The Rover K-Series engine is set to become the preferred new engine for slotting in to a Morris Minor. It comes in a choice of 1.1 8v, 1.4 8v, 1.4 16v, 1.6 16v, 1.8 16v and 1.8vvc form, and produces up to 145bhp in standard form, and over 200bhp is possible from the 1.8!. More than enough to make a Minor sit up and take notice of what's under the bonnet!

Views of the 1.8l K-Series engine as fitted to our Traveller 'Moose'

The K-Series is also still in production, featuring in the Rover 100, 200, 400, and 600 range. There are also a large number of specialist companies producing performance tuning parts for the K-Series engine, especially now that the new MGF is using the K-Series egines as well. So if you find that 145bhp is not enough in a Minor, then I'm sure you could find someone to extract a bit more for you ...

JLH Minor Restorations K-Series Transplant Kit
Over the last few years, Minor restoration specialists JLH Minor Restorations have been developing a kit for the Minor that allows anyone with a bit of mechanical aptitude to fit a K-Series engine to their car. The kit does not involve any structural changes such as modified bulkheads or firewalls, but it is not simply a "bolt-in" job either. JLH know very well the dangers of putting such high levels of power through an old chassis, especially when that chassis was only designed for less than a third of the power of a K-Series engine. The complete JLH kit includes not only the engine mounts, bellhousing and gearbox crossmember, but also extra strengthening to the vehicle itself.

That 1.4l engine has now been transplanted from the test Van into a customer's Traveller, and having been for a test drive in it I am VERY impressed. The performance is very, very good (not startling, but then I didn't expect it to be - a 1.8 would see to that...) and the ride is firm and very flat around corners. We took a few roundabouts at speed in the wet, and the tail stepped out slightly but was held nicely with a bit of throttle. Very confidence-inspiring. There is a fair amount of induction roar from the performance filter, but it was, admittedly, not in the optimum position, having been placed out of necessity at the back of the engine bay. With a little more work on the plumbing it should be easily repositioned down towards the cooler air at the front of the engine bay and therefore further away from the cabin.

The 1.4l Traveller has since been tested on a rolling road and with JLH manifold, exhaust and performance air filter, the dyno recorded 127bhp at the wheels and 122 foot pounds of torque! Considering that the standard 1.4 K-Series puts out only 103bhp at the flywheel, that's pretty impressive stuff. Imagine what the 1.8i is going to be like...

After questioning Jonathon on every concern I had with putting over 120bhp into a Minor, I came away feeling confident that the kit would do the business. JLH's philosophy of doing a complete job, including chassis stiffening as well as brakes and suspension, rather than just shoe-horning a bigger engine in, seems to me to be the only way to go. I want a car that stops and goes around corners as well as going faster. I also want the car to be still in one piece in 10 years time.

Which Engine, Brakes and Suspension?

The Transformation of 'Moose'