MM MX5 Van

[mstewart]

I visited the Charlotte Auto Fair last week in North Carolina and among thousands of Yankee tanks there was one MM. The show is at the Charlotte Nascar Speedway and there are in excess of 9,000 vendors and over 6,000 cars for sale. Yes they do it big in the US of A!
the MM is a van which is fitted with Mazda MX5 running gear throughout. The present owner bought it already modified so could only give performance figures:- He cruises at 70 on Interstates and says he has not quite exceeded 100 yet. From what I could see under the hood (bonnet) there were steel frames on each side of the engine just inside the inner wings. The engine was slung on these frames. I guess these frames connect with the van chassis behind the cab. I stopped short of crawling underneath to check that!
To complement the MX5 engine, gearbox and back axle they used suspension and brakes from the Mazda. So- well it looked like an MM van. the pics show the outside front. The back - the standard lights were replaced with 3 pin head lights each side. They would not pass an MOT! Color? well each to his own - Price 12.800$ - I do not know if it sold. So this is proof that the MX5 MM is not a myth! Hope this interests you[frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

[Mitsiland]

There is no myth, an mx5 can be made to look like a morris minor, here's a couple of pictures of mine. This picture shows the start of my project. I have retained the power steering, abs braking system, electric windows, heated front windscreen, this has been professionally built. Hope you like it. Rob[frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

[texas mongrel]

Ditto

I've just finished my three-year Traveler MX-5 build. Mine's a bit less hot-roddy than the van. I built a new frame that retains all the stock MX-5 features and geometry (other than wheelbase, which is 3" less on the Moggie.)
Some pix attached, my car has auto trans, cruise control, A/C, power steering larger-size four wheel discs, fuly adjustable suspension, etc, etc

I've supplied the frame drawings to several other Minor owners, so you can anticipate more to come[frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

[Trickydicky]

Mitsiland, I saw yours at the recent Manchester event and it is a mouth watering conversion.
If a Morris Minor was built to modern specifications yours would be the template.

[Mitsiland]

Thanks for your comments, since manchester I have had all the sub frames & suspension components powder coated. Poly bushes fitted all round and a full set of coilovers fitted that has transformed the handling. Have a look at the thread http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=54997

[mstewart]

Thanks for the pics of the two other modified cars- they are very good! - I recall in MMOC mag last year statements that no such cars were finished! but I am proved wrong. -As an owner of a 1275 2 door saloon and a series 2 4 door, I am still stuck in the ways of "must use an A series engine" - Both the convertible and the woodie are completed to a high standard. -Makes the van I saw in need of a bit of TLC. Both my cars were rebuilds from a shell - therefore I know the number of man hours for that! - But these conversions are far more complex. They are both very impressive indeed. Grafting a body to a new chassis sounds easy but it is NOT! Thanks for your interest - I hope to see the convertible when I am back in UK in the summer.

[bluegrasscurly]

I built that green MM van in 2001. I had never heard of putting a MX5 running gear in one, but I work on Asian cars and knew that the MX5 stuff is great. The body has the front half of a 2 door sedan which made it about 4 inches longer that stock. I stretched the MX5 wheelbase 1 inch and narrowed the front and rear ends by 4 inches. It has a full 2 by 3 tube frame. I drove the car 100,000 miles over the next 5 years. I built the car in 6 months. The car was in October 2002 Minor Monthly magazine from a Charlotte show I went to at the speedway. I recently finished a 1961 Hillman Husky that Has a tube frame and Toyota Tacoma running gear there are before and after pictures on Flickr. Here is the link.https://www.flickr.com/photos/138744240@N03/

[plastic_orange]

There are quite a few MX5 Minors around now. However, it is easier by far to go down the Zetec route, but this usually retains the minor suspension albeit upgraded. I've also seen pics of an MGF Minor - similar idea to the MX5, but rear engined.
It's great to be different and well done for putting serious miles on your van - I like it.

Pete