• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

MGA 1275 in a MGA

Share this page

mrstinson

mrstinson

Senior Member
Offline
I have an extra 1275 engine from a Midget and was woundering if I could put it into a MGA body. I don't have the body, but will start looking for one if it would fit.
 
I don't really know much about midgets but I assume it could be made to fit....My question would be why??? I mean I can understand someone doing an MGB swap in an A to increase to power but I don't think an MGA(heavier car than the midget) would perform very well with a midget motor.
 
I actually know nothing about the A (I know, from my question this is a big suprise). I was just wondering becuase I like the look of the A and have an extra midget engine. I guess I'll stick to my Midgets or maybe a B.

I also have an extra tranny that came with my Midget.

What engine is in an A?
 
1600, VERY similar to the B 1800... B motor would "bolt right in"... sorta.
 
From 56-59 MGA's had 1500's....in 1960(someone correct me if I am wrong on the exact year) the MGA 1600 came out with a 1600cc motor and matching emblems...I don't have the exact numbers but I'd assume this would be the most common engine as I see alot more 1600 MGA's around...They also made an MGA twin Cam(Drool) that had a larger motor(I am sure someone will have the exact specs)....Alot of MGA's have been converted to MGB(1800cc) motors becasue it's and easy swap and the motors looks almost identical....MGA's with B motors tend to sell at considerably lower prices than one with the original motors so if your looking at MGA's and arn't concerned with originality that might be the way to go.
 
1500 (1489cc) B-series until summer, 1959. The 1600 (1588cc) continued until April, 1961. MkII fitted with the 1622cc, ran to the end of production. The twin-cam engines were "problematic" but ~still~... Very nice. Coupes were the only body to get the T/C's, IIRC. All variations to this point were three main bearing units.
 
I had an MGA with an 1800 engine in it - Jerri called it my 'rolling casket'
 
The MGA 1500 is underpowered as it is. A stock 1275 would be extremely slow in that car. My MGA has a 3-main 1800 engine and it feels like the perfect engine for the car. It's faster than my '65 B, and much faster than my '67 BGT.

MGA engines are not worth all that much money so finding a MGA without an engine won't really save you much money. But trying to sell that MGA with a 1275 engine will be very difficult.

PS... Twin Cams did in fact come in roadster form.
 
The twin cam also came with knock off steel wheels. The urban legend is that the twin cam motor was developed as a bearing testing tool and ran so well they made enough cars to qualify for the class, but they forgot to take the warranty off of the car and had to replace many motors.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I had an MGA with an 1800 engine in it - Jerri called it my 'rolling casket'

[/ QUOTE ]

UMMM...Ahhhhh....Mmmmmm /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
One thing I found out...Ya can't fit a twin cam into a TC /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Don't ask how I know /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Bruce /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
ooops - meant MGA w/1800 MGB engine!
 
But remember that the knockoff steel wheels from a twin cam or MGA MK II Deluxe do not fit other MGAs. THey do not use splines to locate the wheel but pegs instead.
 
Thanks fer settin' me right with regard to roadster/twincam combo, Steve. Can't remember where I heard that, but do recall it was a T/C coupe owner who told me. I'm gullible /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Chapman used the same style peg/knockoff hubs on the Elans, BTW.
 
I just sent an email to my dad to see if the extra B engine he has is a 1800, if so I might be able to get it form him and start looking for that A. I already love my Midget, both lines and driving, but I also really like the way the A looks. Having both would be ideal.
 
Why not just leave the stock engine in the A? It would be worth more. If you do convert it to a B engine, an early 3-main engine is the best choice. It retains the mecanical tach drive so you don't have to change the gauges to MGB and the engine looks identical to the original unit.
 
Back
Top