New member hello - and new BEX1/9 build

Hi Xweb!

My name is Robbie and I have just joined (after just having acquired an 1980 x1/9 project car last weekend).

I'm going to be converting this one to a Bike Enginged Car with the GSXR 1000 motor I had sitting in my garage. The whole build will be done for less than $2017, and my plan is to enter this car into the GRM $2017 challenge.

Just wanted to introduce myself, and let everyone know what I am up to. I will be removing/selling many parts off the car, so if anyone wants anything please let me know what you want.

In the meantime, I'm going to be stalking the forum here looking for autox suspension setup advise, and advise on how to seriously reduce weight - hoping to get down to 1500-1600 lbs, not sure how easy or hard that will be yet.

Thanks, and Hello!

rcutclif said:

Hi Xweb!

My name is Robbie and I have just joined (after just having acquired an 1980 x1/9 project car last weekend).

I'm going to be converting this one to a Bike Enginged Car with the GSXR 1000 motor I had sitting in my garage. The whole build will be done for less than $2017, and my plan is to enter this car into the GRM $2017 challenge.

Just wanted to introduce myself, and let everyone know what I am up to. I will be removing/selling many parts off the car, so if anyone wants anything please let me know what you want.

In the meantime, I'm going to be stalking the forum here looking for autox suspension setup advise, and advise on how to seriously reduce weight - hoping to get down to 1500-1600 lbs, not sure how easy or hard that will be yet.

Thanks, and Hello!

Click to expand...

Hey Robbie, Did you acquire a camera with that car so you can post pictures of your progress? Best of luck!

Welcome, Robbie!

Sounds like an interesting and fun build.

What's the plan for the final drive?

Pete

Welcome to Xwebforums

Robbie,

Welcome to the club! Your build sounds really interesting so keep us all posted on your progress! You will find this Forum to be an invaluable source of knowledge, expertise, inspiration and moral support - all of which are sorely needed by anyone with an X1/9!

Looking forward to hearing more....

Ed

Sounds very interesting.

Would love to see pictures of the progress.

I have heard of people using motorcycles engines to power out little cars. (drawback is no reverse)

But then there are many 79 (ish) that have that problem even with all factory stuff.

I'll try to post up some pictures! (haha funny funny did I acquire a camera )



If you were wondering if that was a 12 inch 4 bolt trailer tire on the rear, you would be right. I flat towed the car from where I picked it up, and of course had a blowout (DOH!!). Being stuck in the middle of nowhere late on a friday night makes for some 'desperate' measures. After I took the brake caliper off though, the trailer tire actually worked great.

Yeah, we are building what we hope will be an autox terror (and only an autox car), so the lack of reverse is hopefully not the end of the world. I think maybe we will keep a wooden oar in the car so we can row backward if we ever need to. HA!

For final drive, the current plan is for us to use a viscous LSD from an infinity j30 (my buddy has one with a junk pinion gear in his garage). We will just unbolt the ring gear from the diff carrier, and bolt a large sprocket to it. We will have to source some big bearings to locate the diff, and find a way to keep most of the grease inside where the spider gears are, and then adapt the j30 inner axles to the fiat outers - but other than that it should be EASY right? mg:

1500 pounds do-able. The exxe chassis will need to be mostly bare with no roll cage and added driver safety. For Auto X, this should not be a problem.

The infinity LSD is going to be TOO heavy, too bulky and way more torque capability than needed.

Suggest open diff (bare no housing formula SAE style) with a roller chain drive on bearing pillow blocks. Key here is lowest weight possible. Run time durability is not much of an issue for auto X. Motorcycle converted LeMons racers have been built this way with few drive train problems and this is FAR more demanding on durability-reliabilty than any auto X.

Weight and power train is just a start, what will make or break the capability of this exxe auto X racer is chassis-suspension-wheel-tire set up. Get this proper, the exxe will shine, get this even a tiny bit wrong it will be a total and utter failure.

"Simplify then add lightness"
-Colin Chapman.



Bernice

rcutclif said:

For final drive, the current plan is for us to use a viscous LSD from an infinity j30 (my buddy has one with a junk pinion gear in his garage). We will just unbolt the ring gear from the diff carrier, and bolt a large sprocket to it. We will have to source some big bearings to locate the diff, and find a way to keep most of the grease inside where the spider gears are, and then adapt the j30 inner axles to the fiat outers - but other than that it should be EASY right? mg:

Click to expand...

In my AutoX experience, no reverse would have been a show stopper!

Just don't miss any cones!

Ed

Rupunzell said:

1500 pounds do-able. The exxe chassis will need to be mostly bare with no roll cage and added driver safety. For Auto X, this should not be a problem.

The infinity LSD is going to be TOO heavy, too bulky and way more torque capability than needed.

Suggest open diff (bare no housing formula SAE style) with a roller chain drive on bearing pillow blocks. Key here is lowest weight possible. Run time durability is not much of an issue for auto X. Motorcycle converted LeMons racers have been built this way with few drive train problems and this is FAR more demanding on durability-reliabilty than any auto X.

