I'm giving consideration to getting a morris minor and using it as a complete donor for my locost, I'm aware that this would be a challenge, but hey that's what its all about.

The questions are
1) Anyone know the rear track of a minor (i.e. will the axle be wide enough for a book chassis)?
2) Am I more certifiable than people think I am for building my own car from scratch?
3) I've got a feeling that the kingpins are rear steer, is this so?

Any comments welcome, thing is I've got all the escort parts I need to do the build but just fancy a single donor real period type car.

Geoff

Rear axle is fine Mallock used them for years.-- wider than the Escort --- Ok provided you don't fit a powerful engine otherwise the halfshaft will snap.

Front suspension wise nothing from the Minor is much use for a Locost however MG Miget bits can be used as per very early Westfield. --- MG Midget single donor is a better bet but the rear axle is on the narrow side.

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, thing is I've got all the escort parts I need to do the build but

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Just get on with the build then Moggy= More money and the more off track you go the greater chance of not finnishing it.

You can't break a 'thou!!

Restore it!

If you are going down the minor route you may as well get Ital/Marina/Midget engine&box. Minor boxes whine a lot, and the shift is slow. There are tons of bits for getting a few BHP out of the 1275 but you'll spend a lot more getting it out of a 948/1098 (1098 is long stroke 948, so has little room in the head for mods). Get David Vizard's book on the 'A'-series, tells you everything, including the 'bang-per-buck' you get for your mods, as well as logical steps in improvement + what fits what in terms of bolt-on power. Be nice to see you fit a Shorrocks supercharger (ebay?) - real period power! The minor axle will do a good job, same conversion needed as escort i.e. 4xtrailing links and panhard rod(bits'll fit I'd think). Forget the Minor front suspension/brakes, it's all c**p! Only issue if you use the common route (Cortina uprights/M16 calipers) is that you'll end up with different hub PCDs front and rear. Good luck.

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Originally posted by Kissy
If you are going down the minor route you may as well get Ital/Marina/Midget engine&box. Minor boxes whine a lot, and the shift is slow. There are tons of bits for getting a few BHP out of the 1275 but you'll spend a lot more getting it out of a 948/1098 (1098 is long stroke 948, so has little room in the head for mods). Get David Vizard's book on the 'A'-series, tells you everything, including the 'bang-per-buck' you get for your mods, as well as logical steps in improvement + what fits what in terms of bolt-on power. Be nice to see you fit a Shorrocks supercharger (ebay?) - real period power! The minor axle will do a good job, same conversion needed as escort i.e. 4xtrailing links and panhard rod(bits'll fit I'd think). Forget the Minor front suspension/brakes, it's all c**p! Only issue if you use the common route (Cortina uprights/M16 calipers) is that you'll end up with different hub PCDs front and rear. Good luck.

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say I wasn't that bothered about ultimate performance, in which case I'd be going bike engine and IRS, are there any real disadvantages with the kingpin arrangement, does it sit inboard of the wheel for example, is it rear steer?

Have almost settled on the standard build but am still interested as the possibility of getting a minor is still open, the condition of the donor is such that restoration is not economically feasable, sorry Kiwirex, but I hadn't really considered the thou to be rare enough to warrant an uneconomical restoration, I would reconsider if the MMOC is going to chase me out of town with pitch forks and flamming torches though

The front end setup on the minor does not lend itself to a locost, numerous reasons include:
Very tall kingpin/upright
Uses the lever arm damper to locate the top of the kingpin (AFAIR), not telescopic, and virtually impossible to tune (apart from changing oil viscosity)
Lower wishbone is integrated to the longitudinal torsion bar suspension which is anchored rearward on the crossmember via a splined crank (3ft back from the wheel) and again no chance to tune.
Trunnions are very crude (and expensive to renew), relying on a square thread (effectively jacking the car up/down as you corner!). If reconditioning you have to recut the thread one size down and buy the appropriate trunnion.
The minor only ever had drum brakes on the front as standard, although the conversion to Marina/Ital discs/calipers is inexpensive and works well.
The upside is that even with all these major disadvantages it would never look as ugly as a R***n H**d!
If you do it I'd like to see it before applying to have you sectioned under the Mental Health act. More good luck.

Oh, and don't forget the M1000 brake master cylinder is in the floor, under the pedal! Weighs a ton and costs a fortune to replace and won't integrate

was thinking of just using the kingpin and attaching it using a modified book wishbone setup, initial thoughts where to dispense with the trunions, sleeving the threads and using rose joints, or create wishbones similar in function to the triumph spitfire lower wishbone.

thanks for all the input, by the way sectioning me wont work, I'll just pretend to be sane for a while and they'll let me out again.