Dutton Kit Cars and their owners

rear set up

piccy of the new investment. the grand old sum of £10 for a complete rx8 rear. will it work, only one way to find out!

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Comment by Dave Adams on December 4, 2012 at 20:18: Deffo better for being wider.

Comment by Adrian Southgate on December 4, 2012 at 18:48: As promised, one 4x4 melos.

You can't see any of the underpinnings but you can see how much wider it is. Personally I really like this look for the Melos.

Comment by Dave Adams on December 4, 2012 at 17:23: There is probably more in scrap weight there than £10. Interesting project but on a dutton way way too much work to fit for almost no gain...if any. build a haynes roadster subframe and wishbones and it just might work. since spare axles are not too hard or expensive to obtain its not a route i would go down.

Comment by Paul Sheridan on December 4, 2012 at 15:24: Could be done if you move the boot section, and roll bar further back along the chassis, with out cutting the main chassis rails, for a slightly longer wheelbase. So the IRS is behind the seating tub which will need modding too.

Comment by John Allen on December 4, 2012 at 14:07: well steve if i do ever get it to go together and especially to drive i'll do u a write up for the mag! "good luck's" all round please, i need it!

Comment by Adrian Southgate on December 4, 2012 at 13:43: The Sierra based 4x4 Melos is scary in many ways, not least the grip it gets :-)

I'll find a photo when I get home from work... nice work.

Comment by Big Vern on December 4, 2012 at 13:15: Danny I admire your optimism but you rarely listen to those that have tried it already :-(

The subframe assy wont end up in the boot! The axle centreline means that half of the subframe ends up where you sit. Thats not a debatable point its plain fact. I cut an old phaeton up to find that out!

Whilst I agree theoretically you can make anything fit - to do so will require cutting the chassis and thus an IVA will be required which to my mind defeats the point. Why not just build a car that take the modern running gear you want to use, as such a kit will have been engineered to pass.

What works best on a dutton as Dave A. has already said is to make the best of what dutton originally intended. The set up although simple can be made to work very well, whilst trying to retro fit something totally different creates a whole load of problems you didn't think of yet!

Comment by Paul Sheridan on December 4, 2012 at 11:20: Interesting stuff this. So what we are looking at there in Pete's picture, is a subframe for the suspension etc! and not a lot to do with diff mounting, Is that right?

Comment by Adrian Southgate on December 4, 2012 at 11:15: MK3,4,5 Cortina style Steve?

Other way up. lower arms parallel with diff mounted top arms to stop the diff rotating.

Good for killing bushes if i remember correctly.

Comment by John Allen on December 4, 2012 at 10:43: cheers Vern for the advise. i know ur a clever boy so im sure i will be crying for help and advise soon enough. as for cutting up car Ive been a bit sneaky. I found a chap local who's selling a phaeton for pennies hence why bought this is preparation so if can get it, i can start a car from scratch. the S1 will remain untouched. couldn't bring myself to fiddle with her now after finding out she's one of only a few factory built cars in original spec.

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