Freestyle GT..............its on!

J

jason_l

New member
Hi Everyone,

Just got back from having the service done on my lexus and im well happy! Lexus was in a bit of a sorry state but its all good now, fixed all the problems and they also found that one of my tires had decided to fall apart on the inside wall. Lucky to be alive looking at it!  :o :o :o

Anyway, i had a talk for a few hours to James (company owner) and he really wants to do the work on the buggy! Im off to mexico next week for 2 weeks and im dropping the buggy at his so he can continue with the SVA prep and look at it a bit more in depth so he can give me a final quote.

He said he can supply the whole front end of a starlet 1.3T (engine, gearbox, turbo, manifolds, ecu, harness, hubs etc) for around £500. He thinks the work will be relatively straight forward getting the engine in and running. He said the problem comes with the driveshafts, to get custom ones properly made he said they will be around £1000 each and there is no Garantee that they won't snap with all the power. He said it will be easier to use the starlet driveshafts and i will be widening the buggy. In turn this will give more room for massive side intakes for the intercooler, radiator and oil cooler. Will also be getting starlet hubs for the front of the car.

With all this extra power and width i will be extending the buggy by a foot or so to help cope with it all. Im looking at around 150bhp to start with and possibly a bit more at a later date if the handling is ok.

As he really wants to do this work he has given me a sponsorship deal. All parts will be at trade price, or whetever he can get them for and all labour will be half price (normally £40ph, so i get it for £20ph)!!! I will probably have to attend a few shows and the car will have company graphics on it.

Im handing over around £400 next week so he can do some work while im away in mexico (£400 = 20 hours work). but if i know James he will prob do around 30 hours or so.

Will create a full in depth post with pictures etc when this goes ahead but won't be till around the end of the year.............hopefully sooner.  ;D

Jason :P
 
That all sounds great, an interesting little motor, lad up road has one. Only thing that made me laugh was his estimated cost of drive shafts £1k each, no way. There are professional companies out there doing a pair for Mini/Vtec for £250 a pair I think, which will handle more power than the Starlet will put out. Other than that he's nailed it, might just be worth chopping the whole back end off & starting again usiing the MacPherson struts off the Starlet if you can get a pair of handbrake calipers to fit.

Alan...
 
Phaeton":2qe5282n said:
That all sounds great, an interesting little motor, lad up road has one. Only thing that made me laugh was his estimated cost of drive shafts £1k each, no way. There are professional companies out there doing a pair for Mini/Vtec for £250 a pair I think, which will handle more power than the Starlet will put out. Other than that he's nailed it, might just be worth chopping the whole back end off & starting again usiing the MacPherson struts off the Starlet if you can get a pair of handbrake calipers to fit.

Alan...
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I did think that, when he was talking about the driveshafts the price quoted was because thats what they cost when he put an MR2 engine into a starlet. The company he uses does race driveshafts so i think thats why and the fact they are a one off! I might do a bit or research as the starlet engine has been put into mini's before so they must have done something cheaper???

Will more than likely be using the starlet subframe (maybe) so will change the suspension anyway. Think i will have to change the suspension setup anyway to get the best out of the handling!

I already have a hydaulic handbrake set up that will be going on later anyway so i will have the discs on the back from a starlet. :P
Jason :P
 
One to watch with interest Jason!
Hope you have a nice time in Mexico whilst your buggy takes shape  ;)
 
jason,i agree with alan on the driveshaft issue.....i've got a bloke does our truck propshafts,quoted me 50 quid to cut/weld/sleeve/balance a d/shaft to another d/shaft,all machined to the o/d of the lesser dia shaft? (thats what it says on the quote i have from him). since found out its £50 per shaft. not a pair as i hoped. ::) credit crunch and all that. he's based in hillington,near glasgow airport,with shipping to and from yours added to that,it'd be a damn site cheaper option?
 
Thanks for the info Wullie.

I think this might be something i may have to look into??? James says that driveshaft work is a fine art and he explained alot about stresses and materials that was well above what i knew.

