Turbo Mopar 4 in a kit car?

[ljbprrfmof]

I have been thinking about what car/chassis could you put a turbo mopar 4 cylinder in for a killer rwd/mid engine sports car.

I checked out the Factory Five challenge chassis version of their Cobra kit. Of course, you have the option of lifting the hood and seeing a Shelby valve cover. I think that has a neat psychological head jerk for those people running the big block Ford V8s, or even the small block Ford.

Power to weight would be pretty good in that car and the frame is strengthened for racing and safety.

The other idea is a Lotus 7 kit. Maybe better power to weight ratio, but I personally feel it is too small for me.

Are there any other kits out there that might make sense?

Have you seen or built a kit with this type of power train?

Mid-front-engine and rear wheel drive are the main specs, but a rear mid-engine may be a possibility too. Weight target is wet, without a driver under 2000 pounds.

Street driven and road racing is also a design target.

Safety in a collision or accident is a key concern also.

Your thoughts?

[turboaddict]

unless you have that much money ... what about putting it in a small british sports car? you could buy build and modify for probly a 1\4 of what the kits would cost themselves.

[ljbprrfmof]

I have considered those models in the past. I believe Grassroots Motorsports did an article series on a Spitfire with an RX7 drivetrain.

Weight-wise, they fall into the criteria, with most being 2000 pounds or less. Last time I tried, I wasn't very comfortable in a Midget/Sprite. TR3 or TR4's would be fun and different. An MGA is sweet to look at, but rare. MGB's are pretty common, maybe too common. A Spitfire or a TR7 would be unusual.

I guess it would be just as much fun to tweak the local Scions Of Britain British car gathering (the S.O.B.'s) when you open the hood and show off your turbo Mopar 4.

Other than the TR7, most are riding on some pretty old suspension design, but there are tons of racing mods to apply to them.

Thanks for the good thought.

[CSX321]

My friend has an old '68 Spitfire here. I've been trying to convince him we need to build a 2.2L turbo for it and take it on One Lap.

[ljbprrfmof]

The other kit car that came to mind this weekend is the Beck 550 Spyder. It is a mid-engine version of the Porsche 356.

[inmyshadow]

I've always liked the the idea of a 2.5 turbo rat rod myself. That would sound soo cool with just the downpipe as your exhaust.

If i ever did a locost7, it would be using a miata as a donor. Then turbocharge that 1.8.

[Tony Hanna]

Having owned 2 of them (1 as my first car) a Spitfire gets my vote. Though if you're considering it, you might want to immediately think about what to do about the diff. They're weak behind a stock engine and I'm certain wouldn't put up with the torque from even a bone stock TI. Aside from that, it should be a relatively easy swap. I've considered the swap before, but never really made it past thinking about a way to mate a stronger diff to the goofy transverse leaf spring IRS setup that these cars have. I suppose you could rip all that out and fab in a leaf or coil sprung solid axle but I'm sure it would affect the handling and handling is a big part of what makes those cars so much fun in the first place.

[METZ]

I would love to have a copy of the Turbo interceptor (Wraith Car). Maybe someone will offer that someday. see link below for possible supplier.

http://members.tripod.com/mcwalkerusa/dalesar.html

[glht_omni]

well i have seen a few rwd sandrails with a vw trans and adapter and i have a buddy who is into building Bradley and other kit cars utilizing the vw trans and a RWD setup. so i imagine there are alot of options, but i am not familiar with the different chassis.

[CNH320]

How about a T3 in one of these.... Not that it isn't impressive already but...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaWoo82zNUA&feature=rec-fresh"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaWoo82zNUA&feature=rec-fresh

[gkcooper]

How about a T3 in one of these.... Not that it isn't impressive already but...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaWoo82zNUA&feature=rec-fresh

Massive Cool

[BigAl]

You could get an Atom II with the supercharged ecotec motor, but now the Atom III gets a J-spec Honda 2.0.

[jamesmonty]

How about a 914 porsche? I saw a picture once of a early t1 in one. I know someone used to make an adapter for the tranny. Just find one with no rust!