x-pat mike Posted May 11, 2013 Author Share Posted May 11, 2013 well, i have changed tack slightly with the direction of this project, as autocross is getting popular here now i am going to try to build the car to compete in this form of motorsport, i have bought an mx5 for donor parts and the fixture is being built , it will get all mx5 running gear and turbo'd motor,and i have ordered 6ul rims in 15" in order to be able to get sticky semi-race rubber when i need it, even managed to get a torsen lsd which is lighter than the ford unit, hope to get some pics up soon, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x-pat mike Posted July 12, 2013 Author Share Posted July 12, 2013 (edited) new wheels for my project, 949 racing 6uls with 225x50x15 on back and 205x50x15 front , on 9" and 7" rims, car is 3" lower at front and 21/2" lower at back, now to get it up on a fixture to start the chassis work at last! Edited July 12, 2013 by x-pat mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x-pat mike Posted July 13, 2013 Author Share Posted July 13, 2013 are there any wheel arch repair panels available these days? as on the above pics the quarter was damaged and bondo covered! the shadow line above the centerline of the wheel is where the bondo is still 3/8ths thick!! i will fix the quarter but like a straight arch section if a replacement is available Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x-pat mike Posted July 26, 2013 Author Share Posted July 26, 2013 (edited) finally got to try the miata motor in the hole for the first time, it looks like it would fit with stock suspension easily enough too! will have to knock up a new exhaust manifold though to move turbo forward to clear m/cylinder etc <a href="http://s1206.photobucket.com/user/kryptonite1967/media/003.jpg.html" [url=http://s1206.photobucket.com/user/kryptonite1967/media/002.jpg.html] [url=http://s1206.photobucket.com/user/kryptonite1967/media/001.jpg.html] the frame rails are 4" from ground and the bottom of oilpan is 51/2" it could still come up an inch or so but i dont think it will need it, fitting the miata suspension is not so easy though!! if i went with flared bodypanels it would fit without being narrowed and it would look cool on the track but not 100% sure i want it looking like that on the street, i like the classic lines as it is, Edited July 26, 2013 by x-pat mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x-pat mike Posted January 30, 2014 Author Share Posted January 30, 2014 Hi guys, just an update on my project, it stalled for the summer as i had to build retainer walls, patio etc and no time for car! then started a new business so even less time now, so i am collecting parts still, i tacked up new frame rails from 3x2 box section to make sure it will take whatever i throw at it and to help locate the mx5 irs, i got a pair of rear wheel arches from the guy in germany, only needed one but i know they are rare so got the other side for future! i felt bad cutting out the front frame rails as they were solid and knowing how much of an issue they are for you uk guys restoring them, even though the mx5 front A arms are not too big they are still a bitch to fit and i might go with aluminium rx7 ones as they are smaller and look way cooler too!, i have a deposit on a low mileage 1.8l mx5 motor and 6 speed with a brp62 supercharger system which dyno'd at 260hp to the rear wheels so should be a blast to drive, i also have a turbo system incase i dont like the linear power of the blower, the blower is better for track use as it wont come into boost part way round a corner but on the street i think the turbo would give more kick and fun! i really hope to get some more progress pics up soon, well as soon as the weather gets above -25 degrees! lastly, do the hinge pins come out by knocking them up or down?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiMarco Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I love it great job so far and the picture made to see what it will look like amazing I also love the green car wow very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony g Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Great looking project. What does the gearstick position look like. Im in the process of mocking up an MX5 engine and 5 speed box but initial measuring shows the gear lever to be too far back. Are you going remote linkage? Apart from that the mx5 engine fits the A bay really nice and good engines too. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x-pat mike Posted January 31, 2014 Author Share Posted January 31, 2014 hi tony, it was you i was chatting with on the bullet! the shifter is about where the front of the handbrake is, i had thought of moving the brake over slightly so it was easier to grab, it doesnt feel bad where it is as i always felt the original location was too far forward anyway, i had read somewhere that is not too hard to fit a different shifter section from another mazda, might be van or truck , there is one with shorter tailshaft i think, i have the back of the motor against the firewall almost as i wanted it back for weight balance etc, they are strong little motors as they were built for turbo from the beginning with forged pistons etc, even have threaded ports in block for turbo oil lines which is nice, i know guys over here running over 400hp on 1.6 motors and only changed to even better rods and pistons, they are cheap and plentiful too! the shifter is closer to the back of the block than all the other jap motors from the measurements i have taken , 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x-pat mike Posted March 29, 2014 Author Share Posted March 29, 2014 hi tony, i found out some info regarding the shifter on mx5 tranny, it can be shortened 4-5" quite easily, so it might make it a more feasible option, here is the link' TII trans shifter location mod VIDEO!!! - RX7Club.com www.rx7club.com › ... › Old School and Other Rotary 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x-pat mike Posted May 25, 2014 Author Share Posted May 25, 2014 finally got a few hours spare to work on car! have been plotting out geometry for new suspension arms, still very close to mx-5 geometry as there is nothing wrong with that but modded slightly to suit the manta rack so there should be no bumpsteer etc, i will just leave it all tacked for now then once i am happy it all works i will gring off tacks and tig weld it all, i tried to keep original rails as they were fairly solid but it made more sense to fit stronger parts as i know i will put forged parts in motor to push over 300hp, this is the third set i have tried! every time i think i have it it throws up issues for the next part! lol, i will just keep on until i get it right, the coilovers have adjustable base so i can fine tune rideheight without altering spring rates etc, now it wont let me post pics!! i will try to sort! