Marc's ridiculous new project idea



  • This is not a ridiculous idea. It just sounds like the next step for you into the cave of MX-3 obsession… You'll find me down there :D



  • I love the idea!!, is it easy to get hold of a 323 4x4 parts ? normally they go for a few grand when on ebay as they are quite rare now.



  • i love your ideas, never the simpler option

    If i had time and money on my side i would be going down the V8 rear wheel drive route or rotary conversion



  • Definately a good exercise in engineering this one! albeit expensive? but fun! Do worry that getting hold of good 323 parts will be quite a challenge as alot of them got rallied, and as Garfy mentioned quite rare intact ones nowadays fetch decent money, not that I want to put a downer on things you understand :)

    Not tempted to go the whole hog and build your own exhaust manifold?

    Will be a beast no doubt, so good luck and if you need anything spun shout me up :wink:



  • Thanks y'all. I've already sourced a GTR and GTX rear, I just need to decide which. GTR costs more but is 5 stud and stiffer sway bar. Cost is acceptable. My KL partout should fund the majority of this project.

    Dan probably sooty yea, may as well. Least rust out of my 3, and apparently better the devil you know sometimes!

    Foxy, yea that was a concern, but now I've 2 rear assemblies to choose from! I am a bit tempted, but they're cheaper than I could make them for in many cases. I'll probably buy a cheapo and mod it for whatever flange I want. I'll make my own downpipe though, 3" hopefully. And thanks, it's good to have a spinner contact :)



  • cool I can stop worrying now then hahaha.



  • Holy fook you're one crazy man! This'll be awesome!

    What'll you be driving until the project is complete?



  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvOHbxBAEN8

    "Your crazy man, i like you but… your crazy"

    :D



  • is it a 50/50 power split? I bet that first 4 wheel power drift will be fun :lol:



  • Yep 50:50… oh you've no idea how I look forward to seeing an mx3 go sideways, without snow, rain or trays under the back wheels :lol:

    I'll be driving my old red mx3. So long as it hangs together.



  • Marc could you not bolt the fe3 engine to the awd system? Could could target 400hp then!.



  • Haha already looked into that. You have to tilt the fe3 at a fair angle to mate it up. Pity seems like a sweet engine, I even found a donar car on eBay! However parts for the BP are so much more common and cheap. So forged bottom end is good for alot more than 300 ;) should be sweet!



  • whats 200cc between friends anyhow!, cant wait to see start of project. ( hint make sure you keep me dibbed on the lsd box if you dont use it :D )



  • haha yea, plus it'll be bored 40/60 over so near enough 1.9 :lol: Weird downgrading in displacement to make more useable power, but I think it will work out :) Yep no problem, your dibs is noted!



  • Eh up - this isn't barry. this is someone else. I need to ask:

    What are the advangtages of fitting the 323 4x4 rear end as opposed to something like mx5, 200sx etc? do some components already line up like the strut towers or subframe mounts?

    Also, why not forego the gearbox adaptor and keep the 3sgte? they aren't pricey and have huge power potential.

    Do you reckon this is gonna need an iva/sva - especially considering the trans tunnel you'll have to cut in the floor pan?

    Lastly barrys youtube comment was hilarious.

    Over zealous use of smilies that the sxoc don't have:
    :D :o :? :lol: :evil: :twisted: :!: :?: :idea: :arrow:

    Cheers, snippyt (sxoc)



  • Hey there!

    The advantages are:
    yes exactly it makes life much easier for the suspension, even brakes have commononality
    the dimensions are very close to the mx3
    the GTX/R subframe is very compact (compared to mx5, gt4 etc)
    the mx5 subframe is cheaper but the dimensions made it impractical
    it's the same core chassis (BG) whilst being different it's alot easier than using a completely different cars
    it's been proven to work already by others

    3sgte, fair question, I'd thought about it, but I dunno, I guess it's a mazda loyality! :lol:
    There's alot of aftermarket support for both engines. With the mazda BP I know FWD it is plug and play - dimensions, loom, hoses etc… With the 3sgte I'd have a much steeper learning curve and despite eliminating the adapter plate I don't think it's going make life sufficiently easier to justify it. Seems parts are a bit cheaper for BP with the massive mx5 market. Displacement and weight differences are pretty much negligible.

    IVA, to be honest I haven't concerned myself too much. If this car can't be made road legal it will be exclusive to track. I'd be dissappointed though. However trans tunnel hasn't been necessary at all for previous AWD mx3s. The exhaust tunnel for the most part is sufficient. That's why I went AWD and not RWD, AWD you get the transfer box, not a box ploughing through the firewall. The only serious structural changes will be that of the subframes and chopping out the spare wheel well.

    So there's my thoughts! It's a big project, but I'm not exactly breaking new ground here, the only thing I'm doing different to everyone else is using the gt4 gearbox, as the GTR one isn't the strongest. So I'm doing whats been proven to work, just with a better gearbox :) :lol:



  • fair deal on the subframe - do you have any diff options? I'm assuming the final drive has to be the same at either end to stop the centre diff eating itself?

    personally I love the 3sgte, but i totally get the loyalty :D

    thats pretty lucky the prop fitting in the exhaust tunnel - do you reckon mazda were planning a 4wd mx3 when they designed it?

    i'm gonna be checking in on this thread, sounds epic! good luck :D

    snippyt



  • I know your doing most of the work yourself Marc but have you worked out a rough budget out of interest ?



  • Amazing project !!

    Do you live at a junkyard where you're constantly looking for new projects ?? 8)



  • Yep sure does. There is a match with certain st205s and mazda rear diffs. Getting hold of these will be tricky though, they're not the more common ones. So I can see the toyota diff getting adapted in yet! Again this has already been done, more work though! And more for the IVA to poke about. Realistically going to be a Q plate anyway.

    Haha well the gtx/r tunnel is quite shallow too, maybe just a lazy chassis thing. One of the old skool mazda guru techs said some mx3s actually had part of the stamped 4wd floor pan from factory.

    Yea I hope it works out, the worst result is a part out. I'd at least be left with a forged BP I could fairly easily use in an fwd mx3 or an mx5 :) Financially all I stand to lose is an mx3 shell and a load of expensive argon :lol: And thanks for the luck, I'll need it!

    Ahh I dare not evaluate the budget too much, minimum:
    engine, anc, loom etc £200
    complete rear £300
    toyota box & bits £150-200
    Prop £50
    Adapter £150+

    Garfy, So hopefully not too far beyond 1k should get most of the swap and AWD sorted. Then getting the power will probably be the bigger cost.

    whitefinish, thanks though it's not yet… still a concept! I won't believe it until it's done, neither should anyone else :wink: And no lol junkyards here think they're selling gold plated parts. I really would rather have kept this quiet, that way failure is a secret :lol: But it's great getting things bounced off me to keep it going. Meh nothing ventured nothing gained!


 

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