2026 Refurbishing the MOWAG AEG 163

 April 6, 2026 

Owning a quite rare vintage 1970 Austin Mini Cooper S MkII has been a most gratifying part of my adult life. Having found this car, somewhat by pure chance, some 13 years ago, I have done my best to maintain the car in its original state, as much as possible.

 A simple valve adjustment, nearly 2 years ago, led me to a complete top end refurbishment, after the discovery of a broken outer Behive valve spring. Having knowledge this head had undergone refurbishment about 20 years earlier, I was OK with the idea that parts wear out and it needed to be done once again. That said, the discovery of one broken outer spring would in fact turn out to be five of the eight. Well, let the work begin.

 Sourcing replacement parts wasn’t too overly complicated. However, getting them was a bit of another thing altogether. It seems dealing with suppliers from across The Pond, always contributes to some sort of disconnect between the two sides. There were multiple times where parts orders were misinterpreted, screwed up by the supplier, or screwed up by me, which inevitably led to unanticipated delays. The tariff issue also contributed to ridiculously inflated shipping charges. As an example, DSL automatically tacked on an additional $29-$35 just because they could. Being at the mercy of the system, and the shipper chosen by the supplier, proved to be very frustrating and a bit costly. Once all the parts had been obtained (in multiple shipments), refurbishment went relatively flawlessly.

 Now, keeping in mind with my last statement above, let’s delve into the inevitable of what I am certain we’ve all done… the proverbial, “Well, since I’m here doing this, I may as well do THIS too!” It is a Mini, after all. Some things are simply easier to do when so much of the motor has been disassembled. 

A simple broken outer valve spring, led to:

 Complete valve spring assembly replacement; refresh of the valves; valve guide replacement (with all ancillary required components); cam followers replacement; tappet chest cover gasket(s) replacement; roller rocker assembly replacement; clutch and brake master replacement; clutch and brake system primary piping replacement; new fuel lines and filter; wiper motor maintenance and bracket replacement; alternator replacement; electroplating the alternator brackets; rebuilding of the original alternator; oil cooler replacement; oil cooler braided line(s) and fittings replacement; oil filter housing replacement; water pump replacement; fan belt replacement; temperature sending unit replacement; thermostat replacement; new lower radiator hoses; replacement of all necessary gaskets; complete SU HIF44 carburetor rebuild; new MED air filter assembly; repairs to the auxiliary fan/spot light switch block wiring, and some long overdue repairs to the bonnet latch assembly, which has never worked correctly. AND, lastly, the complete rebuilding of a set of beautiful SU HS4 twin carbs. These will inevitably find their way onto the car one day very soon.

 One may, at this point, be curious as to the amount of money spent on this little project. Like the price of fuel these days… It really matters not, given the ‘necessity’ of it all. As this Mini has never undergone a complete restoration, this is simply another chapter in a long list of “necessary maintenance”, in the history of this great little car. Beginning in July 2025, this project was completed over the course of several months, allowing time for 2 Tennessee trips, 3 year end holidays, 3 family birthdays, and the looming pressure to have this project completed before the “Last Weekend in March.” 

Many thanks to my lifelong friend and fellow VBACer, Steve Phillips, for spending countless hours helping me with this project. His in depth Mini Cooper expertise proved invaluable throughout the entire process. 

Thank you all, for your indulgence

Jon