Learn Me: Austin America

I got offered an Austin America today for $600. It's all there and kind of looks like a Mini. It doesn't run, and it's been parked in the guy's garage since 1977.

Are they any good? Desirable? Fun to drive?

Manual Trans and 1275cc engine carry value for the mini guys. The rest of the car doesn't part out well on eBay. Slow. Rust free is good. This one website some guy sponsored. I contacted him once on buying one.

You really must love them to own one. I think it's one of those cars you can spend $12,000 restoring and it's then worth $4,000.

http://www.austinamericausa.com/

I want one. Basically the 1275 A-series like Mini or Midget.

Reminds me of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78b67l_yxUc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

My old boss had one that had been Cooper-ized. Neat run-about.

I have been on the lookout for an Austin America for like 18 years. I have found over 30 in Oregon in that time. All of them have been automatics. I have never seen a manual trans one, perhaps the mini guys got them first, perhaps they were rare to begin with.

I do know that the automatics share the engine oil as transmission fluid just like the manuals so regular oil changes are even more important on them and they usually shift poorly due to lack of maintenance.

I also know that the air suspension leaks down over time so whenever I come upon a sitter I fall in love because they sit so low.

They have bucket loads of potential as a cool cruiser

And the Vtec swap fits even better than in a mini

The big "attraction" to the Austin America was supposed to be it's low(est?) priced automatic transmission. I guess BL figured if Americans weren't all that concerned about the engine displacements of their foreign built cars (the contemporary Beetle had 1300ccs) then maybe we can offer something no one else is / was offering....a very low priced automatic. If I remember correctly, C&D and R&T when they tested the automatic Americans recorded 0-60 times of about 16 seconds (not slow for a 4 cylinder car back in 1968, but certainly slow today).

Sooo, as other have already said, get a manual transmissioned American (definitely avoid the automatic), BUT be sure it is very rust-free.

BTW, this topic appeared here a few months ago, tho don't know if you can recall it with "search".

I had an Austin Tasman as one of my early cars, I6 fwd wide and short car

There's a good reason its been parked since 1977. They should pay you $600 to haul it off.

spitfirebill wrote: There's a good reason its been parked since 1977. They should pay you $600 to haul it off.

Finally. Someone with the truth.

They were a hateful, unreliable, leaking pile. If you are capable of building a Honda inside the body shell, go ahead. If you intend to run it as BL built it, give your head a shake.

Sister to the MG 1100.? Run, very far and fast.

I had two. Both had Hydro-elastic supention. Yup air bags filled with anti-freeze people would use air instead to pump them up and boy did that work poorly. Made noise and was very soft. After fixing the leaks i had to make my own charging station basicly an acumulator filled the 50/50 mix charge it up and go find a bumpy road to move the bubbles to the top...bleed off and refill. Other then that there just a large mini. Seven Ent and MiniMania were good to me and another in NY but name is gone out of my brain now

A buddy in high school had a manual one, until now I didn't realize how rare those were. He beat the cowboy E36 M3 out of that car, once he and I and two young ladies made an 80 MPH pass in the grassy median on Highway 378 outside Columbia. Scared the hell out of all of us.

I know where there are two sitting on a storage lot outside of Louisville. That's all I've got.

I think they look neat.

The car has a manual transmission and the interior is nice, but the car is very rusty underneath. I passed on it.

Engine is probably worth the price of the car. Mini Mania charges twice that for used 1275's.

I got a 1098 out of a ungodly rusty Austin Princess (same car, more wood on the dash). Still sitting in my garage. If anyone can use the remote change gearbox you're welcome to it (won't fit a Mini).