Landracing Forum
Bonneville Salt Flats Discussion => Build Diaries => Topic started by: JimL on January 24, 2009, 11:37:58 PM
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Terry Geer is started on a Gas Coupe using Prius body, but not hybrid powertrain. It will be front wheel drive, using MR2 type powertriains. We bent some tube today; here's some pics.
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MR2..?.... is that a Toyota code word for a NASCAR motor? :-D
Kent
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I imagine a V8 crossways would toe-out both front wheels about half a foot (Prius is pretty skinny). That'd be a tough ride! :-P
His plan is to get the car built and sorted with early-MR2 powertrain, then work into higher powered engines. I'll post more pics, for him, as we move along.
JimL
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The MR2 was a MID engined, REAR wheel drive, 2 seat car that Toyota built in the 80's through mid 90's, Kent.
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How many cubic inches does the MR2 displace?
DW
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How many cubic inches does the MR2 displace?
DW
2 liters "G" class
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Great idea.
Here is some interesting info on the Mr2, the engine and what was done to make one go fast:
http://www.bobnorwood.com/The%20Fastest%20Little%20Sports%20Car%20in%20Utah.htm
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I was involved in the development and dynoing of Dennis Aase's turbo MR-2 engine back in 1992. Set the Record in G/BGT @ 211 mph with fastest mile @ 218 but we broke high gear on the return run.
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Best thing I have ever seen happen to a Prius!
Dynoroom.
Say HI to Dennis Aase next time you see him, I used to race with him back in the IMSA series in the 80s.
Rex
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No problem Rex. I was working for Fischer Engineering back then with engines in the Peerless cars etc. Dennis was my hero driving that GTO then GTP car for you guys at Gurneys The accident tore me up I'm glad he made it through. He and his brother Randy are great guys.
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Best thing I have ever seen happen to a Prius!
I agree, but you still can't take the ugly out of the car. Even if it has good aero, I like to see aesthetic race cars.
I will still follow the build and progress pics. We can all learn from watching.
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Flames help a little!
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Somehow even ugly cars look good when they become race cars
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Best-looking Pius (my bad) I ever saw was the one that ran at SW a couple of years ago. Gotta picture anyone?
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This was the 797 car, in '04. Somewhere I have pics of how we got the front end so low (tunnels cut into frame/aprons so we could clock the hybrid transaxle 22 degrees...in order to get axle angles to work.) I'll try to put some of those in here, if anyone is interested. That car was actually built to accept up to 29" front tires at the ground clearance shown! Our best speed was with 26" front and 25" rear.
We could not go lower because the car comes stock with "spats" in front of the front tires, and we had them lightly touching the salt. It was hoped to bring the car back for a run at the H/Production record, but a VERY BIG crash in Japan (in 2005) pretty well ended the car. It's back together and looks like original, but will never race again.
There will probably be some interesting new cars, in the years ahead, with small frontal area and great aero (such as the new Honda Insight, which looks like a scaled down Prius). Food for thought: The '04 car had a best speed of about 135 mph on about 120-130 total horsepower. That engine was stock, running through stock manifolds, air cleaner, catalytic converter, muffler, etc. Because the project didn't get final "go" until Spring '04, there was no time to try pumping up the engine or electric transaxle. That car was a slippery little thing!
It'll be fun to see how Terry's Prius works out.
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A little more progress on the Prius Gas Coupe, today. We've fitted up the main hoops, crossbars, floor bars, etc. The rockers are drilled and we dropped the cage through to see how access will be for welding. Here's some pics of the basic arrangement; you can see the tubes sticking through the bottom, under the rockers (these will end up sitting on 1/4" thick 2x3 angle iron, that welds and bolts to the rockers with backing plates under the car)..
