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Post by jamman on Dec 13, 2016 9:22:01 GMT
Sudden internet failure!! I will continue :-) I am planning to put it on a Frontera sport chassis, but your Rangie/disco based one looks great and all options are still open to me. I just thought from measuring both my classic rangie and my Frontera that the Frontera/Isuzu chassis seemed to be more of a dimensional fit judging by where the body would naturally meet the chassis. The main chassis rails under the floor are shallower on the Fronty too and I thought that may look better. However, yours looks amazing. I remember seeing a 'factory' rangie based one and thought it looked awful at the time because the shell seemed to just sit on top of a very deep chassis and there seemed to be space between the chassis and the body which just made it all look worse. But yours appears to have overcome that and it has transformed the look. Clearly a very well built and thought out one off. I love it. So it is pictures particularly of the way the shell is fitted to the chassis and lowered on to it that interest me to be honest if at all possible as I have a spare Rangie rolling chassis so this could get interesting quickly!
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Post by jamman on Dec 13, 2016 9:12:38 GMT
Thank you very much for the info. I am mightily impressed with that. You may have seen my other osts on the forum regarding the new unbuilt kit I bought. I am planning to put it on a f
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Post by jamman on Dec 12, 2016 20:05:43 GMT
And do you by any chance have any pictures of the underneath and particularly how the body fits on the chassis and where it touches? Did they lengthen the body or shorten the chassis?
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Post by jamman on Dec 12, 2016 20:04:26 GMT
That is fantastic. Do you know where those arch extensions can be purchased by any chance???
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Post by jamman on Dec 11, 2016 20:18:21 GMT
As for the V8, I also agree with Peter. If you want a bit of performance, after making it strong enough why not go for a turbo 4 cylinder something?
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Post by jamman on Dec 11, 2016 20:17:10 GMT
This is a great example of how the present legislation stops people from making their cars safer! It is nuts. But Peter is correct, if you design your own chassis, no matter how superior to the original it may be, you will need an IVA test. I wouldn't try to get through that. If you really do not like the chassis, and I do not blame you one bit, you need to find something else with a separate chassis that needs minimal or no modification and use that. Then it is legal. But of course your choices are limited in that area. If you really want to build your own then you would need to replicate the original one visually but use superior thickness steel and make a better job of it than Eagle did. I am sure you can get away with extra bracing and some triangulation in the name of safety, and at the end of the day no one could prove it was not done before all this anal SVA/IVA silliness was forced on us!
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Post by jamman on Dec 11, 2016 15:05:38 GMT
Cortina MK4 and 5 2.3's had factory power steering I believe.
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Post by jamman on Dec 3, 2016 22:06:38 GMT
And they are on flat runners. Forgot to mention that 😀
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Post by jamman on Dec 3, 2016 22:05:55 GMT
Rover 45 seats will be perfect. Cheap and full leather available if required. And they have the benefit that all seat functions are manual and not electric.
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Post by jamman on Sept 23, 2016 8:12:37 GMT
Hi, Yes my unbuilt kit did come with he Eagle instructions. Such as they are! Don't expect a Heynes type manual though :-) They are basic to say the least and are only a few pages long. If you have an email address let me have it and I will scan the whole thing and send it to you if that is any use?
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Post by jamman on Sept 18, 2016 17:25:15 GMT
I wouldn't be too worried about shock absorber mounts. You sometimes find this is a deliberate action by the manufacturer to help with axle location or smooth damping. Not saying it is in this case, but in my humble opinion that is not too much of an issue. I do worry though if you say spring mounts etc are not strong or uniform. But at the end of the day it all comes down to what is acceptable to you to strap your backside , and those of your loved ones to before hurtling down the road at many miles per hour, because while it is the body that looks pretty, it is the quality of the chassis that will keep you out of the hedge :-)
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Post by jamman on Sept 17, 2016 19:18:52 GMT
It definitely is on eBay. I just looked at it 😀. 2 ,hours to go as I write this.
