Hi there's everyone

I'm new to building Locosts and I'm trying to decide on a good donor car. I don't want to go down the Ford route as there's lots of Ford based cars around, I want something a bit different.

I was thinking of maybe using a BMW 3-series or Mazda MX5 for the donor car as both are rear drive and I can more or less use every mechanical and electrical componant from either. At the moment, the MX5 seems the more attractive option for it's sporty roots.

As this is my first project, I wanted some hits and tips. Anyone?

Thanks, Moxey.

[Edited on 29/6/06 by Moxey77]

The reason a lot of people use Ford stuff is that it is relatively reliable, cheap to mend and readily available. If none of those are issues then why no go down a German or Japanese route.

Hello Mate,

my car uses an MX5 engine and 5 speed gearbox - but the front uprights and rear axle are Ford Cortina/Escort respectivley.

The engine's a cracker. 1600cc, DOHC, fuel injection and all those tuning parts

A lot of the americans have gone
MX5,trouble is finding a donor at donor type money.
Cheers,
Bob

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Originally posted by JAG
Hello Mate,

my car uses an MX5 engine and 5 speed gearbox - but the front uprights and rear axle are Ford Cortina/Escort respectivley.

The engine's a cracker. 1600cc, DOHC, fuel injection and all those tuning parts

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If this is your first project it may be best to stick with something fairly simple, such as a Ford build, as you'll find many kits are geared towards using their donor parts and as a result you may find the build a bit easier.

Having said that, I'd never done so much as change a wheel on a car before building mine so if you've got the determination to see it through then go for it! It may take you a bit longer but you'll have a cracker of a car at the end of it.

Pete

PS Welcome to the forum

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Originally posted by scoobyis2cool
If this is your first project it may be best to stick with something fairly simple, such as a Ford build, as you'll find many kits are geared towards using their donor parts and as a result you may find the build a bit easier.

Having said that, I'd never done so much as change a wheel on a car before building mine so if you've got the determination to see it through then go for it! It may take you a bit longer but you'll have a cracker of a car at the end of it.

Pete

PS Welcome to the forum

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Originally posted by Moxey77it's good to be here in the company of so many knolageable people.

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Originally posted by Moxey77I guess the main difference between using a Ford and a non-Ford engine/gearbox is the position of the mountings and width of the "tunnel".

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Hi Moxey,

You may well know this already but in case you don't, Cyana Sports Cars at www.cyanacars.com make a Mazda MX5 based Phoenix. You might be able to source some useful parts from them. I believe or though i am not certain that MX5 parts are used throughout. It's just a thought, I hope it might be of some use to you.

Cheers

John

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Originally posted by John Bonnett
Hi Moxey,

You may well know this already but in case you don't, Cyana Sports Cars at www.cyanacars.com make a Mazda MX5 based Phoenix. You might be able to source some useful parts from them. I believe or though i am not certain that MX5 parts are used throughout. It's just a thought, I hope it might be of some use to you.

Cheers

John

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I can't get Google to access it either. Maybe their server is down.

The chap to talk to is Ian Boulton and his email address is sales@cyanacars.com. I don't have a postal address though.

I did contact him a week or so ago about a windscreen so they were certainly still in business then.

Best of luck

John

Just did a WhoIs search and their site registration expired on the 23rd, they'd better hurry up and re-register it before someone else does!

Pete

I think there is an American book that's a bit like uncle Rons that uses the Miata/MX5 as a donor . Can't remember who it's by but he posts on here occasionally . Perhaps someone on here can remember? Dan something? May have seen a copy at Newark on Mill House Books stand?

I found this.........

http://www.grmotorsports.com/archives/locost.html

It doesn't give vast info, but it's a start.

[Edited on 29/6/06 by Moxey77]

For an MX5 Donor look here, this is the website of the US book
http://www.cheapsportscar.net/

You can get it from Amazon uk which is a help
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0760322872/qid=1151608364/sr=8-3/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i3_xgl/202-5376100-4243042

If you read the posts here by "Keith Tanner" (the author) it will give you some good ideas. This link should find them automagically.
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/misc.php?action=search&srchuname=Keith%20Tanner&searchsubmit=a&srchfid=all&srchfrom=0

my indy used a nissan silvia as the donor but still has ford uprights

The MX5 has an independant rear. Great for a deDion or a full independant setup, more complex than the live axle found in most builds. Some people just put the entire rear subframe in their car which makes life really easy. Coveland Motorsports in the US has a commercially available frame that uses this setup.

If you can find a copy of Car and Driver, there's an article in the August issue that has four cars tested. One of them was built from an old 3-series and the other three use varying amount of MX5 parts.

