Newbie Help

[Guest deano]

Hi all

 

In the need for some help ive just purchased a rh in bits its been on the road and registered the guy moved house and stripped the car down as he said the steering wouldn't self centre,

The car is a monocoque chassis built around a sierra donor, it has the on board shock set up the problem i have is that he's cut away all the mounting points so no where to mount anything,

 

so questions are!!

 

What model is it, built 97

what are the dimensions for the suspension width of track etc etc

Has any one tried fitting double wishbones on the front (semi space frame???)

 

 

Hope some one can help

[Big Jim]

it has the on board shock set up

that sounds like a mark 3 or 3a, but we'd need to see a piccy if possible.

What has been cut off?

Also go to "my profile" and put your location in, you might get someone to nip round to help you out then.

[Guest deano]

ill will try and get a picture on sometime tomorrow,

Basically i have the 2 what you would call wings,bonnet on top then nowt nose cone is all empty no where to bolt suspension put a rad etc etc

[Big Jim]

Before anyone can help you, we need to know just what model we're talking about.

 

Going backwards from the 2B, which has a tubular chassis, there was last of all the new mark 3, the mark 3, and the 3A.

Very few "new mark 3's were made, but these had outboard coil over shockers mounted very similar to what the wishbone 2B is like.

The mark 3 & 3A is the same car, near enough. it has inboard coil overs in front of the radiator, with the top RH 'Y' shaped wishbones pivoting in a channel that is part of the body panels. the bottom track control arm is the standard Sierra one.

The Exmo has 'buttress' pillars (rather like a pair of suspension bridge 'ends') with McPherson struts directly into the top of the hub casting, again the bottom track control arm is Sierra,

the mark 2 (if my memory serves me correctly, has the same front suspension as the mark 3, it's the rear of the car that's different, again relatively not many made)

the Sierra series 1, sometimes called the S7, has the same 'Y' shaped top wishbone as the mark 3, but it's held in an angle iron frame, the bottom part is the same.

The Cortina (reversed subframe) is also referred to as an S7, and has an ugly lump of Cortina front suspension at the front .

 

the piccy is a mark 3 or 3A, you can see the coil overs in front of the radiator, these are at a different angle to 'normal' the 'V' made with the normal set up isn't as 'flat'

[Guest mikerj]

The Cortina (reversed subframe) is also referred to as an S7, and has an ugly lump of Cortina front suspension at the front .

Is the Cortina subframe literaly bolted on back to front compared to how it's used in the Cortina? If so then the castor angles must be a little suspect to say the least!

[Guest deano]

Cheers Jim it looks like its a 3 3a had another look this afternoon found whats left of the mounting plates, it does indeed have a sierra bottom arm with like a compression arm on it that would bolt down the side and this goes into bottom arm were sierra roll bar would be.

Has any one converted to wish bones or stuck with in boards as it looks like im going to have to fabricate a front end

 

 

 

Cheers

[Big Jim]

Ah! slow down, it could still be a mark 1 Sierra. The piccy underneath is another photo of the mark 3 (mine) which is identical, apart from how the top 'Y' shaped 'wishbone' is held. Mine is in a box channel made from stainless, whereas the mark one has an angle iron subframe affair (& I don't have a good piccy of one of those, yet)

This suspension works just fine. there are a couple of mods that can be carried out to it to 'tune' it, but let's cross that bridge when we find out what you have.

 

A photo would work wonders. borrow a camera.

[swan]

Jim

 

had a look at a mk2 brochure and as you said the front suspension does look the same as the mk3

 

What is the difference with the back end on the mk2 and 3 , was it mechanical or cosmetic?

 

hope you can help

swan

[Big Jim]

I'm not sure about the mechanics, ie. suspenders, the one that I know about had the sierra springs, with "retaining ropes" to stop them coming out at full rebound, (these "ropes" were changed for some other method on that particular car) that suspension is the same as under the sierra mark 1.

The rear end of the car (if I remember correctly) was more sloped forward, making the boot somewhat smaller, the dash bottom edge was also straight across similar to the sierra mark 1.

[Guest deano]

Right see if this pic comes out, may not be to clever as its off me phone

[Guest deano]

woo hoo it worked

[Guest deano]

Also the guy told me it was built for a rover v8 as it has a big tunnel????????????

[Big Jim]

Well Gary, yes it's a mark 3 (or3A) but rather you than me!!

he's made a right old mess of it!

there was a few years ago, a member who made up some frames to bolt onto the front of the engine bay, which incorporated a wishbone front end as well. unfortunately I can't help you with anything else about it.

by the photo's, it looks like it's been owned by the Texas chainsaw madman!!

I hope that you didn't pay anything for it!

If you do decide to "dispose" of it, let me know, as there is something on it that will come in useful.

[Guest deano]

Well i gave the guy £300 for it got everything bar the engine you name its there rear end seats carpets etc etc as been into superstox racing im quite handy with the welder as they are single seat specials was thinking along the line of a space frame with wish bone front end etc etc the welding is not at all clever engine mountings etc so was going to sort that out have you heard of a v8 in one??

 

 

is there any one that would be able to give me all the dimensions for the front end width lenght etc etc emailed robin hood asked for some help didnt get no joy

 

Cheers

[Big Jim]

So just what do you intend to do with it? as I see it, your options are:-----

 

Scrap it and use the bits for another one. (tell ME first!)

 

Buy another mark 3 tub from RHSC, I know that they still have one or two. I wouldn't know how much they would cost though. then you could rebuild it as it should be.

 

Make a new stainless top channel to support the original suspension, and weld it back in place. ********** (see note at the bottom)

 

Design and make your own "bolt on" space frame and wishbones for the front end.

 

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There are a number of these around with Rover v8's in, they are tight, but do fit.

 

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******** If you want to remake the top channel, then I will strip the front off mine and get all the measurements for you, but it'll cost you a couple of pints at Newark!!

 

go to our website & e-mail me with your "proper" e-mail address.