One For Classic Car Fans.....
- Thread starter Alex H
- Start date
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Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Those A35's are dirt cheap. I do rather like them.
Evil_Breakfast
Well-Known Member
I do love a Citroën. Stems from the first new car 'we' ever had. Burgundy/Black Charleston 2CV. A130 SEU. Loved that car. Started a run of them : 2CV > Visa > BX.
Anyway, here's a snap of a DS that I took in Amsterdam last year (30/8/24)
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DRM
Guru
- Location
- West Yorks
Spotted this morning in Hull, not this one, as I was driving so couldn't get a picture, but identical to the above, a 1956 2 door Chevrolet Bel-Air
Profpointy
Legendary Member
They are very appealing aren't they? A pal at uni had one and it was quite fun to ride in although I never drove it. The now quite rare van version would appeal even more. A lot going for it practicality wise too as you've got the A series engine so could easily up the power with a 1275cc plus twin carbs etc, and maybe there's an overdrive gearbox off an MG or Spitfire that might fit to make it a bit more suitable for the motorway.
I do remember driving my old mini metro, admittedly very much on its last legs by that point, going flat out up an A road incline at perhaps 60mph and an A35 just whizzed past doing maybe 80mph. Mmm, I don't think that's got the original 850 or whatever
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gbb
Squire
- Location
- Peterborough
The A35 (it could have been the 30) has a video on YT from a film they made about it and particually it's economy. Iirc it returned 50 mpg.
Another one here who always kinda had a soft spot for them. I suspect they're a fantastic starter for someone who wants an affordable classic
Another one here who always kinda had a soft spot for them. I suspect they're a fantastic starter for someone who wants an affordable classic
DRM
Guru
- Location
- West Yorks
there was an old on at my my grandads garage business, the 11 or 12 year old me did say that surely a Mini 1275 would fit in quite nicely, He did say it could but it'll have too much go, and not enough stop !!! plus iirc the door catches were like something from an internal house door
Profpointy
Legendary Member
there was an old on at my my grandads garage business, the 11 or 12 year old me did say that surely a Mini 1275 would fit in quite nicely, He did say it could but it'll have too much go, and not enough stop !!! plus iirc the door catches were like something from an internal house door
To be fair you don't have to drive like a loon, and the ability to accelerate and / or cruise at (reasonable) motorway helps keep up with modern traffic. Even in my modern cars it's very rare indeed that I've needed to brake hard. but I can still make decent progress. In any case disc brakes are arguably more about cooling under heavy use than stopping the car any quicker. Properly set up drums should stop the car OK if you stomp on the pedal hard - and modern tyres help too.
Tail End Charlie
Well, write it down boy ......
- Location
- In green and pleasant hills.
A pal of mine has just bought an A35, the first car he ever drove apparently. I'm not sure how he fits into it, he's about 6'3"
gbb
Squire
- Location
- Peterborough
But were the A30/A35 transverse engined ? (Thinking about the comment re 1275 engines ?)
Tail End Charlie
Well, write it down boy ......
- Location
- In green and pleasant hills.
Bonefish Blues
Banging donk
- Location
- 52 Festive Road
No, that was the Mini's schtick, and what made its packaging so revolutionary (and why the A3X has such a schnoz!) - well that and the gearbox/engine being all in one unit.
Profpointy
Legendary Member
I wouldn't have thought so as they were conventional rear wheel drive layout like the Morris Minor. Remember the A series pre-dates the transverse engine mini layout as it was also installed in the A35, Minor, and MG midget, Austin-Healey Sprite. I dare say the two layouts would have had differences and may or may not be easily interchangeable. The Midgets at least had 1275 versions if I remember rightly. I'm reasonably confident the Marina 1275 was a fore-aft A series too
Ian H
Ancient randonneur
The Mini was the first transverse-engined vehicle produced by Austin-Morris/BMC. Austin developed the A-series. When they merged with Morris, the Minor benefitted by having its old side-valve engine replaced by the Austin unit. In other ways the Minor, being an Issigonis design, was far more sophisticated than the A30/35.
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
The 850 version even could be bored and stroked to 1275 easily..........................the block is the same, they can even be taken out to around 1400cc.
The limit with the transverse engined layout (Mini, Metro and Austin 1300 etc) is the gear primary drive to the underslung gearbox as the engine wants to 'climb' off the gearbox, tuners try to combat this by drilling and re-tapping the engine block to take bigger bolts (stronger too) but there is a limit to how much power you can safely transmit through the gear drive which can get pretty silly with the BMW OHC cross-flow motorcycle cylinder head fitted
