Out of curiosity what happened to these? Were they so expensive that production was not economically viable? Or did they prove too unreliable and prone to early failure?

I believe the only one that was strong enough to take a powerful A Series on for any length of time was the Jack Knight example. I understand neither Mini Sport nor Mini Spares' boxes proved durable enough to cope with any sustained serious power outputs. Are they still being produced?

I seem to recall the same thing happened in the late 60s with the Collotti Mini five speeders. Looked good on paper and were ok in a mildly tuned road car but couldn't withstand anything with too much grunt for too long. History has a funny habit of repeating itself.

I believe JKD also did a six speed ......an interesting engineering exercise but a bit over the top..... and hideously expensive.

Here in Oz, KG Engineering put together five and six speed boxes which were sold through Mini Kingdom (BEP Spares) outlets (are they still going?). I have no knowledge of how these boxes faired, does anyone else know?

KG were a high quality engineering outfit who in 1980 built the fastest 8 port Mini Sports Sedan in the country (they also helped Henry Draper move into NMP and supported his racing Mini - originally the one with the Ford crossflow engine grafted onto a Mini box). I had at least one engine built by them and it performed well. Unfortunately I understand KG is now closed. Pity.

Anyone know of any other five speeders around?

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Slide
1965 Mini Van (1360)
1970 Mk2 Cooper S (1310)
1978 Rover SD1 V8 (4.6)
1996 Land Rover Discovery V8 (4.0)

I know of one sitting tucked up under a bench here in sydney. i can't see it going in a car anytime soon as the owner probably won't get around to putting it in....... there are a few of us trying to talk him into letting it go...

Mini kingdon is now mini spares and repairs co owned now by NMP. They don't do the 5 speed anymore and i doubt they still have any either. I would love one in my daily, it would be very handy.

Chheers

Aaron

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There was a post some months back.. someone had a wep page with info on making the 5 speed box.. hmmm. can't think of the top of my head.

Was in Newcastle he was also doing the BMW twincam head, smart fella I reckon , It was his friend who was on Ausmini though.

Oh Cool I had thier site bookmarked http://www.minimod.info/ I would love to catch up with him sometime and pick his brains

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Roads need more corners
A Deluxe(CG13DE), 2 Clubbies(998 and 1275) and 2 Morris 1100Ss

Thats the one mate..

Funny how some things stick in your memory..

Yep, mention of a cheaper solution to 5 speed gearboxes and twin cam 8 port crossflow heads do that

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Roads need more corners
A Deluxe(CG13DE), 2 Clubbies(998 and 1275) and 2 Morris 1100Ss

Bugger he has not added more info on the 5 speed from months ago.

Mini Spares are still doing a 5 speed box. Dunno what power it's rated for though.
The last of the Cooper Sportpacks with 5 speed gave lots of gearbox trouble apparently.
re the KG 6 speed boxes, Matt Read (TheMiniMan) had one in a racecar I think, but he gave up using it.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

yeah, we ran the KG 6 speed dog box in my green "S" for a year, we originally had some trouble breaking the gears in half, i`d like to think it was because we had so much grunt but in reality i don`t think they were welded together properly before hardening, so Daryl fixed it all up again for us & we didn`t have any dramas at all after that

top race box but definately not suitable for the road at all & altho i was quite happy with it,,,full on!!!,,,ratios were exccellent (& lots of em ) & the gearchange was quicksmart (super dooper quick),,,but the whole arangement was just too big heavy in my opinion,,,when you concider you`re trying to make power then you go & suck a heap of that out by having to turn this huge gear cluster & also they`re basically a whole heap of oil pumps too in reality,,,so yeah,,,ratios & quick gear changes, but a bit of a suck of power to do it

we did win the Outright Championship with it tho

the "normal" 5 speed boxes found around the place are basically a std 4 speed box with a 5th overdrive added on, so any dramas with strength would have shown up with the 4speed anyways,,,other problems pertaining to 5 speed boxes were with the turbo charged minis running hi boost in 5th gear,,,probly a bit too much torque for the little thing

Keith Calver has had a big hand in the sequential 5speed box from MiniSpeed & sounds pretty hot,,,but again, it`s a race box & totally not suited for road use at all

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

why go 5 speed when you can get a straight cut sequential 6 speed box from england now that works!

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Potato

Problem with road Mini 5 speeds (not the funny race ones) is that 5th gear puts power thru the cluster gear 100% of the time that you are in 5th gear. Those pissy little needle bearings on a Mini layshaft were never designed for this sort of load. They have a bad enough time in a 4 speed box, where and in top gear(4th) the input/output shafts are coupled so no load on the gears for 95% of the time you are driving.

Proper 5 speed boxes in any other car you name have real ball or roller bearings (and often 3 on the cluster/laygear) and usually 4th gear is not direct either (in a fwd box).

So... if you get a 5 speed road box, my advice is, don't use 5th!!

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

A while ago I advertised for sale a Race Mini ( yes that Blue one) that I have and the motor in it was built by KG engineering and boasts a Mowog 8 port head on top of a 1550cc unit with one of their long stroke cranks using Cosworth Pistoms. They certainly did some good work. I still have the car and still for sale if any one is seriously interested.

I seriously am.. but my bank account is not.