Re: 1957 Metropolitan!!

[John McEwen <moparrr@xxxxxxx>]

Remember that the original Austin didn't even have full hydraulic 
brakes, although that was rectified when the Met was introduced. 
You're still dealing with a live rear axle on cart springs and a 
front end with lever arm shocks acting as the upper control arms. 
The whole thing is right out of the late '30s but was built into the 
'80s in MGs.  By using MG components, it MIGHT be possible to fit 
front disks - which were standard equipment on MGBs - but it might 
require grafting an entire MGB front crossmember into the Nash unit 
body.  MGs never used rear disks so that end would have to stay as 
built.

IMHO, it's just an exercise in wasted money and a wasted car.  It the 
Met is any good, it's of more interest and worth more money if it 
remains stock.  There are many far better cars which could benefit 
from a performance tweak.  Leave the Met as it was - a cute urban 
runabout, beloved of secretaries, school teachers and teen age girls. 
If you've ever driven one, which I have, you'll find it a pretty 
primitive and slow conveyance.  It's a kind of time machine which is 
better left to be savoured and to appreciate how far we've come.

John


> " From: John McEwen <moparrr@xxxxxxx>
> "
> " These cars are worth quite good money if restored to stock.  If you
> " want performance, don't fool around with something the chassis can't
> " handle.  Remember that underneath it's an Austin A40 running an
> " engine introduced for the A40 in 1948.  It's a 1200 cc pushrod four.
> " However, the MGB engine now a full 1800 cc and capable of making 150
> " hp with moderate tweaks, will essentially bolt in as they are both of
> " the same family, known as the BMC B engine series.  They came in
> " sizes of 1200, 1500, 1600, 1622, 1800 and can be increased to 2.2
> " litres with machine work and parts which are available.  The B engine
> " series is very well supported by British car specialists - especially
> " the MG versions of it.
> "
> " It was used in all BMC marques including Austin, Morris and Riley as
> " well as MG.
>
> also, the 1800 has 5 mains whereas the earlier b blocks have only 3.
>
> you can probably update the chassis and running gear quite a bit by
> rummaging around in the bmc parts bin.  would disk brakes from the mgb
> fit?  there must be -some- suitable donor...  certainly the 4sp trans,
> with o/d.
>
> i've heard of a met with a very-rare [and fragile] mga 1622 twincam.
> ________________________________________________________________________
> Andrew Hay                                  the genius nature
> internet rambler                            is to see what all have seen
>
> adh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx                       and think what none thought