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Bezerkley?

liftarn - 9/9/06 at 07:54 PM

I'm bad with another idea. I saw an ad for a crashed 1988 Honda Civic. It has a rather nice 16 valve 1500 cc engine (if you want more and have the money you could use the CRX engine instead). The suspension bits aren bad either. My other inspiration comes from the classic Berkeley cars from the 1950s and 1960s. Front wheel drive has some advantages in a light sports car (uses up less space and you save the weight of propshaft and diff).

Here is a quick sketch I made:

FF Honda Civik mk3 based

Superimposed on the Civic:

FF Honda Civik mk3 based

I think I need to work a bit on the door area, but it looks like it could work. Perhaps it needs to be shortened, but I was thinking of a possible 2+2 so I could take the kids too.

Am I nuts as usual or is it a good idea?

[Edited on 9/9/06 by liftarn]

ruskino80 - 9/9/06 at 10:34 PM

liftarn - 10/9/06 at 05:26 AM

quote:
Originally posted by ruskino80

That's all you have to say? Why?

t.j. - 10/9/06 at 09:52 AM

I pref. the RWD what makes the sportscar.

It isn't easy to get the mc-phersons at the right place.

I think the Honda is technical not a bad car.

So your not nuts but you have a different view. I wouldn't shorten the wheelbase.
This makes your live easier.

Good luck.

liftarn - 10/9/06 at 12:10 PM

quote:
Originally posted by t.j.
I pref. the RWD what makes the sportscar.

It isn't easy to get the mc-phersons at the right place.

There have been some FWD sports car. The Berkley for instance and more recently Lotus Elan M100. FWD also gives a bit more room inside the car.

McPhersons? I thought the Civik mk4 (1987-1991) used double wishbone suspension.

It seems that the Berkley dimensions (not size since I think the Berkley is significantly smaller) fits quite nicely with a shortened wheelbase. The hood line perhaps needs to be a bit higher (or use a powerbulge).

Berkley overlaid on the Honda

SkinnyG - 10/9/06 at 03:37 PM

Have you been inspired by Classic Motorsports Berzerkly? I have....

http://www.classicmotorsports.net/news.php?cat=16

'Cept I'd try and go rwd.

G

liftarn - 10/9/06 at 03:53 PM

quote:
Originally posted by SkinnyG
Have you been inspired by Classic Motorsports Berzerkly? I have....

Only the name (altough I'd probably picked it anyway). I have looked at the Berkley cars for some time. It actually started with my thinking about making something like the Eyerly using a small ecobox donor.

jack trolley - 10/9/06 at 06:09 PM

Mini Speedster

t.j. - 10/9/06 at 07:59 PM

McPhersons? I thought the Civik mk4 (1987-1991) used double wishbone suspension.

You could be right,

They had coil-overs where the driveshaft went tru, in a V-shape.

liftarn - 10/9/06 at 08:02 PM

quote:
Originally posted by jack trolley
Mini Speedster

Very nice. If I was into Minis I'd definitly consider something like that.

AS for fitting an actual berkley with an updated engine I also read http://www.colinpears.f2s.com/phberkeley.htm where he uses a water cooled 493cc twin cylinder 2 stroke engine. No bodywork modifications was necessary.

Another interesting engine swap. 280 hp V6 engine from a SAAB 9-5 in a 1949 SAAB 92. Stock exterior and no changes that aren't possible to revert.

[Edited on 10/9/06 by liftarn]

iank - 11/9/06 at 09:18 AM

Not sure what, if anything, happened to this, but there's an email address of someone who's done something with a similar inspiration.

http://www.minimarcos.org.uk/altpics/cam.html

TheGecko - 11/9/06 at 01:15 PM

As yet another alternative idea, there was a kit 20+ years ago called the Spex Elf <link>. It used an EB/EC series Civic with the top cut off, doors removed, a steel stiffening frame bolted on and a nice f/glass body over the top. I doubt the kit is still made (and it wouldn't suit a Civic made after about 1980) but the principle is sound.

liftarn - 12/9/06 at 02:37 PM

quote:
Originally posted by iank
http://www.minimarcos.org.uk/altpics/cam.html

Very nice. The small wheels make it look a bit odd tough.

[Edited on 12/9/06 by liftarn]

liftarn - 12/9/06 at 02:39 PM

quote:
Originally posted by TheGecko
As yet another alternative idea, there was a kit 20+ years ago called the Spex Elf <link>.

Nice idea, shame about the design. A rebody would be easier to get registered too. I was hoping to reuse the front subframe. That's why I don't want to change the wheelbase too much or you'd get ackermann problems.

[Edited on 12/9/06 by liftarn]

liftarn - 12/9/06 at 02:44 PM

quote:
Originally posted by t.j.
I pref. the RWD what makes the sportscar.

I understand that many think so, but I think that for low power, low weight sports car FWD has some advantages. But mostly it's because I'm used to driving FWD.