tonysierra4x4

hi all, has anyone completed a 3 door restoration by converting to 4 wheel drive. i have an excellent 3 door shell, all (99%) genuine cosworth parts including interior, all body kit and bumpers, wheels etc and have purchased a very good example xr4x4 2.9i complete for the running gear and wiring loom etc. will the gearbox tunnel etc need to be modified a lot or xr4x4 welded in to accomodate gearbox. the plan is to use this till i can afford to replace with cosworth engine to couple to mt75. is this to ambitous or should i be looking for 2 wheel drive set up. any help / advice will be most welcome as this is my first complete bare shell project so have probably not thought out future problems.

cozzy jeff

iTrader: (4)

im sure the tunnel needs modded along with the n/s chassis leg.

saph cos rob

iTrader: (11)

think the 2wd / 4wd shells are the same, only as said the front chassis legs have a notch cut into them for the swing of the driveshafts, think your need a different gearbox mount tho?

tonysierra4x4

thanks cozzy jeff. i will check on weekend as both are side by side in workshop. haven't stripped carpet out of 4x4 to look but will do.

ajamesc

Would be a good way too ruin a 3dr 2wd is much better!

robrs2

Drivers side of the tunnel needs to be wider for the transfer box. And the gear box mounting on the shell needs to be added on the drivers side.
Look on www.fordpower.org.uk look for Taps xr4i

tonysierra4x4

thanks saph cos rob. was told a half moon shape needed to be cut out to take drive shafts but hope not too much needed on gearbox tunnel as carpet may need altering to fit properly so fingers crossed. i was hoping to use gearbox mount from xr even if i need to weld in retaining nuts etc. i have purchased an xr4i aswell for extra parts i may need so will also check this mounting.

PAUL S

iTrader: (8)

Is it a 3dr cosworth or base shell.

If its a cos shell then if you use the alloy gearbox crossmember from a type 9 mk1 sierra 4x4 the mt75 will line up nicely in the tunnel, all you need to do is fettle the tunnel wall where your left foot usually sits so that the casing of the transfer chain doesnt catch on the body, either chop out a small section or a few choice clouts with a sledge will do it.

Not everyone cuts out the notches in the front chassis legs I have heard a few now where they didnt bother, if your running lowered suspension they you may have to.

If its a base shell then the tunnel is narrower and the crossmember mounts differently so more fab work will be required.

tonysierra4x4

thanks paul s, it is a 1.6 base shell so sounds like some modifacations will be necessary. i don't want to alter the car too much as is it such a good shell. it was the 13th (imaculate ?) shell i looked at. if too much modification is needed it will be left as a 2 wheel drive, just need to decide what engine/gearbox.

It's Czech Mate

Porkie had quite a good one of these once

Went fairly well in the end by all accounts

Iain Mac

I converted mine initially by putting a bulge in the tunnel for the transfer box


The steel crossmember from the 2.9 XR4x4 is way too big for the tunnel, and the earlier alloy gearbox crossmember doesn't fit into the tunnel either but I was told it would work attached to the floor.







(Can't find a pic with the alloy one in place but this shows the width required.) However, although the car moved and drove with it attached to the floor, I couldn't get the back of the box to lift quite high enough so the the prop and gearbox didn't align properly and the donut was short-lived.



Redid the job properly by replacing the tunnel, unpicking the seams at the bulkhead and centre crossmember.







So far, everything is working properly mechanically and the 4x4 carpet fits better on the wide tunnel.

I didn't notch the chassis legs or even bend the flanges up, and don't seem to have any fouling with a -25mm drop.

tonysierra4x4

thanks for that info. should be a great help and very much appreciated. i will check size/shape of both tunnels and see what the difference is. luckily i have the two cars side by side in workshop so should be quite easy to do.
cheers tony