Eddie, Just a suggestion to get some money into the coffers quickly:
Why not do a batch of 2+2 hardtops, just using the original mould, if you have it? They seem to be very sought after when they come up for sale, and it shouldn't be difficult to canvass the 2+2 owners to see how many were interested. I don't know the costs, but they are just a simple moulding, with a bought-in rear window, and second hand ones seem to be £200 - 300 each. Moulded in the correct gel coat, or sprayed to the right colour, they should be worth a lot more than that. Afraid I've just got a second-hand one for mine, or I would have been a customer. Dave. P.S. My 2+2 has the door cappings fitted that Quantum made. As you probably know, they cover the top of the original door panel and go round to meet the glass. They help get rid of the "Fiesta look", and again are simple, easy revenue earners. P.P.S. It also has the non-Fiesta dashboard, which uses the Fiesta instruments, but cut to be flat-fronted, with a shaped panel in front of them to make them look like separate instruments. (Like Robin Hood did with the Sierra ones, but better). It gets compliments, but, to be honest, could be better resolved. Really needs to be removable in parts, so that you can get at things easier, and it would be nice if the shape lent itself to being covered in leather/leathercloth. Seal of vents to heater is also a problem area at present, but shouldn't be beyond the wit of man to sort out. On Dec 14, 11:25 pm, Eddie <[email protected]> wrote: > Wow we have some ideas here. > > I think you should all now appreciate that the revampt 2+2 will not be > the last car, so people think about what is achiveable first that is > cost affective. > > Now when I do this, I automatically think along the lines of the Ka > because it is very easy to get hold of, long production run, many > performace parts on the aftermarket, a whole range of goodies on the > donnor cars like power steering etc. > > Now when the underside is done and it's on it's wheels, then it's time > toconsider the other options. The renewed dash and door cards is > something I have thought about and I am keen on, but wouldent it be > nice if it could also be fitted to the older 2+2s as well. If it's > possible, I will try to do this. However, the H4 roof is something for > me to think about, and belive me I will. > > I belive that the follow up car will be the one that I will widen and > use a different donnor, but people, that bridge will be crossed when I > am there. For now, I really want a revampt 2+2 that will be fun to > build and drive whilst enableing all year round driving. It needs to > be in the fold of the original Quantum. > > Please keep bringing on the sugestions as this is getting the creative > thoughts flowwing. > I can ashure you that all your comments are being looked into and > considered. > > Eddie > > On Dec 14, 8:21 pm, Russell Willcox > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > Jim, > > You are correct the new KA is a rebodied Fiat 500, you can find > > references to Fiat and Lancia if you look hard enough. Just to add > > my two pence worth, I congratulate Eddie on the acquisition, I know he > > is very enthusiastic. > > > Mechanics wise it would be nice to have something slightly more > > modern, but I think even the last Fiesta has a rear setup similar to the > > MK2 with a beam and drum brakes. My main factor would be the > > availability of a diesel engine. The later Fiestas had decent diesel > > engines as they were developed by Peugeot/Citroen who make good diesel > > units and having driven a few are very responsive with excellent fuel > > economy. > > > Electric power steering is also fitted to the latest model but I > > think many older Fords i.e MK1/2 escorts use the column from a VX Corsa > > which is readily available, so nothing is out of the question. I for one > > like the idea of the saloon, a fibreglass monocoque that is very useable > > as an everyday car, but I am getting old! > > > So as a final word my ideal would be a revamp of the saloon based on > > the diesel engine/mechanics from the VW/Audi/Skoda stable. I have just > > bought an A4 Avant from 1997 with 203000 miles on it and it still drives > > beautifully, all for �650. > > > Russell > > > On 14/12/2010 10:09, Jim Hearne wrote: > > > > I think the very late Ka's did have a different engine but i think > > > they are too new to be available as donors. > > > The new Ka is pretty much a Fiat isn't it ? > > > > Jim > > > > On 14/12/2010 09:53, [email protected] wrote: > > >> did the later Ka not get a 16v engine? or was it just and 8v ohc > > >> variant of the crossflow engine > > > >> you can get autoboxes for the crossflow engines in the mk3and 4 > > >> fiestas,i nearly had one in the coupe ! yuk > > > >> darren > > > >> On Dec 14, 9:35 am, Jim Hearne<[email protected]> wrote: > > >>> I think you are mixing up 2 engines. > > >>> The old Ka has only ever had a 1.3l version of the "Kent" crossflow > > >>> fitted and later on the 1.6l version in the streetka etc. > > >>> These do get very tappy, probably because the tappets are supposed > > >>> to be > > > >>> adjusted in the services but don't get done. > > > >>> The 1.25 and 1.4 engines you are thinking of are the Yamaha Zetec S 16v > > >>> which were used in the Mk4/5 Fiestas. > > >>> Also the 1.4 and 1.6 versions were used in the Focus and 1.4 and 1.7 > > >>> versions in the Puma. > > >>> These do seem to have a bearing issue, just look on ebay. > > > >>> Jim > > > >>> On 14/12/2010 09:29, [email protected] wrote: > > > >>>> Just like to add my congrats to eddie :-) > > >>>> Re: engines , i thought the 1.25 and 1.4engines from the Ka and later > > >>>> fiestas had bearing issues at relatively low mileages, even without > > >>>> failure they do seem to get very "kent" style tappy quite