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

[JB!]

Defo shorten the lexus floorplan.

[lexspace]

Well not really much of an update im afraid , my time is being consumed by work and family commitments so my 'project' has to wait,i have spent some time on the espace shell getting all the remaing wiring sorted and marked up ready .

The headlights, front indicators, side indicators, rear lights, fog lights, high level brake lights, number plate lights, heated rear screen,door open switches,all 9 !! roof lining interior lights and finally boot lock solenoids now have lexus connectors on them to join straight into the lexus loom.

Next up really are all the door motors and cutting back of extras that are not needed in the lexus loom (heated seats etc).

Once these next electrics are done i can get properly started on chopping both cars, hopefully over my xmas break , thanks to everyone for the words of encouragement and hopefully then the next set of pictures will put some peoples mind's at rest on the subject of whether i know what im doing.

It may appear that im 'just pulling cars apart' but i dont think i could start at any other point, and it will NOT be 'held together with baler twine and chewing gum'.....
but on the other hand i WOULD 'be gobsmacked if it goes as planned' !!!

[y2blade]

Fantastic, All the best with it......following with interest

[Bear Phils]

Really want to see the result! All the best

[lexspace]

small update - had some time working on the espace











cutting at the front and rear is pretty much to where i want it to be for now , but i still have a good amount of cutting around the sills to do . I took a few measurements and on the whole its looking ok , its just a matter of looking at both cars and deciding where and what to cut/not to cut.

The weight was 437 kg (as it stood in last pic) ,I intend to do a little more cutting of the body before starting cutting on the Lexus

I trial located a Lexus wheel in the wheel arch and as i suspected - it looked huge and will require some bodywork mods - but that's way in the future and not entirely unexpected. I was never really intending for it to look completely standard on the outside anyway.



I do like the look of the F1 Espace and the wide low stance that it has (not so keen on the colour or roof spoiler though), its the kind of look i will be going for when finished

[lexspace]

I know there are a lot of doubters out there(my friends and family included!!)but this build is by no means impossible and lots of similar builds have been done before , check out this one for example:

http://www.sxoc.com/vbb/showthread.php?219069-MadM...

Im very open to changing plans as i go along because quite simply i cannot plan exactly for something that's never been done before

[Super Slo Mo]

I'm not sure that those of us on here who've raised questions are doubters, after all, this kind of thing is right up my street. It's just that the initial impression you gave was one of someone who had no idea what they were doing.

It seems that impression was wrong, and I for one will be interested to see the outcome. I'll also be curious to see how or if you ever manage to make it road legal, or if you'll just keep it for the track or shows.

[blearyeyedboy]

Super Slo Mo said:

I'm not sure that those of us on here who've raised questions are doubters, after all, this kind of thing is right up my street. It's just that the initial impression you gave was one of someone who had no idea what they were doing.

+1. Don't take our questions as criticism, we're just curious. There are a lot of people rooting for you on here- good on you for having the balls to follow it through.

I for one really look forward to the result.

[BorkFactor]

This is brilliant.

I look forward to seeing the end result!

[Tony427]

Here you get the b'stard love child of a Lexus and a Capri......

http://www.lextreme.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14...

Cheers,

Tony

[lexspace]

I have gained about 10 square foot of usable garage floor space back today and the lexus is much lighter inside now too !!

[threadlock]

So forgive me for this if I'm being dense, but you're chopping the rear of the Lexus off ready to drop the Espace on top? And in the earlier photos you've cut the front and the floor out of the Espace? (Have I got this right?) I'm in awe of the ambition of your plan but I'd be grateful for a few lines of explanation each time if you have time, so I can understand what you're doing and what's coming next.

[Lazygraduate]

So epic!

[zedx19]

threadlock said:

So forgive me for this if I'm being dense, but you're chopping the rear of the Lexus off ready to drop the Espace on top? And in the earlier photos you've cut the front and the floor out of the Espace? (Have I got this right?) I'm in awe of the ambition of your plan but I'd be grateful for a few lines of explanation each time if you have time, so I can understand what you're doing and what's coming next.

Was thinking the same lol at the moment, it looks like your hacking at a Lexus, hacking at an Espace but no explanation to what each photo achieved or the plan!

[300bhp/ton]

lexspace said:

I know there are a lot of doubters out there(my friends and family included!!)but this build is by no means impossible and lots of similar builds have been done before , check out this one for example:

http://www.sxoc.com/vbb/showthread.php?219069-MadM...

Im very open to changing plans as i go along because quite simply i cannot plan exactly for something that's never been done before

I think it's been asked before but didn't see an answer. Are you planning to make this road legal? I presume you'll be IVA'ing it?

[doogalman]

Forgive my ignorance but to put a project like this on the road, is it any different from an insurance/legal point of view as a cut and shut where two half cars are welded together to take the identity of one. Is it uninsurable???
Love the project though.

[lesstatt]

I think he is dropping the Espace top bodywork onto the Lexus bottom bodywork

[Bear Phils]

What I think is happening is the Lexus boot was too long and had to be cut so the espace would fit over. The front of the espace is being chopped to fit around the engine.

[danyeates]

Tony427 said:

Here you get the b'stard love child of a Lexus and a Capri......

http://www.lextreme.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14...

Cheers,

Tony

What a mess!

On the 12th September 2011 he was hoping to have it finished in 11 days. I thought to myself - no chance! 5th October 2012 - still not finished. Dodgy cut 'n' shut using a scrapper car.

[lesstatt]

danyeates said:

What a mess!

On the 12th September 2011 he was hoping to have it finished in 11 days. I thought to myself - no chance! 5th October 2012 - still not finished. Dodgy cut 'n' shut using a scrapper car.

Not seen that before, what an abortion that is, probably a death trap as well