The Ax Historic 1959 A40 Farina Saloon Car

I fitted a 1960 vintage 7 port Dutch AKM cylinder head (a reproduction head specially for Mini’s) this was modified gas flow and surpassed David Vizard’s specifications. This was fitted with 1.5 ratio rockers, hardened valves and with 2-40 DCOE carburetors complete with a 3 branch exhaust. This motor with 12.9 comp ratio produced 150 bhp and 140 ft/lb. of torque on a bench dyno at 6100 rpm. The gearbox was unique in that it was modified to fit a 4 speed Mini A+ straight cut gear set. After David Vizard drove the car, he suggested that I increase the stroke length 40mm to give a better stroke/crankshaft angle. This entailed making a 7 series 40mm thick alloy heat treated spacer block to be lapped in to the original main bearing tunnels. This allowed for the new 40mm longer forged conrods to be fitted to the engine, this only produced another 2hp but gave a lot better reliability to the engine stress. More hp can easily be maintained with this engine with a different camshaft design to suit the longer stroke.

I raced this in club events with the CDCCC for a few years – the desire for more performance begins. Firstly, I made a stroker crankshaft with a 92mm stroke to give 1585cc. The high tensile 4340 crankshaft complete with a large diameter front snout, rear thrust main bearing and neoprene crankshaft oil seal. This was knifed and aerofoiled, stress relieved, shot peened, nitrided and balanced with a high tensile 4340 light weight flywheel complete with an AP pressure plate with a disc clutch plate and modified, lightened and heat treated Cooper S conrods. A 7 series alloy heat treated main bearing girdle complete with 4 bolt mains, an alloy dry sump manufactured using Austin A110 rotor parts, this was bolted to the girdle plate and cog built driven with the oil pump, water pump, camshaft balancer gear and crankshaft with a windage tray and filtered sump pan. 10” alloy finned drums fitted with ducted air cooled. Fitted with alloy racing fuel tank and fitted with a Triumph 2.5 fuel injection pump to pump water/methanol mist to the carburetors. This is electronically monitored to come in at 3500rpm.