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Building my Metro Supercar
Topic Started: Jul 31 2011, 11:28 PM (19,361 Views)
Coyote X


I don't have any extra parts anymore. I thought I was done with doing work to my metro until I decided it needed something different :) It is all the fault of the turbo 3 cyl that I have out back... As far as everyone wanting parts off my vert body, I am keeping it as much intact as possible in case I ever want to put it back together as something different. I have a good bit of work in it and there is no way I will be parting it out. It won't have a VIN on the chassis anyway since I will be putting it on the kit car to keep the paperwork simpler in WV. For a state that doesn't care about emissions they have some picky rules on what you are supposed to do with a car.

I probably won't know for sure what I am going to do with the suspension till I actually start doing it. If I make it pure Metro it will be easily done in time to drive it to Geopalooza but with the Tbird suspension I bet it isn't done in time and will be on a trailer as a non running almost done car. But once it is done it will be a much better handling and driving car.
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Coyote X


So back to the rear suspension. I have looked under a tbird in a parking lot and it looks like it would work with a good bit of fabrication. I still have not found a nearby junked car I can get cheap though so I will keep looking.

I am also looking for a Swift GTI with rear disk brakes so I can see how the parking brakes work on it. If the calipers have a parking brake built in and they would bolt onto the front knuckles then I would be set for using that setup. But it is near impossible to find a swift of any sort around here.

If anyone here has a GTI and some free time try and bolt the rear caliper on the front for me sometime :)
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bogs
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Duct tape heals all wounds

Where is MF when you need him, that kid has more cars and time than he knows what to do with :lol
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metromizer


Coyote, have you considered transplanting the entire fwd Metro drivetrain, engine, transaxle, axles, struts, knuckles, brakes to the rear of the kit car? Not sure if 3cyl is part of the plan here, but...

Toyota did exactly this, with the 3rd generation MR2 Spyder (2000-2005). The Spyder uses a transverse 4-cyl engine, rear transaxle and Mac strut arrangement. Not only does the rear of the Spyder have the same transverse layout, but uses the identical engine and transaxle it the back, as is used in the front of the front wheel drive Celica and Corrolla! Same trans, same axles and CV joints... not positive about the knuckles, but they sure look like fwd parts to me, employing ball joints, struts and all. The rwd vs. fwd suspension links are obviously very different (Mr2 vs. Celica), but a guy could essentially copy the principle of what Toyota did, using the Metro drivetrain. If I were designing a rear subframe that contains the pick up points in the correct locations, I might just copy the Spyder's trailing arm-strut configuration.
Edited by metromizer, Aug 19 2011, 01:43 PM.
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dayle1960
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Fastest Hampster EVER

metromizer
Aug 19 2011, 01:38 PM
Coyote, have you considered transplanting the entire fwd Metro drivetrain, engine, transaxle, axles, struts, knuckles, brakes to the rear of the kit car? Not sure if 3cyl is part of the plan here, but...

Toyota did exactly this, with the 3rd generation MR2 Spyder (2000-2005). The Spyder uses a transverse 4-cyl engine, rear transaxle and Mac strut arrangement. Not only does the rear of the Spyder have the same transverse layout, but uses the identical engine and transaxle it the back, as is used in the front of the front wheel drive Celica and Corrolla! Same trans, same axles and CV joints... not positive about the knuckles, but they sure look like fwd parts to me, employing ball joints, struts and all. The rwd vs. fwd suspension links are obviously very different (Mr2 vs. Celica), but a guy could essentially copy the principle of what Toyota did, using the Metro drivetrain. If I were designing a rear subframe that contains the pick up points in the correct locations, I might just copy the Spyder's trailing arm-strut configuration.
I hate smart people.

Metromiser, it sure is nice to have members like you. It keeps mere mortals like myself in awe of your knowledge.

Thanks for being a member.

Terry
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Coche Blanco
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Troll Certified

Run two steering racks and hook an electric servo to the rear one. 4 wheel steering like the preludes!
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metromizer


dayle1960
Aug 19 2011, 02:08 PM
Metromiser, it sure is nice to have members like you. It keeps mere mortals like myself in awe of your knowledge.

Thanks for being a member.

Terry
thanks Terry :cheers

this is one of my favorite places to hang out, great people, helping each other.
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bogs
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Duct tape heals all wounds

metromizer
Aug 19 2011, 01:38 PM
Coyote, have you considered transplanting the entire fwd Metro drivetrain, engine, transaxle, axles, struts, knuckles, brakes to the rear of the kit car? Not sure if 3cyl is part of the plan here, but...
Look about 2-4 posts up, that was the last topic discussed, my reasoning being what you stated toyota did :)
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Coyote X


Fitting the entire front end in the back is my #1 choice but I have a small issue with getting a working parking brake like that. That is where I have to figure out how the GTI does it with rear disk brakes. If it is like a lot of other cars, there is a ratchet thing on the caliper, and if I can put the back calipers on the front spindles. I would be set.

I have not found an exploded diagram of the rear disk setup on a Swift and I really doubt I will find a swift around here to measure so it is still up in the air on what rear suspension to use.

On the plus side the house I am remodeling is almost done so I should be able to start doing something on it soon. Most likely I will just be stripping down the kit car body until I really have an idea of what I am building.
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Coyote X


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better late than never. I am still not really 100% ready to get going on this for reasons many of you probably know, but if I don't start I will end up missing the entire summer. So I cut the 500 out of the back of the Manta and will see what I can figure out from there.
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Scoobs
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:D

Looks like a good start, You had to start somewhere didnt you? Great job :D Looking foward to updates.
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Johnny Mullet
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Fear the Mullet

:drool
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bogs
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Duct tape heals all wounds

Sure does look like a good start :thumb
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Coyote X



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So getting rid of the square headlights is the first thing I need to do and while the car is basically ripped apart it is the best time to get started on it. I marked and cut out the holes and right now there is a single layer of fiberglass closing the gap on top of the new buckets. I will let that dry solid overnight then I can go around the joint and grind out a wide area on half of it at a time so it doesn't move and fill the joint properly. Now the only hard part is to find a good set of round headlight buckets. I haven’t seen one in a junkyard in years.
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Coyote X


Chugging right along...

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Got the fiberglass work done on the round headlight frames. They are now solidly attached and look good. I will probably sand them down to close to the finished level and put a bit of paint on them for now. I will smooth them out perfectly when it is time to paint the car.
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