I bought an Austin America new in 1969. That was the 1275cc version
of the MG 1100 with optinal automatic transmission. All were
spin-offs from the first Mini. I had a second one for a short while
a few years later. The hydroelastic suspension was very nice with
very good combination of soft ride and crisp handling. 13" wheels
and no overdrive gear, so top speed was about 85 mph, but it was
happy doing it all day long. Rack and pinion steering, front disc
brakes, all inovative stuff still rare on American cars in the late 60's.
It was a very interesting automatic gearbox, 4-speed plus reverse,
fully automatic or manully selecte any of the gears. Could be towed
or push started in 2nd gear, and could be towed long distance without
running, as it had a supplimentary oil pump on the output shaft. The
gears were configured like two differentials, one inside of the
other. It had three bands and two clutches. A little study reveals
that with 4 bands and 3 clutches the same gear set could give six
speeds frward and two speeds in reverse. I overhauled a few of those
automatic gearboxes (they were a bit weak in bands and
clutches). The engine was essentially same as MG MIdget 1275 except
sitting transverse with single carburetor.
Barney Gaylord
1958 MGA with an attitude
http://MGAguru.com
At 01:20 PM 1/15/2012 -0500, John Elwood wrote:
>I just picked up a pair of them. Can't seem to remember anyone
>mentioning they had one on this list. Looks like they will be fun
>to rebuild... can't get interior kits, etc. There's nothing like a
>moss catalog for them. Will have to learn a few new skills!
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