Minimad5's Thread - 309 content

[Station]

Would it be a good idea to triangulate all the joints inside the chassis or does the body sit in those?

[GJR 11L]

  Station said:

Would it be a good idea to triangulate all the joints inside the chassis or does the body sit in those?

I'd usually weld seams all the way along where there used to be spot welds but otherwise, the only real weakness with these chassis tends to be those spring platforms, but if the additional stiffness of suitably-placed triangles could be used without creating additional water traps or fouling any existing body mounts, then it could do no harm at all.

 

It all depends on how original the chassis is required to be, but another mod that can be fitted, and that was standard on Rebel 600s, is a large, tubular brace between the tops of the front suspension turrets, which curves around the back of the head. It was deleted from late 600s and subsequent 700 and 750 chassis, but that may have been more about cost-cutting than weight saving.

 

Yes, MM5, feel free to email about anything Rebel-related, meanwhile, I'll see if I can come up with pictures that may help.

[Minimad5]

Sorry i didn't see the last two comments

 

Thanks John !

(And thanks for asking Dave, otherwise i wouldn't have)

 

I am in two minds if i should keep the Rebel standard, or "Plonk" in a different Engine and Running gear

[Station]

I'd go down the 4AGE route, they're tiny and they're revvy. Would you put it in the back or front though?

 

My mate made these for my (sh)kitcar:

 

 

Easy to lob together a bunch of metal together esp on your separate chassis!

 

[Minimad5]

Engine would have to be in the front

 

- For some reason i am now not getting notifications from new replys-

 

Them arms look really good, how much did they cost Dave ?

[GJR 11L]

You can get a reliable 70ish BHP from Reliant's own engine and a 750 can be fitted by simply swapping bearer plate and flywheel spigot bush.

The modded original 750 in GJR was relatively mild @ around 60ish bhp, but that's 50% more than an 850 in an engine that is far stronger to start with.

 

Your High compression (C70) 700 could give around 50bhp without stress, look out for the old 750 Motor Club guides to tuning the ohv versions of the Reliant engine, full of good stuff they were.

 

Why change the wishbones when Triumph GT6/Vitesse ones as fitted are cheap and plentiful as well as plenty strong for the job.

 

Bike engines and smaller, more modern car engines ok in the lighter kitten, in a Rebel I'd be sorely tempted to go down the 1600cc GT replica route.

[Station]

I can't remember what they cost (about 20 quid). They are using Transit balljoint on the bottom one, and standard Ford ones on the top. I noticed that your chassis uses the same type of thing, might be useful if you want to change to discs on the front.

[Minimad5]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1990-MAZDA-MX-5-R ... 3cad37e148

Tempted ... very tempted

 

Damn i need money !

[Station]

How good is that? It's sitting there waiting for you! Get some cheap motorbike carbs and you're set.

[Minimad5]

I have asked Seth afew questions, and he has helped me sway more into the idea of actually doing it.

(Thanks for the help Seth, appreciated sir)

 

Apart from issues making the engine, chassis, drivetrain and so on work together, i have these issues ..

 

Time

Money

Storage

 

But as the saying goes ... "where there is a will there is a way"

[Minimad5]

Got abit bored today (was meant to be getting rid of the Mk3, but dad was busy)

Anyway, when boredum arises i think of crazy things....

 

[GJR 11L]

  Station said:

....might be useful if you want to change to discs on the front.

Good point. While it's easy enough to fit Spitfire discs and hub carriers, that either leaves you with Triumph-pattern front hubs and original, Imp-pattern rears, so the "official" way to go discs up front on a Rebel is to use Lotus Elan parts which lets you keep the 4" PCD at both ends of the car.

 

Thinking about it, the standard drum arrangement was also used on the much heavier Triumphs Herald and Toledo as well as Vivas, Anglias and some Escorts, and they were, erm, OK, they were even less effective on those cars, go discs, I didn't on the last one but ought to have done so.

 

 

Wit a more modern engine, you'd be able to take advantage of higher overall gearing than the 14mph/1000rpm of the Rebel saloon/Estate diff, Bedford Rascal axles are about the right width, get practising with that welder!

[Mr Lobster]

  Minimad5 said:

Got a free tyre from Renault World Series then

 

I quite like that though, looks pretty good. Fat slicks FTW.

[Minimad5]

Mr Lobster - How did you know ?

 

GJR - If i use an MX5 engine, i want to combine as much as possible (Brakes, running gear and so on) ... which "Should" save me afew pennies.

Thankfully because the kit-car business is so big, i am sure if i get stuck a company may have the correct part for me.

I know the Rebel is not a kit-car, but building from a chassis up is pretty much along them lines.

 

Thanks for the comments

[Minimad5]

Not much to bang on about, but got bored today so i removed the Mk3 engine.

 

Gunk Gallore

Home-made trolly ftl

 

Thats it

[Station]

Did that engine run at all?

[Minimad5]

Yeah it ran, but had no power at all.

Infact the Mk1 seemed to pull alot stronger

[ashmicro]

Mate I've seem crossflows a LOT worse than that, and still run. Hard to kill those wee engines, I love 'em. One I saw was so bad with gunge, and so low on oil that the cam had started to wear, and one valve wasn't rocking. Solution? Me and big Darren made a longer pushrod. Simples!

[Station]

  Quote

The CVH was also notorious for turning its lubricating oil to sludge prematurely if the service schedule was skipped.

[Minimad5]

The first thing i did with it was give it a service

 

Which i think was the first service it had for nearly a year.

Hopefully someone can use the engine, as it only has a very low number of miles, and i think what didn't help the oil / sludge build up was it's lack of use.

It was a "drive to the shop and back" once a week machine.

 

In other news -

 

I have been measuring up the Rebel engine bay, awaiting measurements of the MX5 engine.

(I have joined an MX5 forum in hope of answers )

[VWPowered]

drifting all the way here are ya

[Minimad5]

  VWPowered said:

drifting all the way here are ya

unfortunately not John

This is going to take alot longer than i would have liked, but i want it doing right.

So it looks like me and the mad red machine will be visiting.

[ashmicro]

That's the spirit, Minimad. Do it right. You'll get much more satisfaction out of the end result. Top Man!

[Minimad5]

  ashmicro said:

That's the spirit, Minimad. Do it right. You'll get much more satisfaction out of the end result. Top Man!

Thanks, much appreciated

 

(That's stopped me being miserable )

 

Edit :

 

Thanks John

(I know your comment is below, but it saves posting again )

[VWPowered]

  ashmicro said:

That's the spirit, Minimad. Do it right. You'll get much more satisfaction out of the end result. Top Man!

+1

[Minimad5]

Thats to Pete from the MX5-Nuts forum, i have been able to get the needed measurements from an MX5.

 

Anyway !

 

Ignoring the shite in the picture below, you can see the tape measure sticks out 8 inches, which is the outer track of the MX5.

So i have to "fix" that either with my new found TIG skills or just using a different rear end.

I also estimated the position of the gearlever (At the end of the tape-measure), which doesn't look good...

 

One more to upload - back soon

 

(P.s - Gaffer tape was used to stop the masking tape underneath holding water, which finds it's way into the car)

[Station]

Can't you make the arches wider?

[Minimad5]

  Station said:

Can't you make the arches wider?

I could always attach some like this has ..

 

No

 

To answer your question Dave - I want it to look stock if i can.

But if i have to, i will cut the arches below the rear window, and make them gradually come out ... just more work

[warren t claim]

Can you not chop the halfshafts in the rear axle?

[Minimad5]

chopping up the rear end is a VERY last resort, think i will be pushing it though as i don't have the skills for that