'66 Sunbeam Minx Project - F20C/6sp/4-link/Discs...

[VA72C10]

Awesome! Looks fantastic!

I'm sure you're excited!

I am too because it means you're closer to working on the tahoe

[dammitmitchell]

now come paint and wiring!

it's gonna beinteresting seeing you hide all the bundles. and did i overlook the brake system?
hehe were allways hungry for more!

[watahyahknow]

i think the stance is good as it is , the wheel sits nicely centered in the arch and it adds a bit to the sleeper look .
you can drive it over speedbumps comfortably without scraping the oilpan/exaust/floor
couldnt you mount some sort of screwrings like those raceshocks to lower it when needed ?

[67cheby]

this is just going to be the COOLEST car EVER !!

[panelrodder81]

The oddity of this project by its self is the coolest part but combined with the craftsmanship, I'm completely astonished with it. I wish I had an 1/8th of the skills you have then my panel truck would have much more stuff done to it! Without a doubt the coolest car of its kind that I've ever seen!

Read an editorial in a recent mag, might have been Hotrod, about moving into oddball brands/models for custom projects. The author seemed to be taking some flack over it, but seeing this makes me want to do one myself!

-Panelrodder

[thor]

Looks great! As for spring rates, I say get some break-in miles on that thing and carve some corners before purchasing softer springs. You may enjoy slicing left and right too much to go to mushier springs.

In my DD 350Z, I sometimes wish I had softer springs when I am just cruising. But when I have a burr under my saddle, I love the stiff springs in the corners. Truthfully, I enjoy driving the perfectly executed corner more than pedalling the car straight ahead, as much fun as that is.

[watahyahknow]

the springs still might settle a bit too

[thirdstreettito]

You gotta finish! C'mon buddy!

[68 Quad C10]

just ran into this build.... that is AWSOME can't wait to see it done

[propanemudtruck]

Originally Posted by thor

In my DD 350Z, I sometimes wish I had softer springs when I am just cruising. But when I have a burr under my saddle, I love the stiff springs in the corners. Truthfully, I enjoy driving the perfectly executed corner more than pedalling the car straight ahead, as much fun as that is.

I think that goes for any ride! No cars in my family, but I love to push the crew cab diesel, plow truck, s10 and especially my Shadow!


Once again, props to frizzlefry on this build, hope to see it in more articles and mags!

[Frizzle Fry]

Originally Posted by VA72C10

Awesome! Looks fantastic!

I'm sure you're excited!

I am too because it means you're closer to working on the tahoe

I was looking through my Tahoe thread the other day ...man I want to get that thing back on the road. must ...stay ...focused

Originally Posted by watahyahknow

i think the stance is good as it is , the wheel sits nicely centered in the arch and it adds a bit to the sleeper look .
you can drive it over speedbumps comfortably without scraping the oilpan/exaust/floor
couldnt you mount some sort of screwrings like those raceshocks to lower it when needed ?

I might agree with you on the stance. Sits about perfect. The good news is if it does end up 0.5"-1" lower my ground clearance will still be adequate since I tucked everything up in the framerails.

Yes, I could go with adjustable aftermarket coilovers and may when $$$ allows. That's the beauty of adapting the car to accept all those Honda bolt-ons; the whole S2000 aftermarket is available ...big brake kits, suspension, drivetrain, etc.

Originally Posted by 67cheby

this is just going to be the COOLEST car EVER !!

Thanks man. I think it stands out because it's so understated ...like it's not even trying, yet it has such great character you can't ignore it. That's what makes it cool in my eyes. Performance to back it up is just a grin enhancement feature.

Originally Posted by panelrodder81

The oddity of this project by its self is the coolest part but combined with the craftsmanship, I'm completely astonished with it. I wish I had an 1/8th of the skills you have then my panel truck would have much more stuff done to it! Without a doubt the coolest car of its kind that I've ever seen!

Read an editorial in a recent mag, might have been Hotrod, about moving into oddball brands/models for custom projects. The author seemed to be taking some flack over it, but seeing this makes me want to do one myself!

-Panelrodder

For me it's about seeing the potential in something that may not be easily recognized by the majority. I am far more drawn to oddball stuff than the standard car-show fare. I appreciate tri-5 chevys and first gen camaros or mustangs, but give me the "what's that?" factor any day. Especially if you can combine "what's that?" with just the right aesthetic and performance elements.

Originally Posted by thor

Looks great! As for spring rates, I say get some break-in miles on that thing and carve some corners before purchasing softer springs. You may enjoy slicing left and right too much to go to mushier springs.

In my DD 350Z, I sometimes wish I had softer springs when I am just cruising. But when I have a burr under my saddle, I love the stiff springs in the corners. Truthfully, I enjoy driving the perfectly executed corner more than pedalling the car straight ahead, as much fun as that is.

