Anyone used a Bedford Rascal/Suzuki Carry van axle?
I hear this is a similar width (1290mm / 51" IIRC) to an Escort (1320mm / 52"?) but much lighter.
Could make a good single donor (all-alloy 1000/1300, alloy case 5-speed), depending on the steering and strut design - current model uses a rack and
bolt-on strut, but not sure about the earlier models.
My only concern would be could it handle the power that you'd want to use after a while. The original (1000cc ?) engine probably isn't tuned for lots of power and all the bits will have been designed around that.
Escort axle is 48", Capri is 52". The Rascal my wife drives looks a lot narrower than that, it may be the skinny tyres that do it though.
The 1300 injection engine they use is a brilliant unit though and would be good if you get it running. It has engine management which looks
complicated. They have power steering too but using an older version might get round that. They do get abused though.
[Edited on 28/1/05 by Peteff]
They use this axle in a Liege 750cc trials car in place of a Reliant item. I understand that the main advantage to them is the low diff ratio - about
5:1 IIRC. Good for dirt digging but might not suit a road car with a normal sized motor Details of the mods that are done are at
http://groups.msn.com/liegecars/liegebuildparts.msnw
Mark
We did this some time ago, worth a look
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=2369
quote:
Originally posted by MikeR
My only concern would be could it handle the power that you'd want to use after a while. The original (1000cc ?) engine probably isn't tuned for lots of power and all the bits will have been designed around that.
quote:
Originally posted by Peteff
The Rascal my wife drives looks a lot narrower than that
