Dutton Kit Cars and their owners

IND Rear suspension

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Comment by Adrian Southgate on January 2, 2013 at 20:47: The Phaeton, Melos, Legerra and Sierra are all the same width (within an inch) at the back Daryl. After all they all use the same axle so there can't be much difference. The wheels I have fitted to the Sierra only just sit under the edge of the arch and they have a four inch a side differential between the front face of the drum and the edge of the arch which is the same as the Legerra.

Comment by Big Vern on January 2, 2013 at 18:48: Its possible to fit double wishbone front as Andy S did on his S4 but its not clear from his pictures whether he modified the chassis to do so (if he did then technically its a mod in the prohibited zone).

I wanted to keep the donor parts standard which meant either an unfeasibly short rear top wishbone or a cut to the main chassis rails. Since my car has been off the road a long time it might be called for an inspection so I decided against the idea. Its a lot of work and adds nothing to the value of the car.

Comment by Big Vern on January 2, 2013 at 17:24: Mine says Dutton 2axle rigid body sports. Whilst it may seem that you have a lot of leeway, having your cars identity suspended pending an inspection would be at the least inconvenient, and as waves have been made regarding dutton identities doing something that could raise questions or doubt in the eyes of the authorities could prove a real headache. Keeping within the rules makes for an easier life. After all if you really wanted a kit car with mx5 running gear there are plenty of kits out there now.
As for coming a cropper - well when that happens its too late:-(
To compete in any for of Motorsport you would have to prepare your car to the rules that applied, so why preparing your road car to the rules becomes a problem is beyond me.
TBH this is getting a little off topic now.
I'm sure if Derek puts his mind to it he'll come up with a way of doing it, but I couldn't make it work the way I wanted when I tried it.

Comment by Adrian Southgate on January 2, 2013 at 17:14: At no point does the V5C state what type of axles are fitted.

Forget the escort lower suspension arms and use a double wishbone setup to support the mazda suspension units? will that work BV?

Comment by Big Vern on January 2, 2013 at 16:44: Steve, All vehicle insurance policies are null and void if the vehicle is not roadworthy in some way and that includes an incorrectly registered car. I had a car that was registered to someone else but insured by me, when I made a claim it was refused as the the car should have been registered in my name. The log book details were incorrect so the policy was deemed void.
As for the seriousness of a fatal, drunk driver, those with suspended licenses, no insurance etc could be deemed liable as the court considers they shouldn't have been on the road, so they may not have caused the accident but can still find themselves facing a serious criminal charge.

Comment by Big Vern on January 2, 2013 at 16:32: Derek, that was why I tried fitting mx5 parts and why my rebuild has taken soooo long. I've ended up back pretty much where I started with mostly Ford based running gear. The escort rear axle is well catered for spareswise, and a multilink set up can still be made to work well. Keeping it simple.
By all means go ahead I'm just relating the problems I encountered. The mx5 diff requires careful thought as the diff nose needs to be constrained or the ally 'arms' will snap off as soon as you give it a bootfull:-(
Only the later diffs have a Torsten LSD and not every 'import' has one making them just as expensive 2nd hand as a quiaff ATB for an English axle. The mx5 front uprights might be useable but not sure how you fit the bottom of the upright to the escort TCA.

Comment by Big Vern on January 2, 2013 at 16:20: Mot tester MUST refuse to test a vehicle that doesn't match the details on the log book. The computer, which is linked to vosa, asks for "reason for refusal". This then prevents the vehicle being tested elsewhere as it gets flagged for a vehicle inspection. If the inspector accepts the car then the v5c details must be updated before the car can be mot'd. If the inspector refuses the car then the reg no./identity are withdrawn and the must go through the registration process which in the case of a dutton would require a BIVA.
Thought you knew all this Ade as you mrs works for VOSA!

Comment by Adrian Southgate on January 2, 2013 at 15:56: People have managed to get robin hoods and locosts through MOT tests whilst registered as Duttons.

I know because I end up clearing up the mess with the DVLA later :-)

I personally won't worry until i've finished the phaeton and have to take it for an MOT. If that passes without query then I'll be sure to put the garage on the dutton friendly list.

I don't think the MOT tester can do anything apart from refuse the test and report you.

I'll check with my MOT tester.

Comment by Steve and Matt Pegrum on January 2, 2013 at 14:38: Regarding IVA etc I would be surprised if anything so serious in the criminal sense was true. It would however be the case that V5 would be withdrawn rather than being sent for IVA as such, and being kit cars in the first place, I would also be surprised if insurance companies could get away with retrospectively withdrawing insurance. I would imagine the MOT man would be the arbiter of that, once a year.

But as far as IRS conversion is concerned, is it really worth the effort?

Comment by Big Vern on January 2, 2013 at 14:14: I thought about that as the Sierra/Granada rear trailing arms work like that. The mx5 upright isn't ideal as its designed to work with double wishbones. You'd need to fabricate a hub/bearing carrier that accepts the mx5 rear wheel bearing and brake calliper. To my mind its a lot of work and would remove the mx5's adjustable geometry, one of its suspensions key features. I'm sure it could be achieved but I fear it could end up being a triumph of engineering over design. There are kit cars out there that use the mx5 donor and still plenty of Escort rear axles and parts. It's the decisn I've come to. Just planning to use the mx5 engine and box.

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