Nominal Posted June 9 Posted June 9 19 minutes ago, gibbon said: "surely there's an easier way of doing this" Just get an MX5? What are you trying to achieve with a 200hp GT6? I've found that simpler projects are more likely to get done in a reasonable time and I somewhat regret launching an 'all out' project. 1 Quote
gibbon Posted June 9 Author Posted June 9 20 minutes ago, Nominal said: Just get an MX5? What are you trying to achieve with a 200hp GT6? I've found that simpler projects are more likely to get done in a reasonable time and I somewhat regret launching an 'all out' project. its more than my gt6 is end of life IMHO and really will need an "all out project" to bring it back. the motor and gearbox are buggered, the sills are rotten, I think the front of the chassis is bent as the bonnet gaps are irredeemable.... the body's going to have to come off it anyway to address that, so yes it's going to be a giant can of worms. so I thought I might as well rethink everything. Honestly I think the MX5 part of it will be one of the less time consuming aspects of it. Fortunately I have a big workshop with a hoist, and several employees who also enjoy working on cars who I can bend to my will. will it ever get finished? maybe not. but it's not going to be driven again in it's current state either 5 1 Quote
gibbon Posted June 9 Author Posted June 9 I refuse to believe the best option is still a fifty year old datsun diff which doesnt really "bolt in" in any way, shape or form. by the sheer weight of statistical inevitability, i assure you all that some korean designer in the last twenty years has unwittingly penned a diff for some unassuming van that fits up better, we just gotta find it meanwhile in one of the most recent threads I've seen, some guy pops up and is like "I think I've found a solution using a 1974 alfetta hub" NO 1 5 Quote
Alfashark Posted June 9 Posted June 9 3-series or small end of the C-class Mercs? The Hyundai Staria van with seats has an IRS setup, but the Staria Load has a live axle. Quote
gibbon Posted June 9 Author Posted June 9 what's involved with chopping and changing CV axles? can different CVs be swapped around on axles easily enough or do you have to cut and weld the axles? Quote
VitesseEFI Posted June 9 Posted June 9 https://www.jamespaddock.co.uk/driveshaft-pair-rotoflex-cv-conversion214623cv These (other suppliers are available, I think they are actually made by Classic Driving Developments) plus a Blackline would be a nuts and bolts solution. Quote
VitesseEFI Posted June 9 Posted June 9 5 hours ago, gibbon said: what's involved with chopping and changing CV axles? can different CVs be swapped around on axles easily enough or do you have to cut and weld the axles? As always, it depends. It is of course possible to cut and shut the axle bars to shorten or mix and match ends. Requires fairly specialised skills to do it reliably though. I’ve always taken the parts-book Lego approach to mix and match OE components that happen to fit together. The challenge is finding them as most parts books only specify the spline/flange/whatever that interfaces with the car, not the ones that interface with shaft bar. My secret weapons were a parts book thst did have this information in most cases (now woefully dated and replaced by a much less useful online version) and guy in the propshaft/driveshaft trade who kept the information in his head. He’s retired now. There are definitely other possibilities out there. I’ve got most of a solution that involves Ford Fiesta (Euro) parts it’s painful as the right parts are used on very specific models and year. There’s a fella on the Sideways forum who says he’s found another, though he hasn’t said what yet an it might be for the R160 diff anyway as he like them. Quote
Nominal Posted June 9 Posted June 9 They are such teeny cars, can't be much built in the last 30 years that is so small and RWD IRS? Quote
gibbon Posted June 9 Author Posted June 9 19 minutes ago, Nominal said: They are such teeny cars, can't be much built in the last 30 years that is so small and RWD IRS? I was looking at rear diffs for fwd-orientated 4wd cars (mazda CX-7 looked sort of ballparky) as they're generally not very beefy. at first glance I thought axles would be impossible as simply nothing is as narrow in track as the little triumphs, but plenty of cars have offset diffs and "short side" axles, of the thousands out there, one might be close enough.... but, I'm leaning towards just buying the bespoke bits as they guarantee hours of not fucking around 1 Quote
locost_bryan Posted June 10 Posted June 10 Wonder if any of the small awd Japanese cars would have a strong enough rear diff? Perhaps the Swift or Yaris? 1 Quote
igor Posted June 10 Posted June 10 10 hours ago, VitesseEFI said: parts-book Lego approach to mix and match OE components that happen to fit together An admirable approach, particularly from the viewpoint of future availability of replacement parts. 1 Quote
Raizer Posted June 10 Posted June 10 3 minutes ago, Bearded Baldy said: What is in the back of the old suzuki cappucino? 1 Quote
gibbon Posted June 10 Author Posted June 10 lol im just looking at that too, it actually looks pretty close, comes in an LSD too two on trademe 2 Quote
gibbon Posted June 10 Author Posted June 10 google says the cappuccino diff is rock solid up to 64 hp. jokes on us, it's probably based on a spitfire diff 1 5 Quote
VitesseEFI Posted June 10 Posted June 10 On 10/06/2025 at 08:30, Raizer said: Best me to it. Looks quite promising. On 10/06/2025 at 08:35, gibbon said: google says the cappuccino diff is rock solid up to 64 hp. jokes on us, it's probably based on a spitfire diff Reckon it’ll do way better than that. Suzuki trans stuff is usually very tough. Maybe not 200 bhp though. On 10/06/2025 at 04:07, igor said: An admirable approach, particularly from the viewpoint of future availability of replacement parts. Ah, yeah. That’s what I thought. At the time I was doing conversion kits (approx 2006 to 2016), Volvo 340s and R100s were plentiful in scrapyards and parts cheap. Now they are almost all gone and scrapyards just frag any they get as no one buys bits off them. As the Volvo 340 CVs are unique to them they haven’t been available new for years. So the joke is on me as the Triumph parts are now easier to find…. Even if they are all aftermarket and rather crappy. 1 Quote
locost_bryan Posted June 10 Posted June 10 I was trying to work out what they used, guessing it's either Kei truck or Jimny based? Quote
Bearded Baldy Posted June 11 Posted June 11 May i introduce the rear end from a gk6 honda fit/jazz. Alledgedly capable of 130hp stock. 2 Quote
Bearded Baldy Posted June 11 Posted June 11 Though it looks like a weak viscous coupling on the front, haven't looked into it. Quote
dmulally Posted June 11 Posted June 11 On 09/06/2025 at 22:46, gibbon said: what's involved with chopping and changing CV axles? can different CVs be swapped around on axles easily enough or do you have to cut and weld the axles? For my VW to Hillman which were different diameters the engineer put them in some angle iron with one having a shim to raise it and with a groove added to each tip for weld to go in he butt welded them. They then got spun up on some fancy massive machine to balance them and get a report for LVV and job jobbed. Cost me maybe $300 all up. As for Triumph diffs, I recall putting a herald diff in my standard 10. Wish I never sold it. Was a great grocery getter. 5 Quote
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