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A few weeks back i went down to help my mate stick the type9 'box in his midget. He bought the kit from frontline, and did some preliminary clearance work in advance. We had also removed the engine about 3 weeks earlier. First up is to remove the crossmember section  you can see here where the cuts have been made  and this is whats removed  which leaves you with  give the newly exposed area a good clean up - as modelled by Bill   you can see on the floor of the midget two black small box sections which are supplied with the kit to slide into the newly exposure holes to add strength  in they go like so  which leaves you with  the kit says you just need to push them in, and they are pretty tight, but we took no chances and welded them in place  then get your engine and box - you can see the billet ali adaptor supplied from frontline  hoik it up, and drop it in nose first. Word of advice, have a hoist which lifts the engine and box higher than the front of the car, lifting the final amount by yourselves isnt fun and can result in some minor damage  but in it went  as it goes in you need to tie up the box and pulled it up into place.  then bolt up the mounting plate. it should sit between the rails, we needed to move a brake line which would have been in the way  then drill your holes and bolt it up  which looks like so from above  then chop away your tunnel  at this point i left, but on the monday evening he got the new tunnel section made and all the little bits done  the next day he welded it in place, and I'm told it was then taken out and driven and goes like a dream. we leave for Le Mans a week tomorrow - thankfully both cars now have engines in (the midget and the 411). Both just need MoT's now!  |
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Excellent stuff Keefy, great pics. Very interesting. 18.936/10!
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1972 Fiat 130 1985 Talbot Alpine 1974 Lancia Beta Saloon 1975 + 1986 Mazda 929 Koop + Wagon 1982 Fiat Argenta 2.0 iniezione elettronica 1977 Toyota Carina TA14 BEST CAR EVER!!!!!!!! 1979 Datsun B310 Sunny 4-dr 1984 Audi 200 Quattro Turbo 1983 Honda Accord 1.6 DX GONE1989 Alfa 75 2.0 TS Mr T says: TREAT YO MOTHER RIGHT! |
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Seth
South East
MorrisOxford TriumphMirald HillmanMinx BorgwardIsabellaCombi
Posts: 15,538
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Great how-to.  Nice to see what is actually involved in a hands on way in doing one of those conversions. Seems more work than I was under the impression was involved especially making new tunnel section. Bearing in mind thats a Triumph engine I wonder how easy/difficult it'd be to throw one of those in the Herald? What did you get in the kit? |
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Follow your dreams or you might as well be a vegetable. |
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Bill bought the kit so I'm not really sure what came with it. He sourced the gearbox through someone he knows so as far as i can work out all he got in the kit was the gearbox adaptor, the gearbox mounting plate, and some bolts. I 'think' he got a new propshaft too, but as i didnt do that part with him I'm really not sure either way.
I have no ideas on a herald, its not a car i know anything about. It would be a case of taking some measurements and working it out.
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Nathan
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 5,649
Club RR Member Number: 1
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I am a big fan of frontline conversions, i am currently thinking about going for their independant rear suspension kit for the gt.
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Bearing in mind thats a Triumph engine I wonder how easy/difficult it'd be to throw one of those in the Herald? What did you get in the kit? Someone asked that very question in June '04 Retro Cars mag (currently in my bathroom!), they directed him to Autogear Transmissions who hadn't done a Herald specifically, but thought their kit could be used (looking on the Autogear site it does seem a little pricey though!). I just found this page too: www.bowler.fslife.co.uk/triumph_spitfire_5_speed_conversion.htm which looks useful...they used Frontline parts for their Spitfire conversion. I can't help thinking that an alternative engine/5 speed box would be an easier and/or cheaper option. Nissan Silvia/BMW 3 series donor car perhaps? |
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if there is space for the box then i wouldnt use anyone elses kit. get the gearbox adaptor from frontline and make your own support for the gearbox. it would be dead easy.
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,292
Club RR Member Number: 170
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It does look less complex that I first anticipated. How does the low revving 1500 go with the Type 9? I presume it drives alot better? If you don't mind me saying, that is a nice looking Midget . Sorry for sounding a bit rude, but what condition is his old Box in? I may be interested in his old box. |
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Last Edit: Jun 7, 2006 11:09:48 GMT by ChasR
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that is a very neat job very useful and the car looks tidy, A type 9 is in my planing stages, i was told that the mondeo 1.6-20L zetec fitted straight on to the type9, but i cant be shore of this dose anyone know a little more
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1970 MG midget
1974 MG midget
1992 Audi 80 2.0 16v
1998 Seat ibiza
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chasr - i havent been in the car since the conversion, but he says its loads better. before it was really close ratio'd and was screaming at about 70. now he should be cruising at 70/80.
i have asked him about the old box and given his this link.
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Cheers for the kind words guys. This conversion has transformed the car. pre 5-speed, the ratios were all really close and low, (although the diff helped with this) making it idea for country road ripping and the inevitable sideways roundabout action, but motorways were an absolute no no. I onc drove it from essex to the pod and back and couldn't hear properly for days. The 5th gear has sorted this out and it'll keep up with modern motorway traffic at a level acceptable to my poor old eardrums.
Chasr- the original gearbox is still working, but whines in second and has the usual leaks. Would probably make a servicable unit but would defo appreciate some oil seals, bearings and a good look over. I have another in the cupboard somewhere from a donor car but have no idea of the condition...
heres some info I got from my mate Tom. His Dad supplied the box, and seems to know a thing or 3....I know it's just a bunch of cogs, but gearboxes in pieces scare me.
"First up, you cannot put a Silvia box in a Midget/Herald/Sprite
because the bellhousing dimensions are all wrong (J RWD 'boxes have
integral Bell housings, not bolt on). You can put either an early
Celica 5 speeder in, or another J box will fit (Bill will remember,
I told him a while back) possibly a HiAce?? You will need an adapter
plate, but the dimensions are close enough...
As for the other guy's question about putting a Type 9 on a Zetec
(Mondeo) lump.. This definitely won't work!! We've tried it, and its
a LOT of fMucking about.
The better thing to do is use an MT75 5 speeder, which will bolt on
instead of the MTX75 tranverse box that Mondeos are fitted with. In
fact, and this is a blatent plug, my old man will swap an MTX75 for
an MT75 if anyone is interested. (He does this all the time for
Caterham 7 owners who want to put Zetecs in their 7s, although I
can't imagine why anyone would want to!)."
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