Triumph Sports Cars

engine swaps and other performance upgrades, plus "factory" V8s (Stag and TR8)

Go to Thread: PreviousNext
Go to: Forum ListMessage ListNew TopicLog In


danny1291
Daniel Eichholz
Versailles, IN (The Heartland)
(15 posts)

Registered:
04/15/2008 09:24AM

Main British Car:
1979 Triumph Spitfire 1985 Nissan VG30ET from 300ZX turbo

authors avatar
@ Max Brewster
Posted by: danny1291
Date: April 15, 2008 09:30AM

Hello...

New user to the forum and the site. Great place! Glad I found it. I have a question for Max Brewster, if you're here, and you don't mind answering. Where did you have the spindles machined for your Spitfire, and about how much should I expect to pay someone. I have Mazda RX-7 rotors for my conversion (1979 Spitifre, with VG30ET from Nissan 300ZX, pics of which I'll post on here when I get a chance!), and the custom axle stub is a great idea. I was going to swap the entire spindle, and fabricate ball joints, etc, but this is so much a better idea. I can fabricate the caliper bracket no prob, but I don't have access or know how to properly use a lathe.

thanks, Danny


MGBV8
Carl Floyd
Kingsport, TN
(4511 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 11:32PM

Main British Car:
1979 MGB Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: @ Max Brewster
Posted by: MGBV8
Date: April 15, 2008 09:55AM

"VG30ET/Spitfire"

Hold on tight, that combo is gonna fly!


danny1291
Daniel Eichholz
Versailles, IN (The Heartland)
(15 posts)

Registered:
04/15/2008 09:24AM

Main British Car:
1979 Triumph Spitfire 1985 Nissan VG30ET from 300ZX turbo

authors avatar
Re: @ Max Brewster
Posted by: danny1291
Date: April 15, 2008 08:39PM

I hope so! I've got everything in place, just need to finish making the rearend mount, and the drivetrain will be in. It fits almost like it was made for the car.
Danny


turbospitfire
Max Brewster

(49 posts)

Registered:
04/25/2008 01:05PM

Main British Car:
1979 Triumph Spitfire Ford 2.3 Liter Turbo

authors avatar
Re: @ Max Brewster
Posted by: turbospitfire
Date: April 25, 2008 01:44PM

Hi Danny, concerning your question about the spindle. I machined them myself on my old Atlas lathe. It took a long time and wore out some parts on the lathe which I haven't replace yet. A larger lathe would save some time, you can take bigger cuts. I used an alloy called ETD 150. Its a machinable high strength steel that you won't need to heat treat. Make sure you use this alloy, FOR SAFETY, or you risk bending breaking your spindle. The steel company I bought it from had a $200 minimum so I had to buy 4 feet of 2.5 inch diameter round bar to meet the minimum. That was 5 years ago so I suspect you will pay more per foot. Steel has really gotten expensive. Below is the information on EDT 150:

Another high strength material made by Niagara LaSalle's patented "e.t.d."® (elevated temperature drawing) process. Eliminates heat treating and secondary operations such as straightening, finish grinding, cleaning, and inspections. "e.t.d." 150® can be roll threaded, knurled and plated. Suitable for induction hardening. "e.t.d." 150® is also electro-magnetically tested using induced eddy currents.

I don't know what it would cost to have a machine shop make the spindles. Prices are high for just about any labor intensive service.
Suggestions:
You may be able to by a small lathe and learn how to do it yourself for the price of having someone else do it. or...
You could take a machine shop class a community/technical college. Sometimes they let you bring your own projects to class. You could make the spindles and caliper adapters at the same time.

Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Max Brewster
1979 Spitfire


danny1291
Daniel Eichholz
Versailles, IN (The Heartland)
(15 posts)

Registered:
04/15/2008 09:24AM

Main British Car:
1979 Triumph Spitfire 1985 Nissan VG30ET from 300ZX turbo

authors avatar
Re: @ Max Brewster
Posted by: danny1291
Date: April 25, 2008 08:14PM

That helps out a great deal, Max. Thanks so much for your input. A lot of machine shops I talked to will not do automotive work, due to the liability factor, so I may need to find another alternative. A place I buy from on Ebay, Ihateskool, (weird name, I know!), offered to give me a quote, if I sent measurements. I may give them a try.
Fantastic car, by the way. Would love to see it in person!
Appreciate the info about the proper steel to use, also. I was wondering about that.

Thanks, Danny

1979 Triumph Spitfire w/ 1985 VG30ET V6 from 300ZX


spitfire79
wes brown
Schertz, TX
(15 posts)

Registered:
10/11/2008 03:54PM

Main British Car:
spitfire 80 chevy v6 2.8 looking to place in

Re: @ Max Brewster
Posted by: spitfire79
Date: March 26, 2012 10:31PM

do you have pic/drawing/template of your motor mount. i'm placing a chevy S10, 2.8 with a s10 t5 transmission, in a spitfire, i've seen another use S10 transmission mount, but no sure how it was connected to the motor itself,
any help


BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6468 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

authors avatar
Re: @ Max Brewster
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: March 27, 2012 08:10AM

I would think that any decent chrome-moly steel would work pretty well, especially the ones that come already heat treated, such as 4140HT and similar. Quite tough but still can be threaded with tool steel dies. OEM spindles don't seem all that hard.

Jim



roverman
Art Gertz
Winchester, CA.
(3188 posts)

Registered:
04/24/2009 11:02AM

Main British Car:
74' Jensen Healy, 79 Huff. GT 1, 74 MGB Lotus 907,2L

Re: @ Max Brewster
Posted by: roverman
Date: March 27, 2012 11:24AM

Clan, so many good design spindles available in aftermarket, like Mustang II and A/F body G.M. Both have bolt-on steering arms,(front/rear steer. Adapt and save ? Cheers, roverman.


Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.