Shite "kit" car building. Doing what God never wanted to ever happen.

[Lankytim]

Ok,

 

I was sitting on the bog today and while my mind was drifting around various shite related topics I had an idea (sort of). I'm picking up a Xantia HDI soon to use for spare parts and eventually scrap. Xantias use subframes to mount the rear suspension and most of the front suspension, the tops of the struts being mounted to the inner wings. If I was any good at fabrication (which to be fair, i'm not) it would be relatavely easy to mount these subframes to something a bit more interesting, preferably with a separate chassis that can be hacked about and modified to mount them. Something like a scimitar would lend itself quite well. Fibreglass body that can be removed, the chassis modded and fitted with the new running gear and then simply lowered back on, I dare say a black and decker jigsaw would be needed under the bonnet to get things to fit properly but hopefully not too much. Xantias and Scimitars have similar width tracks and both Xantias and broken engineless scimitars can be picked up for buttons too.

 

I know alot of folk on here baulk at the idea of sticking modern running gear into something old as examples of converted cars gone wrong are everywhere if you look for them however I think that if it was done properly it would work very well, I guess that's the key point, it would have to be done well or it would be a complete waste of time. Done properly you could end up with something that was fast, handled well and delivered 50 MPG all day, plus would have modern brakes, easily obtained service items and in the case of using a Xantia as a donor, self levelling suspension.

 

Has anybody seen this kind of conversion done? Would it need an SVA and a Q plate? Not that I would ever get round to doing such a thing....

[Micrashed]

 

I predict this will not end well

[Lankytim]

To be fair it won't start at all. It was just a "what if" moment. I can't really see any reason why it wouldn't work if it was all carried out correctly. I'm trying to think of other cars that have a separate chassis that could be bastardised. Rover P4 maybe? 

[DodgyBastard]

Bmw e39...

 

[Junkman]

Those projects usually end with two cut up wrecks being weighed in 15 years later.

 

Apart from that

 

- if you don't like a Xantia the way it is, buy a different car.

- if you don't like a Scimitar the way it is, buy a different car.

- if you don't like a Rover P4 the way it is, buy a different car.

 

Just buy a car you like and don't change a fuggin thing.

[dollywobbler]

I'd normally be entirely with Junkman here. The arseholes who butcher Mk2 Jags because they're too feeble to cope with a proper Moss gearbox and no power steering, oh and throw in air con too. Sod off and buy a modern Jaguar then! Or a Mitsuoka Viewt.

 

However, it sounds like a great idea! I predict a world of pain trying to make it all happen, but definitely possible.

[Pete-M]

As a big fan of aircon, power assisted steering, and supercharged V8s I think that the good chaps at Beecham are improving many Mk2 Jags

[chaseracer]

I like the idea of a Xantia'd Scimitar. I like the idea of a V6 Xantia even more...

[warren t claim]

I quite like the idea of binning the diseaseal and fitting an Oselli tuned 3.1 Essex lump to a Xantia.

[Lankytim]

Another point I should point out, chopping about a dead Scim and Xantia would be no big deal, the bay and bumtree often have no hoper bangers that will never see the road again that could be utilised. It wouldn't be like a Jag XK120 or vintage Roller would be getting the chop.

[CreepingJesus]

You're not alone in having those sort of moments LT; I've done it many times. In my case, I blame regular doses of C+CC as a yoof, and the PPC £1000 Challenge hasn't helped either.

I had a dangerous moment in a scrappy a few years back: next to a stolen recovered Micra with a blown engine, was Pug 2L turbo motor, with box, shafts, struts, the lot.

The scrappy bloke I was chatting to said he'd thought about it too. We agreed, that cutting out the boot floor, making a subframe out of 2" square, and weighing the front down with slabs would work fine.

Then there was the Alfa V6 mid-engined Cinq in Edinboghorror that showed up on eBay a couple of times last year. There's plenty of people having those thoughts!

Personally, I'm currently ruminating on a mid-engined Volvo S40, with a T5 motor in. Now that would be a surprise package for the aggressive TDi prat...

[catsinthewelder]

Nice idea

 

I remember cycling past a dead landcrab and Panda 4x4 each night and having mad thoughts about building a hydro suspended diesel 4x4 out of them and an unwanted BX.

 

Didn't come to owt though.

[Junkman]

I did build three of those totally bonkers things I dreamed up while sitting on the bog when I was a youngish lad.

The details were worked out at the bar after several Queen-Mother-sized G&T infusions had opened the mind enough to enable clear thinking.

 

- Fiat 126 with a 455CI Olds Toronado FWD unit mounted in the back.

- Toyota Starlet 60 Series with a BMW M30B35 and three twin throat Weber side drafts.

- Citroen 11CV with a Scorpio 2.9i 4x4 drivetrain and cossied 4 litre Explorer engine.

 

At the time I had a facility with all mod cons available, this included a 6m strongfloor trued to .02mm corner to corner and a 5-ton portal crane.

It was a lab for building material testing machines that I (ab)used for car stuff in my spare time.

I know what's involved to do this right and feel I'm getting too old for such stuff. But most of all, after those three projects, I realised that this kind of thing is not what I really want to do with cars.

 

I'm only speaking for myself here. If someone in my area set out to do something like this, I'd probably offer my assistance. Provided it's done in a halfways sensible environment that is.

[pandamonium]

Super snipe with Mercedes engine.

[Rocket88]

Many moons ago, I had a very rotten PA Cresta, which had extremely sound body panels. I sold it to a bloke who mated the shell to the chassis [well, monocoque] and engine of a late model XJ6 [with v8]. He also 2 doored it in the process........

[daveb47]

Nearest i have come to it was putting a dauphine engine gearbox with automatic clutch in rear of Renault Estafette minibus in the sixties.

Would drive on either or both engines,2 gearlevers an all...

Fun tho.

[Junkman]

Super snipe with Mercedes engine.

I've seen this pointless piece of shit at Tatton Park and almost cried.

Again, only speaking for myself, but I see this is as destruction of cultural heritage.

You could have raced it just as well. Or put PVC windows in your Tudor mansion.

[Station]

McPherson struts are the reason cars are so tall nowadays. Kit cars use wishbones as you can make them with tubes and it means the car will be 'svelte' and low.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

'destruction of cultural heritage', what total nonsense, it looks flipping great to me.

[cort16]

I'm just happy to see old stuff on the road if the owners put a 320d motor or what ever in it so they can use it daily good on them. I'd much rather they fitted a modern motor than modern multi fit halfords alloys!

[Junkman]

'destruction of cultural heritage', what total nonsense, it looks flipping great to me.

You can see it as you like, I see it differently than you do.