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Post by jamman on Sept 5, 2016 16:43:25 GMT
I agree entirely with Peter. I have no experience at all of the SS, but do build custom cars and fit big engines in cars that never had them. For example I have just installed a Jaguar V8 in a 1980's VW LT van, and am presently designing a 600 + hp Jaguar Supercharged V8 to go into a Jaguar XJ coupe we have just done a 2" roof chop on. Over the years I have lost count of how many conversions I have done. It is not just about physically getting the engine in place. It is about balance, centre of gravity, moment of balance and whether the chassis can actually take it. As well as the usual stuff like brakes and suspension and spring rates. A big one that gets people is cooling, and with modern ethanol based fuel it can make a tightly fitted engine all but unusable. From the pictures I have seen on this great forum I would strongly recommend that the standard chassis is not up to a V8 of any kind. It is not about horse power, but is all about torque. That chassis needs seriously sorting before being exposed to any V8 torque. But the biggest issue I see is that it is just too far forward. A lighter engined car would run rings round it. Balance is everything.... Excuse my ignorance of the SS but could it not be re-engineered to go in the back behind the seats on a transaxle? Now that would handle...
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Post by jamman on Sept 2, 2016 20:15:38 GMT
If it were me, and if they would not foul any critical components I would be putting some triangulation into that chassis to stiffen it up. It would pay dividends later and the most noticeable way would be reduction of stress cracking and crazing in your grp shell.
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Post by jamman on Sept 2, 2016 20:12:52 GMT
Sadly it is quite common on many kit are and more than a few pre1980's production cars too. I have a Cobretti Viper. The body is fantastic, but the chassis looks like it was made by someone who has never welded before and was way out in some critical places. Chassis design and construction doesn't seem to be a strong point of a lot of kit manufacturers at that time. As mentioned, it is all about having the axles and suspension rigged correctly. The rest is just about how safe you would feel in it if the worst happened and you had a bump in it.
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Post by jamman on Sept 2, 2016 20:02:13 GMT
Hi Delbert, Thank you very much for the info. Grestly appreciated. I am going to use a Frontera Sport. It has a 96" wheelbase so extending the body slightly will be needed just aft of the seat. Mine was on eBay as the unbuilt kit. So I have the body but no chassis. I reckon the 3.2 Frontera will make it go and sound fantastic. And even after I have added a lot more grp to the shell to make it stronger, and added various steel framework subsections behind the dash etc, it will still be way lighter than the Frontera. The shape and dimensions of the Frontera chassis also suit the shell very well which is what is need in order to avoid IVA legally. Even if I used a Daihatsu F50 chassis now I would have to do IVA because of the lengthening that was added to it. So Frontera it is...
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Post by jamman on Aug 29, 2016 23:18:53 GMT
Hi everyone. As you can see from my first postings elsewhere on the forum, I have just bought a factory fresh unbuilt RV kit, although I only have the body panels, no chassis. It is the Daihatsu F50 kit. The original literature I got with it, including the original order form and receipt says they lengthen the Daihatsu chassis by10". So by my calculations that should make it have a wheelbase of 89". Yet when we measure the shell we get a wheelbase of 92" from wheelarch centre to wheelarch centre. Can someone shed any light on this please? We will be putting the body on a Frontera Sport chassis which has a wheelbase slightly longer so I know the shell will need lengthening in any case, but I would iove to know from someone why the shell appears presently to be longer than I think it should be. Thanks.
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Post by jamman on Aug 28, 2016 21:49:01 GMT
Hi. Thanks. Will get some pictures as it goes on. I will be using a Frontera Sport. I can almost hear the gasps 😀 But before anyone condemns it please let me explain. I need a 4x4 that is great off road, is great at towing and that has impeccable road manners. A tall order indeed. At present I have a 2 door Rangie with 3.9 manual on Jaguar SU carbs and 5 speed box. That ticks all three requirements but is a bit thirsty, even though the carbs have helped a bit. 25 mpg is its very best. I also have a Nissan Navara. Great on the road. Great at towing, but rubbish off road. Then a friend of mine introduced me to Frontera's which he reckoned were the best kept secret in the 4x4 world. He points out that it is largely an Isuzu. I must admit that his has been pretty indestructible apart from rust. It seems o do everything pretty well. So I bought one a year ago.. and he is right. So, to cut a long story a little shorter, I started measuring up the short version of the Fronty (mine is a LWB). Then I was told about the Eagle for sale. The dimensions are remarkably similar. £300 later and I am the proud owner of a Daihatsu based Eagle. Don't fancy the Daihatsu even though I know the mechanicals are tough. It is just not good enough at towing or on the road. My Fronty is a diesel but I think I will go for the 3.2 V6 Fronty Sport. That will be fine for a fun vehicle and fit in with the Jeep image. Should be amazing off road too.
