Practically Classics Forum

An 850 with an auto box... that must be slowww...

Why so, the AP transmission is designed for hot shifting and can be driven as a manual, contemporary figures that speak of massive slowness are usually a result of testers just sticking them in D4 and letting the transmission do the work.
Driven properly, there's very little difference - none of it detectable on the road - between manual and auto. The Auto should be better off the line as a result of its torque converter advantage, I forget what the ratio is on an 850 but it'll be enough though top speed might be ever so slightly blunted but, if I want to drive a tiny, two pedal car that fair gets a move on, I've the modern daily for that. I don't think that anyone buys a mini 850 for its performance though but. Manual or auto.

JPB wrote:Why so, the AP transmission is designed for hot shifting and can be driven as a manual,

I can remember from my days of reading "Cars & Car Conversions" of a very well known mini tuner of the day (who's name escapes me for the moment, but he was the one who split a pair of 40 DCOE's into single venturis so they would fit on a mini siamesed head) that built himself automatic circuit racers for that very reason.

JPB wrote: result of testers just sticking them in D4 and letting the transmission do the work.

Which is how an auto was designed to be driven, surely, especially one like that? Unless I've missed the point, autos are made to make life easier for the driver, so "driven properly" is surely to let the 'box do the work, not manually shift the gears yourself (or "hot shift"?) which rather defeats the object of an auto box... In 850 form and driven as an auto, letting the 'box do its job, it would be slower than the manual version (which was my first car and even in manual form was slow!)... Your right about the 850's performance, if I'd have known just how bad it was I'd have looked elsewhere, but the "first car" blindness had taken hold and I could only see it in the glowing light of being my first car... Until I got it and used it every day!

The more significant advantage of any type of 2 pedal transmission is that it may be driven with one foot, it's also easier to fit hand controls where no need for a means of manual clutch actuation exists.
That the nature of the device enables it to change "gear" automatically is of secondary importance to many drivers. Once you get used to the AP's back to front gate, it becomes far harder to leave it alone to make its own changes.

Paddle shift would suit the device well. I wonder who'll be first to fit that to a mini, ADO16, Allegro, Maxi or Lancia Beta, all cars that have benefited from the brilliant AP transmission.

i had an 850 mini van & that went ok.. it wasnt a ferarri but what do you expect?? i must admit to another of my perversions now as i am a big fan of the auto box

Nowt perverse about that mate. Even if our Anna prefers her box to be manipulated by hand.....

Now thats a box I'd manipulate anytime

Must admit I have a thing for autos these past ten years or so, though when a sprog with a mk1 civic Hondamatic I got rid of it "cos my leg was bored"

Try getting round the tightest bend on the Berriedale Braes or similar in a manual compared to an auto, I know what I'd go for every time. That said the old A50 manual with column change used to be "interesting" enough in said situation to offset the ease of an auto. That Hondamatic though, put up with being forced from reverse to forwrd with an impressive wheel spin for a good while with no ill effect.

A mate of mine somewhere in the eighties had an 850 auto when they were just old tat and it was a rather fun car, the hydrolastic giving an interesting ride in comparison to my "P" reg mini 1000 manual on rubber cones.

JPB wrote: Paddle shift would suit the device well. I wonder who'll be first to fit that to a mini, ADO16, Allegro, Maxi or Lancia Beta, all cars that have benefited from the brilliant AP transmission.

I've done a little research into using a stepper motor to move the shifter cable. But that's as far as I got.

Another possibility would be to adapt an American (B&M, Mr Gasket etc) rachet shifter to the AP cable.

But most of the time I just stick mine in D. With a 1275 is goes well enough in a lightweight Moke. I have found I can improve the performance in D via adjusting the kick-down cable to alter how quickly the transmission downshifts and how long it holds onto each gear.

There's nowt like cheek

I was offered a mini in the mid 90's for £50 but my dad wouldn't let me stick it on the drive
I like the cars don't get me wrong but they are completely overvalued now - daft money for a basic cheapo car built for the masses.
You are getting Mini's cropping up for the same price as an E-type lol its just stupid - however people still fork out for them!

I wonder if in years to come people will be going wild to get their paws on a Nissan Micra, Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa or Toyota Yaris, I certainly hope so as I can swoop in and pick myself up a nice Lotus Evora for the same money -