Building a dream

vanMould said:
And even then I have one helluva steep learning curve in front of me.
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It's just nuts and bolts (and wiring, and tuning, and welding, and ...) :D.

The_Finn said:
I kind of want an RX-3 with a SpeedSource 20B

RX3MAD%20stolen_040205.jpg
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Niiice.
 
tigger said:
It's just nuts and bolts (and wiring, and tuning, and welding, and ...) :D.
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And if you start on a big pile of scrap (salvaged metal for your chassis, scrap running gear, scrap tranny, scrap engine, scrap electrics, salvaged metal for your body etc) your initial investment will be very low and you can fuck up as much as you like without it costing you too much. That way you will learn a shit load (probably more than from a comprehensive kit), and will end up with a fun runabout.

Get the book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Build-Your-Sports-Little-Pounds/dp/0854299769 and strt working out what bits and pieces you need to keep your eye out for.

There are a few more recent books on this theme using more modern components too.
 
Alright PB I'm struggling to avoid hitting the negative rep button. This thread has me depressed.

So many cars I want to build, and no money to do it with :cry:
 
The_Finn said:
I kind of want an RX-3 with a SpeedSource 20B

RX3MAD%20stolen_040205.jpg


+

IMG_2149.jpg


that would be 450bhp triple rotor NA
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My cousin has a 20B PP N/A at his house and is looking for an RX-3 to put it in. :D
 
I'd like to go from this
http://img228.imageshack.**/img228/4061/70birdma3.jpg

to this
http://img228.imageshack.**/img228/2783/superbirder5.jpg

and then maybe even further to this
http://img223.imageshack.**/img223/8136/43agrr70pb7.jpg


Also I'd like to turn this
http://img217.imageshack.**/img217/6650/10271hq6.jpghttp://img217.imageshack.**/img217/646/10272gn1.jpghttp://img217.imageshack.**/img217/5491/10274mr8.jpg

into this
http://img150.imageshack.**/img150/8567/gilmorecarmuseumstuckerbg6.jpg
 
Meio said:
And if you start on a big pile of scrap (salvaged metal for your chassis, scrap running gear, scrap tranny, scrap engine, scrap electrics, salvaged metal for your body etc) your initial investment will be very low and you can fuck up as much as you like without it costing you too much. That way you will learn a shit load (probably more than from a comprehensive kit), and will end up with a fun runabout.

Get the book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Build-Your-Sports-Little-Pounds/dp/0854299769 and strt working out what bits and pieces you need to keep your eye out for.

There are a few more recent books on this theme using more modern components too.
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Hm...never looked at it that way, good point indeed. I was planning to get a MK Indy kit, but even that would end up quite expensive. I've been looking to get that book for a while now, and I've also got the 'A Racing Car is Born' series laying around for studies as well.
 
vanMould said:
Hm...never looked at it that way, good point indeed. I was planning to get a MK Indy kit, but even that would end up quite expensive. I've been looking to get that book for a while now, and I've also got the 'A Racing Car is Born' series laying around for studies as well.
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provided you have access to miatas/mx-5 in sweden check out Keith Tanners "how to build a cheap sports car" it goes over a very indepth build based off of a miata doner sadly he buys his frame whole so it doesn't cover the frame at all but everything else is fantastic.
 
CrazyRussian540 said:
Yeah. I got Tucker: The Man and His Dream from Netflix the other day.

Made me really want a Tucker. One day I hope to resurrect the Tucker name, and create a new revolutionary 3-headlight car. Perhaps in 2048 for the 100th anniversary.
</dream>
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That's a good movie, thought I've never been too hot on the looks of the car I've always admired what he was trying to do.

As for building a car from the ground up, keep in mind that like a stereo system your overall quality will never exceede that of the weakest commponent.
 
The_Finn said:
provided you have access to miatas/mx-5 in sweden check out Keith Tanners "how to build a cheap sports car" it goes over a very indepth build based off of a miata doner sadly he buys his frame whole so it doesn't cover the frame at all but everything else is fantastic.
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If you browse Amazon you can find guides and manuals for building 7 type cars from bits of all kinds. There are also helpful books on designing your own chassis, suspension systems and stuff. If I were to do a project like that, I'd let my components dictate the build (rather than deciding what components I must have in order to match an existing plan) and build the chassis up accordingly.
 
I love the Tucker! That shell makes me cry. Only 50 were ever made, no including the prototype.
 
Meio said:
And if you start on a big pile of scrap (salvaged metal for your chassis, scrap running gear, scrap tranny, scrap engine, scrap electrics, salvaged metal for your body etc) your initial investment will be very low and you can fuck up as much as you like without it costing you too much. That way you will learn a shit load (probably more than from a comprehensive kit), and will end up with a fun runabout.

