Guest Zpeed Posted June 2, 2002 Share Posted June 2, 2002 Hey guys My cousin wants to build a hybrid MG Midget or a Austin Hearly, I know these things are light as hell, most prolly under 1800lbs or so... It won't be overkill we are thinking a modern 4cyl Turbo... I don't know the engine compartment sizes of these things, and we won't won't to do any cutting of frames or anything, my cousin has good fabbing skills, and i am good for getting the parts, and getting beer, putting alota crap together, so we got the skill to do it. and time and well money is a problem, i an't a millioner hehe... I was thinking either, Ca18det, SR20det with a 6spd, that toyota turbo motor, (4age or something like that), a S2000 motor (most prolly to expensive) but would VTEC Sound tooo good, would perfer turbo sound... any other engine suggestions would be kindly, thanked... I'm in australia, so bristish car parts arn't really that accessible... so i don't think any bristish car engine would be a good idea, mostly jap motors would be better, cheap here in aus.. we are going to keep it very very stock (Classic) looking, eg sleeper, maybe just some slightly bigger wheels, and FM intercooler hehe... its going to be a weekend, project,.. so any suggestions ahead, even diffearnt cars, datsun fairladys are to hard to find here, and my uncle already has a datsun 1500 build no#150.. so we don't wanna get a fairlady.. we want a 2seater, 2 door small convertible car and a Z convertible is off limits also.. hehe I know its not Z, but its a Hybrid, and i'm pretty sure u guys would like this idea, low weight good gobs of HP.. hehe http://www.brit.ca/~tboicey/midget/pics/midget_pulling_engine_9.jpg thats the engine bay there, mmm looks like a tight sqeeze Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted June 2, 2002 Share Posted June 2, 2002 I am convinced Datsun copied MG Midgets and Austin Healy Sprites somewhere in their developement plagarisim/ I had a Midget that was mechanically very similar to a 520 Datsun pickup. You will probably have to go with a 4 instead of a v6 due to tiny engine compartment. Try to fit in thge highest HP turbo 4 you can find. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted June 2, 2002 Share Posted June 2, 2002 Cool hybrid! Just my personal opinion, I'd go with the sr20det or a 3sgte- 2.0L turbo motor from all-trac celica 2gen mr2 (not totally sure on the mr2) a coworker has an all-trac that he plays with, slightly bigger turbo and better i/c and he gets 250rwhp easily. That's nutty fast in a midget! Also there's a lot of stuff for the sr20det if you can find one.. you're close to japan. good luck! -980mak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David K Posted June 2, 2002 Share Posted June 2, 2002 id go with the sr20 motor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Star 1 Posted June 2, 2002 Share Posted June 2, 2002 I have been thinking about a Fiat X19, and using a GM front wheel drive HO four and auto trans to replace the midship Fiat motor. I think the X19 only weights 1200 lb's and with say 180 HP, well you get the picture! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZROSSA Posted June 2, 2002 Share Posted June 2, 2002 The poms are big on butting little k series engines in these things. I have also seen 12a rotarys in them in some aussie mags. That seems to fit nicely. The trans tunnel might be tight or need to be redone for a rotary though. Try to stck to something thats light and rear wheel drive. ca18 and sr20 would be nice. I think that those would be the easiest and cheepest options. The susuki 1300 4 valve engine would be nice. Very light. But I would only go that way if getting the thing engineered and certed was hard with the nissans or rotarys. Douglas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Zpeed Posted June 3, 2002 Share Posted June 3, 2002 yer the main problem with this will be engineering it, (In australia, when engine swaps u needa get a engineer to dem the car safe, meaning the car won't rip in half, and the car will stop when u put the brakes on) Sr20det or CA18det are my main options here, as i can get cheap parts, and cheap engines here... also with the engineering theres a certain amount of capcity engines that u can have in a small car, i think a 2ltr will be fine, but not sure about a 2ltr turbo we arn't wanting to car to become a hard stomping Viper killer, but a cruiser that can beat most stock cars from the factory, like a little sleeper... with reliabilty and good smooth drive.