|
|
minor sugestionsrustingdeathtrap
@GUEST
|
Jan 29, 2007 20:26:18 GMT
|
Hi folks, i'm still alive, just not got any internet put on at home yet. The other night i had a mild attack of artistic temprement with the escort and undone a whole days worth of work in about ten seconds by kicking the living curse word out of it  I'm not really very proud of myself but its nothing that cant be repaired. The trouble i think i'm putting too much into it and not having fun anymore. So, in an attempt to recapture the spirit of fun car building i've decieded to take a break from the escy for a while and throw the moggy together and have a laugh with it. I've done a bit of measureing up and the escort axle will fit under the back nicely, its the front end i cant make up my mind on. I'm gonna buy some box section and make up a new frame for it so i was thinking about getting some locost wishbones and using sierra uprights with coilovers. Alternativly i could try and get hold of a viva or a cortina front crossmember and narrow that to fit. Or can anyone suggest another type of front suspension that would fit easily and be easy to find in a breakers. The other thing i cant decied on is the engine. I'm torn between a metro turbo lump, a zetec or a rover 820 turbo. There was a thread on here a while back about putting metro turbo lumps in minors but i cant find it so i don't know if we decieded it was worthwhile or not. The zetec would be easy but its getting a bit of a common swap now and even though i want it to be a fun and quick build i still want something a bit diferent. The rover engine sounds like it might be the most fun of the lot, is it true these engines will bolt up to an mgb box? I've got one of those kicking around. Any thoughts or suggestions would be very much apprieciated, and does anyone know where i can get a good book on chassis building and suspension set ups? |
| |
|
|
|
|
paul4be
Part of things
'86 Capri Laser, Frontera 4x4
Posts: 395
|
|
Jan 29, 2007 20:58:21 GMT
|
|
If you're scratch building the front, lowcost wishbones may be an interesting and very adjustable setup with coilovers.
Rover 820 turbo has got to be the choice out of the above, if not going for the obvious V6/8 route. 2.9 24v Ford Cossie V6 would give you 200hp with no turbo issues, although not light.
For something different, how about 2.3 turbo redblock out of a Volvo 940/960??
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Jan 29, 2007 20:59:10 GMT
|
|
I've got a book called 'Racing car suspension' by allan staniforth. Its really is the suspension bible, and helped me a lot in building the locosts rear suspension.
Sierra uprights aren't very good geometry wise, and need mushroom adaptors, so if you can get cortina items and some locost wishbones you could make yourself a pretty good suspension setup. Mix that with coilovers as upright as possible!
|
| |
1997 TVR Chimaera
2009 Westfield Megabusa
|
|
|
|
minor sugestionsrustingdeathtrap
@GUEST
|
Jan 29, 2007 21:09:37 GMT
|
I'm definatly swinging towards the rover lump at the moment. I want to keep it four pot really. I did consider a volvo lump and i'm planning on putting one in the escort so it might be good practise. Its really a case of whatevers about at the time for the least amount of money as this is gonna be super budget build. I'll look out for that book adam, sounds like just the kind of thing i need  I hear what your saying about sierra uprights and i've never really liked the look of that adaptor they use but cortina uprights are like poor quality wobbly children's play pony if the locost forums are anything to go by. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Jan 29, 2007 21:16:29 GMT
|
I'll look out for that book adam, sounds like just the kind of thing I need I hear what your saying about sierra uprights and i've never really liked the look of that adaptor they use but cortina uprights are like poor quality wobbly children's play pony if the locost forums are anything to go by. Yeh, thats very true. Some of the mushroom adaptors used are NASTY. Made by someone in a shed with whatever ali he can get hold of slapped in a hobby lathe, and then slapped on ebay. If you do go the sierra way, get some adaptors from a reputable manufacturer! I've also heard of people using golf front uprights in a similar way. Apparantly they have quite good geometry for this conversion, so you may want to look into this. Adam |
| |
1997 TVR Chimaera
2009 Westfield Megabusa
|
|
|
|
|
Jan 29, 2007 21:32:46 GMT
|
|
I had a similar idea - using a complete front subframe and using the Minor's natural kick-up at the front in the floor and follow that to get it low. I planned using a Chevette front clip, which is virtually the same width, hub flange to hub flange as Minor. I'm saving one off my old Shove it for just such a purpose, which I will never do so, it's up for grabs if you're interested. No reasonable offer refused!
|
| |
Mk1 Cortina Wagon
Chopped Minor 2-dr
54 Minor Traveller x 0.5
|
|
Seth
South East
MorrisOxford TriumphMirald HillmanMinx BorgwardIsabellaCombi
Posts: 15,542
|
|
Jan 29, 2007 21:57:28 GMT
|
Sounds like interesting plans RevD. How about Herald front suspension. If it was good enough for Colin Chapman.... and I just happen to have a car I'm breaking at the moment  Could do a parts swap with the MGB lump. Parts for the Triumph are cheap and very easy to get and there's lots of scope for upgrading brakes etc. There are even ally hubs available to match PCD's if necessary too |
| |
Follow your dreams or you might as well be a vegetable. |
|
|
|
|
Jan 29, 2007 22:00:48 GMT
|
|
the suspension on old civics is double wishbone all round afaik? could be an interesting source?
