Moxey77
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| posted on 29/6/06 at 03:35 PM |
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Newbie seeking advice and guidence.......
Hi there's everyone 
I'm new to building Locosts and I'm trying to decide on a good donor car. I don't want to go down the Ford route as there's
lots of Ford based cars around, I want something a bit different.
I was thinking of maybe using a BMW 3-series or Mazda MX5 for the donor car as both are rear drive and I can more or less use every mechanical and
electrical componant from either. At the moment, the MX5 seems the more attractive option for it's sporty roots.
As this is my first project, I wanted some hits and tips. Anyone?
Thanks, Moxey.
[Edited on 29/6/06 by Moxey77]
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Just
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| posted on 29/6/06 at 03:41 PM |
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The reason a lot of people use Ford stuff is that it is relatively reliable, cheap to mend and readily available. If none of those are issues then
why no go down a German or Japanese route.
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JAG
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| posted on 29/6/06 at 03:41 PM |
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Hello Mate,
my car uses an MX5 engine and 5 speed gearbox - but the front uprights and rear axle are Ford Cortina/Escort respectivley.
The engine's a cracker. 1600cc, DOHC, fuel injection and all those tuning parts  
Justin
Who is this super hero? Sarge? ...No.
Rosemary, the telephone operator? ...No.
Penry, the mild-mannered janitor? ...Could be!
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splitrivet
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| posted on 29/6/06 at 03:54 PM |
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A lot of the americans have gone
MX5,trouble is finding a donor at donor type money.
Cheers,
Bob
I used to be a Werewolf but I'm alright nowwoooooooooooooo
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Moxey77
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| posted on 29/6/06 at 04:11 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by JAG
Hello Mate,
my car uses an MX5 engine and 5 speed gearbox - but the front uprights and rear axle are Ford Cortina/Escort respectivley.
The engine's a cracker. 1600cc, DOHC, fuel injection and all those tuning parts
Couldn't I use the MX5 rear axle? and what prop shaft are you using?
BTW I do have a copy of Ron Champions book. An origial published, not the later "Hanes" version. Are they any different?
[Edited on 29/6/06 by Moxey77]
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scoobyis2cool
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| posted on 29/6/06 at 04:24 PM |
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If this is your first project it may be best to stick with something fairly simple, such as a Ford build, as you'll find many kits are geared
towards using their donor parts and as a result you may find the build a bit easier.
Having said that, I'd never done so much as change a wheel on a car before building mine so if you've got the determination to see it
through then go for it! It may take you a bit longer but you'll have a cracker of a car at the end of it.
Pete
PS Welcome to the forum
It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care...
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Moxey77
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| posted on 29/6/06 at 04:31 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by scoobyis2cool
If this is your first project it may be best to stick with something fairly simple, such as a Ford build, as you'll find many kits are geared
towards using their donor parts and as a result you may find the build a bit easier.
Having said that, I'd never done so much as change a wheel on a car before building mine so if you've got the determination to see it
through then go for it! It may take you a bit longer but you'll have a cracker of a car at the end of it.
Pete
PS Welcome to the forum
Thanks for the welcome, it's good to be here in the company of so many knolageable people.
I can do the basics when it comes to weilding a spanner or screwdriver at a car, but as I said, I want to make mine a bit different and not so
run-of-the-mill.
I guess the main difference between using a Ford and a non-Ford engine/gearbox is the position of the mountings and width of the
"tunnel".
[Edited on 29/6/06 by Moxey77]
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scoobyis2cool
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| posted on 29/6/06 at 04:34 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Moxey77it's good to be here in the company of so many knolageable people.
I wouldn't go that far 
Pete
It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care...
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scoobyis2cool
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| posted on 29/6/06 at 04:37 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Moxey77I guess the main difference between using a Ford and a non-Ford engine/gearbox is the position of the
mountings and width of the "tunnel".
Yeah I think you're probably right, although to you may be able to mount a different engine to a ford gearbox with the right bellhousing, that
should make things a bit easier when it comes to fitting the gearbox in the centre tunnel.
Pete
It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care...
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John Bonnett
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| posted on 29/6/06 at 04:55 PM |
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Hi Moxey,
You may well know this already but in case you don't, Cyana Sports Cars at www.cyanacars.com make a Mazda MX5 based Phoenix. You might be able
to source some useful parts from them. I believe or though i am not certain that MX5 parts are used throughout. It's just a thought, I hope it
might be of some use to you.
Cheers
John
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Moxey77
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| posted on 29/6/06 at 05:19 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by John Bonnett
Hi Moxey,
You may well know this already but in case you don't, Cyana Sports Cars at www.cyanacars.com make a Mazda MX5 based Phoenix. You might be able
to source some useful parts from them. I believe or though i am not certain that MX5 parts are used throughout. It's just a thought, I hope it
might be of some use to you.
Cheers
John
Thanks for that John, but I can't find the website. Google finds it but it won't upload when I click on it (can't find the server).
I guess the website no longer exists by the looks of it 
[Edited on 29/6/06 by Moxey77]
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John Bonnett
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| posted on 29/6/06 at 05:26 PM |
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I can't get Google to access it either. Maybe their server is down.
The chap to talk to is Ian Boulton and his email address is sales@cyanacars.com. I don't have a postal address though.
I did contact him a week or so ago about a windscreen so they were certainly still in business then.
Best of luck
John
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scoobyis2cool
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| posted on 29/6/06 at 05:30 PM |
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Just did a WhoIs search and their site registration expired on the 23rd, they'd better hurry up and re-register it before someone else does!