Weight and power train is just a start, what will make or break the capability of this exxe auto X racer is chassis-suspension-wheel-tire set up. Get this proper, the exxe will shine, get this even a tiny bit wrong it will be a total and utter failure.

"Simplify then add lightness"
-Colin Chapman.



Bernice

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Good to know about weight goals. And yes, that is the plan with the diff, to run it without the housing on pillow block bearings FSAE style. I still agree that the diff carrier might be a bit big and heavy, but without the housing and ring/pinion, it should be only marginally bigger than any other diff housing. And this is cheap, LSD, and we are very budget limited.

What do you suggest for suspension setup? We plan to run stock 13x5 steel wheels and FF front slicks 20.0x6.0-13 in Hoosier's softest compound (its like an A7 but not DOT and bias ply instead of radial). We want to keep the tires grippy but we do not want to add tons of tire/wheel mass in the search for a wide tire.

The car already has what look like might be eibach springs (red) at all four corners, and we have yet to really look at the shocks.

Welcome to Xweb!

Looks like a cool project!
GO ahead, feed us with pics!!!!

rcutclif said:

Hi Xweb!

My name is Robbie and I have just joined (after just having acquired an 1980 x1/9 project car last weekend).

I'm going to be converting this one to a Bike Enginged Car with the GSXR 1000 motor I had sitting in my garage. The whole build will be done for less than $2017, and my plan is to enter this car into the GRM $2017 challenge.

Just wanted to introduce myself, and let everyone know what I am up to. I will be removing/selling many parts off the car, so if anyone wants anything please let me know what you want.

In the meantime, I'm going to be stalking the forum here looking for autox suspension setup advise, and advise on how to seriously reduce weight - hoping to get down to 1500-1600 lbs, not sure how easy or hard that will be yet.

Thanks, and Hello!

Click to expand...

I want to wish you good luck, it sounds like fun.

If you haven't already I would get the rules for the GRM 2017 challenge and then develop my goals. As I recall GRM scores on quarter mile time, autocross, and quality of build. I would probably evaluate what I currently have and do as much planning on paper, getting advise, and scouting junkyards as I could before actually spending money.

I would then start removing thing from the car to get weight as low as I could and run one of the horsepower/quarter mile apps to see what horsepower I would need to hit my targets. I would reevaluate my plan on where to spent money to reach my targets as the build progresses.

This site should be a good place for selling and buying parts. I think the rules allow you to sell unneeded parts to recoup money to stay under $2017, (wink, wink, nudge, nudge that seems high priced for that part but within range).

I might try doing 2017 with the Fiat SOHC engine and 2018 with the motorcycle engine. I am not that skilled and would probably use an easier approach before going all out with changing the drivetrain. Your skills and vision may be different than mine, so do what is right for you.

Again good luck and keep us informed on your ideas and progress.

DaveR

Welcome Robbie.

A 1500-1600 lb. car is within reach but it will have to be stripped and include fiberglass body panels (ask me how I know), which are available.

Thanks Dave!

Actually, I do have the rules, 2017 will be my third challenge (if you read the mag I had the v12 bmw in 2015 and this year I ran a green saab but the issue is not out with results yet for this year). We're looking to stretch our goals and capabilities a bit this year with an aggressive build.

As far as selling parts, yes, that is absolutely something that can be done. Although we really haven't pulled anything from the car yet, I have made a list of things we will be removing but won't need. Should I start a thread in the marketplace section with just what I expect to have available? My other issue is I have no idea which parts are useful and valuable and which are just old parts.

I do read GRM, and will be going back to look up your 2015 car. I look forward to seeing more on this project.

DaveR

Do a search on the Xweb archives on chassis-suspension set up. There is a great wealth of history on what has been done, what works and what does not. One of the key items would be getting good dampers into the struts. On the LeMons racers, it has Koni 8610's all around with Hypercoil-Eibach springs. Rates are 550 lb/in front, 475 lb'in rear in a 1750 lb chassis, no stability bars. Aerospace grade teflon lined spherical bearings are used at suspension pivot points to assure precision, accuracy, durability-reliabilty. Set up must be done with precision down to fractions of a mm and degrees and the suspension must be stable-repeatable-consistent.

We set the car up on a rig like this:
http://xwebforums.com/forum/index.php?threads/25043/

Do get in touch with Steve Hoelscher who is very knowledgeable about the exxe (his MR2 chassis-suspension has become more x1/9 than Toyota over time) and is one of the expert drivers at the GRM challenge. Steve can offer a LOT of good advise and help with this project.


Bernice

rcutclif said:

Thanks Dave!

Actually, I do have the rules, 2017 will be my third challenge (if you read the mag I had the v12 bmw in 2015 and this year I ran a green saab but the issue is not out with results yet for this year). We're looking to stretch our goals and capabilities a bit this year with an aggressive build.

Click to expand...