looking to upgrade chassis

[lardy40]

Thinking about doing away with the Ital live axle and going to a di-deon configuration, are there any companys that would do this retro fit to a 94 super seven? ie brackets and alinement,looking to reskin and powder coat chassis at the same time. also what dif is used and what halfshafts? are they a Caterham item or can i keep the costs down.. sourcing from breakers? Im going down this road with the intentions of replacing the x-flow for Zetec or Duratech in the next couple of years.

Many thanks

Lardy

[Kevsta]

Do you have a longin to keep this car? If not then I would think it would be cheaper and easier to sell and buy a car with some of what you want (at least dedion). Then you can upgrade engine as you please. Certainly Duratec is not a cheap option and could be near the cost of your car now to upgrade.

 

Just my thoughts. But if you are doing a slow rebuild process and want to keep your car then ok. I would think Arch could re-do the rear end with brackets etc and then do the reskin. Not a cheap job though, certainly in the four figure area! If I were you I would cost everything up that you want to do to the car and see how much it would cost to buy one close to that as a spec.

[lardy40]

In the long run yes it would be an option....and i did have plans to buy new next year,but it seems that my Ex has cleared out my account to the sum of 140k ahh gone have the dreams of a new Caterham! so a slow rebuilt is the new plan!

[CharlesElliott]

I'm sure Arch could do the chassis and reskin (in fact, they are probably the only people that could do it) but it would be expensive.

 

The diff is from a Sierra (with some case modifications) but the halfshafts are Caterham only.

 

Charles

---

My SuperGraduates 2006 diary

My SuperGraduates 2005 diary, My Caterham Academy 2004 build and race diary

[Nifty]

Arch would be the only company I would consider since they know these things inside out and have all the jigs.

 

Take heed on the cost of this, I had a blasting, repowder coat and reskin and it was well into four figures .. and I had no chassis mods and stripped the car to the chassis (including removing bodyskin) myself.

 

Along with a few others on here I must have bought my car at least twice by now.

If the challenge of doing the mechanical work yourself is part of the fun of ownership, as it with me, then fine, but if you just want the end result at minimum cost I'd suggest you look at the option to sell and buy another.

 

Keep off the straight and narrow 😬

[DaveMorris]

I'd talk to arch about this if I were you.

I've just had a long front put back onto a LA chassis and discussed teh de-dion option at the same time. IIRC it's not just the bits around the diff that are different and Arch was none too keep to convert a LA chassis to a De-dion.

Also puting a LA chassis plate onto a completely new chassis is not an option AFAIK. Cost is another thing !

 

FWIW I've still got my '87 de-dion chassied s'sprint available if you go that way 😬

 

Dave

 

X-flow(er) power now resting. Trying Vx for a change.

[simon redshaw]

I saw an e-bay auction for a de-deon vauxhall injection car and the price was at £6500! Might still be on!

 

Flog your car, buy this and spend a few grand to give some TLC!

 

I have gone English axle and you really cannot change to De-deon as your chasis number is specific to its typr of configuration.

 

 

 

Simon7R

[Tom_C]

That VX went for 9600 and was pretty tidy. I looked at it for someone on the 7s list, and whilst it needed some cosmetic work I reckon for a dry-sumped car that was a steal.

 

 

BTW please give generously to Bundle's Big Charity Walk for Asthma research here Ta.

 

Cheers

 

Tom

 

FH54WLX

 

see here - UPDATED again

[NevDyson]

Lardy,

 

I looked into the exact same changes after killing my Live axle, and starting on the rebuild. I spoke to Bruce at length and unfortunately the answer was that because there are significant differances between the LA and DeDion cars he would not be willing to do the alterations, on the basis that it was not economically viable, nor something he would want to undertake.

 

He did however say that there were a number of conversions, sanctioned by CC, but the changes required an additional chasis to cut and weld onto the front of the LA chassis. I can only Presume this to keep the original stamped Chassis number.

 

I have decided to fit a English with Rose bearing instead of the A frqme bush, it seems the most sensible way forward.

 

 

Q361 ANJ here

 

 

 

 

[lardy40]

Many thanks for the great advice,,,,it does give me something to think about.

regards to all

Lardy

[Sheds Moderator]

Usual advice to car builders applies: don't build it if you can buy it. However rough your LA XF car is it will always fetch 6k. For a lot less than 8k you could have had my 96 1.4kss - in great order albeit a bit battered with dedion, dry sump, lots of toys. £2k is a drop in the ocean compared to a resto cost.

 

Of course if you have decided to do it for its own sake, then that's your choice. Restoration is seldom economically viable after all, and plenty of people do it, enjoy the process and have no regrets. That's fine as long as they are happy. The time it's sad is when you see them 3 years on, it's still unfinished and they say "y'know I would have been better not doing this, I've spent a fortune and I'm not using the thing.."