Miata pan arrived. That saves a ton of height!
It effectively slices this much from the Mustang pan.
Miata pan arrived. That saves a ton of height!
It effectively slices this much from the Mustang pan.
In reply to damarble :
This looks pretty good! If you get a chance, I'd be interested in the overall height, and how far back the sump is from the front edge. What are you going to do about the pick up tube?
TheTick58 said:In reply to damarble :
This looks pretty good! If you get a chance, I'd be interested in the overall height, and how far back the sump is from the front edge. What are you going to do about the pick up tube?
With it flat on the floor I measure 3-3/8" RR, 5-1/8 LR, 4 RF, 5-1/2 LF. The sump starts about 5-1/8 from back edge, and about 4-1/2 from the front edge.
Hopefully the Miata pickup will fit, if not, the Mustang pickup is steel so I could cut/weld it.
That is a pretty nice reduction in depth there. Good to know that's an option.
I've got the N/S orientation kit, which includes the Mustang pan. It's pretty deep and protrudes down pretty far. At the moment I've just retained the stock Focus pan and have left the big vibration damper in-place. That may all change down the road.
TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) said:That is a pretty nice reduction in depth there. Good to know that's an option.
I've got the N/S orientation kit, which includes the Mustang pan. It's pretty deep and protrudes down pretty far. At the moment I've just retained the stock Focus pan and have left the big vibration damper in-place. That may all change down the road.
I don't have a problem carrying the extra 20lb of the damper around but I understand it doesn't fit the Miata pan. The extra NVH is more fitting for a 60s car anyway.
I got the Ironman running and pulled it out of the garage and rolled the Datsun in. It's so light and easy to move. Spent a little more time on disconnecting stuff on the engine. It's pretty crowded in there, my big hands are a curse. Looks like I have to pull the alternator off the R16 to have any hope of getting to the driver motor mount.
Spend a couple tonight busting knuckles and inventing new curses. The driver side motor mount was hell, couldn't get a wrench on a bolt from any angle so I pulled the manifolds, which was horrible in it's own way. It let me come straight down on a set of bolts and while they didn't come out, they did snap off which is good enough for my purposes. This is where I left off, should have the motor out tomorrow.
Success. Free of the dead weight.
Progress
looks like a great time for clean and paint 
In reply to Alfaromeoguy :
Soon. There could be some cutting ahead first, and some bracket smoothing too.
body on frame ? as for ' cutting ' lol, you will be suprised on how much might come off the car.. i was in my eoctec into a 1984 alfa romeo spider conversion// get lots of cardboard to make templates and shapres..
Ok, some good news. The Aerostar driveshaft fits the Miata transmission splines perfectly! Except the oil seal is too big so I'll have to find the right one.
In reply to damarble :
Good to know!
Have you decided on a differential yet?
Alfaromeoguy said:body on frame ? as for ' cutting ' lol, you will be suprised on how much might come off the car.. i was in my eoctec into a 1984 alfa romeo spider conversion// get lots of cardboard to make templates and shapres..
Yes these are body on frame. The main interference areas I'm concerned about are the HPFP and turbo.
In reply to TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) :
I'm going to leave the stocker in for a while and do one wheel peels for days. Stage 2 after it's drivable will be making room for bigger rubber (can only fit 205 wide now) and building an axle. I'm leaning towards a 9", most Roadster guys use RX7 rears but they are about dried up and cost a bunch.
In reply to damarble :
Oh right. I forgot these are live axle.
I could see how an FB axle would be rare nowadays.
Shortened 9" makes sense.
In reply to TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) :
Yeah from what I'm seeing about $700 to find one and it still needs modifications.
I'm estimating about 50" wms will be about right. The axle stage will include a limited slip, disc brakes, flares to get room for the tires outside the body.
So things been happening the last couple hours. I cut a chunk out of the X brace, which should scare off the last of the purists.
Stabbed the transmission in. The front is very close to where I want it to be, maybe a half inch more higher. The rear needs to come up about the same, maybe an inch. Where it's sitting now the lowest point of the trans and engine sump are about even with the bottom of the frame.
I would like to shove the whole thing back maybe half inch to an inch. And shift it to the passenger side about the same.
Pic dump.
Dropped the trans back out and broke out the skinny wheel. I drew the ire of a member of the roadster forum for cutting the frame, I should upset some others now for cutting the body. I took a little corner out under the gas pedal to give a little extra room for the clutch slave. Then I sliced an inch out of the firewall and floor on the passenger side and pushed the tunnel over. Tacked that and reworked all the seams to make it flow. Once it's fully welded and smoothed out only a trained eye will realize it's been modified.
I hammered a little for the reverse bulge clearance and put the trans back in. It fits much better now, but I need to drop it again and cut/weld for the reverse bulge, hammering wasn't enough.
That's a much much better fitment than before.
Always a good thing to piss of a purist
damarble said:In reply to TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) :
Yeah from what I'm seeing about $700 to find one and it still needs modifications.
I'm estimating about 50" wms will be about right. The axle stage will include a limited slip, disc brakes, flares to get room for the tires outside the body.
So things been happening the last couple hours. I cut a chunk out of the X brace, which should scare off the last of the purists.
Stabbed the transmission in. The front is very close to where I want it to be, maybe a half inch more higher. The rear needs to come up about the same, maybe an inch. Where it's sitting now the lowest point of the trans and engine sump are about even with the bottom of the frame.
I would like to shove the whole thing back maybe half inch to an inch. And shift it to the passenger side about the same.
Pic dump.
this is how i started.. just like in your photos.. so i thought.. this will be easy........................................................................................so much for that thought........................... the measurment , if you are lucky, will be close.... but be ready for a few susprises.... i now have my ecotec in my alfa romeo spider now.. but the steering is/was a problem... and the exhaust system........
In reply to Alfaromeoguy :
I'm lucky my steering is all way up front. But there's plenty of other issues to make up for it. Nothing cutting won't solve.
' nothing cutting won't solve " i love that... before you go any futher.. are you going clean all that rust off? looks pretty bad..will be watching this
Alfaromeoguy said:' nothing cutting won't solve " i love that... before you go any futher.. are you going clean all that rust off? looks pretty bad..will be watching this
Only cleaning up rust as needed. All body work will be done after it drives. I want to do this build in stages.
Tonight was more tunnel love. Er, that doesn't sound right. But I have the transmission where it needs to be within a 1/4" in all directions. I won't make the mount until the engine is here, I might rotate it a little. Right now it's sitting at about 5-6 degree passenger tilt instead of the 10 degree in the Miata.
damarble said:In reply to Alfaromeoguy :
I'm lucky my steering is all way up front. But there's plenty of other issues to make up for it. Nothing cutting won't solve.
i was not... i am useing rod end/rose joints for my coversion, 1 so i can dial out any bumpsteer, 2 the centerlink must go under the bellhousing.. i am going for over kill.. so i am using 5/8 inch rod ends/rose joints... 
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