The notches in the center tunnel (one is hidden under the steering wheel, if you look closely) are for 1 5/8" cross tubes. There will be fore-aft tubes joining the front down tubes to the main hoop down tubes, just above rocker level. The cross tubes are designed to provide full cage through the bottom of the car (front wheel drive cars are VERY lightly built through the floor pan). Diagnonals, rear supports, etc. still have to be made up. We'll also add a full horizontal hoop ahead of the driver's feet, across the front of the foot wells....again because of the very light build of these modern cars.
I threw in a pic of the Rear Engine Modified Roadster project, hanging over the Prius. It looks short, but it's about 156" wheelbase. It has all 1 5/8" tube framework around the perimeter of the cockpit (top and bottom) to open up as much space as possible.
Busy day in Long Beach!
More to come,
Regards, JimL
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Upper cage welded, except helmet restraint hoops. Photos show the cage in "access position" (dropped through bottom of car). We'll build the floor tube assembly this weekend, to position the seat etc., then the cage moves straight up and gets the top/bottom floor pan plates and all the lower tubes (plus rear down diagonals). The floor cage welds into the main cage, after the main cage is fully placed.
It looks like we'll narrow the front track 1.3" per side, to allow for MR2 axles (there are two choices of trans and axles, to allow anything from 1.5 liter 4 cyl up to 3.65 liter V6). This will help move the tires deeper into the front fenders and still have some steering (that was a tough spot on the '04 Bonneville Prius....it wouldn't turn).
Regards, JimL
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Lower cage tubes fitted, seat position determined, driver fit is good.
Still have to fab forward firewall bar (across front of cage, ahead of pedals) and rear supports (to rear suspension boxes; multi-layer strong points). Also helmet side bars and more braces.
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More work tonight. We remade the shoulder bar (and right side tube) to match the rule book. This gained Terry some elbow room on the left side.
We've confirmed that the Prius hubs/knuckles will accept 1st generation MR2 axles. That is convenient, because those axles will fit the 2000 Celica GTS, close ratio 6-speed trans.
More to come.
JimL
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Jim,
Progress is looking good! You trying for this year?
Rex
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good evening, Rex. This is not a "this year car" (I don't think; up to what Terry can do).
It is about to get "interesting" as we've got to move the engine/transaxle and steering rack straight up. This will allow proper CV joint axle angles. The rear suspension is a trailing arm beam (stock) that will have the hub locations moved up (to lower the rear). We didn't do this on the '04 project Prius, and had wheel well intereference and rear-toe-in that was not ideal.... this car will benefit from those lessons learned.
At this point, the plan is to add another bar across the front of the cage (a horizontal hoop, ahead of the driver's feet). This will allow pedal mounting independant of whatever happens to steering rack connection angles. My goal is "non-intrusion of controls" in event the front end gets crushed. Also, by not mounting to the firewall, the pedals and steering can be relocated for shorter driver's (if necessary) in the future.
Terry wants this to be a useful long-term car....one that can run different engines and transmissions, and be serviceable and easy to work on. It certainly is a slippery shape, and pretty narrow as well.
His cage work is really sanitary, and the tubing fits are unbelievable (makes the welder happy...THANKS ROGER!!)
Regards, JimL
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Knock, knock!! Anybody home?
It's been a long time since you posted anything about the project. I am about to figure out my own cage layout and would love to see how you have progressed since the last post. I am hoping to be able to borrow some of your ideas for my cage.
Thanks
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Just noticed the post....Terry has been up to his ears in "job work", so the car project is on coast, at the moment. I know he has done a little more on the suspension stuff, but I haven't seen the car since he moved it home. Hopefully this winter I can get some pics and add to his build story.
JimL
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It looks like we'll narrow the front track 1.3" per side, to allow for MR2 axles (there are two choices of trans and axles, to allow anything from 1.5 liter 4 cyl up to 3.65 liter V6). This will help move the tires deeper into the front fenders and still have some steering (that was a tough spot on the '04 Bonneville Prius....it wouldn't turn).
The driveshaft shop can make front axles in just about any combination of CV joint/axle length you need if you run into problems.