A chance to talk mostly about Bolwell Sports Cars.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Daniel's Milano.
Lots of potential here. Unfortunately the Austin A40 chassis is rusty, twisted and beyond redemption. Daniel doesn't want to go the A40 route again for a number of reasons. To fabricate a chassis for this car, where does he start?
The original intention was for use of Austin 7 chassis & running gear apparently. So, anything with an 88 to 91" wheelbase and something like 48" track with skinny wheels will be possible. The first question should be "do I intend to register it?" followed by "is it to be a road car?" and then "do I want to race it?". If it's yes, yes and no then I'd suggest doing a wee cheat. Start with something like an Anglia, Morris 10 or similar chassis (ie something pre 1950!), box the rails, add new cross members as needed, install a narrow front end like a Herald and a narrow Anglia rear axle. Stay with the same make engine as the chassis, call it a tourer from that manufacturer and the year of the chassis, Pretty easy to slip in on the rego. If the last answer is yes, one could fit Miata front & rear suspension but then the body needs widening somehow, either cut and widened or largish guard flares/bulges. A late Miata (08 on) in something like this would be interesting. Art
Hmm - fairly high unsprung weight suspension. Is the engine/gearbox a B series? Sure looks like it so I suspect donor MGB mechanicals, hung on the stated A40 chassis. If so then a light tube frame like a Mk4 isn't a good idea, too much dead British metal in poor locations to work well. It's going to need sturdy Yank style ladder chassis frame rails or a strong central twin tube chassis ala AC Bristol. Look to the British sports cars of the 50's if he is determined to build a chassis. Was the car previously road registered and does Daniel have some sort of papers to prove that? Art
Having had a real good look at the only photo published, I'll change some of the previous post. It would appear that the Milano was actually an A40 with a glass body. no? Drum brakes and all, likely only an A series motor originally. Danial has discovered that B series engines with gearboxes into A40 chassis don't go. Now he is looking for a way to fit said British dead weight into some other frame to get it in under that sexy body, having already acquired the dead weight, yes? He'd better get a tape measure onto a real MGB for width across the body. From memory there was a significant difference between the Milano and the MGA, let alone the fatter MGB. The engine height will likely also be an issue unless he's prepared to dry sump it or have a good sized (and ugly) bulge. It might not be a good mechanical choice. Art
There were 3 different body sizes in the open Monza style bodies all with differing widths and wheelbases, the 750, 850 and 1000. The 750 was designed for Austin 7 chassis, the 850 for Morris 10, MG etc and the 1000 is what they put the Holden 6s in. Daniel's looks like a 750 (forgive me if I'm wrong) which means the body would have to be widened and possibly lengthened to use the Mark 4 chassis. Steve reckons there's nothing wrong with the A40 chassis anyway and you could still use your MG disc brakes etc. A reasonable A40 chassis shouldn't be hard to find.
10 comments:
How different are the dimensions compared to a Mk 4?
Steve would know that seeing he's had both. Could be food for thought. There are plans for the mark 4 chassis.
Agreed
What do the dimensions of the chassis need to be for the Milano? Wheelbase? Track? How wide between the sides of the body?
The original intention was for use of Austin 7 chassis & running gear apparently.
So, anything with an 88 to 91" wheelbase and something like 48" track with skinny wheels will be possible.
The first question should be "do I intend to register it?" followed by "is it to be a road car?" and then "do I want to race it?".
If it's yes, yes and no then I'd suggest doing a wee cheat.
Start with something like an Anglia, Morris 10 or similar chassis (ie something pre 1950!), box the rails, add new cross members as needed, install a narrow front end like a Herald and a narrow Anglia rear axle.
Stay with the same make engine as the chassis, call it a tourer from that manufacturer and the year of the chassis,
Pretty easy to slip in on the rego.
If the last answer is yes, one could fit Miata front & rear suspension but then the body needs widening somehow, either cut and widened or largish guard flares/bulges.
A late Miata (08 on) in something like this would be interesting.
Art
And if he doesn't snap this
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Alfa-Romeo-Milano-rear-deck-lid-metal-emblem-/290537041297?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item43a55b6d91
up, he's daft.
Art
He wants to retain his MGB suspension.
Hmm - fairly high unsprung weight suspension.
Is the engine/gearbox a B series?
Sure looks like it so I suspect donor MGB mechanicals, hung on the stated A40 chassis.
If so then a light tube frame like a Mk4 isn't a good idea, too much dead British metal in poor locations to work well.
It's going to need sturdy Yank style ladder chassis frame rails or a strong central twin tube chassis ala AC Bristol.
Look to the British sports cars of the 50's if he is determined to build a chassis.
Was the car previously road registered and does Daniel have some sort of papers to prove that?
Art
Having had a real good look at the only photo published, I'll change some of the previous post.
It would appear that the Milano was actually an A40 with a glass body. no?
Drum brakes and all, likely only an A series motor originally.
Danial has discovered that B series engines with gearboxes into A40 chassis don't go.
Now he is looking for a way to fit said British dead weight into some other frame to get it in under that sexy body, having already acquired the dead weight, yes?
He'd better get a tape measure onto a real MGB for width across the body.
From memory there was a significant difference between the Milano and the MGA, let alone the fatter MGB.
The engine height will likely also be an issue unless he's prepared to dry sump it or have a good sized (and ugly) bulge.
It might not be a good mechanical choice.
Art
There were 3 different body sizes in the open Monza style bodies all with differing widths and wheelbases, the 750, 850 and 1000. The 750 was designed for Austin 7 chassis, the 850 for Morris 10, MG etc and the 1000 is what they put the Holden 6s in. Daniel's looks like a 750 (forgive me if I'm wrong) which means the body would have to be widened and possibly lengthened to use the Mark 4 chassis. Steve reckons there's nothing wrong with the A40 chassis anyway and you could still use your MG disc brakes etc. A reasonable A40 chassis shouldn't be hard to find.
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