Oh yeah this thing was built with corner carving in mind. But, I can tell you these springs are way too heavy for two reasons.

1. The car is 1/3 lighter than the S2000
2. The shorter IFS arms and 1/1 ratio of the solid axle rear vs. IRS effectively deceases the suspension's leverage over the spings.

Originally Posted by watahyahknow

the springs still might settle a bit too

The suspension will settle, true. I will likely buy lighter springs of the same height, not shorter/lowered. Probably end up with adjustable coilovers sooner or later

Originally Posted by thirdstreettito

You gotta finish! C'mon buddy!

Thanks man! That's what I need!!!

Originally Posted by 68 Quad C10

just ran into this build.... that is AWSOME can't wait to see it done

Originally Posted by propanemudtruck

Once again, props to frizzlefry on this build, hope to see it in more articles and mags!

I just hope to see it terrorizing the track/AX/Drift events this summer

[dammitmitchell]

what everyone but the polish guys gets a response i feel so neglected.
hahaha

so how are you going to tuck/install the main harness? i dont recall seeing it?
are you going to use woven sock or the split loom? (to me the sock looks better but traps dirt like a SOB)

[Frizzle Fry]

Originally Posted by dammitmitchell

what everyone but the polish guys gets a response i feel so neglected.
hahaha

so how are you going to tuck/install the main harness? i dont recall seeing it?
are you going to use woven sock or the split loom? (to me the sock looks better but traps dirt like a SOB)

sorry man! The chassis harness is a painless 18ct. universal. The engine harness will be stock consolidated and tucked as best I can.

[Hart_Rod]

Looks great Mike!

[thor]

FF - I had no idea the Sunbeam was 1/3 lighter than a Honda S2000. That's sooooo light! Funny thing, thought of your build as I passed a yellow S2000 on my way to work and was thinking how small, nimble, and light it must be. I also thought it might be close in weight due to being built with lots of aluminum instead of steel. That's awesome that the Sunbeam is even lighter.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Nice job mike that car is perfect.....clean and easy on the eyes..

[thor]

OK, I geeked-out for a bit and had to look some things up, create a spreadsheet, and do some calcs. Here is what I found:

Honda S2000, 2.0L engine, 240hp, 2865 lbs. curb weight
Hillman (Sunbeam) Super Minx, 1.7L engine, 85-105hp, 2240 lbs. curb weight

The Sunbeam is 22% lighter than the S2000.
The S2000 is 35-44% more powerful than the Sunbeam.

The Sunbeam has 23-28 lbs. per hp and a power-to-weight ratio (PTWR) of 0.04. "Hey, I think that slug just passed us!"
The S2000 has only 12 lbs. per hp and a PTWR of 0.08.

Now, drop the S2000 engine in the Sunbeam and it has only 9 lbs. per hp and a PTWR of 0.11.
What does all this mean?
To give perspective, this car will be on par with BMW M3's and 5.0 Mustangs.

[inovermyhead]

The Sleeper to END all Sleepers!!!

Great job Frizzle!

[watahyahknow]

enter manic laughter ......

YouTube - Beach Boys - (It's The) Little...

little old lady might be a nice name for the car

[Frizzle Fry]

Originally Posted by Hart_Rod

Looks great Mike!

Thanks Rob. Saw you bought another distraction ...glad I'm not alone

Originally Posted by thor

FF - I had no idea the Sunbeam was 1/3 lighter than a Honda S2000. That's sooooo light! Funny thing, thought of your build as I passed a yellow S2000 on my way to work and was thinking how small, nimble, and light it must be. I also thought it might be close in weight due to being built with lots of aluminum instead of steel. That's awesome that the Sunbeam is even lighter.

Originally Posted by FRENCHBLUE72

Nice job mike that car is perfect.....clean and easy on the eyes..

Thanks Frenchy!

Originally Posted by thor

OK, I geeked-out for a bit and had to look some things up, create a spreadsheet, and do some calcs. Here is what I found:

Honda S2000, 2.0L engine, 240hp, 2865 lbs. curb weight
Hillman (Sunbeam) Super Minx, 1.7L engine, 85-105hp, 2240 lbs. curb weight

The Sunbeam is 22% lighter than the S2000.
The S2000 is 35-44% more powerful than the Sunbeam.

The Sunbeam has 23-28 lbs. per hp and a power-to-weight ratio (PTWR) of 0.04. "Hey, I think that slug just passed us!"
The S2000 has only 12 lbs. per hp and a PTWR of 0.08.

Now, drop the S2000 engine in the Sunbeam and it has only 9 lbs. per hp and a PTWR of 0.11.
What does all this mean?
To give perspective, this car will be on par with BMW M3's and 5.0 Mustangs.

