Ok, just because seeing that GR was playing with the "What block" questions relating to the What was the extra boss for issue just recently

well, recently it got me thinking about our subframes, & how we have dry & wet right???

well at some stage there seems to be a cross-over where what looks to be a whole pile of wet REAR- frames were made into dry ones from the factory

Now i noted this years ago & didn`t think much of it, just figured it was typical BMC/Leyland & their usual -->" Oh wev`e run out of dry frames, lets just turn some wet ones into dry ones" train of thinking, ... however, i`m starting to think that they actually may have got a bit smarter later on in the years & decided that all they had to do was make wet ones & simply change the seat for the donut & hey presto, a dry frame is made,,, Maybe

i`ve just done a walk around of a whole pile of rear frames & some are definately dry for sure,,, & some are wet ones & no doubt just simply wet as std issue ,,, & others that have definately been wet to start with but had the dry treatment & it`s definately obvious that it was done at the factory

& before you all jump on me, i know it`s easy to change a wet rear to make it a dry-worthy rear but not like the factory does em i can assure you & these are definately fatory jobs

so,,, i`m wondering now if there was just a batch of em done, or was there a point in time of manufacturer where they just decided to make em all from wet frames to start & just do the mods to dry after that

can everyone run out to their "DRY" cars & check their rear frames & see if they (firstly) have the holes for the hydro hoses/fittings,,, & 2ndly to see if they have the big holes for the hoses to come through please?

& if you reckon it`s a factory fitted frame, then what month/year is your car please?

cheers

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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.

I thought that there was early dry and later dry. And that the later dry was a wet frame with changes to take the dry. I think it was so that they didn't have to stamp all new bits.

I am sure my 1275LS dry frame had the hydro hose mounts.

Reading that hurt my brain

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Tim

I have a dry frame for my Moke.
It DID have the hydro holes for the valves to pop thru, and this was definitely the factory fitted rear subframe. It's also definitely a Moke subframe.

It was quite dinged up and unsightly, so I swapped it over for another dry frame.
This does NOT have the holes along the rear section.
It does have a c-section welded at each end of this rear "bar" at the back edge of the subframe (visible when viewed from the rear)... I hadn't really noticed this before - thought it might be a real early dry subframe.
Ideas??

unfortunately i already changed my Mini Minor dry frame over for another dry frame.

Would be interesting to see what the dry cars were made with during the wet manufacture period - i.e. Mini Minor, Vans, Mini 1100 etc and if they give a clue to the change over period Matt is talking about.

cheers
michael

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the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page
66 Mini Minor sponsored by http://www.lifeonthehedge.com.au/ The Dog Harness Specialists
It was a pleasure ausmini. I'll miss all you misfits and reprobates

I think they were made with the second type.

all we need is the evidence to prove it

_________________
the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page
66 Mini Minor sponsored by http://www.lifeonthehedge.com.au/ The Dog Harness Specialists
It was a pleasure ausmini. I'll miss all you misfits and reprobates

I have owned a bnch of dry late moke subframes and all of them have had the welded on bit in the back cross bar where the hydro pump-up fittings live on wet cars. It took me years to work out what they were for.