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Austin America

Posted by kvan

MG, Triumph, Austin-Healey, Jaguar, Classic British Car Restoration Parts & Accessories

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Austin America #1
kvan kerry van parker, USA	Posted: June 10, 2012 05:15PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 25

Does ant body know what happened to these little cars? My sister had one when I was about 14yrs old I thought it was cool! But I have never heard or seen one since then!

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Re: Austin America #2
OldBloke Jim Legg Napa, California, USA 1971 MG MGB GT 1972 MG MGB V6 Conversion	Posted: June 10, 2012 07:31PM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 8,309

Evolved from the MG 1100. Still out there if rust and unobtainable liquid suspension parts haven't sidelined them. heres my pals (littlebritishcar on MGE).

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1966 MG 1100 001.jpg (71.3 KB) –

Re: Austin America #3
Northwest2go Phil Robinson Bury st Edmunds, Suffolk, United Kingdom	Posted: June 11, 2012 12:05PM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 2,036

Why did they call the Austin/Morris 1100/1300 the "Austin America"?
I had a 1970 Austin 1300. It was an easy car to maintain, but rust was a big problem. Previously I had owned an MG 1300 which also fell foul to Ferrous oxide.

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Re: Austin America #4
kvan kerry van parker, USA	Posted: June 11, 2012 01:45PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 25

Did'nt this car have a semi automatic trans in it like the VW had in the early 70"s no clutch?

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Re: Austin America #5
Gofanu Fletcher Millmore Titusville PA, USA	Posted: June 11, 2012 04:34PM Registered: 6 years ago Posts: 618

America was a US only version of the 1300. Two door sedan only, emissions, marker lights. And they took away the MG versions we had gotten under the early scheme - US safety/smog standards, starting 1968. Of course, all Mini/Cooper S mods helped a bunch!
Love them, but rust kills.

Auto was very nice, and far better than the competing VW autoclutch miscegenation. It was a full auto or you shift it, your choice. But, typically died around 25000 miles, and in those days nobody including the best dealers could fix them any better, so many were stored away to emerge in estate sales later. Great if you kept the last rusted out one for parts to convert to manual box. Guys on the ADO16 group have apparently now figured out how to fix the mixmaster boxes. I have several.

Definitive and excellent site:
http://www.austinamericausa.com/

FRM

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Re: Austin America #6
OldBloke Jim Legg Napa, California, USA 1971 MG MGB GT 1972 MG MGB V6 Conversion	Posted: June 11, 2012 04:36PM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 8,309

In reply to # 2091049 by kvan Did'nt this car have a semi automatic trans in it like the VW had in the early 70"s no clutch?

Nope, it was either 4-speed (rare in North America) or fully automatic.

"Not all who wander are lost." -J.R.R. Tolkien

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Re: Austin America #7
Gofanu Fletcher Millmore Titusville PA, USA	Posted: June 11, 2012 04:47PM Registered: 6 years ago Posts: 618

"Nope, it was either 4-speed (rare in North America) or fully automatic."

In our shop (Pittsburgh PA) in the late 60's - early 70's, 4 speeds were about 5 to 1 or better over autos.

FRM

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Re: Austin America #8
geezer charles durning Magee, MS, USA 1958 MG Magnette ZB "Chick Magnette"	Posted: June 11, 2012 04:53PM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 400

I liked my Austin America 4 speed. It easially got 40+ mpg. The floors were sheet metal pop rivited and siliconed in place. Everything worked and it never gave me any trouble. 30 years ago it gave way to a 4 door car when the rug rat came along.

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Re: Austin America #9
OldBloke Jim Legg Napa, California, USA 1971 MG MGB GT 1972 MG MGB V6 Conversion	Posted: June 11, 2012 07:28PM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 8,309

In reply to # 2091231 by Gofanu "Nope, it was either 4-speed (rare in North America) or fully automatic."

In our shop (Pittsburgh PA) in the late 60's - early 70's, 4 speeds were about 5 to 1 or better over autos.

FRM

Yer probably right Fletch...was just droppin' a figure someone told me..personally the three AAs that passed thru my life were all automatics.

"Not all who wander are lost." -J.R.R. Tolkien

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Re: Austin America #10
kvan kerry van parker, USA	Posted: June 11, 2012 08:46PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 25

Thanks all for the education on the AA's Ilove this being able to get this info from well informed people Thanks again

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Re: Austin America #11
kvan kerry van parker, USA	Posted: June 11, 2012 08:49PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 25

Thanks for the info

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Re: Austin America #12
Northwest2go Phil Robinson Bury st Edmunds, Suffolk, United Kingdom	Posted: June 12, 2012 03:09PM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 2,036

Did you get the up mkt Vanden Plas princess 1300 over there? leather and walnut interior.

