Lexus V8 with NOS in a Renault Espace - yeah lets do it !

Lexus V8 with NOS in a Renault Espace - yeah lets do it !

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lexspace

Original Poster:

295 posts

139 months

Tuesday 30th October 2012
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Had a good couple of days stripping the Espace , got the engine and gearbox out eventually after a small trolley jack 'moment' , i just had to weigh it 429 lb or 195 KG , i have removed all the front and rear suspension , fuel tank , exhaust and all the brakes .
I have a few more interior parts to remove and then i would like to weigh the shell again , im still in shock at the weight of the Lexus , so will need to look at how much weight can be removed from both cars.










paulrussell

2,084 posts

160 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
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lexspace said:
After seeing a 'body' transplant on a tv show where the running gear and floorpan of a new car had the body of an old car transplanted onto it , this route has been favorite (thanks rhinochopig)
Would that of been Custom My Ride, where they got an old Dodge Charger and put a new Dodge Charger floorpan and running gear on to it? If so I watched that aswell and thought it was a brilliant idea.

blearyeyedboy

6,252 posts

178 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
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lexspace said:
Well, that answers my question about how you make a big enough hole to fit the Lexus V8 into. biggrin

MartynVRS

1,145 posts

209 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
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No idea how this will turn out but glad someone is mad enough to try

gareth_r

5,712 posts

236 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
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lexspace said:
...will need to look at how much weight can be removed from both cars...
There are two operands in a power to weight calculation. smile

Mr Toyoda kindly arranged for the 1UZ manifolds to be swappable left to right with the exits pointing forwards. Is there room for reversed exhaust manifolds and a turbo or two? The plumbing should be easy compared to lining up and welding the Espace body to the Lexus floor pan. smile

chuntington101

5,733 posts

235 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
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gareth_r said:
There are two operands in a power to weight calculation. smile

Mr Toyoda kindly arranged for the 1UZ manifolds to be swappable left to right with the exits pointing forwards. Is there room for reversed exhaust manifolds and a turbo or two? The plumbing should be easy compared to lining up and welding the Espace body to the Lexus floor pan. smile
Think thats what the N2O is for! wink

Oi_Oi_Savaloy

2,313 posts

259 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
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I have nothing original to add except to say I think this is made but utterly brilliant. Next job should be Integrale running gear into an MX5 or something!

Super Slo Mo

5,368 posts

197 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
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Am I the only one looking at this thinking .

It is probably unfair, but the OP doesn't seem to have much of an idea what he's doing, other than pulling the cars apart (apologies if this is not the case OP, but it's how I think your posts on here are coming across).

I'm all for interesting and novel conversions, but OP, please don't build something that's going to kill you because it's held together with baler twine and chewing gum. If you need proper help with the engineering aspects, I'm sure there are plenty of guys on here who are more than capable and who'd be heppy to assist/advise.

However, I shall give the OP the benefit of the doubt, and look forward to the updates.

Do you have any plans to make the finished car road legal or is it just for track/shows?

lexspace

Original Poster:

295 posts

139 months

Monday 5th November 2012
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A pic from today showing the emptyness and also vastness of an gutted Espace , the bulkhead is totally standard with the 2 holes showing where there was a steel panel bolted that housed mountings for pedals etc



The Espace body now weighs in at 585 KG which considering it is bare of all running gear leaves it quite heavy i think, there is lots of glass though.
Hopefully within the next couple of weeks (work depending) i will get started on the 'chopping' of the body , and some serious structural work .

As im now committed to using this Espace im left with a little dilemma of wheelbase , I could shorten the Lexus floorpan so the rear axle line is in the correct place and the Espace will continue to look 'standard' from the outside OR as in the photoshopped pics below (forgive me for the quality) move the rear axle line backwards and have a really short rear overhang.





