Project Valtezza

[Guest Paddy1970]

Hi chaps, after wantng one for many years i recently bought a Robin Hood 2B/1.6 Pinto and have been thoroughly enjoying it even though the weather is crap! The RH has given me a nice introduction into the scene and i have to say i'm hooked.

 

My current 2B....

 

 

 

Now i run a Toyota engine conversion garage for a living, we've been installing all manner of turbocharged and V6/V8 engines into Mr2s, Celicas, Starlets, Corollas, Rav4s and even the odd Lotus Elise, we've been doing that for nearly 20 years now, so i'm no stranger to big builds.

 

Owning the RH has given me the urge to build from chassis up with the engine of my choice and doing things my way using our workshop skills. I recently came across a rare chassis, known as "The Hood" , which supposedly only 8 of these were ever built (according to Richard/GBS) , it's full stainless and designed by a well known ex F1 engineer and is the racing version of the 2B. That is about all i know about the history of this chassis so if anyone can add to that i would be very grateful, there is next to no information out there that i can find apart from one other Hood being the Dunsfold Park Safety car with 1.8 Zetec fitted.

 

So, Valtezza you ask, well there is a Toyota known as the Altezza, that has a very nice 6 speed gearbox (same basic unit as the Rx8 i believe) but it is normally bolted to the 3s-ge Beams engine.

 

Now in my work we bolt Lexus and Camry V6 engines onto Mr2 transmissions daily, and the Mr2 engine is a 3s-ge variant (keep with me on this!), now in the Mr2 the transaxle tilts the 3s-ge at an angle whereas in the Altezza it straightens the 3s-ge up as you would normally expect an inline engine to be (with the exception of some like the Porsche 944 etc which are canted over)

 

Now my weapon of choice is the Lexus Rx300 1mz-fe VVti unit, 225bhp but more importantly 220lbs.ft of torque.....most of which comes on tap by 3000rpm and all the way to the redline, it's basically power everywhere in the rev range. I have stripped and rebuilt hundreds of these and they are an engineering dream.

 

The 1mz is a light engine, actually lighter than the iron block 3s-ge it would normally replace in our Mr2 installs, and following the logic above, it bolts to the Altezza gearbox. Now that is where the fun begins, the Altezza box straightens up the Vee, so no longer canted at an angle, great! Although that does give us other problems with the sump and inlet manifold etc..... more on that later.

 

So i have the basics, Altezza 6 speed, 1mz-fe Rx300 V6 (V+Altezza=Valtezza!) and the Altezza Torsen LSD unit.

 

Here are a few pics of my frame and the gearbox thrown into mock up position.

 

 

 

After speaking to Richard he informs me Zero lower arms fit this chassis and i need to make the uppers, but Richard will be supplying me these bits. I have also bought a complete 2004 Mx5 1.6 (Euphonic model) donor car that i plan to take a lot of parts from, hubs, steering, brakes, chassis loom, switches etc, the engine and gearbox from that car will end up in my 2B (sorry folks hate the Pinto!) and i also have a Eunos LSD for that car when the time comes. Please don't burn me at the stake for using Japanese running gear on both of my cars but it's what i do for a living and sits well with me, spares are also abundant.

 

If anyone can add anything interesting about the Hood i would love to hear about it, updates to this project will be slow but it will come together this year.

 

 

[brumster]

Interesting build! What a very curious looking chassis :-o I'd never heard of it until now...

[Andi]

There is a guy on the forums with a hood. I'm sure he will be on soon.

Great stuff by the way

Looking forward to this build.

[fry61]

This model from RH was on the blocks around the time we bought our 2B, we got supplied with "HOOD" logo seat-belts first time round. Without checking old papers I think the Hood was born around 2008, should be able to find in back issues of the kit mags.

[Derek]

If my memory serves me well.......

 

This chassis was very different to the 2B, the model before.

 

The Hood had a roll bar around the windscreen and rear independent (wishbone?) suspension rather than using the beam axle from the Sierra.

 

I have only seen 1 before as Andi has referred to.

 

Interesting build, best of luck, hope it comes together for you.

[Guest Paddy1970]

Thanks for the information guys it would appear to be quite a rare chassis and after inspecting it today the main frame tubes are 316 stainless but the suspension hangers and roll cage tubes are 304, quite why they used different grades I'm not sure but I will need to paint the 304 bits.

[brumster]

Stainless?! Blimey! Why make a chassis out of stainless, isn't it less ductile and more suspecptable to fracturing? How thick are the tubes (wall thickness I mean)?

[alanrichey]

The Superspec model has a stainless steel chassis and most of them are now over 10 years old and I haven't seen any reports of problems.

[brumster]

Ah good to hear; I guess provided the tubing is suitably thick enough it shouldn't be a problem...

[AndyW]

The stainless steel tubing used for the Superspec chassis was 304 grade, 38mm od and 2mm wall thickness. They are pretty meaty, and as Al says, not known for problems. The chassis on my car (2003 kit) still looks pretty clean with virtually no rust or tarnish apart from the weld areas.

[fry61]

Our 2B tubular rails are all 1.5mm ( roll bar is 2mm ) just done a top to toe inspection & clean with an oily rag, ready for MOT tomorrow & no faults/cracks found; chassis bought 2008 & 50K since IVA February 2011.

 

So far so good --- long may it continue.

 

What is the test for 304 & 316, would like to test Florin's chassis & panels.

Edited February 14, 2018 by florin metal works

[speedtripledan]

I chap called Marcus has one of the hood chassis's on the rd, it is indeed a rare beast concived around the time robin hood went bust in late 06 and the very early days of GBS before the zero. Will make a cool car with the right engine not the lightest but certainly unique...

[speedtripledan]

Stainless?! Blimey! Why make a chassis out of stainless, isn't it less ductile and more suspecptable to fracturing? How thick are the tubes (wall thickness I mean)?

nothing wrong with the strength of a stainless 2b chassis , as I found out when a big Jag rear ended me his car took a fair bit of damage. My car is still on the rd to this day...

[Guest Paddy1970]

Our 2B tubular rails are all 1.5mm ( roll bar is 2mm ) just done a top to toe inspection & clean with an oily rag, ready for MOT tomorrow & no faults/cracks found; chassis bought 2008 & 50K since IVA February 2011.

 

So far so good --- long may it continue.

 

What is the test for 304 & 316, would like to test Florin's chassis & panels.

 

"Pure" stainless tends to be non magnetic, it has more Nickel content than 304, which is magnetic to varying degrees.

 

There are exceptions to this rule, the metallurgy is pretty complicated, but as a quick test, 316 is not magnetic, 304 is.

 

So my donor Mx5 arrived yesterday, 2004 model with accident damage sourced locally for £250, 65k on the clock, i will rob this for its hubs, steering, brakes, wiring for the Hood project, and it's engine/gearbox will go into my 2B.

 

[nelmo]

Welcome to the forum! I'd do the usual 'ask any questions, lots of help on here' but I get the feeling you aren't going to need much - in fact, we're going to be asking you

 

Shame you're not closer to me as I have a Lexus RX400 as my daily car and I could do with someone who knows more about them...I also had one of the early Lexus IS220s back in 1999 - that was called the Altezza in Japan, I think (well, it was in Gran Turismo )? Both Lexus's (Lexi?) have been the best cars I've ever owned...