[chinno204]

Hi,
Well after lurking on here for a while (& commenting on a few threads), I decided last November to start my own project.
Having modified loads of classic saloon cars in the past I've had a little bit of experience, but I've always found myself looking at vintage Bentleys, Austin 7 specials, ratrods, etc.

After a good rummage in the garage I'd dug up a set of wire wheels (well 2 pairs of 2 anyway!) with splined hubs, an old M.G bonnet & a set of Healey 3000 carbs.
So the plan was hatched, build an Austin 7 special on steroids using as many Austin/Rover/BMC parts as possible!

Next job was look for a chassis & within a week I had 2 Austin Devon ones. 1 was rotten, but the other is surprisingly good.

Here's some bits mocked up in my garage.

 

[chinno204]

Getting the idea? The missus said that it's gonna look like something that "Toad of Toad Hall" would drive, hence the name of "Toadster"!!

Next job was to look for some sort of body to start off with & Fleebay came to the rescue with an old "Opus" kit. I took a load of photos of it, but can't find them? So we'll have to make do with a piccie of the engine.

I can only assume that the chassis was home-made as it was horrendous & I snapped most of the welds by hand, so lucky that I didn't try to drive it anywhere!

After stripping it & selling the useful bits I started to cut the Devon chassis about.

 

[James D]

Looks interesting - nice idea.
They really did put the back axle waaaay too far forwards on the Opus!

 

[chinno204]

There were 3 Opus' (Opii ?) at Wheels Day this year, I don't remember ever seeing one before & as James says, the axle is way too far forwards (for my liking anyway).

Back to the thread, as I started this last year there's a bit of catching up to do. I really wanted to find a Westminster axle for it, but after phoning around people who I know break them I couldn't find one, or a Sherpa axle which was the second choice. So went for a MK1 Jaguar axle that I was offered, it's an early one with drum brakes & a 4.5:1 diff, lurvly :tup:

Mocked up in position.

Also bought some tyres from Dez on here, 7.50 x 16 on the rear

& 6.00 x 16 for the front.

I think that they look spot-on?

 

[mygasser]

tyres look cool and i'm glad to see you're putting the axle behind the body not where the arches on the body are. :tup:

 

[legendlives]

Just brilliant.
I've had the urge to make a budget 'Brooklands style' roadster for a while.
Maybe the next build........

 

[Flamed Cortina]

That's starting (started) to take shape, will be watching this one. :tup:

 

[chinno204]

Next job was to fit the rear axle, plan is to weld bits on so that they won't fall off until it's more or less complete, then strip all the bits back off & attach everything properly.

Located the axle using Landrover radius arms that were knocking around, they look old, were free & should easily be strong enough?

The leaf spring was on the front of the Opus, I think that it's an E93A Pop one with possibly a couple of leaves removed, it'll do for now but I expect it'll need some leaves re-fitted? I can now move the chassis around like a wheelbarrow!!!

Next on the list was to start mocking up the front suspension, using the front axle from the Opus (Ford Pop again) & some Rover P4 bits ( it's handy knowing banger drivers ).

 

[NZNick]

Looking good.......On the Landrover rear arm chassis fixing are you going to put it in double shear? like this...http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/atta...wer-control-arm-frame-mount-pics-imga0156.jpg

 

[chinno204]

Hi Nick, yes they are beefed up a bit already & more to follow.

More changes to the original plan, I'm making it up as I go along really, I was going to fit an Austin Westminster engine & Healey it up with triple S.Us, etc, but seeing as any on offer needed a major re-build & they weigh the same as a small planet I started to look for another straight 6 lump that I could run on carbs.
Enter this:

A 3.6ltr Jag AJ6 engine out of an XJS, it came with the correct early dizzy so that I can use an earlier Jag ignition module & a manual flywheel, all for £25! They were all injection, but the banger boys have manifolds made to run 'em on 2" S.Us.
Here it is after I'd ripped all the crap off & slapped some paint on the block, sorry about the colour, but it's become a bit of a trademark.
The only major problem I could foresee was that the manual 'boxes are used by the E-type boys to convert their cars to 5 speed, hence big bucks. I did enquire with Flying Phil about the g/box that he got for his Ronart project & he offered it to me at a sensible price (thanks Phil), however I decided to keep everything as cheap as poss & snaffled a Transit gearbox for a tenner. Now all I had to do was join the two together.

I spent some of the money I saved on a rad from a '32 Ford that the owner replaced with an alloy one, also got a grill large enough to cover it all from a Rover 14.

 

[chinno204]

Well the front axle's in place with all the mounts tacked in place & the engine's now in the hole.

 

[chinno204]

Also front spring's fitted, a 99p purchase from eBay

 

[steve1275]

:tup:

 

[chinno204]

A couple more photos, a bit of chassis cross-bracing, inc rear axle radius arm mountings beefed up.
Plus the gearbox mocked up on the steel backplate template.

Then chucked a chair at it to get a rough idea of where the steering column should sit (the bit of yellow tubing is just for mock-up purposes)

The steering box (105E Anglia) is also re-build & fitted.

 

[chinno204]

Started making the dumb irons & made some bottom shockmounts.

The inlet manifold's coming along too.

 

[chinno204]

Well now that summer's over I've got back on with the project, the inlet manifold's finished (I've had it running ), made an exhaust (in that order!), cut the bulkhead out & fitted a steel one, etc, etc.
Here's a few pics & more to follow.

 

[Disco Stew]

That looks great! You get a better idea of the shape without those wheelarches.

 

[sqweaka]

i was thinking that looked hideous untill you put the bonnet on and its transformed the look of it! looking good :tup:

 

[James D]

Loving this! Those wheels are spot on. The whole thing has a sort of ERA look to it.

 

[Stiff]

Brilliant!