I need a new project

[Zuffen]

As my swap has pretty well come to completion, after 5 years, I'm looking for something to keep me occupied.

I would prefer to stick with a 1/2/3UZ but am open to an LS6. Bit of a price difference but in the overall cost of any swap the engine cost is the minor part.

I'd like to use a forward control pickup/ute/trayback truck which would need to be as light as possible but be as wide as possible so it would go around corners. Sort of along the lines of a Toyota Hi-Ace or simillar, could look good with a roof chop and dropped to the ground.

Suspension set up isn't of consequence as I would use alterntative front and rear ends.

My thoughts are to mount the engine in the cargo tray and drive the rear end via either a transaxle or speed boat "V" drive. If mounted in the tray you could do nutty stuff like run the headers up and back so they were above the engine with mufflers and cats blended into the end of the headers.

If the engine was in the front of the tray it would give a near 50:50 weight distribution.

If the engine had enough power it would probably get the front end off the deck.

The last requirement is it must be street legal.

I could be tempted to swap my current engine into it and put a standard engine into my Rover and sell it off. I've had offers to sell it since I finished it and maybe it's time to move on.

Thoughts/suggestions/comments/critisism all welcome.

 

[JustenGT8]

LOL glutton for punishment It must be a disease as i have 2 other proj in the wings in full knowledge that the GT8 will never actually be finished

One of those projects is an extracab Hilux. Currently a 308 with turbo 400 but could easily be a UZ or LS. I was thinking similar to you with plans to mid engine something but a lot of coin in drivetrain in a cheap chassis?

I also picked up a Supra JZA70 IRS rear end to replace the live axle with hopes to make the thing handle....front end coil over kits are pretty common these days.

Anyways, it'll be years yet before i get to it....any interest to you Rod?

 

[cribbj]

Rod, like Justen I too have a couple projects going nowhere fast if you're interested One is even a midengine project.

Unfortunately I'm not a mudslinging, rockcrawling type. Can't offer much in that regard.

 

[Zuffen]

Justen,

The Lux is too common.

I want something along the lines of the "little Red Waggon" from the '60's.

Like in this link http://www.allpar.com/model/littleredwagon.html

I think a truck of thiese proportions is easy on the eye.

Trouble is I can't think of anything we have or had in Australia along the same lines as the A100.

John,

I don't want anything exotic I want siomething "different". My Rover may be too mainstream!

 

[Cobber]

Looks to me like a Hiace chopped up to look like a ute would do it. The 1UZ fits easily enough, large FMIC and a cut out above it to direct cold air to the engine with a hilborn style top hat for air intake with butterflys under a perspex cover in the cab. The exhausts will of course be stacks up the back of the cab. Put the largest widest tyres on the rear you can find tubbed in to the rear tray, with a huge mad 70's style rear wing to top it off.

Or

VW split screen Kombi with a mid mounted engine driving through an auto trans and the same bonkers wide wheels and IRS rear end. Split Kombies are rare as rocking horse poo now but you can get fiberglass replica fronts for the bay windows style Kombi.



I have no idea how you would get it engineered though....

Here is one I have been thinking of for a while, an AWD VW bug based on Ford Territory running gear and a supercharged Coyote V8. The entire running gear is quite modular and easy to build a chassis around. I have two old bugs I dragged round from the neighbors place. The body will be done to look lie a hot wheels toy with the supercharger sticking out of the bonnet.

 

[JustenGT8]

There's a UZ Kombi ute in Canberra with the UZ under the rear tray...shortest tailshaft i have ever seen seriously it would have been 8 inches long

 

[Cobber]

And the VW does wheel stands too.

 

[cribbj]

Rod, what about a UZ powered trike? Been done before, but not often enough to be common.

 

[Fasteddie]

Buy an Ultima...they come as building blocks...frame etc. etc.

...and make a block just like the Zenvo ST1:
GM 7 liter V8 + supercharger + GT55

That should keep you busy ...

 

[Zuffen]

A trike keeps floating past but there are serious registration problems in Australia for them.

As any UZ powered trike would weigh enough for it to be pushed into a category that it would be a car and have to pass all ICV rules. Seat belts (yes on a trike, and you have to wear them) emisions and most likely ESP and traction control. I could buy IMAMADMANRU's unfinished trike but if you can't ride it on the road why own it?

I don't think a raod going trike is looking too good at the moment.

Cobber,

I'd thought of a chopped Hiace and it would be all Toyota to boot. Perhaps a little shinny but that may be usefull witht he rear axle.

It would need to be the shortest wheelbase van they made as I don't think they ever made cab/chassis Hiaces.

I figure you could mount the engine facing rearwards driving forward to a divorced 4x4 transfer case so the drive would go back to the rear. This would allow you to have the vehicle so its wheels all stayed ont he ground when you wanted but select low range and it would pick up the front end.