Having looked at the Eagle shell I now know why they craze and crack so much.I am sure you all do to. The grp is so thin and no reinforcing at load areas. So I have decided to make the shell totally unstressed. In order to legally avoid IVA I must ensure that nothing at all is altered on the chassis or running gear. That way it is just a form filling exercise, inspection and it keeps its reg no. As I say, the Frontera is very very similar in dimensions to this F50 based Eagle so I see no major issues. I think I may have to lengthen the shell by two inches or so. All brackets and reinforcing behind the dash to take such things as brake servo and pedals will be mounted from the chassis. Depending on how the dash goes, it may still have its airbags as well. Well I won't bore you all with it now. Time to hunt for a Frontera. They are cheap as chips right now.
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Post by jamman on Aug 28, 2016 21:47:55 GMT
Hi. I am new to the Eagle. For my sins I bought the F50 item listed above :-) I was then looking to find out more information as I hadn't looked at these RV's since the 1980's. That is when I found this forum. Big plans for the kit. I just couldn't resist it as there can't be many factory fresh unbuilt RV kits lying around and so have always fancied one but didn't like the clumsy Range Rover version or the feeble Daihatsu. But now there are several modern 4 X 4's with separate chassis that will slide under this nicely. If anyone is interested I will post more details. But I think this idea will really make a great modern vehicle and bring the Eagle bang up to date. I don't expect it to be too difficult compared to some of the custom builds we have done in recent years either. Would love to hear some thoughts on it before I start! Cheers...
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Post by jamman on Aug 28, 2016 20:00:42 GMT
Hi. Thanks. Will get some pictures as it goes on. I will be using a Frontera Sport. I can almost hear the gasps 😀 But before anyone condemns it please let me explain. I need a 4x4 that is great off road, is great at towing and that has impeccable road manners. A tall order indeed. At present I have a 2 door Rangie with 3.9 manual on Jaguar SU carbs and 5 speed box. That ticks all three requirements but is a bit thirsty, even though the carbs have helped a bit. 25 mpg is its very best. I also have a Nissan Navara. Great on the road. Great at towing, but rubbish off road. Then a friend of mine introduced me to Frontera's which he reckoned were the best kept secret in the 4x4 world. He points out that it is largely an Isuzu. I must admit that his has been pretty indestructible apart from rust. It seems o do everything pretty well. So I bought one a year ago.. and he is right. So, to cut a long story a little shorter, I started measuring up the short version of the Fronty (mine is a LWB). Then I was told about the Eagle for sale. The dimensions are remarkably similar. £300 later and I am the proud owner of a Daihatsu based Eagle. Don't fancy the Daihatsu even though I know the mechanicals are tough. It is just not good enough at towing or on the road. My Fronty is a diesel but I think I will go for the 3.2 V6 Fronty Sport. That will be fine for a fun vehicle and fit in with the Jeep image. Should be amazing off road too.
Having looked at the Eagle shell I now know why they craze and crack so much.I am sure you all do to. The grp is so thin and no reinforcing at load areas. So I have decided to make the shell totally unstressed. In order to legally avoid IVA I must ensure that nothing at all is altered on the chassis or running gear. That way it is just a form filling exercise, inspection and it keeps its reg no. As I say, the Frontera is very very similar in dimensions to this F50 based Eagle so I see no major issues. I think I may have to lengthen the shell by two inches or so. All brackets and reinforcing behind the dash to take such things as brake servo and pedals will be mounted from the chassis. Depending on how the dash goes, it may still have its airbags as well. Well I won't bore you all with it now. Time to hunt for a Frontera. They are cheap as chips right now.
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Post by jamman on Aug 28, 2016 0:41:32 GMT
Hi. I am new to the Eagle. For my sins I bought the item listed above :-) I was then looking to find out more information as I hadn't looked at these RV's since the 1980's. That is when I found this forum. Big plans for the kit. I just couldn't resist it as there can't be many factory fresh unbuilt RV kits lying around and so have always fancied one but didn't like the clumsy Range Rover version or the feeble Daihatsu. But now there are several modern 4 X 4's with separate chassis that will slide under this nicely. If anyone is interested I will post more details. But I think this idea will really make a great modern vehicle and bring the Eagle bang up to date. I don't expect it to be too difficult compared to some of the custom builds we have done in recent years either. Would love to hear some thoughts on it before I start! Cheers...
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