Whats the crack with the A35?

[LowStandards]

I've just sold my daily and i'm after another classic to knock about in.

I've got my eye on either a Ford 100e or an Austin A35. Now i can find a fair bit of info about modinising the Ford for daily use, but i'm struggling for the A35.

So people, tell me about disc brakes, engine conversions, suspension mods etc...

Oh have a pic of the candidate as well...

[rustybits]

As far as I know.. Anything from an MG midget fits, with the exception of rear springs.

Engine conversions.. Its a small bay, but any inline 4 will fit. If you want to keep it A series, Get an inline 1275 block, and there is no shortage of tuning bits.

[LowStandards]

rustybits said:

As far as I know.. Anything from an MG midget fits, with the exception of rear springs.

Ahh, thats good to know, so the brakes, diff and like will all bolt on?

[rustybits]

brakes, suspension arms, dampers, the lot. The MG midget is really a re-bodied A35.

The ideal engine is a one from a 1.3 litre 1983-93: Austin Maestro or 1984-89: Austin Montego.

Yes, those are FWD cars, but they don't have transmission in sump, they use an end on gearbox, and are the only inline type A+ engines.

If you get a good un, you won't need to mess with it. 68 horsepower standard, call it 70 with a K&N.

I don't know about upgrade options for Midget brakes, but you should be fine with the standard MG disks. Wheels are 13x3.5, no dish at all, and 4x4". 13" wheels made for a mini will fit fine, though they would need something doing with the arches to cover them.

You may want a quickrack made for a Midget, or a smaller steering wheel. They have proper bus steering wheels.

[Seth]

Disc brakes from a Midget will go straight on at the front and the rear brakes can be uprated using hydraulic drums form a late A40 farina or possibly midget too. A 3.9 midget diff was the best single upgrade I did on mine - stock ratio is 4.55.

Half shafts are weak but uprated midget ones are available. 1275 A series is the obvious near bolt in bigger engine solution. Mine got a 1098 Minor lump on twin SU's. You could of course build the 948 into a screamer One of the few cars a downdraft weber fits under the bonnet of

Being a black two door your candidate is making me feel very nostalgic! Its even on red steels!

[dollywobbler]

Get it bought! Little Austins that look like they should fall over on bends FTW!

Don't forget that these things are often seen hassling Mk7 and 8 Jags in historic saloon races.

[horney™]

If you want to go big budget you can pop the MG Metro Turbo setup on which can run upto 150bhp pretty easily. If you want to go even bigger but keep A series look into the BMW 16v bike head conversion. Much awesomeness!!!!!

Nick

[Seth]

Oh just to add some inspiration, if I had one now I might well head in this direction with it

[rustybits]

Here is one of my favourites.



Bit of a noddy car? Yeah, but it looks right!

And of course..


Have a look here for some inspiration. www.flying-a.net/?opt=84&stage=ma

It seems nissan A series conversions work too, and datsun gearboxes seem to fit the BMC A series.

[DerbyDan]

seth said:

Oh just to add some inspiration, if I had one now I might well head in this direction with it

Most exciting motor race I've ever seen was at the Goodwood revival meeting some 4 or 5 years ago between a Mk2(?) Jag driven by Derek Bell & a little A35 (might even have been the one above?) Every lap the Jag's longer legs would get the little Austin down the Goodwood straights but the A35 would get past on the corners. Eventually the bigger car's tyres appeared to go off alowing the Austin to pull out enough lead through the bends to stay in front down the straight - real classic stuff

[Paul H]

Regarding parts interchangeability:

Early Spridget steering is essentially a Morris Minor rack with shorter track rods (lhd moggy item used on rhd Spridget), & late is a Triumph unit (different steering wheel splines too) rather than the A35 setup. The Datsun 'boxes which fit still need a special bellhousing - google for Rivergate. Don't know about A35s, but in a Spridget this avoids having to cut the shell, unlike the Ford Type 9 conversion.

Spridget front suspension fits, but for a disc brake conversion, you also need the Spridget uprights / stub axles, as these are different.

[devilishdesigner]

go for it! they're tiny, but soo cute, would love to see one blasting away from the lights with a feiry 1275

[Adam]

Theres a black one on white steels thats been on the hillclimb scene a while! Got pictures of it somewhere... cant for the life of me think where.

[tonycocacola]

puts stupid hat on and asks...
whats the difference between an A30 and an A35?

[Neil]

tonycocacola said:

puts stupid hat on and asks...
whats the difference between an A30 and an A35?

I *think* an A35 has a bigger back window & chrome trim around the grille n stuff!

[dugong]

If you could stuff an Mi16 engine into one I think it would be the most hilarioso Q car ever.

[bigginger]

rustybits said:

The ideal engine is a one from a 1.3 litre 1983-93: Austin Maestro or 1984-89: Austin Montego.

Yes, those are FWD cars, but they don't have transmission in sump, they use an end on gearbox, and are the only inline type A+ engines.

Eh? They aren't inline engines, and if they were, they woudln't be the only ones. Ital and Marina, plus the Midget (I think) all ran RWD 1275s, A+ in the Ital. The Maestro would still need a new crank, and engineering work on the rear oil seal (which is available from JLH Minors)

horney said:

If you want to go big budget you can pop the MG Metro Turbo setup on which can run upto 150bhp pretty easily.

Same problems, I imagine - FWD to RWD. All possible, natch, but not in any way bolt on.

[Seth]

500tops said:

tonycocacola said:

puts stupid hat on and asks...
whats the difference between an A30 and an A35?

I *think* an A35 has a bigger back window & chrome trim around the grille n stuff!

As Ash says the back window is bigger. The A30 had a one piece chrome grille as opposed to the A35 chrome trim round painted grille. A30s had 803cc engines, A35's 948s. I think A30's all had trafficators but A35 got proper flashing indicators too.

A30





A35

[tonycocacola]

i will be a little wiser at some of the shows now.
thankyou you fine informative gentleman.

;D

[LowStandards]

tonycocacola said:

puts stupid hat on and asks...
whats the difference between an A30 and an A35?

They changed to a remote gearchange instead of the column shift as well I also believe (if Wikipedia is owt to go by) the A35 was so called 'cause of its massive hike in hp to 34bhp!

mischab18a said:

If you could stuff an Mi16 engine into one I think it would be the most hilarioso Q car ever.

I was thinking about this 4a-ge I have lying around, should be interesting ;D