Mini Muscle Car

[bob w]

Finally off the trailer and in the garage. I cut the stock front suspension off it today. Earlier I mentioned in this thread that my brother is giving me a Heidt's front end. I'll be going to Kansas to get it at the end of the month.
My close friend Jim, in Atlanta has a 8.8 Fox body rear end he narrowed. No longer needed, he just cut another 10" out of it to fit the Renault. He'll be bringing it up here between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
I bought a freshly bored 400 block with new pistons installed on reconditioned rods off of Craigslist for $200. Even with the low compression it should move the car pretty good. Even on 87 octane.
A while back I traded a 350 Turbo trans for a complete stick set up. It is only a Saganaw 4 speed but should work fine in this car.
So, a lot of the major components are in house or on their way.

Had to take a break in the afternoon to go to my high school reunion. 55 years. My how time flies.

 

[bob w]

Waiting for parts for the Rover so I grabbed a sawzall and an angle grinder with a cut off wheel and began making room for the V8.
Went to my brother's place in Kansas last weekend and picked up the Heidt's front end pieces that I'll use here.
If I remember right, Flipper found a Renault/sbc build on the 'net. The pics from that build were very helpful in determining how much to cut out of the floor and firewall. Thanks, Flip.

 

[forbigpicture]

Bob, don't know about the rest of the guy's, but I'm Xcited to see
where this project goes....

 

[bob w]

The internet is a wonderful thing. Flipper put me on to a Renault/sbc build on a Facebook site. The pic above was found there. Renault's have a 48" front track whereas a MII has abut 56". So massive narrowing is required as seen in the pic. I needed to source a rack and pinion that is narrow enough. Managed to get an email address for the builder of the green (or is it blue?) Renault pictured. He put me on to JW Hot Rod Garage. I orderd a rack from them yesterday.
Sadly, last Sunday a little old lady pulled out in front of the green (or is it blue?) Renault and it was totalled.

fbp, thanks for your interest in this project. I'm excited about it. Should be a pretty fun sleeper.

 

[smallfoot]

sleeper? fade that red into pink, paint some lace on it and you can call it "PINK SLIP"... sorry, it was just a passing vision!

 

[jfg455]

Might want to look into a strut front end if you want any oil pan clearance...[

I showed those pictures to my Datsun 610 and now she thinks she is a fat girl...[cl

 

[bob w]

My friend Jim drove all the way from Atlanta to deliver this 8.8 rear end for the Renault. Okay, he is here to visit friends and family during Thanksgiving too. Jim had this rear end left over after he sold a project. He narrowed it to fit the Renault. You should see his beautiful TIG welds. Rear end is complete with grear and a Trac-Lock. I'll need to get the axles reshortened.
Still waiting for the narrowed Rack & Pinion steering, then I can narrow the MII front crossmember and start laying out the frame.

jfg455, I searched around the Web for strut front ends suitable for the street but didn't find anything simple enough and cheap enough. I've got plenty of room to slide the engine back

To everyone reading this thread: Here's an example of the type of members RRR has. A while ago jfg455 PM'd me and offered a free distributor. Yesterday it arrived in the mail. Thank you very much, jfg455.

 

[sgtpontiac]

Holy Crap BW........

where do you find all this time???? Like the energizer bunny....you just keep on Going and Going and Going....[cl

 

[rex1927]

Nice project.
How do you guys find those craigslist deals?
A worn out 305 block that has been rained on would be over 200.00 here.
Could be my location I guess.[S

 

[jfg455]

No worries Bob! Sorry it took so long, I've been busy. And you did shoot me over a whole box of door hardware for my 50 GMC if my fuzzy memory serves me right...

 

[AZRodDave]

For anyone who wanted to do something similar:

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/cto/4777593434.html

 

[bob w]

Received the narrowed MII rack and pinion from JW Hot Rod Garage. They do nice work. Started mocking up the front suspension. The Heidt's crossmember is for a '40 Chevy truck so a few small adjustments are needed to use it with a 2" by 4" rectangular tube frame. Also, the crossmember needs to be narrowed 9". Just beyond the A arms I'll have to widen the frame for exhaust manifold/header and steering shaft clearance.
I slid the narrowed 8.8 Ford rear end in place to scope out some frame dimensions back there.
Thank you Jim, my dear friend for the rear end. I hope your drive back to Atlanta goes well.

AZRodDave, thanks for posting the Renault for sale in your area. Makes me feel good about my purchase. Less money and in better shape. I guess I got a good deal.

 

[AZRodDave]

AZRodDave, thanks for posting the Renault for sale in your area. Makes me feel good about my purchase. Less money and in better shape. I guess I got a good deal.

You are welcome! Lots of goofy stuff down here for sale: X 1.9, old Ford Consul, home made rat thing fake T bucket, etc. Most priced too high, though I have a collection of the cheap stuff going. LOL

 

[Skip]

Persistence. I scan CL every day when I get home from work. On weekends when I am taking a break from working in the shop, I am on CL looking. Repeat as needed. Some days I get lucky. Most of my 38 project is from CL.

Nice project.
How do you guys find those craigslist deals?
A worn out 305 block that has been rained on would be over 200.00 here.
Could be my location I guess.[S

 

[bob w]

Got the first 32" of the frame fabbed and tacked. The cute little Heidt's crossmember is narrowed 9".

 

[bob w]

You can see how the frame rails spread as they go to the rear. From this point on they will be parallel.
Rear suspension will be similiar to a Fox body Mustang set up.

 

[bob w]

Then I ran out of MIG wire


Added another 60" to the frame today. The rails are parallel after the first 27". This length take it past the point of the rear kick up. I need to get some rear suspension parts to go any farther in back. It will use Fox body Mustang control arms in back because the rear axle is set up for them.

 

[Skip]

Frame is lookin' good. It will be fun to see that narrow front suspension in action as it were.

 

[Old Iron]

I like the looks of this cross member and frame.
How much front to rear angle is in the upper a-arm mounts?

 

[bob w]

Made the lower control arms out of 1 1/2" by 2" .120" wall rectangular tubing. The springs were supposed to mount on the control arms close to the rear axle. However, the upper control arms will cut across that area so no go. Instead thery're mounted off the rear where the original shocks mounted.

Old Iron, there is about 10 degrees of anti dive in the spring towers. That's the way Heitd's built them.