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Front Engine Kit Chassis Converted to Midi Layout???
scootz - 9/1/12 at 04:04 PM

Has anyone ever taken a front engined kit chassis and converted it to midi?

My tiny brain is in overdrive again and I've come to the (temporary) conclusion that it should be fairly straightforward...

... measure lots
... narrow the trans tunnel
... take a bit off the front
... add a bit on the rear

Job done!!!

Anyone have any real-world experience on such a matter (instead of my airy-fairy it's-a-piece-of p** logic ).

Or do I just buy Ed99's old Global chassis and see if I can adapt it to take a car engine!

loggyboy - 9/1/12 at 04:12 PM

By the time you have dismanteled it, you might as well start from scratch!

eddie99 - 9/1/12 at 04:12 PM

You buy my old global chassis and adapt it for a car engine. Sorted Only needs extending a tad

Simples...

[Edited on 9/1/12 by eddie99]

jossey - 9/1/12 at 04:16 PM

quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
By the time you have dismanteled it, you might as well start from scratch!


+1

although your description of how easy it is to do sounds very easy.

stevebubs - 9/1/12 at 04:20 PM

quote:
Originally posted by scootz
Has anyone ever taken a front engined kit chassis and converted it to midi?

My tiny brain is in overdrive again and I've come to the (temporary) conclusion that it should be fairly straightforward...

... measure lots
... narrow the trans tunnel
... take a bit off the front
... add a bit on the rear

Job done!!!

Anyone have any real-world experience on such a matter (instead of my airy-fairy it's-a-piece-of p** logic ).

Or do I just buy Ed99's old Global chassis and see if I can adapt it to take a car engine!


Fury Menace did exactly this - kept the old outer chassis rails and reworked the inner ones.

scootz - 9/1/12 at 04:21 PM

quote:
Originally posted by eddie99
You buy my old global chassis and adapt it for a car engine. Sorted Only needs extending a tad

Simples...


I just need to get some prices for Global components to see if it's a go-er Ed... wishbones, racks, etc!

ali f27 - 9/1/12 at 04:27 PM

If your building a chassis dont see why you couldnt narrow tunnel to get more room and move the diff mount seat panel frame part forward leaving more at the back overall dims would be same as book but would have to narrow scuttle and shorten bonnet very interested if you have a go
ALI

scootz - 9/1/12 at 04:35 PM

Cheers Ali

It seems quite straightforward in my head because I'd (hopefully) be starting and working within a 'straight' structure.

TimC - 9/1/12 at 04:41 PM

Would it not be worth looking at a MK Midi or Sylva RIOT chassis?

ali f27 - 9/1/12 at 04:55 PM

Hi Scootz are you going down m6 past penrith on friday think we are going to auto sport on thursday

scootz - 9/1/12 at 05:02 PM

quote:
Originally posted by TimC
Would it not be worth looking at a MK Midi or Sylva RIOT chassis?


Probably, but I'd need to shift the registered F27 chassis before I could afford to buy a brand new chassis.

scootz - 9/1/12 at 05:02 PM

quote:
Originally posted by ali f27
Hi Scootz are you going down m6 past penrith on friday think we are going to auto sport on thursday


We're flying down Ali.

ali f27 - 9/1/12 at 05:06 PM

Bang on you fly striaght over me maybe you could paracute the tank out

scootz - 9/1/12 at 05:10 PM

scootz - 9/1/12 at 05:35 PM

quote:
Originally posted by TimC
Would it not be worth looking at a MK Midi or Sylva RIOT chassis?


Meant to add that I'm not all that convinced about the strength of the rear-end of the MK Midi...



big_wasa - 9/1/12 at 05:51 PM

does that mean the kv6 has been shelfed ? Did you get as far as getting the engine ? Ive just bought a very rare toy to sit on the top of mine

zilspeed - 9/1/12 at 06:05 PM

quote:
Originally posted by scootz
Would it not be worth looking at a MK Midi or Sylva RIOT chassis?


Meant to add that I'm not all that convinced about the strength of the rear-end of the MK Midi...



The ability to think in three dimensions is not given to everyone, clearly.

scootz - 9/1/12 at 06:07 PM

Nope... KV6 is sat in my garage!

I'm struggling to find an 'off the shelf' bellhousing to use it longitudinally, so I'm exploring the option of going transverse in a midi set-up using either the PG1 or Getrag 283 boxes.





[Edited on 9/1/12 by scootz]

scootz - 9/1/12 at 06:13 PM

quote:
Originally posted by zilspeed
The ability to think in three dimensions is not given to everyone, clearly.


