40 replies to this topic

[DrFrankenstein]

Hi all and thanks for looking my name is John or dr Frankenstein if you like. 😂 this is my second Vtec build using the same car tho originally plop was running a b16a with a minitec subframe plop was running 150 bhp at the wheels but due to a few reasons plop had to be broken for spares around 2-3 years ago well now heys being brought back from the dead bigger and badder.😆 so the game plan is 4wd Vtec turbo all under a standard length mini. I have put a lot of thought into how to do this and the best solution was to use 4 cars and make good one. The cars needs where

Mini
Rover metro (for the front subframe)
Mgf (for the rear subframe)
Honda CR-V ( for engine and drive train)

So this is plop back in it's better days first pick is at the first show I took it in Cornwall




So after stripping plop and selling all the parts I never bothered to sell the shell it's been in my way for ages and gained a few dents but I eventual found a garage to store it and after starting the project I was quite exited to see the old girl again

Floor pans were shot from dragging it across the floor so many times
So I needed some subframes to start my project after looking at prices it was cheaper to buy two full cars that subframes alone so I found these two for just over £200 for the pair
1.4 rover metro gsi was a clean car

And out with the hole lot fair play it took less than two hours to strip this

Engine then came out and went to the scrap with the car. And there I had my first piece of the puzzle

Came home with this the same day mgf the reg was the best part of the car

So I wasted no time in stripping this as it was a pile of crap and in my way lmao

[DrFrankenstein]

After both cars were disposed of I then had to figure out how this is all going to go together at this point I was thinking can this even be done after a lot of head scratching and research we came up with an idea. Scrap the first idea of building this around a mini and space frame the lot it's much easier to start from scratch. Because I'm a strong believer that minis left bmc bent and twisted from new so it would have been hard work making it all square.

So idea number two space frame to start off I needed some thing to work of my garage floor was surprisingly only 6mm out of level but you can't weld to a garage floor so this idea then come along build a frame level it up and bolt it to the floor. Knowing it can never move well I hope any way. Here is what we came up with

All bolted down and dead level I was proud lmao

So now all I needed was a mini wheel base to work off the two subframes sit nearly dead level so that saved a lot of work and headache. Took a few hours / days but we got it all square and level and the hole thing was only 1mm out of Square but for love or money we could not find this 1mm any where so we simply let it go

Every this sitting level and square the Big 100x50 box section was to help get the subframes running parallel

Every thing then was welded to my frame to stop
It all moving.
Next step gut the guts out of my beloved mini started off by tipping it on its side and removing what I could


Typical Welsh weather then put a stop to my fun darkness fell and that was all I could do pluss all of this dam rain

So I came up with a new idea that I was called mad for. Just simply hang it from the roof

Easy Realy as it doesn't weigh any thing any more.
I added some bracing inside to stop the hole thing floping and twisting
As they do.

Floors cut out and bracing added I also made my chassis in work on
A big steel bench so I gave that a test fit




So that's all I have time for tonight there is loads more exiting stuff that has gon on and I promise the next post will show the car on its chassis so stay tuned

Edited by DrFrankenstein, 03 January 2016 - 10:16 PM.

[camp freddy]

Was the original Honda engine fitted under a standard length front....
by the way the build looks good...

[DrFrankenstein]

Thank you yes it was all under a standard length front ent going to be mighty tight with a turbo this time.

[thelegg]

Cracking start :)

[DrFrankenstein]

Thanks thelegg got loads more to update will do it soon

[Richie83]

Great work. Brave too, looks mental.

[domdee]

Yes finally on tmf!!!!

[DrFrankenstein]

Thanks guys it's the first time I have done any thing on this scale it's going well tho

[DrFrankenstein]

Time for a quick update before I get to far into the build. So where I left off the floor was chopped out and the car was hanging could not wait to drop the shell down and see if we had got things right it actually looked quite good was hart to vision it all on the floor tho



Hubs were looking wide I got a bit worried that it was going to be to fat



Inside was looking good to plenty of room for the subframe

So every thing was looking good but you may have spotted an issue with this. It's on the floor and was way to hard to work with also I needed to test fit some wheels which was impossible as it was. So I braced up my jig and added some legs around 500mm tall

Was mad to see it up in the air I fitted the metro wheels back onto the front but they don't fit the rear that's an issue to solve later on in the build wheels size ect.

I toyed with a few ideas on how to attach the front subframe to my chassis

This was looking like the best idea


Made a crack on the front subframe ran into a little problem where the bottom wish bone bolt would not come out if I ran the frame the original way I wonted. It took a few hours of head scratching and a few core cans but I eventually found an angle to run the pipe that would allow the bottom bolt to come out. But the floor will have to be ran in a way that I didn't won't .

