My 11 build

[zei220]

StephenH wrote:
> The exhaust manifold comes as part of the kit.


But i hear its not very good.

[Westfield 129]

6" wide rear wheels will work if you have the right backside spacing. You can use half an inch more backside space for the rear 6" wide wheels than you are using in front.
Remember, the disc wheel axle housing is an inch longer than the wire wheel axle housing.
This measurement should give you tires centered in the rear, and an inch more rear track, which makes the car more predictable, and looks better.

The 6" rim width is perfect for the 5.00X15 tire.

Yes, there is a header with the kit. It should work OK with your large port alloy cylinder head, but will need some cleanup as the welds are a bit chunky. Use the large bore intake/exhaust gasket to match up both the header and the cylinder head. A bit of light grinding with a rotary file should do it.

Again, you might want to consider bolt up flanges for the exhaust pipe, or a Marmon V clamp (my preference) to hook up your exhaust.

[zei220]

Can I ask Westfield129 what he recommends the offset should be for both front and rear wheels, please?

[Simon Marks]

Hi, zei 220,

Welcome to the word of an Eleven build.

I had my gearbox modified with the raised first gear at First Motion Transmissions. An excellent engineer and really good to deal with. I also bought my rose jointed quick shift gear lever from Paul - works really well with short positive movements.

I further asked for the tail housing to be shortened. When you get your kit, you will be supplied with a transmission top that has two holes in it. The front one is to suit an MG gearbox, the rear one the Ford Type 9. I had the housing shortened as far as it would go - approx 85mm - which moves my gear lever to be in line with the steering wheel and feels absolutely right in use (see the first image). You can see the distance that it was moved froward in the second image.

Simon

[Westfield 129]

Image should have a back side spacing for a Spridget wheel with a 5" width. This is a standard item among wheel suppliers. I believe that the backside space is about 3 13/16", but I am sure that Image has the measurement for your 15X5" front rim.

For the rear, it depends on which axle housing you have. If you have a disc wheel housing, add 1/2" to the 5" wide wheel backside spacing for your 6" wide rims. . This will give you 1" of additional rear track width. You can also use a smaller measurement if you want, say 1/4" additional backside spacing, for a 1.5" increase in rear track. This should still keep a 5.00X15" tire centered in the wheel arch and give the wheel a wider look.

You may have to take some measurements to be sure. I would probably go with the 1/4" additional backside spacing to ensure adequate tire to chassis clearance. There is plenty of room in the body to go a bit wider.

If you have the shorter wire wheel axle housing, you can use the same backside spacing for the 6" wide rear wheels as you are using on the front 5" wheels. Again, a 1" increase in track width with this setup.

The wider track might help with traction off the corners, but the reality is that the high roll center is dominant, and you will need an LSD (3J or TranX) to ensure traction off the corners. Also, include some race axles (not the "hardened" axles, which are useless an will snap like dried out linguini) for reliability.

I never had a problem with the gear lever position in my cars using the Type 9. However, a longer lever is useful if you are going to use the short throw shifter (Who wouldn't?) for a bit of extra leverage to change gears.

[zei220]

Thank you for your reply, I'll have a chat with Image tomorrow, but by the looks on their website it looks like the back space is available in 1/2" increments.

I'm using a disc wheel axle.

Thanks again for your help.

[Westfield 129]

1/2" inch increment works. Actually, Image can supply any backside spacing on their two piece (rim and center) wheels. In the rear, you have a bit of space in the rear body to play with (you can move outwards about two inches), and a good chance of making the car look a little better while improving performance. But, if you are using whole numbres (6" rear rim width), the half inch increment works perfectly to keep things centered.

You can also order your front wheels first, then check the fit in the rear and measure how much space you can move outwards.

The car will be stunning on the D-Type Dunlop wheels.

Now, if you can only get 5 owners together to order some Wobbly Webs.

[zei220]

>> The exhaust manifold comes as part of the kit.


>But i hear its not very good.

Just back from collecting the axle from Westfield and while I was there I asked to see the exhaust manifold..... well I was impressed with the workmanship and Have decided to reinstate the manifold in the order.

[Westfield 129]

Was it the standard exhaust manifold or the stainless steel manifold?

[zei220]

It was the stainless version. It had very good welds, very neat joints. I must remember to take photos in the future.