32 replies to this topic

[Rog]

Hi Folks,

I'm new to this forum and I'm looking for advice. I have a '86 Chelsea that's going to be treated to a (much needed) rebuild with bike power. I'm aware of the Z Cars but while being an excelent piece of kit, it seems a little expensive. Maybe FWD bike power is a good place to start. What are the options? Any advice/comment would be very welcome.

Thanks in advance peeps.

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[Alburglar]

www.rallysportreplicas.co.uk

He does a really neat fwd R1 kit

[R1mini]

Try buying one

David

[Ade]

As with anything from Rallysport replicas sounds great! But whether you actually get anything for the money he takes of you up front is another matter!!!!

Personally I would advise anyone not to touch them if you like either quality products or timley delivery!

Ade

[Mintec]

I'm with Ade,

Having taken my mini up to him from Bournemouth to use to take a mould from it for a carbon fibre extended front end (i have a vtec engine fitted using a Rover 100 frame) and believing him that it would take 3-4 weeks for a finished front end.

8 months later and hundreds of phone calls chasing him and he delivered the biggest pile of poo ever!!! and still no bonnet!!!!

He eventually sent the bonnet in the post and it got broken in the post!!! as he sent it with one sheet of bubble wrap and some brown paper!!!!

Rubbish!!! :nugget:

Paul

[Oldskoolbaby]

I was told the same from a friend too. Apparently the fwd bike conversion from there is literally thrown together scrapheap style Im buying my next shell off a fella that is currently producing a fwd conversion. Hes been working on it for some time now due to his bizzy motorsport business but least he isnt just throwing it together. When I last spoke to him he said itll be using a tidy chain drive set up. Youll find a quick snip on www.lynxae.com. Theres also some pretty sweet A seires components he sells.

[Rog]

Thanks for the info guys. I've taken a look at both sites and indeed and Rally Sport Reps have a lot to offer but judging by your experiences they seem to be spreading themselves too thinly. When I was at the Kit Car show in May I came across the Lynx stand and I was very impressed with their R1 GT car and indeed not just thrown together; it's just I'd rather stay away from chain drive. It can handle the power sure, but I'd like to fit it and forget it's there even if it does add a little extra weight. If only someone would flatter Quaife and make a cheaper version of their gear driven diff http://www.quaife.co...ogue/page85.htm. It is a quality piece of kit though and that almost never comes cheap. Anyone aware of such flattery?

Rog

[philster]

I wonder if there is anyway you could use a crown wheel and pinion off a mini gearbox and make some sort of housing for it all to sit in (with an oil feed etc.) That way you could use a standard diff with loads of ratios, or a four pin or even an lsd.

I realise it would take a bit of doing but would ditch the horrible chain idea.

[Alburglar]

They are around. One went on ebay for a couple of hundred quid a few months ago.

[Oldskoolbaby]

That quaife diff housing looks sweet!! I bet if you were to fit that to an engine the lynx engine craddle will give you the perfect fit. All youd need then is some custom made drive shafts.

[R1mini]

Anything quaife will not fit in the front of a mini, unless you willing to extend it loads! especially the powertec quaife box totally wrong for a fwd mini in fact its far too big to sit in the back of a mini never mind the front.

If you use the mini crownwheel and pinion the bike engine will need to be reversed to go forward. This is the only way I have seen a sucessful install without chopping the standard front about see piccie attached

Cheers
David

Edited by R1mini, 30 May 2010 - 04:09 PM.

[Rog]

R1 Mini When I read your mail I thought, "Bugg@r, that's that then". But I've found this. It looks like a home-made subframe with an R1 block inc. Quaife LSD ATB diff. So there's still hope.

Me happy chappy

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[Ade]

I think you might find thats actually R1mini (dave's) car he's been working on for ages!!!! Having some trouble getting it all to fit under a standard front! :nugget:

[Rog]

Here's a photo of them both together. It's hard to judge from a photo but that might also fit in the back of a Mini without major alterations.

Me very happy chappy.

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•  R1_engine_with_transaxle.jpg   26.09K   30 downloads

[Rog]

Ade, just read your reply. BUGG@R!!!