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x-pat mike Posted May 25, 2014 Author Share Posted May 25, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x-pat mike Posted May 25, 2014 Author Share Posted May 25, 2014 http://s1206.photobucket.com/user/kryptonite1967/media/mantamay25th2014003.jpg.htmlhttp://s1206.photobucket.com/user/kryptonite1967/media/mantamay25th2014001.jpg.htmlhttp://s1206.photobucket.com/user/kryptonite1967/media/mantamay25th2014005-Copy.jpg.htmlhttp://s1206.photobucket.com/user/kryptonite1967/media/mantamay25th2014006.jpg.htmlhttp://s1206.photobucket.com/user/kryptonite1967/media/mantamay25th2014007.jpg.htmlhttp://s1206.photobucket.com/user/kryptonite1967/media/mantamay25th2014008.jpg.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x-pat mike Posted May 25, 2014 Author Share Posted May 25, 2014 (edited) try again! Edited May 25, 2014 by x-pat mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x-pat mike Posted May 25, 2014 Author Share Posted May 25, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x-pat mike Posted May 25, 2014 Author Share Posted May 25, 2014 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Barrett Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 Ooooo this looks interesting me likey! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony g Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 Thanks for the link Mike. Yours is coming along nicely now. Great fab work there mate. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x-pat mike Posted May 27, 2014 Author Share Posted May 27, 2014 thanks guys, hopefully i will have more progress by the weekend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Barrett Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 Can't wait! Come on hurry up lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiMarco Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 Have to say mike this is looking sexy as great stuff I really love them wheels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x-pat mike Posted May 28, 2014 Author Share Posted May 28, 2014 thanks, they are not my first choice for wheels as i wanted forgelines like on the rendering but when i got quoted 1200 dollars per rim i soon changed my mind! lol, these cost 600 dollars for the set and are track quality and only weigh 13lb, i am still trying to design the crossmember to pick up lower a-arm, motor mount and rack and upper turret while leaving space for turbo, downpipe and steering shaft, so i will go scratch my head some more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x-pat mike Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 well, i finally got a few hours spare this weekend and managed to finalise the crossmember design, hopefully it will all work out now as it was a lot of cutting with a cutting disc lol! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Barrett Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Some cracking fabrication! Keep it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Barrett Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 Update? Kinda wish id of made a chassis table now, but then I would have gone your route and remade everything, also I just don't quite have the space! do you do this line of work for a living mike? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x-pat mike Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 yes, i do this for a living now, i moved from uk 10 yrs ago to work for a hotrod shop that also built promods etc, i helped build rod sabourys 63 vette a few yrs ago that was at the time the worlds fastest streetcar, then last year i moved to a new company where i had more of a say in things and got to learn cnc plasma table, thats where i cut the front crossmember pieces, sadly that venture has gone by the wayside due to the owners health issues so now i work for another local hotrod shop called hitman hotrods, there are more shops than skilled fabricaters so it is easy to get another job as we all know of each other! this is one reason for the slow progress at the moment but should get back on track soon, although i feel lucky to get to build 2-300 thousand dollar builds it is also a curse as i cannot afford the high end parts i work with every day and get depressed when i look at what i am building with! but it is reality and i will get through this stage and hopefully get full enthusiasm back to build what will be a rare car over here as it was only available in usa not canada, the opel gt is dirt cheap here and can buy two or three together for a few hundred bucks! I look on this forum all the time and it inspires me with some of the rotten examples guys are restoring, mine was solid and felt guilty that i cut the rails out of a good car! i also have a lead on a new rebuilt forged motor, still 1.8l but good up to 450hp if i want to push that much,i think 250 whp will be good for what i want to do with car but its nice to know the motor will take it! i will have more pics soon hopefully, 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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