1600 4age round nose mini from SA

[sherv]

Hey, here is my mini project

Basically I’m taking a 1600 16v 4age engine and putting it into around nose shell.

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00034.jpg

In the front I’m using the original Toyota front sub frame and I am going to connect it up to the car via the roll cage.

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00027.jpg

In the rear I am sticking with the rear sub frame from the mini, but I have made up some spacers to get the correct width of the Toyota and also so I can put on the Toyota drums. I have also reinforced the sub frame in the boot,

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00010.jpg

But now I come to one of many questions,

What is the angle needed for the front suspension? I currently have it perpendicular to the floor but I’m a quite sure it should lean backwards, I’m not looking for an exact angle as I am probably going to make it adjustable but does anyone know?

Also wanted to know if my engine must sit parallel to the floor or must that too lean backwards.

Here are some pics to explain.

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00030.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00031.jpg

[Swiftmini]

Caster angle is usually somewhere between 3-5 degree on the road.

[sherv]

and camber?

[Swiftmini]

1-1.5 degree. But make it adjustable by a few degree each way. Then you can play with it once done.

[sherv]

thanks alot! :D

[Swiftmini]

The camber would be negative by the way. no probs.

[sherv]

Just finished with some strengthening in the rear 2nite! planning to try and fit the motor this weekend!

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00004.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00005.jpg

hopefully this will add some stability after all my cutting! :lol:

[sherv]

Struggle over the wend,

no pics,

but found out that the engine was sitting 100mm out the bonet, so i had to alter the front frame some more before i could start on the proper mounting.

after futher inspection i realised this would alter all my previous suspention ideas so back to square 1.

finaly sorted it out, with not too much struggle, and i am happy with the new design. ill get some pics up.

but i got all my new mountings and they look awsome, so should be able to fit test fit the engine this week and finish mounting the engine to start n my roll cage! (if all works out!)

[Swiftmini]

Good work, i look forward too seeing some pics.

Kev

[sherv]

So I finaly had the chance to upload some pics,

Ive worked quite abit this week and heres how far I got.

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSCF1261.jpg

So last time, I said how the engine was sitting out of the bonnet, well a changed those brackets and am happy with the height, but then I realized that it was also sitting too far out by about 100mm (so out with the grinder!)

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSCF1264.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSCF1286.jpg
Here I am moving the front engine mount back about 30mm

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSCF1290.jpg
Then I had to grind all my welds *note to self* (tack them nxt time!) :oops:
I also had to bend back some of the front lip so the manifold would clear

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSCF1293.jpg
Alright so now after finding a pallet truck time to move the engine back, I moved it about 130mm to get abit more clearance.

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSCF1299.jpg
Here I learnt that it’s better to tack! :P

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSCF1309.jpg
Just making space for my new suspension/roll cage (starting nxt week)

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSCF1319.jpg
And thank God it fitted!! Wooohooo! front and back on, now my next nightmare is the front sus! and steering!

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSCF1321.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSCF1331.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSCF1337.jpg
These are just arb pics of my work! What you guys think, I doesnt seem like there are too many Toyota guys around!

[sherv]

oh, forgot to add the pics of the bracket i made for the rear mounts to the subframe! here they are tis was done before all the above pics! :D

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00023.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00024.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00025.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00026.jpg

[Swiftmini]

Looks like your making some good progress fast.

I like toyota, they make awesome motors, i don't think they are as readily available as honda, vauxhall and suzuki motors-hence not many in minis. The guys in aus use the starlet motor quite often.

Cheers
kev

[cables]

Looks like your making some good progress fast.

I like toyota, they make awesome motors, i don't think they are as readily available as honda, vauxhall and suzuki motors-hence not many in minis. The guys in aus use the starlet motor quite often.

Cheers
kev

aye toyotas seem to be forgotten about, just on ebay for a gt 4 and they seem cheaper than scoobies

[sherv]

hey, ja i was goin to go with a hnda engine at first but after sourcing them here in SA it seemed a better option to go for toyota, cheaper/spares/ and lots of people down here who work on this engine, bt it also seems like it quite a large engine i struggled to fit it in! heaven knows where the radiators goin to go???? o well! :P

[Swiftmini]

You made right choice. There are to many smokey honda minis.

Have you heard Keiichi Tsuchiya's TRD AE86.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oS_WqaALGw

The noise of those throttle bodies :twisted:

Kev

[sherv]

:D cant wait!!

