Rootes Group Cars

Just added this morning... and it's amazing!!! Here's the link: [www.britishv8.org]

(teaser photo)

That looks like a quick one. Mustang rack & pinion... Wonder how hard that was to swap in. Also wondering about the accelerator. Is it displaced forward of the standard pedal or is that just an illusion?

Wild car. I'd rather be in it than trying to keep up with it.

Kris

kris, the fox body rack and pinion steering was not a difficult fit. i copied the tiger steering theory. i mounted the rack to the crossmember, reversed the steering arms right to left pointing forward. bent the ends of the rack back to the steering arms. the sunbeam tie rod ends threaded right on. on the accelerator pedal. it is mounted closer to the driver than nesessary. i originally built the transmission tunnel to accomodate full length headers. requiring a lot of room. after switching to the sidepipes i left things the way they are. i may change the location of the pedal someday, as there is room to do it. however i have no real problems the way it is. thanks, dave

I was thinking that gas pedal looked a bit weird but hey you've got to drive it at some point right? I love your build, man. THanks for sharing it.

Did you use the 410 because the deckheight was lower than the 427? Does the stock Sunbeam actually come with a D44 rear? How do you like the 8" rear wheels? I will likely have to go with this thickness for my Vega.

Thanks Dave!

Nic

the 410and 427 share the same deminsions. i actually had a 427 medium riser when i built this car, but used the 410 because i did not see the need to put that kind of expense in this car. the 410 is more motor than it needs. the dana 44 came from a old mail dilivery jeep. a very common upgrade for a sunbeam. they are the correct width. i used 8 inch wheels to be conservative for clearance reasons. if i started over i, would use 10 inch on the rear and 8 inch on the front. i have enough room. i built this car from a vision in my mind. overall it came out very satisfactory. there are some things that i may upgrade. i would like to install a power brake booster. i also have the option of power steering with the rack i used. any project like this is very much like a prodotype. the inventing and experimenting with different ideas is what i enjoy. thanks, dave

Some Vega guys did the Mail Jeep rear swap too. That's pretty cool. I sure would like to expand the rears a bit. I'm not confident I can fabricate flares though. Then again I did fabricate 'Cuda tail lights on my Vega... Hmmm.

We've got an article or two on the mail Jeep axle in the archives... here's one [www.britishv8.org]

In the next issue of the newsletter, I'm hoping to run two different articles on installing fender flares. I've got volunteers lined up, but I'm not sure how the articles are coming along. The articles will show MGBs getting flared, but the technique should be pretty universal.

That would be great! I have searched for a good site to detail some fabrication solutions for flares. Something non-glass would be nice. I'd like it to look more seemless if I do anything. Thanks Curtis

What correlation are you drawing between fiberglass flares & seams being visible? I avoided fiberglass flares on my car due to stories about cracks showing up down the road, but most folks I've talked with since -- folks with lots of experience in the auto body trade -- say that's not really a problem any more. The modern adhesives eliminate it (with proper use of course). I already have my Omni flares & like the shape better than the fiberglass flares that are out there for MG's so I'm going to stick with them, but based on discussions I'd not hesitate to use fiberglass in the future (in fact I'll be doing a fiberglass sebring rear valance on my car which would have the same issue)

Rob

Ok... It's true that I'm thinking of the cheezy hood scoops my buddies would glue on their hoods in my high school days. I do have experience with making a foam mold and using glass but I always assumed it would crack if I tried for a seemless bond. Hmmmm.

So do you have any resources to research the adhesives? So do I make a construct and bond it to the steel then fill with filler?

I'm not an expert, but basic idea is you bond the flare to the metal & then use fiberglass/resin to do fill where necessary & smooth to the the rest of the body.

As for what to use, I'd suggest talking with a local PPG or similar paint supply place. They'll likely have their favorites or products the shops have confidence in... those will be what you want to go with too.

Thanks Rob. I'll do some research. It would be nice to have a bit more rear traction.

Nicolas could we see pictures of your vega