I can indeed think in 3D Zil, but I'm still not all that convinced that the MK back-end would be too happy with an engine / gearbox combination sat in it that weighs 3 times that of the intended bike-engine application and puts down almost 3 times the torque.

zilspeed - 9/1/12 at 06:24 PM

quote:
Originally posted by scootz
quote:
Originally posted by zilspeed
The ability to think in three dimensions is not given to everyone, clearly.


I can indeed think in 3D Zil, but I'm still not all that convinced that the MK back-end would be too happy with an engine / gearbox combination sat in it that weighs 3 times that of the intended bike-engine application and puts down almost 3 times the torque.


Scootz

I wasn't talking about you.

After all, you never imposed that chassis upon the world.

I'm not a fan of this at all.

zilspeed - 9/1/12 at 06:27 PM

Regarding that engine.

Where do you want the weight of the car to be ?

Think of it that way.

Percentage wise, what do you want each tyre to take ?

scootz - 9/1/12 at 06:29 PM

quote:
Originally posted by zilspeed
Scootz
I wasn't talking about you...


LOL. Stick... End... Wrong!

MakeEverything - 9/1/12 at 06:33 PM

quote:
Originally posted by zilspeed
quote:
Originally posted by scootz
Would it not be worth looking at a MK Midi or Sylva RIOT chassis?


Meant to add that I'm not all that convinced about the strength of the rear-end of the MK Midi...



The ability to think in three dimensions is not given to everyone, clearly.


That's what I thought. Welding is as good as mine too!!

mark chandler - 9/1/12 at 06:49 PM

quote:
Originally posted by scootz
Nope... KV6 is sat in my garage!

I'm struggling to find an 'off the shelf' bellhousing to use it longitudinally, so I'm exploring the option of going transverse in a midi set-up using either the PG1 or Getrag 283 boxes.





[Edited on 9/1/12 by scootz]


I,ve seen them in racing landrovers bolted up to Series 3 gearboxes, it was years ago cannot tell you if they had adpators

scootz - 9/1/12 at 07:09 PM

Cheers Mark.

I've established that the KV6 has the same engine to bellhousing bolt pattern as the Rover 'T' series engine... and therefore the 'O' series too... so that leaves only two RWD options. The Rover SD1 (2 litre engine variant) or the Sherpa (prima perkins engine variant).

Neither come up for sale often, and both have anchor-heavy (20kg's) iron bellhousings.

[Edited on 9/1/12 by scootz]

JC - 9/1/12 at 07:56 PM

Didn't the GTM Libra use a KV6? Monocoque I know, but made a great grand tourer I think!

scootz - 9/1/12 at 07:59 PM

T'is indeed. I'm not a big fan though.

b14wrc - 10/1/12 at 12:34 PM

Hi Scootz,

My car is based on the book, but done the changes you have described. Its very doable. Go for it!

Rob

scootz - 10/1/12 at 12:41 PM

Cheers Rob. I've had a swatch through your photo archive... keep us posted!

b14wrc - 10/1/12 at 09:17 PM

Thanks Scootz, if you need any advice or help give me a shout.

I will be updating as I go, working on a special part at the moment, but don't want to post until it's finished.

Benonymous - 13/1/12 at 01:51 AM

A bloke I knew many years ago started building 7 style chassis at his workshop. After a bit of success with the 7 he branched out and made a middy to take the Toyota 4AG engine/gearbox. I never drove it but it looked OK. Keith was no engineer and he did the design on the back of a cornflakes box. However, the front of the car was all 7 because he had a jig for it. He made another jig for the rear subframe to take the 4AG and then welded them together.
No record of Keith exists on the interwebs, I looked. He bailed out of the kit car game over 15 years ago at least.

orton1966 - 13/1/12 at 06:45 AM

Although not using an existing chaccis I’ve seen it done based on 7 type chassis plans, once based on a tiger and another that’s featured in a couple of mags, initially it had a Renault turbo engine and corisponding transaxle.

The basics are as easy as you suggest. Basically take the chassis cut out the portion between the footwell and the front suspension (your engine bay), move the front suspension back and do whatever is required to make it stick there. Separate the rear suspension portion and move this back until you have the wheel base/engine bay you need. Now attach this with longer tubes. Finally make anything that looks like a rectangle into triangles with additional tubes, done!

Anyway I like your choice of engine but would hate to see it sat sideways, that’s just wrong for a midi in my mind, makes it more like rear engined. How about an Audi transaxle and an adaptor-plate?