open the bonnet - and it has done about 7000 miles so far.
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Yoof
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by Yoof »

All to easy haha and I wanted to do something special. I used to work at motorworks and we sold one of these bmw k heads once a fortnight and always wanted to do it myself.
This engine will have power all the way through the revs range and 90 ft lbs from 3000rpm!
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by Edosan »

Looks like a beautiful piece of engineering and love the attitude, am very envious of guys like you and Dave with such amazing engineering skills :bow: look forward to seeing and hearing finished article, notice you're not far away am planning a visit to the Carding Shed at Hepworth for their start of the season classic meet on 9th May presume that's not too far away :wave:
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by Hurtzberg »

Good to see you are making progress :thumbs:
Andrew

1957 A35
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Yoof
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by Yoof »

Got the block back today from Drakes in Bradford, they have surface ground the deck. Had to be done this way due to the various brass and steel threaded inserts.

Image

Image

Also got the newly banded steel wheels back from the powdercoaters :)

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

Post by Yoof »

The wheels are 5.5j
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Hoppend
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A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by Hoppend »

Why did it need steel and brass inserts? I would have thought steel would be preferable. And are those threaded rods, the only ones you need to attach the head, you are probably going to drill the rest yourself.

Looks very impressive!
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Dave Clark
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by Dave Clark »

On most of the K head conversions that I have seen the stud holes in the block have been filled with cast iron inserts,not steel.

(only two of the original studs line up with the K head)
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Re: A30 fast road car with 1275 bmw twincam head

Post by Hoppend »

Ahh probably due to the linear expansion coefficient...
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