So to start off I had to cap off the end of my chassis as there was a gaping hole in it

I used a piece of 6mm steel plate to cap it off as I needed it strong cut it using the grinder as I would be there all week with a saw

Fitted nice and snug I set it back 5mm just to give me an edge to weld to


With the end capped off I could get back to spaceframing so I got hold of some 32mm tube 2.5 MM thick this is what we came up with

From the side

So to allow the bottom arm bolt to be removed the floor is now going to have to run like this please excuse the drawing lmao. The main reason we was so concerned about this was because if a bush or the bottom arm got bent it would be impossible to change although the subframe will not be removable I think the bottom arms need to be


Then I cracked on with the other side was getting quite exited at this point

Was playing with my welding settings got it running quite good now





Was quite worried that these braces would get in the way of the pedals I may not use the mink set up but after a quick test fit of the shell I found out its all good




I then cut some gussets and welded them in for some extra support can't make this strong enough the less chassis twist the better should never move tho



Welded in



Added another one and a splash of primer just to stop it rusting





That's all for tonight hope you enjoyed I have loads more to update just no time tonight

[domdee]

Love it! Got a build up my sleeve that I'm dying to do along similar lines to yours. Although it won't be a beasty Honda turbo powering it. Just need to get some free time and permission from the wife haha

[DrFrankenstein]

Time for a quick update most of this was done a week or so ago started to do some work on the rear end just so I could have it all attached together. You may have noticed how far the rear sub frame site into the cab this was no good to be as I'm 6ft and need to sit in the back lmao so knowing the size of the rear diff I decided to hack off the front on the rear subframe.

How far the subframe site inside the car


So the rear of the frame is there the heel board would original sit in the mini I wonted mine to sit in the same place so I marked out and cut the subframe was actually more tricky than it looked



The frame needed to be moved 50mm forward I did this before I did the front bit. Put them in the wrong order my bad �� the top of the subframe is sitting Proud of the box section but I am going to be running some 50mm box section over the top of this as I will be cutting the structure out out of it for the transmission tunnel


Tie rod end is now missing I was planning on shortening this and putting a rose joint on the end that's a job for later on in the build.



Next job before welding this part in is the transmission tunnel made it a bit wider and taller than a mini one I just hope it all fits �� cut it out using a 3" air grinder verru hands for cutting acurate curves. We then used the cut out part to form the sheet steel 1.5 MM steel



Folded and welded the clamps are there to keep the strength until I can get my hands on some 50mm box section



Also added some more gussets when I welded all this together going to gusset every thing ��


And another one





Few pictures of the car on its chassis up in the air.

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15" wheels on the back look sick don't know what I am going to do wheel size tho







Tried the 15" mgf wheel on the back with a 50
Profile tyre there's no chance of it fitting �� also to me it looks a bit big





Next a cage was needed I was no rush to buy one as money is a bit tight. But this poped up on fb and it was cheep/ local. Was a ex class one autograss car that has been raped of its roof ect for a class 7 mini pickup



Couldn't leave it there for £100 so the next day I picked it up. Wasn't Realy what I wonted and I didn't know what to expect. But I couldn't believe it when I got there it's actually a Realy well built cage fits tighter than any other cage I have ever had in a mini



Needed to get this out of the way before the scrap man come and stole my £100 mini �� cage was only bolted in so I got that out no problem and gave the ass end of the mini to my mate who wonted it for panels �� what's left any way. Was actually the most solid mini I have seen in a long time floor was in better condition than mine any way ��

All out


So now I was stuck with this cage and no where safe to keep it doh
So next genius plan stick the cage inside the mini where it's Supposed to be. Got a few helping hands and we dropped the shell over the cage out side bolted it up and dropped it back over the chassis. Had to cut 100mm of the legs tho. Cage fits awsome I couldn't get over how well built it is saved me a lot of fabricating and time there.

Tight and equall to the roof






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That's Nerly it for now will crack on with this and get another update soon hope you all enjoyed it

[DrFrankenstein]

Love it! Got a build up my sleeve that I'm dying to do along similar lines to yours. Although it won't be a beasty Honda turbo powering it. Just need to get some free time and permission from the wife haha

Hi thanks what are you thinking of doing ? No current girlfriend is the reason I'm building this lmao sold all my race cars when I was with the last one 🙈

[lukechallenger]

Looking Like its going to be a beast buddy !

[sonikk4]

Liking the build, are you going to box in those double gussets?? that would make them stronger.