Awesome idea. I hope you can you can get it to work.

Are you going to use the starlets hubs? What has your engineer said about messing with the suspension towers?

_________________
But he's thriving and striving and hugging the turns.

I spoke to the engineer a few months back and outlined my idea. He seemed happy enough with using all the starlet gear provided I can keep the factory geometry. So long as its strong enough it should still be feeding the same forces into the body at the same point so will be fine I think.
He was concerned that I widen the rear track to suit the starlet or use a starlet rear end. I plan to make a new rear subframe to locate the standard arms further out and then fit discs as well. That should keep him happy.
I am trying to get some pics together to clarify exactly the plan off attack, then I will go talk to him again to make sure I'm heading down the right track before I get too far.

Cheers

Madmorrie

Madmorrie,

Excellent design!

Where are you going to pick-up the body mounting points from?

I am using 260-grade structural pipe for the subframe and 340 grade plate for the engine mounts - I hope this helps.

Cheers,
Tricky

_________________
"Not Speeding Officer..........Qualifying"

Hi Guys

Has been awhile since any updates, and since David asked so nicely yesterday (on another thread) how it was all going I thought I'd fill you in.

http://www.counterfeitimage.com/morris/project.htm

This gives you the update. Also, to those of you on a budget, note that so far all materials used to create the jig and the rotisserie (not shown) have been obtained for free. Hard rubbish is great, any useful lengths of steel always end up in my shed!!

I will lash out and actually buy the steel for the subframe so I know exactly what grade it is, but for this stuff it doesn't matter and means when I really need to spend money I don't have to justify it as much!

Cheers

Madmorrie

Hey, Thanks for the update.

You should really get to work on this one. I mean come on priorities here man !!

Hey being a fan of morries, what do you think of VW notch's and other variants.
I think i am falling deeply in love with them

I really see a morrie like resemblance in there.

Check out the ass on the black one in the link. The blue one is hot also.
Saw one with a ej20 turbo ( rex engine) in it on you tube
DAVID

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/view ... &aid=57364

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/view ... &aid=57361

Yeah, must try to sway the priorities my way for a change!

I must admit that I too am a big fan of Type 3s. I guy at my TAFE had a wicked Type 3 fastback in blue and it looked amazing. There is something to be said for the dubs mechanically too. I always wrote them off myself but got roped in to help rebuild a friends motor. This thing had a crack running from top to bottom, it lost oil almost as fast as you could add it. Anyway, when we pulled it down we could have reused everything in the motor. All the tolerances were within specs. Still, the cracking-in-half thing is a mark against them I spose.

Quite like the wagons too.

Cheers

Madmorrie

I think thats a really awesome conversion mate

i like, a lot!!

_________________

what tafe do you go to? what are you studying? I am going to tafe one day a week, one night and working 4-5 days. it is hard work.

Conversion is great, Keep it up.

DAVID

David
I went to Outer Eastern TAFE in Wantirna. I also finished in 1996...

I think the whole course cost me about $500 (ha, ha, no HECS for me) which austudy paid for. Come to think of it, back then I was running my first 1100, and austudy paid for that too!!!

I reckon TAFE is great. They are more hands-on and are generally shorter courses than uni too. You still learn the most important lessons AFTER you start work but I imagine that is the same for most jobs, it gave me the basics anyway.
Incidentally, I studied computer aided art and design, which, after a fashion, set me on the path to what I'm doing now, which is high-end retouching for ad agencies. It was a close call for me when I left school weather to go into cars or graphics. I think I made the right choice?

What are you studying?

Madmorrie

just got home from the annual awards night for work so be warned....
i am studying building design and drafting. I am trying to get a new job at the moment but finding it hard to get someone to hire me for 4 days a week. I go to NMIT at the moment and am really liking it. Saying that I only go for about 8 hors a week as i work 32-39 hours at my job.

DAVID.

OK Guys, time for an update.

I have sorted out my shed and managed to get the car into it. (It has sat in the drive minus engine and interior for months now) So having cleared some space I got it in there and ripped into it. Now only subframes and fuel tank remaining. Hope to soon have it up in the air then I can get an idea of just how much BMC metal I have to remove to get the Toyota stuff to fit.

I have updated the site with more info but rest assured that stuff is happening.

http://www.counterfeitimage.com/morris/

To all you others out there doing conversions, keep up the good work! It's what keeps the rest of us going when we cant find the time/money/energy//etc.. to continue.

Cheers

Madmorrie

Hi David,

Just checking out your jig. When you have made the jig will you be able to position the motor in it (as it looks like there is a cross brace in the way).

Can I ask why you have decided to try and adapt the starlet suspension rather than use the Morris1100 gear? Is the Morris1100 subframe "bigger" internally than the mini subframe?

_________________
But he's thriving and striving and hugging the turns.

JC

The jig is not meant to house the engine, merely position all the hard points that I need my new subframe to pick up. The theory is, if I can make a subframe that will connect all these points and also the old subframe mounts then the motor and suspension will bolt in. Sounds easy when you say it like that doesn't it.

I am 99% sure I will be using the Starlet stuff for the following reasons.
• I Can use all the starlet brakes, cvs, and driveshafts as they are. No need for custom shafts to be made or to upgrade the brakes.
• If I stick with the hydrolastic I am relying on 40 year old and suspension that is close to irreplaceable if it fails. This stuff has been sitting for about 15 years without much use I believe. Plus the hydrolastic is not very tunable.

The 1% of me that is not decided keeps looking at all the extra work Ihave to do to house all the starlet gear and wondering if the hydrolastic is so bad after all. It should be theoretically better than the struts. I imagine it would not take as long to do the conversion, I wont have to alter the rear end at all, I would not need massive flares to cover the much wider track of the starlet (but that is not something I'm losing sleep about - I reckon it will look pretty tuff) and it should be easier to engineer. But I'd be mighty pissed off if the first time I hit a bump the suspension went pop and I was off the road.

Sorry for the rant, but you can see it is something I have thought a lot about. Any input would be greatly received.

Cheers

Ross G (aka Madmorrie)

i'd stick with the hydro...

the monte was won on hydro...

plus it's so smooth..

*looks at kev*

_________________

Ross G (where on earth did I get David from?),

Your first point makes alot of sense. I forgot about all the 'extra' work involved in fitting this motor. If you can kill 5 birds with one stone you will have done well. Will the use of the starlet rack/column align with the seating position and positioning of A/B/C pedals of the Morris?

I understand where you are coming from with the hyrdo being a-ged. How will you overcome having macpherson struts up front and ....... (something else) at the rear? The front and rear would have to be the same compression/spring rate wouldn't it? If not you'll have some funky handling characteristics right?

JC

_________________
But he's thriving and striving and hugging the turns.