9 replies to this topic

[Sisu]

I know that the Z cars bike conversion is quick. No disputing that.

But what is it like to use as a normal car?

Alot of faults are sometimes blurred as "characteristics".
Alot of you have built your Minis using a stripped out shell or in some cases a glass fibre/carbon shell.
However..
I want a heater. I live in Finland and so as last winter was a taster of what we have here. I love drifting in the snow
Has anyone got any shots of a car with a full interior or insulation of the rear firewall/engine access?
Does the alternator of a GSXR have enough grunt to run lights and other things like fans/cooling fans/standard radio?
Does it have a boot?
In Finland the car is insured, not the individual driver/individual car as in the UK. So as long as you have a valid drivers licence you can hop in my car and it's no stress. So with that in mind what areas are there (apart from the gearchange) that you need to advise someone using your car? eg on a hot day in traffic it may overheat etc

[al_reidy]

I know that the Z cars bike conversion is quick. No disputing that.

But what is it like to use as a normal car?

Alot of faults are sometimes blurred as "characteristics".
Alot of you have built your Minis using a stripped out shell or in some cases a glass fibre/carbon shell.
However..
I want a heater. I live in Finland and so as last winter was a taster of what we have here. I love drifting in the snow
Has anyone got any shots of a car with a full interior or insulation of the rear firewall/engine access?
Does the alternator of a GSXR have enough grunt to run lights and other things like fans/cooling fans/standard radio?
Does it have a boot?
In Finland the car is insured, not the individual driver/individual car as in the UK. So as long as you have a valid drivers licence you can hop in my car and it's no stress. So with that in mind what areas are there (apart from the gearchange) that you need to advise someone using your car? eg on a hot day in traffic it may overheat etc

Hi,
i have a vtec conversion with lots of sound proofing. i have now got it setup properly so i can drive it safely in the wet, but water sealing is a bit of an on going problem, as is heat in the engine bay.
as for boot / luggage space there is a tiny amount behind the seats and, if you use a flat top bulkhead (possible on a bike conversion?), on top of the bulkhead.

The exhaust noise is a bit tiresome on long journeys, but overall its comfortable and quite refined.

i hope this is of some use to you.

[Sisu]

Thanks. I appreciate the quick reply

[Sisu]

I know most of the Z cars Minis use a chain drive with a 40-46 tooth drive. But this runs with a electrical drive for reverse.
Has anyone considered using a sealed system like this one?
http://www.ragemotor...;cat=1313001220

[R1mini]

I know most of the Z cars Minis use a chain drive with a 40-46 tooth drive. But this runs with a electrical drive for reverse.
Has anyone considered using a sealed system like this one?
http://www.ragemotor...;cat=1313001220

I'll think you will find those particular units are very low geared to suit the rage buggies, but quaife do other versions of this gearbox with more suitable ratios, but they are very expensive. around 4 grand for the powertec radical gear driven version

Cheers
David

[Stevee]

Why not just do the bike con in front of the car

like a hiden weapon under the bonnet??

[brandon7]

Just No.... No no no....
If you are going to have a Zcars daily driver at least do a Vtec conversion

I dont even like taking mine on roads when its been raining that week because of the muck. Let alone on A roads and Motoways everyday. (oh and the parking!) No music when in traffic! It will jsut wreck your pride and joy. Sealing is a big problem as well as Al said before. Let alone the noise, bumpy ride and heat inside the car.
Plus the reverse only really works well when doing somthing like a 3 point turn on the flat to save you pushing but I Always push mine unless im feeling super lazy. They dont like even small hills. (it needs help getting up my driveway backwards)

Buy the Z cars for sure! Then buy an old fiesta for 500 quid and use that everyday, save your car for the weekends and track time and and you will look forward to every wekeend and evening drive.
Cheers, Good luck!

Edited by brandon7, 14 June 2010 - 05:51 PM.

[Sisu]

I suppose this is where I am loosing faith in the Z-cars thing. I am happy that they have a simple kit that is selling well for the Mini. I was going to use this in something other than a Mini. I am not happy driving something off a trailer or just on sunny days.
The more I read and research the more that it seems I should buy a nice running Suzuki K4-5 GSXR 1000 not a crashed one for around €4000, Sell the remaining bits off the motorbike individually to pay for the additional expense of the oil windage baffles, the trailing arms and some specific bits from Z-cars and also ease the pain of buying the powertec/quaife reverseing diff at €4000
Then get a local rally prep company to build a rollcage and then a frame for the drive unit €5000.

[brandon7]

Ballache, but fair enough...
How you build your car and from what parts and in what order doesn't change the fact you car will get covered in sh*t all the time if you drive it everyday....

Ive been to Finland and the roads are even muckier than here. You want a Jacked up Grasstrack Zcars for Finland

Edited by brandon7, 14 June 2010 - 09:15 PM.

[Sisu]

No worries. I'm just asking.

You have a leaky car and it gets covered in muck.
Do you have an undertray or inner wheel arches?
Is this just an asthetic thing of road grime or have you had anything wear out such as bushes because of it?

The reversing aspect of motorbike powered cars is a good example of where some of trying to get an answer is pretty vauge. Even on the various Z-cars videos this is edited out. Hey at least you have explained what it is like to deal with day to day.
On one hand you have Radical who say it will cost X, you need to rebuild after X hours of use, this is how you use it and problems you could encounter. Yet on the other you have some bloke who has stuck a Busa into his Fiat/Smart and doesn't even care about a diff as he is just doing burnouts in a carpark for his drunk mates.

I have had formula cars without reverse and it's more hassle than it's worth. On another race car I ripped out the heater/ventilation, bolted in plexi glass, bolted the recaro to the floor and put in a harness. As that is what all the racers do. Smug in my weight saving I got stuffed when it rained as I couldn't even reach the screen to clear the moisture off it. So used a squeegy on a pole, which sort of defeated the purpose of the weight saving to go faster.