First things first will be to get the front end of the starlet and see what is what, im thinking i may have to use the starlet hubs anyway for better handlind with the extra width and length tha comes with this option, although i really love the tiny size of the freestyle  ;D

Jason :P
 
Cool  ;D

Obviously we'll only let you proceed with this project providing you keep us upto date with various pictures etc  ;)

Andy
 
Angel Boy":343yc592 said:
Cool   ;D

Obviously we'll only let you proceed with this project providing you keep us upto date with various pictures etc   ;)

Andy
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;D No worries, i will keep you all up to date with pictures etc when it all takes place. First things first i have to get through SVA then the fun really begins! Although it may be alot quicker than i think to do the work. They are starting a MR2 engine into a lexus next month and they reckon two weeks for the whole conversion!!!!!  :o

Just checked the wheelbase width difference of the mini and the starlet and it looks like the starlet hubs will widden the buggy by 50mm either side! Think i will be using the starlet hubs all round me thinks  ;D ;D ;D Might not bother lengthening the buggy after all as there is such a small diference! Plus i like the look of the car the length it is. All will come down to how well it handles with the increase in power.

Jason :P
 
I think I have read somewhere (might even have been on here) that a longer wheel base is more tell tale when the back end starts to step out of line.  Might be something to think about if you are going to be building something which will equate to 300bhp/tonne  :o

Looking forward to watching this one take shape, come on and pull your finger out man.  You've got an audience waiting now  ;)  ;D

Andy
 
Angel Boy":yuwtbrwn said:
I think I have read somewhere (might even have been on here) that a longer wheel base is more tell tale when the back end starts to step out of line.  Might be something to think about if you are going to be building something which will equate to 300bhp/tonne   :o

Looking forward to watching this one take shape, come on and pull your finger out man.  You've got an audience waiting now   ;)   ;D

Andy
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Thats why James wants to lengthen the buggy, we will see how it pans out first with the engine in and standard length.

and believe me i want it done asap but i have to get the thing SVA'd first as is then comes the fun. Its getting taken to have the exhaust made this wednesday (got a carbon fibre bike can going on it) and tracking done as well. Then Saturday before i go to Mexico im dropping it off with the company doing all the work. They are going to get everything up and running while im away with the A series engine and they will be able to give me a more 'Accurate@ quote on what the work will cost :D :D :D

Jason :P
 
Little update to you all before i leave for mexico.

Dropped the buggy off today with Toyota specialist and he says that i am wasting my money getting him to work on it while im away if im going to get the starlet engine done later...............so i have decided that he is probably right!!!!!

Going to cancel the SVA and go for a IVA at a later date, and im currently on the look out for a written off starlet!!!!  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Spoke to him also about the driveshaft issue and we are going to try and get some made for the mini hubs probably at a place you guys have mentioned. They are then going to be cryogenically frozen which realines the particles and makes them stronger! If they snap then they snap! and then we will look at improving this later.

Kind of upset that i won't have it ready sooner but im soooooo happy that the starlet engine will be done alot sooner.

He had a little look at the buggy and he reckons about £2k for the engine in and everything up and running! Its now going to live there for the next 5-6 months while the cogs are turning!

Needless to say i will soon have 998cc engine, 1275gt engine, cheque plate panels, exhaust etc etc etc all up for Sale.............will update when i return :)

Jason :)
 
Jason,

This post on 16V Mini maybe of interest to you, he's only quoting £30 a pair for driveshafts, looks like he's done them for engines with more BHP than the Starlet will have 16vminiclub

Alan...
 
Phaeton":19rjvfss said:
Jason,

This post on 16V Mini maybe of interest to you, he's only quoting £30 a pair for driveshafts, looks like he's done them for engines with more BHP than the Starlet will have 16vminiclub

Alan...
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Thanks for this Alan might just get a set made up for that price, imstill in two minds as to use the starlet hubs or not.........wouldn't mind the buggy being wider but more money and 14's are the smallest wheels i can use! Might just message him and get some made up anyway.

Jason  ;D ;D ;D
 
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