cobra kit based on vw - Page 2

MOTORHEAD · #21 (**permalink**) 11-17-2014, 04:09 PM

John: Love it! Are you saying the chassis you are duplicating is for this car ?? Anymore info, specs ????.

Ted

john chesnut · #22 (**permalink**) 11-17-2014, 05:12 PM

I agree Ted. It's a gorgeous car and is one of my favorite shapes of all time.

This past summer I purchased a Crusader body that had been modified from a gentleman that has an original Crusader. He wanted the frame and not the modified body. He is generously letting me duplicate the frame. I know that VW parts are not high tech and do not have great suspension geometry but my friends Crusader only weighs 950lbs. He races it in vintage events and says that with 100hp its quick and on slicks pulls 1.5g. Type 4 vw engines are available with pretty good horsepower. When I saw that the Abarth has the same track and is with in 1.4 inches in wheelbase I thought that it would be a quick and easy job to put the Abarth on the Crusader chassis. I am going to do that.

But, I also want to do a dedicated frame with unequal A arm suspension and run a Hyabusa motorcycle engine. There is a company that makes a neat diff and connector that mates the engine to the diff with out using a chain. The diff has a built in reverse as well.

I'm unfortunately not able to do the work myself on this. I've had 2 heart attacks this year and am facing surgery soon. I have a friend that owns a race car chassis business. He is going to do the frames. And, I have a friend that does fiberglass work for a living. He's going to do the bodies.

Of course there are many engine/transaxles that could be used. I'll sell a body alone or with a frame.

The molds are in transit and I should have them with in a couple of weeks. Since I have the molds and will have jigs for the frames I will offer them for sale. This is a hobby for me. I'm simply passionate about 60's looking sports cars. I'm in love with this one.

john chesnut · #23 (**permalink**) 11-17-2014, 05:13 PM

Sorry, My post went through twice and I don't know how to delete it.

YerDugliness · #24 (**permalink**) 11-17-2014, 08:45 PM

John...pardon me, but I have always thought that a vehicle of approximately the same size as this new project of yours, but using the drivetrain for one of the front-engine/FWD common cars like the Honda VTEC V-6 mounted behind the driver ought to be a blast.

I know Fran at RCR did a very short-lived project with the 'Busa engine...think it was called a Razor or something like that. It was more like the Aerial Atom, though, than this idea of yours. The issue with the 'Busa is that the engines aren't so common as to be a dime a dozen...and my Honda Accord has 250,000+ miles on it and just gets faster and faster as it gets more miles, so all those Accord V-6/Automatic Transmission combinations in the wrecking yards are just SCREAMING for a chance to show what they can do.

...a built turbo'ed Mazda rotary with a manual transmission? Can you say ROCKET!!!!!

Just curious if you've ever thought about such a combination...it doesn't seem like it would be too difficult to engineer, but I'm not an engineer and therefore I don't know.

It just sounds like a HOOT!

My apologies to the OP for the thread drift...how about starting a thread about this project, John...it's a very attractive vehicle and the idea of an overgrown go-kart with a powerful engine is almost TOO GOOD!

Cheers!

Dugly

cycleguy55 · #25 (**permalink**) 11-17-2014, 09:15 PM

There's also the Factory Five 818.

john chesnut · #26 (**permalink**) 11-17-2014, 09:25 PM

Sorry, didn't mean to have this drift of topic. I was just excited about my new purchase and since it would take a frame that used VW parts I posted it.
If people are interested I will start a thread about it.

This car is much smaller and lighter than the 818 and I love the classic 60's look.

I have thought about various drivetrain combos. I'm not sure which is the best way to go. I have to figure that out.

john chesnut · #27 (**permalink**) 11-17-2014, 09:30 PM

sorry. Double posted again. My internet has been cycling in and out.

MOTORHEAD · #28 (**permalink**) 11-18-2014, 07:10 AM

John: definitely start another thread !
I am a bit confused tho. The crusader is a formula V ? Some one modified the chassis to accept this body ? The car in the pic has "fiat abarth 1000 " on it. is that what it is ? or is that the modified body in fiberglass ?
Hope your heart problem will be resolved by the upcomming operation.

