1976 Reliant kitten... RX8 powered :)

[BenRX8kitten]

Hi!

Recently spoke with John (via his recent ebay advert of his rotary Westfield and I followed his Youtube channel!!)

Super helpful and advised that I was more than welcome to join the MRC despite me not technically owning a Mazda Rotary!

So I have been building my Reliant Kitten over the last 18 months - the 4 wheeled reliant robin version ha ha!

Having been pretty much obsessed with Time Attack for a few years, and a few friends doing the UK series, not to mention watching the likes of Jason Dorrington, Andy Duffin and the Tskuba Time Attack videos on the 'Attack Official' and 'ShuBox Inc' channels, who amaze me how they constantly develop their own cars over many years like Under Suzuki, Escort Evo, Admix GTR, AutoBahn Soarer, Shark 20b n/a RX7... I decided it was time to build myself a proper rotary track car with a twist and just for me.

I randomly came across a few reliant kittens online with crazy engine swaps... saw one advertised having been sat on someones front garden for a few years and £200 price tag and with a standard weight of just over 500kgs fully loaded (got to love a full fibreglass body lol)... the project began!

John has kindly offered to help me with the wiring ((diagram)) to help get the engine running as I'm aiming to keep the standard ECU and stripping back anything not required - although prior to breaking the RX8, the engine had a full rebuild via the previous owner, along with Injen intake and full S/S exhaust and cat delete....sadly after running the car in, she pretty much realised the rest of the car was getting pretty beyond economical repair and I snapped it up for the bargain price of £700!!

As such the 231 RX8 donated the engine, 6spd gearbox, loom, ecu, Injen intake, coolers, stainless exhaust (to be modified as expected- the S/S back box now surplus I admit and needs selling) clocks and rear diff!

The kitten runs front Ford hubs  and discs from a kit car that was on Ebay, custom made front double A-Arms, mx5 rear hubs, arms, brakes etc and formed the basics for the rear and cradle to convert the kitten to IRS and sit the RX8 diff with a 'modified PPF' also.

Outside the Kitten had a full one off wide arch kit done and is currently having the rear wing done and front splitter built, all based on 'geek' spotting of all the TA cars and taking ideas off the internet (Kyle Engineers and High Performance Academy) and gives an extra 4" front and 5" rear each side clearance to allow for wider wheels and the slight extension of track F+R.

Never really tackled a full car build before - I've always been a cheque book modder I hate to say! But absolutely loved escaping to the garage at weekend working on this, so much so,  that even my Aerotop Supra Ive had for 4 years is being sold as I have zero interest in it in the last year or so and the prices have rocketed so its the next toy to be waved off!

I would love to upload some pictures,  John has had a few sent to him via whats app of the Kitten... but since I last used a forum in my MX5Nutz days ((longgg time ago!)) it seems like a degree in coding is required to put a picture up!

Aiming to have the kitten moving and running in under its own steam by the end of this year - once I also decide where the radiator is going... ((still considering rear mounting it due to lack of space ha ha)) - target is 750/800kgs for the car once done  Fully stripped, poly windows and all the usual unnecessary items removed or made lighter and better etc.

[Jamie R]

Hi Ben,

Welcome to the Forum!

Jon posted a preview of your car on "Todays Pic" thread.

It appears Sir you and I share some of the same dirt with rotary powered GRP cars. I don't own a Mazda either. Feel free to have a read through the Rotus Project build.

Its a bespoke chassis based on a Lotus Elan +2 that accepts all the standard RX8 suspension, with the Lotus body dropped on top.

Ive been building mine for the same amount of time as yourself and just finished a 4 month quest of making new scratch built wings.

It would be nice if you can share some more pics with the build process.

Congrats on a very different build, I thought I was off the wall, but you take it to a whole new level.

[BenRX8kitten]

Seems Tapatalk is the easiest for pics in this day and age-

Few of the car - part progress pictures and changes along the way from its humble beginnings ha ha




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jamie R]

Hahaha

Those arches are ace, its a Kitten on steroids!

I clocked the Cortina stub axles on the pic Jon posted, I got a pair kicking up in the loft of the garage from an old Vauxhall powered Anglia /Kit car type thing that I never finished.

Good luck with the build. Plenty of helpful people on here if you get in a fix.

[Jamie R]

OMG I have the same boot hinges as you have on the bonnet.

I need some new ones, time to browse ebay for Kitten hinges ..................

[boosted]

Welcome Ben , i knew you and Jamie would get along...
Yep Tapatalk is ace for hosting piccies.


Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

[boosted]

Omg i love that rear roof mounted spoiler!!
Yours and Jamies cars are gonna be epic!!

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[boosted]

Defo try and accomodate front mounted rad rennys run real hot and if track work needs much flow to stop the beast over heating....
Looking at ideally a Koyo or radtec.
Mines a radtec 1 for a V8...its huge.

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[BenRX8kitten]

Thank for the advice - I’ll look to squeeze the rad up front somehow!

The rear spoiler is just resting at the moment up there as I was trailing end plates - it will eventually be mounted more like the Tegiwa type as used on the civics ....



Thanks Jamie for the nice words - a rotary Elan sounds equally as mad as my Kitten!


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[Jamie R]

May be worth starting a thread in the general rotary board than in “introduce yourself” makes it easier for readers to find it  I think this is the link to it

http://mazdarotaryclub.com/forum/index.php?board=41.0

Dunno I’m on my phone

Mad ? I’m not mad. But I do have a lot of white jackets with really longgggg sleeves

[clive]

  to Mazdarotaryclub

Wow, we like different, what an excellent project