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vanden Plas 1300 princess.jpg (13.2 KB) –

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Re: Austin America #13
OldBloke Jim Legg Napa, California, USA 1971 MG MGB GT 1972 MG MGB V6 Conversion	Posted: June 12, 2012 03:37PM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 8,309

In reply to # 2092029 by Northwest2go Did you get the up mkt Vanden Plas princess 1300 over there? leather and walnut interior.

Yes..one came thru my pals shop once. I think the oddest one I ever saw was late '60s when an all electric 1100 modified for a lady with only one arm and one leg. Wasn't very fast and battery technology didn't get you very far on a charge. Gearing was such that it went just as fast in reverse as forward. Had fun playing with it on a back lot. Wish I had paid a little closer attention to the engineering that went into it.

"Not all who wander are lost." -J.R.R. Tolkien

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Re: Austin America #14
Gofanu Fletcher Millmore Titusville PA, USA	Posted: June 12, 2012 08:07PM Registered: 6 years ago Posts: 618

Not as 1300, 1100 only, since the change to 1300 coincided with the US emissions/safety nonsense.
Funny thing is, all the time I was working on these, with lots of MG1100 and then AA, I never saw a live Princess - but long after, dead ones kept turning up in junkyards and along the road. All much too far gone to save!

FRM

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Re: Austin America #15
Croanmc Croan McC Florida, USA	Posted: February 08, 2013 10:39PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 8

Does anyone know what the princess 1300 vanden plas was marketed or sold in the united states, I see one at hemmings motor mag in a picture in Greensboro it was at at a car show and 1966 or 1967

I am curious I am looking to find one

Sincerely

Cran

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Re: Austin America #16
mac townsend Fairfield, CA, USA	Posted: February 25, 2013 03:49PM Registered: 7 years ago Posts: 18,406

Warranty claims were high enough that it almost killed BL before it died on its own. Transmission problems was the biggest IIRC.

there's a forum for them in the list to the left...1100 & 1300.

1973 Roadster. A nice 50-footer!
SUs, Datsun 5-speed
MGB Tips and Tricks: www.mgrescue.com

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Re: Austin America #17
geezer charles durning Magee, MS, USA 1958 MG Magnette ZB "Chick Magnette"	Posted: February 25, 2013 03:57PM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 400

The manual trans was exactly the same as the Mini and MG1100. Those were fine. It was the automagic trans that was a POS. For some reason BL promoted the automagic trans in the Austin America like it was the only trans available. That was the trans that killed the car. They should have left well enough alone.

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Re: Austin America #18
Gofanu Fletcher Millmore Titusville PA, USA	Posted: February 25, 2013 04:17PM Registered: 6 years ago Posts: 618

#15 see my reply #14 to Q #12.

The America 4 speed manual trans was all synchro, unlike the early Mini/MG 1100 3 synch - many have been swapped though. Mini does not have the remote shift arrangement, except Cooper versions, which are similar but not identical to 1100/1300 ones. Can be swapped though, as complete box/remote sets.
Lot of problems with early 1100 trans coming unscrewed, and all of them had problems with the overloaded 3rd motion shaft double race ball bearing. Got worse as power went up.

The autoboxes were expressly meant to counter the VW AutoStick abortion, and just as bad. But when they worked, they were excellent - far beyond the VW. I believe that Todd of the Yahoo AA group, has figured out how to fix the autoboxes so they work and stay together. I have a stack of them.

He also has detailed how to repair the Hydrolastic bags, from the real guys who made them.

FRM

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Re: Austin America #19
jewar John Warlimont Abbotsford,B.C., Canada 1971 MG MGB 1973 MG MGB GT	Posted: February 25, 2013 04:19PM Registered: 4 years ago Posts: 1,321

Curiousity question. I was in to early mini's back in the day and we transplanted a few 1300 America engines in to Mini's had to be 4 spd ones the crank was different on the auto. The difference that i remember is the America engines had no external access to lifters(tappets) while the 850 to 1275 had tappet covers. Was this a US only engine or is my memory from 30 + years wrong.
John

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Re: Austin America #20
Gofanu Fletcher Millmore Titusville PA, USA	Posted: February 25, 2013 04:38PM Registered: 6 years ago Posts: 618

Yer memory is upside down.
Auto cranks are identical to 4 speed ones; it is the block and oil pump/feeds/passages that are different.

The AA 1300 block is basically the same as the 1275 Spridget one with no tappet covers. The early 1275 S Cooper was an enlarged version of the old A series, retaining the side covers. I saw (brand new) what seems to be the only example ever heard of, of a 1275 Sprite with tappet covers, in 1966. Apparently was a 1275S block fitted with the crank and rear main caps of the Sprites.

FRM

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