A Hiace is narrow enough that you could use a Holden or Ford rear end shortened on one side only. This should alow the tail shaft to pass beside the engine/trans (a bit like in a 4x4 front end) and you could offset the drive by rolling the transfer case at a 45degree angle. A Holden rear end can be had with discs for next to nothing.

By running it this way the drive line is long enough that it won't suffer the problem Justen pointed out and also allows you to move the engine as far back as possible so it is almost over the rear axle. Need a rear sump UZ so it could sit as low as possible.

History tells me you need 400HP to lift the front wheels on the Little Red Waggon so the UZ will need help (twin turbo's this time around) or I would need to lighten the front end and personally lose weight. I figure you would need to get the weight down around 1200kg for it to work.

When I was 16 I went to the drags and saw a guy called Wild Bill Shewsbury (Google him) and he had a wheelstanding Dodge Dart. Always wanted to do that! I've only had to wait a little over 40 years to really contemplate it!!!

I know standard versions of my Rover can get the front up in the air a little in low range first gear if you punish it enough but I don't feel like drive line rebuilds.

People think the handling would be "iffy" but the standard Hiace has a terrible forward weight distribution bias so this would only swap the numbers. As a long time 911 driver a rear bias just adds to the fun of driving.

I'll keep it turning over and see what eventuates.

 

[Supra967]

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/1980-SUZUKI-...-/110629560894?pt=AU_Cars&hash=item19c209223e

??

 

[Cobber]

Use a 4x4 Hilux chassis reversed so the engine is at the back and chop up a Hiace shell for the cab over ute style body. Use two Hilux front ends the rear one fixed in place (or you could try 4 wheel steer too if you were game) flip the diffs or crown and pinions as required.

I think you might have half a chance of getting that registered too.

I know of 2 V8 trikes over here in the West registered as trikes, they only need seatbelts depending on the design, the VW powered armchair tourist trikes typically have seatbelts. Trikes have their own ICV checklist. I see no dificulty getting one registered.

Whatever you modify to the extent you are thinking about it will most likely fall in to the ICV category. Talk to transport before you spend a cent, I know the rules for consulting engineers has just changed in NSW and people were struggling to get basic cobra's through engineering last year.



http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/vehicle_regulation/bulletin/vsb_ncop.aspx

 

[Zuffen]

I once had a little Suzuki like the eBay one as arun-around on acreage. A bit small, even for a 1UZ and not enough wheelbase to squeeze in the engine and trans. Don't think I hadn't thought about it.

My research indicates that if I don't alter the wheelbase I could engineer the vehicle quite easily.

The mods aren't that radical as in reality you're moving the engine back about 1 metre, using a V8 in lieu of the 4.

I'm actually starting the think an early model Torago may be a good starting point as it is around the right size and could be easily hacked up.

 

[Axis of Evil]

A couple of years ago, Zoom had a picture (no detail) of a Suzuki mightyboy with an LS1 in it,
Anything is possible.

 

[XR8tt]

Aha Yea that's Zoom...
VW mid-mount beetle???
A van is too easy...
I have seen pics of 1uz's fitted to vans as Jap ambulances...

 

[Zuffen]

Whatever I built would need to pass RTA regs.

So 1UZ powered Mighty Boys and Suzuki Carry's are out. To get a 4.0 litre engine engineerd in NSW the vehicle must be a minimum of 1100kg in the factory specification. This is without any extras (like airconditioning) to bump up the weight.

I'm leaning toward importing a 1966 Dodge A100 pickup and a nice 426 Hemi to go in it.

This stuff is cheap in the States and is so old it doesn't have any EPA problems with noise or muffled intakes, cats ect.

My current ride is a 1975 model so it's allowed to be 96decibels (I think that's louder than a V8 Supercar!) whereas if it was a 1977 model it would have to drop to the high 80decibel range.

I just want something different and over the top, just to prove it can be done.

 

[XR8tt]

Check over the Tasman for early Dodge etc...

 

[Zuffen]

Graeme,

Good tip I'll check into that.

Only problem is it's cheaper to ship a container from California than Auckland!

Then I have more choices.

My thoughts were buy a car and load it up with an engine, trans, new rear end plus any other bits I want then stuff it in a container with other stuff my mate brings over every couple of months. That way I can get cheap US prices combined with cheap freight.

I may even get a few weeks holiday in the States collecting it all.

Decisions decisions.

 

[playwme]

What about a twin engined 1st generation Hiace.

2x 3.5L supercharged Aurion motors, one driving the front wheels and 1 driving the back. Use Auto gearboxes with 1 computer controlling both boxes so they shift at the same time. Get a nice wide track and keep the wieght low to assist with 4 wheel powerslides.
Or you could go twin 1UZ's, might be harder to run your drive to the front though.

 

[Axis of Evil]

You user name indicates some sort of Porsche connection, why not one of these if you want a truck?