early in > > >>>> their lives. > > >>>> what about rover engines? the headgasket issues that plagued the early > > >>>> k series seems to have gone quiet and both std type auto and flappy > > >>>> paddle cvt gearboxes are available depending on model(see > > >>>> gearboxproblems below) > > >>>> Re:gearboxes , sorry tony,you and i would be left wanting as the Ka > > >>>> has no auto variant(if they did i would have had to get the missus a > > >>>> convertible version for her a long time ago). the late fiestas had the > > >>>> odd semi auto option (a manual but well toleranced gearbox with some > > >>>> servos and a electrical/hydraulic operated clutch system added > > >>>> on)which due to changes in weight and aerodynamics could cause some > > >>>> ecu issues , but also had the CVT that the earlier models had(almost > > >>>> exaclty the same as the one i have in the coupe),but i have only ever > > >>>> seen them on the 1.25 although it was apparently made in 1.4 as well. > > >>>> the only other option if space permitted would be the boxes from the > > >>>> late focus , a proper auto but quite a bit bigger. > > >>>> Re: other thoughts. > > >>>> a while back i did some research together with jim to find an > > >>>> alternative rear axle for coupe and 2+2 models. i measured a few > > >>>> fiesta mk3,4 and Ka axles.therewere many track variants but all were > > >>>> quite a bit wider than what we had.i will have to look the data up but > > >>>> i seem to remember it being about 70mm!! oversize. > > >>>> i dontknow what thoughts have been made of windscreen but if the > > >>>> whole body was being split centre front to rear to widen for the > > >>>> windscreen/dash then axle and engine bay width problems would also be > > >>>> resolved anyway. > > >>>> Darren > > >>>> ps Eddie if you want to mail me off list with any thoughts or to > > >>>> bounce any ideas i would love to assist as best i can > > >>>> On Dec 14, 12:08 am, Eddie<[email protected]> wrote: > > >>>>> Hi there > > >>>>> I have just checked and the Ford Puma was in production from 1997 to > > >>>>> 2001 > > >>>>> this would be a potential problem as the donor car is already 9 going > > >>>>> on 10 years old. This would mean that whilst the donor cars would be > > >>>>> cost effective now, they will soon be hard to find and parts > > >>>>> intresting to get hold of. Not good. > > >>>>> The Fiesta has gone from mk3 1989 to 1997 again now ageing, whilst > > >>>>> the > > > >>>>> mk4 was built 1995 to 2002. The mk 5 took over in 2002 and went all > > >>>>> the way to 2008 > > >>>>> these are more expensive as they get newer and thus ups the price of > > >>>>> the build. Plus the parts changes could cause problems at the design > > >>>>> stage on the Quantum shell. > > >>>>> The Ka however was built from 1996 to 2008 and that gives builders > > >>>>> the option to tailor the age of the donor to their pocket. Also the > > >>>>> suspension is near identical to the Fiesta and Puma. I do totally > > >>>>> agree that the engines are a pain, as most come with the 1.3 Ltr, > > >>>>> however there are some available with 1.6 and 1.7 engines. Work > > >>>>> may be > > > >>>>> needed at the factory to re engineer the looms to work with bigger > > >>>>> engines but I will have to find out how the IVA test will be affected > > >>>>> by changing the engine over though. > > >>>>> With regard to the thought of changing the Ka into a Quantum, the mk2 > > >>>>> Fiesta was much better when changed into the Coupe as the fiberglass > > >>>>> shell was much more ridgid and thus handled better. > > >>>>> If anyone has more thoughts please air them as you input is valuble > > >>>>> for me to make the next 2+2 an absolute winner > > >>>>> thank you > > >>>>> Eddie > > >>>>> If anyone has any ideas about engines > > >>>>> On Dec 13, 9:57 pm, Waterboy182<[email protected]> wrote: > > >>>>>> Hi Ed, > > >>>>>> My logic behind it all comes from a couple of different angles for > > >>>>>> both you and the end user... > > >>>>>> In my humble opinion whatever you base future models on needs to > > >>>>>> have > > > >>>>>> a fairly modern and potentially powerful engine range, and an > > >>>>>> already > > > >>>>>> established reputation as a sports car will add much kudos if > > >>>>>> possible. When looking at a potential base for any kit I always > > >>>>>> thought commercially one of the most important things is affordable > > >>>>>> donor availability for the immediate future, and of course it is > > >>>>>> handy > > >>>>>> if the donor has a tendency to rust making the car practically > > >>>>>> worthless! Hence previous succesful kit periods being mostly > > >>>>>> based on > > >>>>>> Cortina's, Escort's and Mini's... with the occasional Spitfire, > > >>>>>> Rover > > > >>>>>> etc thrown in! > > >>>>>> There are masses of Puma's out there suffering badly from rot, and > > >>>>>> regularly suffering from over exuberant driving so donor's are > > >>>>>> really > > > >>>>>> easy to come by and even the interiors are reasonably good, > > >>>>>> especially > > >>>>>> if you can find the leather clad ones. The 1.4 powered version would > > >>>>>> be cheap to tax and insure yet still pokey, and the 1.7 with it's > > >>>>>> uprated gearbox is probably one of the best engines in some ways put > > >>>>>> in a Ford in recent years. Obviously the Fiesta has similar heritage > > >>>>>> but will be able to offer less in the way of interior 'cred' and the > > >>>>>> engines aren't quite as desirable from the MK4 range which the > > >>>>>> Puma is > > >>>>>> based on, hence the Fiesta boys doing Puma conversions... plus of > > >>>>>> course you can take on the Puma's excellent reputation as a > > ... > > read more » -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Quantum Owners Group" group. 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