Pete
It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care...
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rusty nuts
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| posted on 29/6/06 at 06:38 PM |
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I think there is an American book that's a bit like uncle Rons that uses the Miata/MX5 as a donor . Can't remember who it's by but
he posts on here occasionally . Perhaps someone on here can remember? Dan something? May have seen a copy at Newark on Mill House Books stand?
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Moxey77
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| posted on 29/6/06 at 06:54 PM |
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I found this.........
http://www.grmotorsports.com/archives/locost.html
It doesn't give vast info, but it's a start.
[Edited on 29/6/06 by Moxey77]
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iank
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| posted on 29/6/06 at 07:16 PM |
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For an MX5 Donor look here, this is the website of the US book
http://www.cheapsportscar.net/
You can get it from Amazon uk which is a help
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0760322872/qid=1151608364/sr=8-3/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i3_xgl/202-5376100-4243042
If you read the posts here by "Keith Tanner" (the author) it will give you some good ideas. This link should find them automagically.
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/misc.php?action=search&srchuname=Keith%20Tanner&searchsubmit=a&srchfid=all&srchfrom=0
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graememk
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| posted on 29/6/06 at 09:11 PM |
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my indy used a nissan silvia as the donor but still has ford uprights
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Keith Tanner
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| posted on 30/6/06 at 02:00 AM |
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The MX5 has an independant rear. Great for a deDion or a full independant setup, more complex than the live axle found in most builds. Some people
just put the entire rear subframe in their car which makes life really easy. Coveland Motorsports in the US has a commercially available frame that
uses this setup.
If you can find a copy of Car and Driver, there's an article in the August issue that has four cars tested. One of them was built from an old
3-series and the other three use varying amount of MX5 parts.
They're expensive to buy as donors, but their parts are also valuable so you can sell them to recoup your initial cost. Great little engine and
a fantastic transmission, the fuel injection and IRS add some complexity.
I don't watch this forum too much, so just drop me an email at keith@cheapsportscar.net if you have any questions. I'm not so good on the
Ford and other cars, but I know the MX5s inside and out.
Keith
www.slowcarfast.com
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leto
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| posted on 30/6/06 at 05:15 AM |
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True one car donor builds are hard to pull. The Sierra can provide you with a lot of useful stuff for nearly free and there is also a bundle of
knowhow available on how to use them. Get a Sierra and a nice GTI-class engine. Finding a gearbox to fit can be a small challenge but in worst case
there are a lot of adapters available for the Ford type 9 box (from the Sierra).
“I'm gonna ride around in style
I'm gonna drive everybody wild
'Cause I'll have the only one there is a round”. (J. Cash)
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JAG
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| posted on 30/6/06 at 12:33 PM |
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Moxey,
as you've found out you can use the rear axle and as for propshafts; I took an MX5 propshaft to a local propshaft maker and he shortened it and
fitted a MkII Escort end to it. This mated straight to my live axle.
Justin
Who is this super hero? Sarge? ...No.
Rosemary, the telephone operator? ...No.
Penry, the mild-mannered janitor? ...Could be!
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bob
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| posted on 2/7/06 at 07:31 AM |
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I've got a copy of Keith Tanners book "How to build a cheap sportscar"
Its a very good book and deffinatly worth a purchase, you will have to get plans for the chassis http://www.mcsorley.net
Or use the Ron Champion Build your own sports car book,but....ask here for the mistakes.
Either plans would have to be adapted to the MX5 running gear.
I've got to admit if it was my 1st scratch build i would stick to the ford cortina MK3/4/5 as a donor, but they are getting hard to find.
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JAG
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| posted on 3/7/06 at 10:08 AM |
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I bought a standard chassis and the modification to fit the MX5 stuff did extend the build time.
The mod's weren't major just time consuming. The gearbox is a bit bulky and gave me trouble getting it down the transmission tunnel and I
had to make special engine and gearbox mountings. Also the sump needed chopping, which is normal but the MX5 engine has a cast Aluminium sump that
needs a specialist to weld it.
[Edited on 3/7/06 by JAG]
Justin
Who is this super hero? Sarge? ...No.
Rosemary, the telephone operator? ...No.
Penry, the mild-mannered janitor? ...Could be!
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Keith Tanner
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| posted on 3/7/06 at 08:17 PM |
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The same engine was used in some other cars with steel sumps. Ford Fiesta is one, I think. I haven't shortened mine and it's been no
problem so far. Can't comment on the transmission tunnel myself, although there's nothing odd about the MX5 driveshaft that would make it
different from others. The nice thing about IRS is that you need a lot less room around the driveshaft.
www.slowcarfast.com
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Lawnmower
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| posted on 7/7/06 at 10:21 PM |
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I will hopefully be going down a similar route. There nice cars to start with, good engines, tuneable, reliable, and bomb proof!
Cheap parts at www.mx5parts.co.uk
also various specialist breakers, or buy crashed one yourself, and sell the parts you wont need! Youll recoup most of the outlay!
For tec info: www.mx5oc.co.uk - they had a meet in bretforton last thursday - would have gone but had other commitmant.
also
www.miata.net
read uncle rons book, and then read keith tanners as well!
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procomp
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| posted on 14/7/06 at 01:38 PM |
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Hi westfield now do a single donar mx 5 kit . I think it's just released but info is on their website. Just needs a clever bugger to do the link
anyone
cheers matt
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