I think i quite like the look of the second one now

lexspace

Original Poster:

295 posts

139 months

Monday 5th November 2012
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paulrussell said:
lexspace said:
After seeing a 'body' transplant on a tv show where the running gear and floorpan of a new car had the body of an old car transplanted onto it , this route has been favorite (thanks rhinochopig)
Would that of been Custom My Ride, where they got an old Dodge Charger and put a new Dodge Charger floorpan and running gear on to it? If so I watched that aswell and thought it was a brilliant idea.
Hi , yes it was on Custom my ride , they have done a couple of different ones, the idea really appealed to me. Although i find some of the programme annoying i really have alot of respect for the work they do (forgetting stereos and dodgy colour schemes) the fabrication work is excellent.

rhinochopig

17,932 posts

197 months

Tuesday 6th November 2012
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lexspace said:
paulrussell said:
lexspace said:
After seeing a 'body' transplant on a tv show where the running gear and floorpan of a new car had the body of an old car transplanted onto it , this route has been favorite (thanks rhinochopig)
Would that of been Custom My Ride, where they got an old Dodge Charger and put a new Dodge Charger floorpan and running gear on to it? If so I watched that aswell and thought it was a brilliant idea.
Hi , yes it was on Custom my ride , they have done a couple of different ones, the idea really appealed to me. Although i find some of the programme annoying i really have alot of respect for the work they do (forgetting stereos and dodgy colour schemes) the fabrication work is excellent.
Personally, I'd go with a shortened floor pan. Much less hassle than faffing with coach work. If you do I'd look at sitting the chassis on a sliding jig - attached using the hubs. That way it keeps everything square when you shorten it.

See this lads project for pictures of what I mean...http://www.pistonheads.com/xforums/topic.asp?h=0&f=47&t=1167010&i=0&mid=99346&nmt=C2+Evolution

DanDC5

18,748 posts

166 months

Tuesday 6th November 2012
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The 2nd one looks like an enlarged old shape Twingo hehe

Refined Detail

369 posts

179 months

Tuesday 6th November 2012
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Bonkers!

But please shorten the Lexus floorpan. That way you'll lose a bit more weight from it but also keep the standard Espace look for ultimate sleeperness!

amnesia182

486 posts

161 months

Tuesday 6th November 2012
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Absolutely barking... I love it!

RosscoPCole

3,300 posts

173 months

Tuesday 6th November 2012
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Please keep it looking original on the outside.
Would be a much better machine for it. Also it means it would be a fantastic sleeper. Might be easier to change the floorplan rather than the bodywork.

andygtt

8,344 posts

263 months

Tuesday 6th November 2012
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lexspace said:


so 2580 lb in my language = 1172 KG

Thats for a car with no interior whatsoever , no doors , no bonnet , no boot , no bumpers, no lights, no windscreen , no rear window , no wiper motors, not much at all really only a bodyshell with running gear , quite surprising i thought, i know it has a big v8 and auto box with big heavy brakes and suspension but i did expect and hope for a little less.
It makes you realise how much of an achievement something like the McLaren F1 is weighing in at about 1000 KG
not really, my noble weighs less than an F1 and has more power smile

excellent project btw... I thought about doing exactly the same but with a Chysler voyager and a BMW 750 (V12)... so looking forward to seeing how this turns out.

purplecivicturbo

152 posts

178 months

Tuesday 6th November 2012
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Wow, that is an awesome build. Please keep the updates coming- i for one am looking forward to reading!

TITWONK

530 posts

166 months

Tuesday 6th November 2012
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Another vote for shorten the Lexus, may have a better effect on handling? Although I'm not sure on that!

blearyeyedboy

6,252 posts

178 months

Tuesday 6th November 2012
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One more vote for keeping the Espace standard looking.

shalmaneser

5,930 posts

194 months

Tuesday 6th November 2012
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Super Slo Mo said:
Am I the only one looking at this thinking .

It is probably unfair, but the OP doesn't seem to have much of an idea what he's doing, other than pulling the cars apart (apologies if this is not the case OP, but it's how I think your posts on here are coming across).

I'm all for interesting and novel conversions, but OP, please don't build something that's going to kill you because it's held together with baler twine and chewing gum. If you need proper help with the engineering aspects, I'm sure there are plenty of guys on here who are more than capable and who'd be heppy to assist/advise.

However, I shall give the OP the benefit of the doubt, and look forward to the updates.

Do you have any plans to make the finished car road legal or is it just for track/shows?
Totally +1 on this. This is a major undertaking, I'd be gobsmacked if it goes as planned.


OP: Best of luck but do be careful. The only option re the wheelbase situation is to go for the shorter version, making the Espace rear panel again would be basically impossible to do with any decent level of finish.

Shortening the Lexus would just require a shorter driveshaft.


The fact of the matter is that stuff like this should really be obvious and I'd concerned the OP hasn't thought this stuff through.