[sherv]

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00040.jpg
after about 2 hours trying to get the old brocken shafts off! i finally got the new ones in

but then ran into a major prob! my front suspention! somebody please help me! what shocks should i use! here you can see that they are way too big
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00039.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00038.jpg
i rekon they should be around 400mm high and the coils should be around 100mm dia?

but if anyone know would be a great help.

thanks :D

[evolotion]

get some coil overs for whatever car you used as a donor and wind them right down!?

alternatively cut the spring seat on them shocks and move it down also see if your dampers are the rebuildable type, if so open them up and see if there is any way to shorten the body.

failing all that you will need to go around the scrappies and look for a damper assembly that is suitably short and modify it to fit your hub.

[dickywhizz]

Hi Sherv

Just for a bit of encouragement, I've just finished a 4age 20V conversion into a standard length round nose.

It was very tight and had to increase track a lot to get engine/tranny back far enough to fit. Consequently the supsension mounting points had to move out wider. Custom arches required!!

Completely custom built subframe, uses mini suspension arms but with coilover shocks.

The bit I've driven it was very impressive, passed MOT first time aswell but now it's on a boat to Oz. Waiting to have some more fun !! Still needs some more development when I get it back but overall very pleased.

I've got some pics but nowhere to host them. I'll email to someone if they can host for me.

Cheers
Rich

[DaveCoxon]

Have you got any pictures Rich? :D

And why is it heading to Oz if you're in England????? :?

[sherv]

Hi Sherv

Just for a bit of encouragement, I've just finished a 4age 20V conversion into a standard length round nose.

It was very tight and had to increase track a lot to get engine/tranny back far enough to fit. Consequently the supsension mounting points had to move out wider. Custom arches required!!

Completely custom built subframe, uses mini suspension arms but with coilover shocks.

The bit I've driven it was very impressive, passed MOT first time aswell but now it's on a boat to Oz. Waiting to have some more fun !! Still needs some more development when I get it back but overall very pleased.

I've got some pics but nowhere to host them. I'll email to someone if they can host for me.

Cheers
Rich

thanks man great to hear other people doing this i sent you my email if you want to send me those pics would love to see the car!

i just ordered some coilovers jeez was quite a nightmare to find! but the cost me R2250 for a set of two, nt sure what that convertzs to but i think its around 150 pounds i didnt think it was too bad! should arive tomorow, ill put up some pics,

also ordered my rollcage material! can wait to get it in!

thanks for the help with the suspention guys!! :D

[sherv]

here are my ne coilovers! cool huh!
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00041.jpg
unfortunately they didnt fit the toyota brackets but i we just modified them by milling down the toyota part!
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00045.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00046.jpg

[DaveCoxon]

unfortunately they didnt fit the toyota brackets but i we just modified them by milling down the toyota part!

Simple and effective. :)

[sherv]

hey, not much done this wend i just striped the car down so i can take it in to get the main hoops bent for the cage! easier than making up templates.
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00056.jpg
and here are some pics of the mounts i made up for the subframe.
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00057.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00058.jpg

[sherv]

Well, bin a long time since I posted, to be honest, I have had a lot on my plate with college, but no excuses! :shock:

After a real mission with the pipe benders I finally got my main hoop and side hoop things! (Which were both wrong) :evil: But I went on with it and cut and welded them till they worked!

So now im pretty happy with the cage, just tacked at the moment though, and still need front cross members and bolt in side impact bars. (Going to do them when I take off the shell)

Then I have moved on to mounting my right and left engine mounts and front shocks, this proved to be hard because i didn’t want to make anything that I would have to cut and weld! So I decided to make up some strut bars out of angle just to get an idea so the car could be free standing, then I made up some mounts which bolt on which I can reuse later, still lots of work there but im happy the car is standing.

So here are the pics

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00008.jpg
Here you can see the overview of the cage!

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00009.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00010-1.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00006.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00011.jpg
Front mounting

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00012.jpg
Rear mounting

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00005-1.jpg
Front engine mount not great pics sorry

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00004-1.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00003.jpg
Here you can see the temporary angle in green!

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/204156513/DSC00002.jpg
Well hopefully it works out!

[Swiftmini]

Looking good mate. Be cool to see some pics when the suspension is finished. 8)

[racingard]

:D nice project mate,would be gr8 to see more pic.

[Seagyn Davis]

This is a fantastic project.

I am looking to do something similar, just not as extensive.

I want to run the front as a space frame and leave the rest of the chassis intact and then run the roll cage through to increase the rigidity.

[Schizzo]

When will you be back?Would really love to come check it out. I started thinking that 4age might be easier option as u have already made headway and could advise me but after reading this thread i might stick to my crazy 13b rwd idea :lol: