Hello all,

I'm new to the classic mini scene and I'm looking for a little advice. I bought a 1980 1100 Special with 68k with what is assumed to be a spun bearing (engine will be out tomorrow so I'll know the full extent of the damage then). The mechanic who's working on it has a nice rebuilt 1275 that I had originally planned on swapping out for, but when I did a bit more research I realized that they only made 2,600 of these "Special Edition" mini's.

My question is should I swap the engine out to what seems to be the all around better engine, or rebuild the 1098 because it's the original engine in a "Special Edition" vehicle?

I should add that I'll be using the vehicle almost as my daily driver (I do have a back up car), and as of now I plan to drive the vehicle from Phoenix to DC area when it's done so reliability is a significant factor (Roadtrip!)

A rebuild with a few upgrades will be around $2800, the 1275 around $4000.

Thanks,
Andy

 

I'd go with the 1275, and keep the 1098 to rebuild, now or later. The 1275 is a direct bolt in, so you can alway go back to the 1098 motor if you want to preserve it's collectibility.

I had an 850 Mini, that I put a 1275 motor in, it was a lot of fun to drive!

Dave

 

I second Dave's suggestion. In all honesty, unless you're planning a full rotisserie restoration, I wouldn't even think twice about swapping in something that wasn't original. Just put in the 1275 and enjoy it. You'll be glad you did.

Who's working on the engine? I live in the Phoenix valley and didn't know there were any decent shops that knew classic Minis. Wow, that's quite a road trip for that little car. That should be an epic adventure for sure.

Cheers,
Jeff

 

I'm with Dave. Put that 1275 in & enjoy your Mini. Put the 1098 lump in the garage for posterity.

 

I have to agree with the majority. I think every Mini I've owned ended up having a 1275 put in it at one time or another and I was never disappointed.
Keep the original if you can and have the space, you may want it later. I kept the original 850 out of my first Mini (a 1960 that I still own) for many years but before I moved to the Phoenix area I just couldn't see any reason to keep it around any longer so finally sold it off.

 

Thanks for the input. I decided to go with the 1275 but found out this morning that it's no longer available.... the 1098 didn't look too bad once it was cracked open so at least I have something to work with!

Thanks again,
Andy

 

so just keep your ears open and jump on it when you can....

matt