34 replies to this topic

[mickyh]

hi, i was wondering if anyone has built there own framework for an r1 engine to save costs and if they have any plans of this.
thanks mike

[SukiDawg]

Yes.


There is a company called Z cars - perhaps you should ask them for the plans?

[mickyh]

Yes.


There is a company called Z cars - perhaps you should ask them for the plans?

thanks a lot mate

[captainjack15]

You could go FWD with Pro-Motive?

[Sean 12]

Micky i have been looking for the same sort of thing, however from the research i have done unless you really know what your doing it aint goin to end up much cheaper than just buyin it, an for the small amount extra for buyin it from Z cars you will end up with far better quality. I spoke to them the other day to get a qoute for everythin i need for the rear axel because i thought that would take the most time to work out and the most costly part, and i was quoted £1400 for everythin, LSD, Swing Arms, Hubs, Driveshafts, Chain adjuster, Sproket.... This onto of everythin else you are going need, steel for the frame, a roll cage to start from, coil overs, all modifications to front. fuel tank, Mechanical reverse (as far as i am away to pass the SVA you cant have an electrical reverse from a starter motor) if you want it road worthy leagally , welding if you cant do it...... I cant see it costing much less than 8 to 9k

I think i have now changed my mind to try an make a FWD, i would just look at buyin a promotive frame, but the thing is i am doing it as a University Project and i have to make it myself, i am just struggling to try an find out any information at the moment though, i can see obviously from images what is going on but could just do with a tad more in depth info. plus i am going to be running a "Blade" as apossed to an "R1"

if anyone has made there own FWD subframe, it would be awsome to see for some ideas

[sotiris]

i start to make my rear engine mini

here is my topic
http://www.theminifo...howtopic=125737


my opinion is that if you do not belong a machine - shop do not start nothing......you will spend more money than to buy the z cars
the z car is the best solution.....

i start mine because i do not pay for machine-shop work and parts.........

Edited by sotiris, 27 July 2009 - 09:46 AM.

[Sean 12]

sotiris, i have been following your progress of you mini an it looks amazing, how much do you recon you have spent so far ??? i would love to be doing that an i have most of the tools at home but have alot more open to me at University so will be able to do more there in september, i am just lookin forward to starting it now. Sotiris did you ever do any drawings of the frame or and CAD (computer) drawings to work out sizes and things ? if so would there be any chance you could show/send/PM it me to have a look at to get an idea of a few of the Key dimesions, i am going to be starting my 3D Cad model soon at work (what i do for a job) but it is just a pain tryin to find out dimensions an things, hope you will be able to help an keep up the good work on your mini, it looks incredible

Sean

[sotiris]

you will need tube bender.....*
i do not have plans
if i can help you, i will do it with pleasure....

look i will calculate and i will post to make you understand....

the expensive of the project is the hour they will spend to your car and to the lathe (if you give the job to a machine - shop ) this is that i did not pay........

the tubes and metals will cost 500-600 euro
paint job 700 euro + 150 euro two panels
400 euro rear suspetion
200 front
i will need fuel tank,Driveshafts,diff (free for me), and many parts i do not know yet....




the other serious part of the project is the success of the total build...............

this have risks..... we do it first time....... we do not know the "traps".......
i do not know if i made mistakes yet , we will see.....

Edited by sotiris, 27 July 2009 - 11:09 AM.

[Sean 12]

thank you for helping with the costs, fortunately i am in a position where i have quite a few contacts to help keep prices down, i am competent using a mill an lathe and have these machines an university along with rapid prototype an cnc machines to produces parts to hard to hand make, these can be done using my CAD drawings.

i have manage to aquire the mini for free and also the engine, i also get metal an a mates rate if not free, i also get free powder coating, and welding i cant do, cheep sprey jobs (cost of the paint), the main expenses for me will be the cost for the parts such as LSD, suspension, tank...etc i am still very tempted to do a rear wheel drive i just think there will be alot of hidden costs that i could possible escape by making it FWD.

what have you decided to do about the front wheels ? and how are you going to do your suspension and things ? this was one of the areas that i could see quite a few costs coming in.

[Monte Busa]

Z-Cars will not sell plans - there are threads on here discussing that. In my opinion also (and MANY more on here I'm sure) you are not only buying a way to put a bike engine into a Mini from them but a huge amount of engineering that goes with it - they have built many hundreds of Minis with bike power and are always improving their designs. Evn if you had contact to keep costs down, the engineering of a kit shoudl not be factored out of the whole cost equation. The Zeds boys are really good at what they do, and they have a track record to show for it.

Yes.


There is a company called Z cars - perhaps you should ask them for the plans?

[sotiris]

Z-Cars will not sell plans - there are threads on here discussing that. In my opinion also (and MANY more on here I'm sure) you are not only buying a way to put a bike engine into a Mini from them but a huge amount of engineering that goes with it - they have built many hundreds of Minis with bike power and are always improving their designs. Evn if you had contact to keep costs down, the engineering of a kit shoudl not be factored out of the whole cost equation. The Zeds boys are really good at what they do, and they have a track record to show for it.

Yes.


There is a company called Z cars - perhaps you should ask them for the plans?

this is corrent, the experience is that meter.........

[Sean 12]

i completely agree with you, there experience and engineering behind the frame is almost priceless, i knew from the very beggining i would never get any plans from Z-Cars and never expected any but for me personally like i said above i have to build mine, i cant just buy it, i am an engineering student and need to figure it all out myself, i cant just go an buy it, the parts that i dont need to design such as the rear axel i will prob buy from z cars.

[chunkytfg]

i completely agree with you, there experience and engineering behind the frame is almost priceless, i knew from the very beggining i would never get any plans from Z-Cars and never expected any but for me personally like i said above i have to build mine, i cant just buy it, i am an engineering student and need to figure it all out myself, i cant just go an buy it, the parts that i dont need to design such as the rear axel i will prob buy from z cars.

you wont get measurements but there is enough photo's about of the various frames for you to be able to have a good stab at getting the measurements right. if you have a mini and the engine plus the required pics of said engine in said frame in said mini then the actual making of it must be relatively simple(ish)?

[Sean 12]

lol i can wish it will be simple(ish) lol

just out of interest does anyone know of any donor cars that would be ideal to use for the front axel- hubs an drive shafts etc ?

[sotiris]

i completely agree with you, there experience and engineering behind the frame is almost priceless, i knew from the very beggining i would never get any plans from Z-Cars and never expected any but for me personally like i said above i have to build mine, i cant just buy it, i am an engineering student and need to figure it all out myself, i cant just go an buy it, the parts that i dont need to design such as the rear axel i will prob buy from z cars.

you wont get measurements but there is enough photo's about of the various frames for you to be able to have a good stab at getting the measurements right. if you have a mini and the engine plus the required pics of said engine in said frame in said mini then the actual making of it must be relatively simple(ish)?

.........lol.....
i can say that photos are good "plans"....... .....lol

....usefull

Edited by sotiris, 17 October 2009 - 01:54 PM.