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jens Posted June 3, 2002 Share Posted June 3, 2002 Have you considered a triumph spitfire/gt6 instead its cheaper and stronger and can accept a inline 6. It has a frame that can be modified to handle a rover 4.6 or chevy v6/v8 = a lot easier for a engineer to calculate if the suspension/frame can handle a bigger engine. Its propably impossible to get specs with a unibody. In Denmark a car with frame is the only way as its possible to calculate the frames strength in a engineering programe. They wont accept a rollgage as a part of the car. http://www.triumphspitfire.com/engineswap.html and www.westpro.com/Beast.html The midget needs a frame and the austins are rare. The cosworth engine is the best but a 200 sx 1.8 turbo engine is good/cheap as long as you dont want more than 270 hp. Fiat mid engine owner how about this in the rear http://communities.prodigy.net/motorsports/pages/road2000/23.jpg or a vw vr6 it sounds good and is small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Zpeed Posted June 3, 2002 Share Posted June 3, 2002 hearlys and midgets arn't as rare, and i can pick one up for around US$3g that has a good body... also thinking of a Honda S500, S600 or a S800... would be a bit of a project as they are chain driven, i can find a good example, for around US$2000 , and we wanna keep this a 4cyl, as we want it to have the 4cyl sound.. but we are looking at the truimph TR6, i think they are the same as a spit fire, not sure thou, cause they are a bit on the expensive side... and are a bit to big for what our intitial plans are Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jens Posted June 3, 2002 Share Posted June 3, 2002 A tr6 is ugly. Spitfires and gt 6 has much in common. The frontbrakes and rearaxle(same as a mgc) are bigger in a gt6 and it has a roof to make it stonger because of the 6 cylinder engine. The a arms are weak but it should be easy to make some solid with unibals. I have seen one for sale with volvo 142 engine and rearaxle weighing only 1800 lbs. A midget and austin frogeye has the worst small tiny drum brakes you can imagine (same size as a mini) The rearaxle and suspension must be changed big engined Opel Kadett (Holden gemini) suspension might be an idea or you are going to loose your wheels. The idea of buying a wrecked 200 sx s14 or s13 and take everything that can be used would be a good idea. If you want na a bmw m3 2.3,2.4 manta400 or porsche 944/968 3.0 would probably be cheaper than a s2000 engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Zpeed Posted June 3, 2002 Share Posted June 3, 2002 i'm going to go a ca18det or Sr20det because i know those motors more than i do a BMW or so, and i know more about modding them and all,... trying to get info on honda S600's, can't find much on the net, going to have a look at one over the weekend to see wat me and my cousin think about it.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jens Posted June 3, 2002 Share Posted June 3, 2002 Here is a wankel conversion and a link to a 12a conversion http://hometown.aol.com/ursnoozin/myhomepage/auto.html A chevy 60 degree v6 has also been done. These swaps requires small mods to the firewall. Everything longer needs a new firewall. I hope you are not much more than 1.6 m high if you choose to move the firewall. I am 1.90 and i could hardly sit in a midget eventhough the steeringwheel was removed and im not fat. Have you seen the lotus sevens and westfields. You can build a 1000 lbs westfield with a 180-200 hp motorcycle engine and be the fastest in the 1300 ccm class. Even 330 hp cosworth 2.0 conversions has been done with 10s 1/4 mile times as result. Hondas s800 are exstremely light but i thought they there expensive. Austin coopers are probably the lightest and a sr20 + transmission from a nissan primera fwd would be nice in the rear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Zpeed Posted June 4, 2002 Share Posted June 4, 2002 nah we won't be cutting anything in the firewall, i'm around 6foot, ive sat in one before, so its fine, but my cousin is alot shorter than me anyway, he'll be driving most of the time anyway... I would love to go rotary, but costs would be to much in maintenance, and either me or my cousin have much experiance with rotors... my other uncle has done the austin cooper road before, don't want to do that swap... a honda S600 here in aus, are obtainable for cheaper than most places, because they were imported here, theres one for sale now 2 cars for 4g, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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