J
|
| |
|
|
|
|
minor sugestionsrustingdeathtrap
@GUEST
|
Jan 29, 2007 22:14:52 GMT
|
|
Mr Hill, you always were my favorite Street Machine wordsmith (don't tell bryn), You have PM.
Seth. You too are lovely. I'd be more than happy to do a little swapping. Even if i didnt use it on the minor it'd definatly see action on something.
I'm actually quite shocked. These were exactly the kind of bits i had in mind when i was planning this the other day but i decieded i'd never find any. Then i come on here and get a double whammy in a couple of hours.
I love this place ;D
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Jan 29, 2007 22:16:12 GMT
|
|
Caterham still use the hreald geometry, as do a lot of FF cars!
|
| |
1997 TVR Chimaera
2009 Westfield Megabusa
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jan 29, 2007 22:31:33 GMT
|
|
Hi Deluxe Dick,
if your looking to have fun, forget choppin front about, just get a marina disk conversion and add some front shocks. the overall cost would probably be less than a viva or chopped other with the work involved.
engine wise zetec is used, fiat twin cam is better or rover twincam.
minormania.com will give u a few ideas, and answer a few questions.
although you could put a V8 in..................................much more fun ;D
James
|
| |
|
|
|
|
minor sugestionsrustingdeathtrap
@GUEST
|
Jan 29, 2007 23:06:21 GMT
|
Hi Deluxe Dick, if your looking to have fun, forget choppin front about, just get a marina disk conversion and add some front shocks. the overall cost would probably be less than a viva or chopped other with the work involved. engine wise zetec is used, fiat twin cam is better or rover twincam. minormania.com will give u a few ideas, and answer a few questions. although you could put a V8 in..................................much more fun ;D James The reason for all the chopping up is first of all my floorpan has really seen better days and if i'm gonna spend a few weeks on my back welding i might as well do the job proper. Secondly, I really want to get the engine mounted as far back as possible and i want this car to sit low. My benchmark for stance is actually your car when i first saw it in S.M. when it was white. Its lowered on the torsion bars at the moment and its sitting on the cut down bumpstops. It looks great but its totally undrivable as the lower arms are fouling the chassis rails. I have considered a bit of V8 action, I've got a 5 litre merc engine in the workshop looking bored, but the voices in my head tell me this needs to be a screamer. |
| |
|
|
B-8-D
Posted a lot
down to one car!!
Posts: 4,038
|
|
Jan 29, 2007 23:45:39 GMT
|
|
how about getting a cheep supra 3.0l for pennies using the complete rear clip all self contained with lsd..
use the front end with short coilovers instead of struts and weight the shell in for the price of a rover turbo lump and then thers just the sd1 2l/sherpa gearbox to fit it in.....
the track would be a bit wide but with widened wings and dropped to the deck.. u will have a handler that would GO....
just food for thought.....
si
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you decide on the A series route, its best to use a Marina lump as a starting point. If you are interested i've got a 1300 Marina engine and a turbo inc. manifold from a metro turbo. am selling them both as i've sold my minors. ;D
|
| |
'82 944 Lhasa green
|
|
|
|
|
Jan 30, 2007 10:20:34 GMT
|
|
One that might be worth a look possibly is the front end from an old shape Nissan vanette. They use a double wishbone setup with a transverse leaf spring like an old Viva only tougher and more readily available. Thay also have large vented discs too.
|
| |
1962 Datsun Bluebird Estate - 1971 Datsun 510 SSS - 1976 Datsun 710 SSS - 1981 Dodge van - 1985 Nissan Cherry Europe GTi - 1988 Nissan Prairie - 1990 Hyundai Pony Pickup - 1992 Mazda MX5
|
|
|
|
|
Jan 31, 2007 12:17:26 GMT
|
|
Personally, I'd go for the Chevette front clip. Uprated springs are available, and Manta discs will fit, plus it's probably cheap to buy, and the geometry's done for you. Chevettes actually handle quite well, so it ticks all the boxes for me. That metalflake Minor van in Retro Cars used one, so if you can dig out the feature, you'd probably be able to contact the owner for more info.
Engine-wise, I seriously looked into putting a Zetec in mine, but someone in the Minormania forum had a spare one and measured it up, and reckoned the bulkhead will need to be cut to fit. I didn't want to do this, 'cos I'm concerned about a modified shell triggering the need for an SVA test, so I'm now gonna rebuild the FIAT twincam I've got, and carry out a few mods to it.
It all depends on how much power you want. I reckon that the stock Minor shell (with some "hidden" strengthening) should cope with about 150bhp.
In a car as light as a Minor, that will be fun with a capital "F".
Some other ideas for an engine:
Toyota 4AGE; quite popular down under in Minors and if you can't find a RWD version, you can get a bellhousing to fit a Type 9 'box.
Vauxhall XE; it's been done already, but should make for a good car.
Subaru Flat 4; the Minor was originally designed to have a flat 4, until the bean-counters got involved.................
|
| |
Last Edit: Jan 31, 2007 12:18:23 GMT by moggyman
1953 Minor (Long term project)
PT Cruiser
|
|
Could do a parts swap with the MGB lump. Parts for the Triumph are cheap and very easy to get and there's lots of scope for upgrading brakes etc. There are even ally hubs available to match PCD's if necessary too
[*]