Mighty boy with *complete* '09-'14 alto conversion. And widebody. Technical daydream discussion

MightyBoy tech questions and answers.
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BLSTIC
Posts: 51
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2011 10:04 am

I've been daydreaming for a little while that I would like to transplant a new Alto into a mighty boy (I've seen a 2014 model for sale as damaged/salvage vehicle still driveable for $2500).

However transplanting just the engine seems like it wouldn't be that much less work than trying to adapt the entire front mechanicals (On most modern cars, everything exciting is attached to the one removable section of the frame, with the exception of the strut tops and sometimes the sway bar chassis mounts).

Of course then I'm left with a front end a full 20cm wider than it should be, and that much wider than the stock rear end as well. So I might as well install the alto *rear* as well.

That bit is probably more complicated though, as it appears that none of the mighty boy 'strong' points (I use the term loosely) are in the right spot for a torsion beam rear end. I'm not sure if it's a case of cutting the rear section of the alto floor and ninja-ing it up to the cervo/mighty boy floor pan, but it seems like that's a feasible option, as that gets me a 35L EFI fuel tank as well as all of the right suspension pickup points.

After all the ninja technical wizardry I'm left with a Mighty Boy with a much more modern engine, suspension & brakes, a larger EFI fuel tank, a metric f***ton of wiring to do and wheels that are poking out of the guards a full 100mm each side. I'll need bolt-on flares, because badass.

While I'm at it I would turbocharge it, because the stock engine management system isn't going in anyway (throttle response is crap and it probably depends on the whole safety alphabet AND security systems being installed, which is a job almost as big as the mechanical aspect). And while it's going to be the wildest looking road registered mighty boy, it might as well be the fastest too...

Also considered was the same job to my SS80v hatch. But Mighty Boy's are cooler & I have a spare one that needs a new rear section lying around anyway.

Any thoughts? Have any of you ever done a project this big before? Would it be easier to adapt the mighty boy *body* to the Alto floorpan?
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Brayden
Posts: 9101
Joined: Sun Apr 11, 2004 3:09 am
Location: Canberra ACT
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Anything is technically feasible, the big questions are:
  • What's your budget?
  • How good are your fabrication skills?
  • Do you want to register it?
F8B EFI turbo - Three pots and a snail.
BLSTIC
Posts: 51
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2011 10:04 am

Brayden wrote:Anything is technically feasible, the big questions are:
  • What's your budget?
  • How good are your fabrication skills?
  • Do you want to register it?
1: Low. As in, paying labour is unfeasible. For arguments sake, $6k total (It's a daydream anyway... But that would cover the parts and certification given enough patience from myself)
2: Rusty but I have technically been trained in most fabrication (welding, machining & design) & have patience. I have at least helped with most of the processes involved in such a conversion (I went to what was effectively race car school, there was a *lot* of trick fabrication done. That mid mount supercharged rover V8 mighty boy? That was us. It was a $5k project in total) as well as tube frame chassis construction.
3: Yes. It would be pointless otherwise, except maybe as a Time Attack car
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