Get the book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Build-Your-Sports-Little-Pounds/dp/0854299769 and strt working out what bits and pieces you need to keep your eye out for.

There are a few more recent books on this theme using more modern components too.
Click to expand...

Good advice on the books, but I wouldn't play around with scrap steel for the chassis. Junker drivetrain and ghetto bodywork is fine, but I wouldn't rely on scrap for the chassis.
 
The_Finn said:
provided you have access to miatas/mx-5 in sweden check out Keith Tanners "how to build a cheap sports car" it goes over a very indepth build based off of a miata doner sadly he buys his frame whole so it doesn't cover the frame at all but everything else is fantastic.
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I'm quite sceptic towars using the the MX-5 as a donor car. Partly because it costs about 20 times more than a Sierra (which are still widely available), but mostly because it's a perfectly good sportscar on its own. I'll stick to Sierras.
 
vanMould said:
I'm quite sceptic towars using the the MX-5 as a donor car. Partly because it costs about 20 times more than a Sierra (which are still widely available), but mostly because it's a perfectly good sportscar on its own. I'll stick to Sierras.
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how expensive are wrecked MX-5's where you live? i can get a perfect doner around here for maybe $800-1200 rememeber other than motor tranny, IRS (something you don't get with a sierra build) pedals and the guage cluster you don't use much out of the doner
 
The_Finn said:
how expensive are wrecked MX-5's where you live? i can get a perfect doner around here for maybe $800-1200 rememeber other than motor tranny, IRS (something you don't get with a sierra build) pedals and the guage cluster you don't use much out of the doner
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That depends on what your donor is. If it has a narrow track for example, you could use the steering rack. There are lots of potential bits to be robbed off of a donor by a creative builder. I wouldn't go with a Sierra unless you were instant at following a recipe and were quite happy to have a big fat Pinto engine in the front. Still a knackered Sierra can be had for pretty much nothing... so why not?
 
I want to build a Lotus Elise with a modified Ferrari V8.
 
https://pic.armedcats.net/2008/02/04/RotoyRX3.jpg

That tiny ass little picture of a photo-chopped Protege with RX-3 front end has made me want to make one.

Start with this:
https://pic.armedcats.net/2008/02/04/99532003MazdaProtege.jpg

Give it some RX-3 style touches, I'd start by tweaking the headlights so they appeared more like a dual lamp design. The grill would be made a bit larger as well and brushed aluminum egg-crate style.

While the front end work is being done, the floor would be cut up and a 13B-REW with a bridge port, custom short runner intake manifold/possibly ITB ceramic coated, 3mm apex seals, aluminum side/intermediate housings from Racing Beat (these shave 30lbs from the engine), ECU would likely be a Bosch Motorsports unit or find out what mazda uses for its' race cars as most off the shelf aftermarket EMS don't hold a candle to 15 year old GM units. All rotors and housings would be ceramic coated (with the same process Mazda used on it's R26b race engine).

Turbo setup would be either a stock hybrid, or a fully custom built sequential system based around GT28rs turbos. Intercoolers would be Laminova units integrated into the manifolds plenum. The Exhaust header would be fully ceramic coated inside and out and heat wrapped (a bit overkill but rotaries have a lot of heat). I'd make an attempt to keep the engine as ecofriendly as it could be so if cats can be fitted without killing performance (or frying themselves) I'd go for it.

Transmission would be a 6 speed automatic mounted at the rear with the electronics heavily worked to improve shift response and allow FULL manual control. If I decided against this route, then I'd go with a proper 6 speed manual with a lever on the shifter to actuate the hydraulic clutch (I could use either the pedal or lever).

The suspension and brakes would likely be yanked, in it's entirety, from the RX-8. The exception being the rear-end and axles. Everything would be beefed up as needed and tweaked. Stainless braided lines, DOT5 brake fluid, and a large amount of rubber would finish the job.

Doors, hood, trunklid, and possibly the roof would be cut out, would be replaced with carbon fiber pieces (fully painted of course). Undercarriage would receive some shade tree aerodynamic improvements as well. The chassis structure itself would receive quite a bit of stiffening at the expense of a spare chassis. It may not get a cage, but it would hopefully be just about as strong!

The interior would follow more recent Mazda designs but using better quality materials, and a some what cleaner center console as I'm not a fan of a lot of buttons in a car.

When all is said and done, it would have to appear that it's something Mazda would have made, with just some in-expensive modifications added for better drivability.
 
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