They're expensive to buy as donors, but their parts are also valuable so you can sell them to recoup your initial cost. Great little engine and a fantastic transmission, the fuel injection and IRS add some complexity.

I don't watch this forum too much, so just drop me an email at keith@cheapsportscar.net if you have any questions. I'm not so good on the Ford and other cars, but I know the MX5s inside and out.

Keith

True one car donor builds are hard to pull. The Sierra can provide you with a lot of useful stuff for nearly free and there is also a bundle of knowhow available on how to use them. Get a Sierra and a nice GTI-class engine. Finding a gearbox to fit can be a small challenge but in worst case there are a lot of adapters available for the Ford type 9 box (from the Sierra).

Moxey,

as you've found out you can use the rear axle and as for propshafts; I took an MX5 propshaft to a local propshaft maker and he shortened it and fitted a MkII Escort end to it. This mated straight to my live axle.

I've got a copy of Keith Tanners book "How to build a cheap sportscar"

Its a very good book and deffinatly worth a purchase, you will have to get plans for the chassis http://www.mcsorley.net

Or use the Ron Champion Build your own sports car book,but....ask here for the mistakes.

Either plans would have to be adapted to the MX5 running gear.

I've got to admit if it was my 1st scratch build i would stick to the ford cortina MK3/4/5 as a donor, but they are getting hard to find.

I bought a standard chassis and the modification to fit the MX5 stuff did extend the build time.

The mod's weren't major just time consuming. The gearbox is a bit bulky and gave me trouble getting it down the transmission tunnel and I had to make special engine and gearbox mountings. Also the sump needed chopping, which is normal but the MX5 engine has a cast Aluminium sump that needs a specialist to weld it.

[Edited on 3/7/06 by JAG]

The same engine was used in some other cars with steel sumps. Ford Fiesta is one, I think. I haven't shortened mine and it's been no problem so far. Can't comment on the transmission tunnel myself, although there's nothing odd about the MX5 driveshaft that would make it different from others. The nice thing about IRS is that you need a lot less room around the driveshaft.

I will hopefully be going down a similar route. There nice cars to start with, good engines, tuneable, reliable, and bomb proof!

Cheap parts at www.mx5parts.co.uk

also various specialist breakers, or buy crashed one yourself, and sell the parts you wont need! Youll recoup most of the outlay!

For tec info: www.mx5oc.co.uk - they had a meet in bretforton last thursday - would have gone but had other commitmant.

also
www.miata.net

read uncle rons book, and then read keith tanners as well!

Hi westfield now do a single donar mx 5 kit . I think it's just released but info is on their website. Just needs a clever bugger to do the link anyone

cheers matt

Westfields Mazda MX5 Donor Kit

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Originally posted by Hellfire
Westfields Mazda MX5 Donor Kit

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The problem with BMW is that the engine is huge, slanted and German. The Japs are more reliable, easier to maintain/fix and tune. I would have thought that the MX axle would be a little too narrow? Personally I'm using a Silvia turbo (85 model) as they are very cheap to buy with good strong engines, only paid £72 for mine from e-bay, but still thinking of using Ford axle/hubs.

The MX5 has IRS. The rear track is 56.2".

How tall is a Miata motor from top cam cover to bottom of oil pan?

It varies slightly depending on things like VVT (2001-05 motors), but 24" is pretty normal. It's 16" from the center of the crankshaft to the top of the cover if anyone's looking to molest the oil pan.

And you got yours under a standard nose cone then? Hmmm ... more room than I thought then. I might go that way if I can source one for a reasonable cost.

I'd probably go with an earlier 1.6L engine. The only thing that worries me is all the wiring. I suppose an old Alfa Romeo twin cam would be similar-ish but carb'd.

[Edited on 2006/7/20 by Arthur Dent]

You can put carbs on a Miata engine if you want, but the EFI works much much better. You can even smack a dizzy on the engine without any modification if you don't like DIS.

The only real hassle would be mounting the air flow meter. That would be easier on a 1994+ car, but it can be done with the more awkwardly shaped 1990-93. Because of my aftermarket computer, I didn't have to deal with this.

Ok thanks - so 1994+ is easiest to fit. I'll be one the look out.

I am new to bulding locosts, my advice would be stick with ford bits. They are cheap, simple and someone will always know how to fix ur problem

ash

Easiest to fit would be a 1994-95 engine, at least in Canada. Starting in 1996, OBD-II was introduced and the engine management gets a little more ornery. Not a problem if you use carburettors of course. In 1999, a new head was introduced but these are sought-after and expensive.

The 1.8 is a little larger physically, mostly in length. My 1.6 is very close to not fitting under a nose cone and the engine sits further back than in a classic Caterham.