1st gen tercel with fiat twin cam rwd convertion

In reply to kevlarcorolla:

Yep but right now none of it is in the budget anyways. I got it all hooked up and it cycles well.

Sounds great,watching with interest.

Well I didn't get to the 4 link last night, I did however get to work on a tool cart I have been needing for a while. I have a small roll around tool box and two regular carts but to many tools to keep it all organized. My buddy gave me a couple bread carts the other day and I had some scrap steel around and some peg board so I came up with this.

I have been looking at a bad ass box at costco for a while now but even at $599 I just can't justify it. Hell there are a few $600 tools I would like to have. So for now my file cabinets and this funky car will have to do, now to get some tools on it!

Link to costco box good deal If you can afford it! http://www.costco.com/Kirkland-Signature™-42%22-Mobile-16-Drawer-Tool-Chest.product.100148149.html

Oh I did take some front suspension pics

Over the weekend I got to mess with the rear end a little. Started fabing and tacking brackets, going off the stock rx7 rear axle mounts to custom frame mounts. Now I got to make mounts and top bars. 1st time doing a 4 link, hope my design works!

Do a 3 link,less binding and funky handling.I'd go equal lenth 3 link over a short upper/long lower based on my AE86.Also if you can,build height adjustable panhard mounts,on the axle as well would be best.Once you settle on a ride height you'll want the panhard level,once you start sorting it you'll likely find lowing the entire bar below the centerline of the axle to lower the roll center will pay off.

In reply to kevlarcorolla: I don't expect much binding with the 4" of suspension travel I am going to have and also I used heim joints so plenty of movement in them

Are you doing a triangulated 4 or a parallel 4 with a panhard bar?

In reply to Kenny_McCormic: Triangulated four link, I wanted to lose the pan hard bar if possible

Well not much progress but I did get a little more of the trunk cut out and started stripping paint for the top link brackets that I need to fab and weld in. Also got to lay the shocks in and dream what they may look like mounted.

Found out that my fiat tank had no chance of fitting so guess I'm in the market for a fuel cell being this car never had a tank since I've had it, it came with a boat tank. Anyone got a good deal on a cell in nc let me know

If I recall, the fiat gearbox has a rubber guibo rather than a universal output. What is the plan for that? Run the two piece drive-shaft or convert?

In reply to NOHOME: I hope to be able to convert to a one piece drive shaft but haven't got that far a head with the plan yet. I figured a would take all my driveshaft parts and the car to the driveline shop and get them to help me make a plan. If any of you have experience converting give me some advice.

When I did this conversion in a MG Midget, my attempt at converting to a U-joint was a disaster that resulted in the the drive shaft coming apart at the gearbox output and the tunnel being destroyed while I sat in the car. NOT fun.

Ended up shortening both shafts and keeping the pillow block. Funny enough the Fiat rear flange bolted right up to the Midget rear end.

Well it's tacked in and it cycles!

Nothing but impressed, Lomax. Great work and progress. Does the pinion angle looks good through the travel?

I know it is the next generation of my 83 starlet, but underhood, they look very similar. What you are doing out back, and with the flares is exceptional. Epic build!

Thanks man it's nice to get some intrest in my project...my wife just looks at me like I have 2 heads when I start showing her the stuff I'm doing lol really she is a good sport and spends time with me in the shop most nights but still nice to have someone else that's into building cars to share with.

I think the pinon angle looks stable in the swing of the suspension but I made the top arms a little long going to shorten them about 1/2" so I have more adjustment in them.

I've decide inboard shocks are more work than I want to mess with right now so working on shock mounts today hope to get a little done tonight and maybe some pic updates

Believe me, I understand about the supportive, yet not understanding wife.

And her car is a single overhead cam car, so I can't use your motor.

If you ever need a hand, im not too far away.

I just showed the girlfriend and my mom my progress on the Starlet. I made a mental note to show more interest in olive oils and gardening. They are so nice.

Even if I'm not posting, I am watching this build. The bar is set high as far as target (FWD to RWD= WOW), and you are clearing by a mile. Carry on.(ninja edit).

In reply to Dusterbd13: Cool man thanks for the help offer, might take you up on that sometime! I get your way for work once in a while so let me know if you need help sometime too.

Ok a little more progress on the rear suspension, these shocks have a 18mm hole and the watts link I cut off the rx7 rear axle fits perfect but I don't have another one and I messed up the threads a little removing this one so it's off to my favorite hardware store to see what they have.

They did have 18mm bolts but they were 8.8 and I wanted at least grade 10.9 they did however have 18mm to 14mm bronze flange bearings so I picked those up with some 14mm 10.9's and some 16mm ones for the bottom mounts. This is what I came up with for mounts.

It allows me to adjust the pinion angle and the ride hight. The shocks are at 45 degrees which according to speedways chart that cuts my spring rate in half. Should I make the mounts longer so the shocks are at less angle? It's all just tacked in right now so if you have advice better speak up before I weld it in lol!

Well 45 degrees for the shocks ain't going to work, they more just hinge up than compress so I decided to leave the mounts the length they are on the rear axle and invade the trunk space for the extra height I will get from standing the shocks up more, it's not like I need the trunk space. So I welded up all the mounts on the rear axle and started getting the 4 link mounts on the car gusseted in.

All very cool, man. Have you figured out the spring rate of the shocks you have? I just looked back, and couldn't find what bike they came off of. I don't have too much constructive critisism at this point, only the observation that to get much travel, some angle (not straight up and down) seems necessary. It seems to me, nailing down spring rate would be the first step, then maybe revisit the idea of bell cranks? Dunno, you may have already done the math.You obviously have the fab skills to do whatever you want. I follow loyally.

I haven't been able to find the spring rates either but figure they can always be changed as 2.5" springs should fit these shock. Thanks for the encouraging words i am going to get back at it this afternoon I hope, one of my derby friends called earlier with a skate problem so I may be working on skates all afternoon.

Top mounts have gussets now.

No work on the car tonight but wanted to share one of my other hobbies with y'all. I play roller derby and being mechanical I often get tasked with building high performance skates for derby players. Here is what I was working on tonight,

Before After

Switched out plastic plates for magnesium ones with shorter wheel base (lighter, better turning radius) moved front axle forward to get axle under joint of the big toe. Used t-nuts so it don't have nuts hanging down to snag wheels when the suspension is at full tilt. I enjoy taking the equivalent of a caddy and building it into a sports car!

Got the shocks in and let me tell you this bad boy is stiff! I think I will have to play with the spring rates at this angle but I can get her on the ground and rolling as soon as my adapters come in, hoping this week. Found an awesome company in Reno that custom makes them hub centric on both sides with a lifetime guarantee, keep a look out here for a review when they come in.

Anyone got some spare 2.5" springs 8" for a deal? Don't know what spring rate I need?