I ran the numbers too when selecting the drivetrain I had seen a spec'ed curb weight for the Minx (not the same as Super Minx) of 2100lbs somewhere. I meant to say the S2000 weighs 1/3 more than the Minx. That figure comes from 2800-2100=700, Minx=2100, 2100/3=700.

Originally Posted by inovermyhead

The Sleeper to END all Sleepers!!!

Great job Frizzle!

Originally Posted by watahyahknow

enter manic laughter ......
YouTube - Beach Boys - (It's The) Little Old Lady From Pasadena

little old lady might be a nice name for the car

Tea and Crumpets anyone?

[Frizzle Fry]

Originally Posted by thor

OK, I geeked-out for a bit and had to look some things up, create a spreadsheet, and do some calcs. Here is what I found:

Honda S2000, 2.0L engine, 240hp, 2865 lbs. curb weight
Hillman (Sunbeam) Super Minx, 1.7L engine, 85-105hp, 2240 lbs. curb weight

The Sunbeam is 22% lighter than the S2000.
The S2000 is 35-44% more powerful than the Sunbeam.

The Sunbeam has 23-28 lbs. per hp and a power-to-weight ratio (PTWR) of 0.04. "Hey, I think that slug just passed us!"
The S2000 has only 12 lbs. per hp and a PTWR of 0.08.

Now, drop the S2000 engine in the Sunbeam and it has only 9 lbs. per hp and a PTWR of 0.11.
What does all this mean?
To give perspective, this car will be on par with BMW M3's and 5.0 Mustangs.

My Series VI Minx had an astonishing 58.5 ->link

Here's a curbweight spec for a manual trans at 2182lbs (I know I saw 2100 somewhere but oh well)->link

I am curious about the difference in engine/trans weight between the old iron block/iron case 1725/auto and the Alum/Alum F20C/6sp. I'm finding the F20c spec'ed at 326lbs. The 1725/auto will be harder to determine. I found a quote for the 1390 at 405lbs... I'll just have to weigh the whole car when it's done.

Another thing to consider on the power/weight ratio is that 240hp is the factory stock for the honda. With my header, cat delete, 2.5" free flowing exhaust, TBD (better than stock) intake, AEM EMS (aftermarket - highly tunable - engine computer), and a dyno tune it should put out more than 240 I would hope (240 is crank hp fwiw).

So, if I give it <2200lbs and 250hp that's <8.8lbs/hp or >0.1136hp/lb. Then for grins I threw in a theoretical 270hp NA and 300hp FI...

Other w/p ratios cars (credit to this thread)

• Saleen S7 Twin Turbo=750hp 3.9lb/hp
• Bugati Veyron 16.4 =987hp 4.2lb/hp
• Dodge Viper SRT-10=510hp 6.7 lb/hp
• DriftBeam~300hp 7.3lbs/hp
• Mercedes CLK=475hp 7.5lb/hp
• Chevy Corvette C6=400hp 7.95lb/hp
• Lotus Exige=243hp 8.1lb/hp
• DriftBeam~270hp 8.15lbs/hp
• Audi RS4=420hp 8.6lb/hp
• DriftBeam~250hp 8.8lbs/hp
• BMW Z4=330hp 9.1lb/hp
• Porche Boxter S=295hp 9.7lb/hp
• Subaru STI=293hp 10.3lb/hp
• Lotus Elise=190hp 10.4lb/hp
• Nissan 350Z=315hp 10.6lb/hp
• Mitsubishi Evo XI=286hp 11.18lb/hp

[thor]

Sorry 'bout that. I made the assumption that Super meant super-fast which meant super-engine which meant 1.7L vs 1.6L (though this is all brand new to me outside of the Sunbeam Tiger being the birth car of the Shelby Cobra). I also used wiki for the curb weights too which I'm sure was my ultimate undoing.

Anywho, all this to say that my original intention of posting was to show how awesome this swap is, not simply for the cool factor, but for the performance factor.

Can't wait for the next update.
Posted via Mobile Device

[PanelDeland]

The real "Grin Factor" will be when you first blow the doors off of a S2000.
I can barely believe the forethought and craftsmanship that went into this build.It just amazes me that you also did it while keeping so much of the original intact and stock looking.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by Frizzle Fry

I was looking through my Tahoe thread the other day ...man I want to get that thing back on the road. must ...stay ...focused

Flat out awesome. Now if you could just figure out how to get rid of that honda crap and fit an LS7...

just kidding, can't wait for the first drive video!

[dammitmitchell]

i love blowing doors off cars with my 6500lb truck..
i had my doors blown off in the STi a few years ago by an f350... really opened my eyes..

getting my camaros doors blown off by a SUNBEAM...
i would never tell a soul it happened...
i would lie..
lie
and lie some more claiming it's my buddy driving with a throttle restriction..