rustrocket Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 A couple months back, i posted a thread about a car my dad gave me: http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=127501 For those who don't feel like reading the thread, the car is a 1958 triumph TR10 or Standard / Herald 10 Wagon. Wheelbase and track width is roughly 4 feet by 7 feet, and the curb weight is 1760 pounds from the factory. I've found a way to keep the car, and sold my other project car in favor of this one, for sentimental and other personal reasons. I've sold the rotary motor and decided to go with a turbo toyota 2rz motor. I'm looking for about 400 horsepower or so. My questions are: The car currently has a solid rear axle and a unibody type deal in the front. Would i be better to go tube chassis with the entire car, or just narrow a front subframe from another car and stuff it in there with a solid axle in the rear? It's going to be a semi daily driver and weekend track car (buttonwillow, local auto x, etc). I'd like to do it as economically as possible, but i'll pay more for something that will increase safety and performance. Most of the work will be done by other people, as i don't have the space or welding/engineering knowledge. Opinions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boodlefoof Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 Cool car! Economy and custom tube frame are hard to fit in the same sentence unless you are doing the design and fabrication yourself. If you are planning to autocross the car, you will at least need a cage, however. Also, if you have much sentimental value invested in the car the auto-x may not be the best choice as I would guess that thing is going to be easy to roll. What kind of shape is the unibody in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustrocket Posted January 14, 2008 Author Share Posted January 14, 2008 Hey boodlefoof. I remember you helped me with another chassis a while back The unibody is in decent condition, but i would update some things on it. At the very least, the wheel mounting surfaces would be increased from roughly 46" to 56". So, with meaty tires and a lower center of gravity, i don't see rolling being too much of an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 BY far the cheapest and easiest route: Carefully measure the wheelbase and track (front and rear) of the Triumph and then start searching for older body on frame Toyota, Nissan, or Mazda pickup truck that matches those dimensions. Pull the truck body off the frame and replace it with the Triumph body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustrocket Posted January 14, 2008 Author Share Posted January 14, 2008 JohnC - Will that make my wagon handle like a truck? I spent a good few hours looking for a rolling tacoma chassis, found one from a 97 for $950. IT would need to be shortened but not narrowed. The advantages: 5x114.5 bolt pattern, helical lsd for $450 + install, already has mounting points for engine/trans, already has suspension mounted and brakes, etc. Also seems to be a lot of suspension mods for tacomas. Are there any cons, besides being a bit on the heavy side? I went over this with my fabricator...he said "that seems a little backyardish to me". I've seen some great things come out of back yards myself...but i took some offense to the comment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 JohnC - Will that make my wagon handle like a truck? It already does! Ya think a 1950's Triumph wagon would get aorund a race track or an autocross course faster then a 1997 Tacoma? The Tacoma chassis is a much better starting point for mods. I went over this with my fabricator...he said "that seems a little backyardish to me". You specified "cheap and easy." If you had specified "expensive and difficult" I would have recommended a different path. Remember, its a Triumph Herald 10 Wagon. No matter how much time and money you spend, it will never be worth more then $5,000. And that will happen only on your lucky day when some wacky, recently divorced, British guy with a tweed hat and a pocketful of cash has his MG breakdown in your driveway during a thunderstorm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 As long as you are talking Tacoma, get a 4x4 chassis, jack that bad boy up a foot or so and put on some 35's Now that would be a ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustrocket Posted January 15, 2008 Author Share Posted January 15, 2008 Pop N Wood: It'd look prettymuch like this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavy85 Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 If you are planning to autocross the car, you will at least need a cage, Uh what???? I race with a guy who rolled his FSP LeCar (Renault) during an autox. To fix it he actually cut the roof off and replaced it with another one and at the same time REMOVED his rollbar since it was 'dead weight'. I can't imagine why you would "need" a rollcage for autox unless you are trying to stiffen the chassis. Cameron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boodlefoof Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Let's just say I value my health. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustrocket Posted January 16, 2008 Author Share Posted January 16, 2008 I dont know about anybody else...but in a roll over situation, i'd trust my life much more to a roll bar than i would to 50 year old british sheetmetal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Purple240zt Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 It already does! Ya think a 1950's Triumph wagon would get aorund a race track or an autocross course faster then a 1997 Tacoma? The Tacoma chassis is a much better starting point for mods. You specified "cheap and easy." If you had specified "expensive and difficult" I would have recommended a different path. Remember, its a Triumph Herald 10 Wagon. No matter how much time and money you spend, it will never be worth more then $5,000. And that will happen only on your lucky day when some wacky, recently divorced, British guy with a tweed hat and a pocketful of cash has his MG breakdown in your driveway during a thunderstorm. Thanks for the laugh John. Evan BTW, cool triumph! I had a tr6 for about a week before I sold it. Big project, and I am too tall. I look like an idiot in one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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