Having done a lot of web lurking (esp around this forum). I’d like to seek the opinions of the the experts (ie anyone who knows more than me).

I’ve seriously looked at several kit cars and decided no and decided to go the locost route.
Decision point 1: front or middi – middi wins because where else does a sports car have its engine (only joking front end folk).
Decision point 2: what engine/gearbox – decided in the interests of rapid progress to use whatever I came across, so had a rummage around and found a tired Renault van thingy with a UN1?? And petrol engine in working order (for 100 GB pounds) which I think gives me more options on engine later.

Now I need help/comments: chassis design. There must be a good chassis design out there I can start working from ?Can I just use the ‘book’ chassis with the engine bay reduced at the front and inserted at the rear? What rear suspension works in mid engine configuration ? Is the renault van UN1 same as the car version and has anyone any idea where I can find the ratios without opening the box ?

Hope you feel you can comment.

PS found a useful piece of (DOS) software called cartest.exe ? to simulate performance of any car given various parameters – anyone any experience of the accuracy of results ?
Send me a u2u and I'll forward the software on.

For UN1 data try this http://www.gt40club.clara.net/technics.htm.

It depends on which tired old renault van its out of. Anyway, if your refering to the transaxle out of a master or a traffic, they have the motor behind the transaxle not in front like the cars etc, so you'd have to run the transaxle upside down in a mid configuration otherwise you'd have x speeds reverse and one forwards...
Not a showstopper if your making a new adaptor plate, but if you wanted to keep the renault motor not good. Plus if you take the whole crossmember to make rear suspension easier, the gearbox no longer fits in its original place because it sits lower relative to the halfshafts, then you have to cut the crossmember in half to clear it, and might as well have just built your own rear suspension to start with.
Also the gearing is a LOT lower, I think my master rev'ing flat out (4500 rpm) in top equates to about 90mph, and thats with 16" wheels with high profile tyres, which have a huge rolling radius.
Im using a master transaxle but on another project where these things dont matter (custom van with a mid mounted rover and big fat wheels that hasnt got the aeros for much over 110mph)..
Also if you pick up a car transaxle instead, make sure its not a alpine one, as the renault alpine un1 had its engine hanging out back. Not that i think its likely to find a renault alpine in the breakers
The best way if you want to stay with renault, for me would be to buy a dead car with the v6 turbo in it, and take the whole engine / ems/ turbo's and transaxle out of it. I seen one go on ebay for 300 quid when I was considering this route. Theyre a pretty robust unit and you can always crank up the boost a bit

Hope this is of some help

very useful comments, thanks.
How feasible is the upside down idea ? perhaps an engine rethink is in order then.
I hadnt thought of the original van susp. I'll probably have to go another route.
I'll look around ......
thanks again.

Save tons of grief and time, just use a FWD drivetrain from a car. If cost is the driving issue, get one from an older car. Honda, Toyota, Nissan... Don't make the project difficult before you even start.

Beat me to it....

yep, there are tons of cheap transverse FWD units out there........

It is hard enough without the challenge of a engine/transmission re-configuration

[Edited on 18/8/03 by Alan B]

Thanks all. Ok so it WAS a stoopid starting question - but if you dont ask no-one answers.

Lesson of the day: KISS - keep it simple stupid.

Nah, not a stupid question at all... perfectly good one actually...

Just trying to offer some advice really, utimately it is YOUR choice.......but, yes there is enough to do without added complications.......and I'm hardly the one to preach on that subject..

Mind you I guess all of us in this section are making a little more work for ourselves......