Ted R

john chesnut · #29 (**permalink**) 11-18-2014, 07:58 AM

Hello Ted, I didn't explain myself well. I think that I'm losing my faculties.

The red car pictured is an original 1966 Fiat/Abarth SP1000. The 1000 refers to it's displacement. The car was developed for racing. The molds that I purchased were taken from an original car.

I'm addicted to old fiberglass cars and I cruise the internet looking for them. Last summer I purchased a fiberglass body that was on a 1964 Crusader frame. I purchased it from a gentleman that had an original Crusader which he races in vintage events. he wanted the frame as a back up but the body had been heavily modified and didn't want it.

The Crusader was developed by Jack Tatum. He was heavily involved in Formula V racing. He basically built a 2 person Formula V frame and did a Can Am inspired body to fit it. He was hoping to get it approved for a new racing class but it never happened. There were only a few Crusader made.

So, I have the modified body. The person I purchased it from has graciously allowed me to duplicate the frame. When I purchased the molds I was comparing the Abarth specs to the Crusader and found them to be virtually identical. I realized that the Abarth body could pretty easily be fitted to the VW based Crusader frame. I' plan to do that but I also plan to build a dedicated frame with unequal A frame suspension and have various engine/trans combo's fit it.

I'm optimistic about the future and hope that I'll be feeling better and able to work in my shop again.

Here is a picture of the Crusader.

Randy Rosenberg · #30 (**permalink**) 11-19-2014, 03:43 AM

10 years ago a guy named Wayne (medusa427) sold Cobra 427 bodies that would fit on a VW chassis. I'm not sure what he is up to anymore and if he still has any of these bodies (or the ability to make them). The last ad I found was from 2008, when he advertised two for sale in the Nor Cal Kit Car Club monthly newsletter.

Good luck with your project,
Randy...

YerDugliness · #31 (**permalink**) 11-19-2014, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john chesnut

Sorry, didn't mean to have this drift of topic. I was just excited about my new purchase and since it would take a frame that used VW parts I posted it.
If people are interested I will start a thread about it.

John, that car photo in post #29 is absolutely gorgeous, and I believe that there would be plenty of room behind the cockpit bulkhead to engineer for a transverse V-6 FWD drive-train...the aftermarket for Honda engines is very active, so imagine one of those little bodies with a 400HP Honda V-6 (easy to get that much power from the V-TEC V-6) pushing it down the highway!

So....yeah, I'll add my name to the list of people who are encouraging you to start a thread for the project. This is the most exciting prospect for a mid-engine project I've seen in a LONG TIME (in fact, I drive an Accord with the V-6 and when I get a different car I have always planned on retaining the Accord because I think it would be a great drivetrain for a mid-engine project, was considering a sand-buggy on a tube frame, but your idea beats that idea by miles!!!)!

In addition, you might want to consider joining at GT40s.com - Powered by vBulletin and posting your project there. They are quite active with mid-engine designs and if you are planning on mid-engine for this project you would be hard-pressed to find a more knowledgeable bunch of gearheads.

Best of luck with this project...it seems like it is RIGHT up my alley and I suspect lots of others would be interested, too.

Cheers!

Dugly 8)

ilmung · #32 (**permalink**) 11-19-2014, 08:40 AM

Hi Randy
Thanks for the info , I will try to find that person , all the best !
geert

cycleguy55 · #33 (**permalink**) 11-19-2014, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randy Rosenberg

10 years ago a guy named Wayne (medusa427) sold Cobra 427 bodies that would fit on a VW chassis. I'm not sure what he is up to anymore and if he still has any of these bodies (or the ability to make them). The last ad I found was from 2008, when he advertised two for sale in the Nor Cal Kit Car Club monthly newsletter.

Good luck with your project,
Randy...

'Wayne' may be Wayne McAllaster, based upon his email address of Medusa427@aol.com in a 2003 post. His Club Cobra user name is 427SSSS, and it appears his last post was in 2010.