hi i am looking at mg metro 1275 of someone it is currently in a metro at the moment. it has done 66k. if i was to buy it what do people recommend me doing before it goes in the mini. It is currently in good working order etc.
I do want to put a 276 or 286 cam in it. drop gears just for the noise 
and maybe lightened fly.
should i replace the pistons or just the rings. i think i will replace bearing whilst it apart. i want it as a winter project ready for next year spring time.I would be looking for 80bhp +at the fly.
I want to leave the head as it already has bigger valves.
hope you can help me
thanks
josh
Just give it all a good check over before fitting it. Especially check the crankshaft end float and correct this if necessary. A hone of the bores and a new set of rings should be OK and you should be able to get a set of rings from FW Thornton of Shrewsbury if you give them the piston number.
You really don’t want straight cut drop gears unless you are going to wear ear plugs on any journey over about 10 miles - and I’m being serious about this. They really are for competition use on very high power engines where a crash helmet is being worn. The high-pitched whine is so wearing on any sort of journey.
The MG Metro camshaft is supposed to be the best that was fitted to a standard A series, so I wouldn’t bother swpping it unless I was going for mega power. The MG engine should also have the improved manifolds so a Stage one kit will be of little benefit. And the cylinder heads tended to be pretty high spec too (the earliest MG head had the smae size valves as the Cooper S I believe).
So maybe you’re best options to start with would be getting the best out of what is a pretty good setup. This might be electronic ignition or Megajolt, gas flowing the carb and manifold, putting on a rampipe and high flow air filter… Have a read of ‘Tuning The A Series Engine…’ by David Vizard, should point you in the right direction.
From the one I had the pleasure and misfortune to mess around with, it might already have an electronic dizzy fitted.
But with a decent exhaust system and everything set up correctly, it will go like ******* of a shovel in standard ish spec.
right so if i kept it standard would a ultralite fly wheel be of any good?
maybe i could go for a 276 cam for that top end?
thanks for the help
give it a good clean and a service before you even think about flywheels ect
