Ideas needed: Fun shells for an RWD toy
Discussion
Evening all!
I'm a bit torn at the moment, I have the possibility of getting an MG Midget for a vert low sum.
I have a Ford ST170 engine (Zetec 2.0l) mated to an RX8 gearbox, running on throttle bodies and Microsquirt sat waiting to slot into something.
However, I think a midget would either twist in half or be basically disastrous handling-wise.
what else is out there as something (classic preferably) that's already set up as RWD (doesn't need to be convertible) that would make an interesting road/track toy car?
I'd absolutely LOVE a MK1 Escort, but that's WAY out of my budget (which is £1-2k for a rolling shell)
GO!
(ETA: first person to say MX5 gets the disapproving mother look)
I'm a bit torn at the moment, I have the possibility of getting an MG Midget for a vert low sum.
I have a Ford ST170 engine (Zetec 2.0l) mated to an RX8 gearbox, running on throttle bodies and Microsquirt sat waiting to slot into something.
However, I think a midget would either twist in half or be basically disastrous handling-wise.
what else is out there as something (classic preferably) that's already set up as RWD (doesn't need to be convertible) that would make an interesting road/track toy car?
I'd absolutely LOVE a MK1 Escort, but that's WAY out of my budget (which is £1-2k for a rolling shell)
GO!
(ETA: first person to say MX5 gets the disapproving mother look)
How about a mk1 escort van ? I remember a rally prepared one on Mull back in the early eighties, could do everything a normal escort could but had the shock value too as nobody expected an old van to go so quick.
You should be able to pick up a rolling shell for a lot less than a saloon.
You should be able to pick up a rolling shell for a lot less than a saloon.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I assume you mean the mk4? As far as I know the mk1-3 all had the same suspension setup which was prone to the rear wheel "tucking under" the car. The Midget is still a better handling car, though. IMO.
Unfortunately with the way prices have gone, £1-2k buys you very little in the world of RWD classics. To get the most out of that engine and gearbox you probably want no more than about a tonne all in.
Edited by kambites on Sunday 17th December 19:04
Flat-6 said:
Evening all!
I'm a bit torn at the moment, I have the possibility of getting an MG Midget for a vert low sum.
I have a Ford ST170 engine (Zetec 2.0l) mated to an RX8 gearbox, running on throttle bodies and Microsquirt sat waiting to slot into something.
However, I think a midget would either twist in half or be basically disastrous handling-wise.
what else is out there as something (classic preferably) that's already set up as RWD (doesn't need to be convertible) that would make an interesting road/track toy car?
I'd absolutely LOVE a MK1 Escort, but that's WAY out of my budget (which is £1-2k for a rolling shell)
GO!
(ETA: first person to say MX5 gets the disapproving mother look)
A few years ago I drove the k-series based midget conversion by Frontline of Abingdon, nt sure what power it had but it left an M3 for dust on wet country roads I'm a bit torn at the moment, I have the possibility of getting an MG Midget for a vert low sum.
I have a Ford ST170 engine (Zetec 2.0l) mated to an RX8 gearbox, running on throttle bodies and Microsquirt sat waiting to slot into something.
However, I think a midget would either twist in half or be basically disastrous handling-wise.
what else is out there as something (classic preferably) that's already set up as RWD (doesn't need to be convertible) that would make an interesting road/track toy car?
I'd absolutely LOVE a MK1 Escort, but that's WAY out of my budget (which is £1-2k for a rolling shell)
GO!
(ETA: first person to say MX5 gets the disapproving mother look)

akirk said:
A few years ago I drove the k-series based midget conversion by Frontline of Abingdon, nt sure what power it had but it left an M3 for dust on wet country roads 
They're pretty light. We fairly easily got ours to the point where even with a full cage, plumbed in fire extinguisher, hardtop, etc. we still had to add balast to get it up tot he 600kg minimum weight limit of the series. 
ging84 said:
If i was going to self build an old fashioned death trap I'd want a cobra style body
but a cobra with a 4 cylinder engine seems pretty awful, maybe you could get a v8 instead
If I wanted a kit car yes - but this is more of a classic sleeper type project.but a cobra with a 4 cylinder engine seems pretty awful, maybe you could get a v8 instead
I would also like to think that I could engineer something not completely deathy.
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