Building an Austin Healey Montecarlo?
Posted: June 11th, 2012, 5:24 pm
Hi everyone.
Just joined the GC club. To date, I have been an MG purist and completed 3 renovations from MGB to midget and now to MGC GT.
However, I am a soft top lover at heart and decided to break the mold and switch to a quick road car. I thought about a K series 1.8 VVC midget, but something more exciting and challenging came along, an Austin Healey 1966 Mk 3 sprite with a 2 litre Lancia twin cam engine, sitting in the engine bay without a bonnet bulge. I have heard the engine go and having got it home have started to get back to chassis for ground up renovation.
Talking to everyone and GC about the engine is a way off yet, because initially, I need to come to terms with the rest of the car. This car is a real mish mash and I could do with opinions and advice on what to keep, what to change to and what body modifications need to be made to cater for any changes.
The car currently has: -
1. Ford cortina gearbox attached to a Lancia bellhousing.
2. Triumph propshaft.
3. Triumph fuel tank repositioned in the boot.
4. BMW battery repositioned in the boot.
5. Citroen radiator and fan.
6. The wiring loom appears predominantly Lancia, with Austin Healey sprite end bits.
7. Everything else in the engine bay appears Lancia Montecarlo, but I am still analysing bits. The car appears standard webber off the Lancia
8. I am none too sure about the exhaust system, although it does look pretty good and fits the sprite well, now that the fuel tank has been moved.
9. The front and rear axles and suspension and brakes appear standard sprite.
10. The dashboard is sprite.
11. The seats are the rather beautiful old red Lancia seats, which are definitely staying.
12. The wheels are Mazda and the tyres certainly wider than standard sprite.
Here is my dilemma. What do I not keep and if so, what do I change to, if I want to have a sprite, which will do 0-60 in 6 seconds and say 130 mph.
Initial thoughts: -
a) I am advised that the gearbox may not be up to it and a ford type 9 or ford MT75 would do the trick. I think this depends upon what I have to do to widen the tunnel and how I reinforce the chassis, but not sure. Also, what do I do about the bellhousing.
b) Somebody has recommended triumph spitfire coil over springs front suspension set up.
c) I assume upgrading front discs and I do have spare MGC calipers and 9" discs.
d) I have read about Ford Anglia 105E rear axles being good upgrades and just small enough to fit a sprite (with flared wheel arches).
e) The chassis will shortly be blasted and phosphated and I will arrange for all seam welding and roll bar fitted.
Being new to the forum, I do not know what everyone elses experience is with mish mash cars and whether my questions are out of place. This one started off a marriage between a Montecarlo and a sprite and I am determined to work around the Lancia engine and create a good looking quick wolf in sheeps clothing. I know of one other Lancia midget in Ireland and it is quicker on hill climbs than the K series midget rivals, Enough said!
Any thoughts? My budget is say £8-10,000 and I reckon to lose £3,500 on the blasting and paint job and goodness knows on the engine.
Tony (still not sure what he has taken on)
Just joined the GC club. To date, I have been an MG purist and completed 3 renovations from MGB to midget and now to MGC GT.
However, I am a soft top lover at heart and decided to break the mold and switch to a quick road car. I thought about a K series 1.8 VVC midget, but something more exciting and challenging came along, an Austin Healey 1966 Mk 3 sprite with a 2 litre Lancia twin cam engine, sitting in the engine bay without a bonnet bulge. I have heard the engine go and having got it home have started to get back to chassis for ground up renovation.
Talking to everyone and GC about the engine is a way off yet, because initially, I need to come to terms with the rest of the car. This car is a real mish mash and I could do with opinions and advice on what to keep, what to change to and what body modifications need to be made to cater for any changes.
The car currently has: -
1. Ford cortina gearbox attached to a Lancia bellhousing.
2. Triumph propshaft.
3. Triumph fuel tank repositioned in the boot.
4. BMW battery repositioned in the boot.
5. Citroen radiator and fan.
6. The wiring loom appears predominantly Lancia, with Austin Healey sprite end bits.
7. Everything else in the engine bay appears Lancia Montecarlo, but I am still analysing bits. The car appears standard webber off the Lancia
8. I am none too sure about the exhaust system, although it does look pretty good and fits the sprite well, now that the fuel tank has been moved.
9. The front and rear axles and suspension and brakes appear standard sprite.
10. The dashboard is sprite.
11. The seats are the rather beautiful old red Lancia seats, which are definitely staying.
12. The wheels are Mazda and the tyres certainly wider than standard sprite.
Here is my dilemma. What do I not keep and if so, what do I change to, if I want to have a sprite, which will do 0-60 in 6 seconds and say 130 mph.
Initial thoughts: -
a) I am advised that the gearbox may not be up to it and a ford type 9 or ford MT75 would do the trick. I think this depends upon what I have to do to widen the tunnel and how I reinforce the chassis, but not sure. Also, what do I do about the bellhousing.
b) Somebody has recommended triumph spitfire coil over springs front suspension set up.
c) I assume upgrading front discs and I do have spare MGC calipers and 9" discs.
d) I have read about Ford Anglia 105E rear axles being good upgrades and just small enough to fit a sprite (with flared wheel arches).
e) The chassis will shortly be blasted and phosphated and I will arrange for all seam welding and roll bar fitted.
Being new to the forum, I do not know what everyone elses experience is with mish mash cars and whether my questions are out of place. This one started off a marriage between a Montecarlo and a sprite and I am determined to work around the Lancia engine and create a good looking quick wolf in sheeps clothing. I know of one other Lancia midget in Ireland and it is quicker on hill climbs than the K series midget rivals, Enough said!
Any thoughts? My budget is say £8-10,000 and I reckon to lose £3,500 on the blasting and paint job and goodness knows on the engine.
Tony (still not sure what he has taken on)