Modern (Performance) IRS suggestions?

[Dirty Dave]

I'm building a canyon-carving Pacer wagon, and a live axle with parallel leaf springs just doesn't seem to go with the theme of the rest of the build so far. Does anybody have any suggestions as far as modern, mid-sized independent rear suspensions are concerned? I was thinking perhaps a Revell Challenger or Charger may be a viable donor, or perhaps a Camaro or latest generation Mustang.

Has anybody built any of these that can speak as to the quality of these rear suspension sub-assemblies, and how easily they can or cannot be separated from their associated chassis?

I'm not looking for a street rod style rear end, and I think I'd have to go too far back to find an available Corvette kit that didn't incorporate a transaxle.

Edit: I'm using a Toyota 2JZ-GTE for power, so if there's a European or Japanese subject that has a decent rear suspension to adapt, I'm down for that, too.

Edited November 7, 2018 by Dirty Dave

[Ace-Garageguy]

I've bought several of these...cheap...just to get the rear suspension, engine, etc. The way the frame is made, it's relatively easy to transplant what's necessary for suspension pickup points, etc.

   It DOES have a transaxle, but that's really superior if you're going for slot-car handling.

 

Edited November 7, 2018 by Ace-Garageguy

[1930fordpickup]

I like that Bill. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Other cheap source-kits for nice beefy IRS would be Vipers. They have conventional engine-mounted gearboxes, not transaxles.

I've used a couple in mockups, but don't recall right off hand if they were the Revell or the AMT versions.

Edited November 7, 2018 by Ace-Garageguy

[stitchdup]

The revell has a nice rear end, at least the one with the white roadster/convertible on the box from revell.de rt/10 maybe?. I'm sure it would have a us release too. I'm not sure if it's the same in the earlier shape kits

[Dirty Dave]

9 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Other cheap source-kits for nice beefy IRS would be Vipers. They have conventional engine-mounted gearboxes, not transaxles.

I've used a couple in mockups, but don't recall right off hand if they were the Revell or the AMT versions.

The 2JZ engine has a really nice six-speed molded to the back of it, and it all fits so nicely under the Pacer floorboards/chassis that I'd kind of hate to remove it just to accommodate a transaxle that I also don't have room for under the rear floorboards. Viper could be a viable donor, from what I remember of building the AMT version way back when it came out.

[Jantrix]

34 minutes ago, Dirty Dave said:

I'm building a canyon-carving Pacer wagon, and a live axle with parallel leaf springs just doesn't seem to go with the theme of the rest of the build so far.

Not necessarily. With Bills advice I built a drift Pacer wagon. I added traction bars and a panhard bar to a Ford rear and stock leafs. I also used the AMT 2JZ with some mods.

 

Edited November 7, 2018 by Jantrix

[Dirty Dave]

1 minute ago, Jantrix said:

Not necessarily. With Bills advice I built a drift Pacer wagon. I added traction bars and a panhard bar to a Ford rear and stock leafs.

 

Well, the other reason that I want to use an independent rear end is to get the all important negative camber tilt to the rear tires. It's a look, right?

I did take a quick shot of the 2JZ living in the Pacer's cavernous engine bay, though.

[Jantrix]

2 minutes ago, Dirty Dave said:

Well, the other reason that I want to use an independent rear end is to get the all important negative camber tilt to the rear tires. It's a look, right?

I did take a quick shot of the 2JZ living in the Pacer's cavernous engine bay, though.

We'll have to agree to disagree about the "look".

Be advised, the twin turbos on the AMT 2JZ are plumbed backwards right from the kit. You'll have to get a bit creative to fix the issue.

[Leonidas]

Well I don't know if it's considered modern or performance, but this TBird has IRS. I'd imagine these go pretty cheap too. Maybe worth a look? 

[Ace-Garageguy]

I just had a look at the AMT Viper chassis...and it would be an easy mod to fit the entire chassis under your pacer. Retain the Pacer firewall to accommodate the L6.

Then you'd get real sports-car suspension under both ends, relatively easy camber and ride-height adjustments, and it is actually something that could be done in real-life.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Here's a link to the assembly destructions for the AMT Viper...

https://public.fotki.com/drasticplasticsmcc/mkiba-build-under-c/amt-instructions/automotive-cars--pi/dodge/amt-1995-dodge-vipe/1995dodgeviperrt10page9.html#media

[Dirty Dave]

2 minutes ago, Leonidas said:

Well I don't know if it's considered modern or performance, but this TBird has IRS. I'd imagine these go pretty cheap too. Maybe worth a look? 

I will check it out. I have always liked the look of the aluminum hub carriers on the 1:1 Thunderbird rear suspensions, BTW.

5 minutes ago, Jantrix said:

We'll have to agree to disagree about the "look".

Be advised, the twin turbos on the AMT 2JZ are plumbed backwards right from the kit. You'll have to get a bit creative to fix the issue.

I'm using a resin 2JZ with tubular headers, bigger turbos and a fabricated intake, so not too worried about having to re-plumb everything. Yeah, this car will be ground-scraping, tire stretching tuner style.

Concept and mock-up:

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Cool Pacer. Somebody needs to build that for real. 

[Dirty Dave]

3 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Here's a link to the assembly destructions for the AMT Viper...

Yeah, that's how I remember it. Very cool.

[matthijsgrit]

https://www.shapeways.com/product/VWJ48QUGG/rear-irs-1-25-nbsp-63-inch?optionId=67108818&li=marketplace

 

I found this some short time ago and thought it might be a good idea to share it with you.

MG

[matthijsgrit]

Pic went MIA... 

 

 

[Fat Brian]

The AMT and Tamiya MkIV Supra kits have IRS as does the AMT Fast and Furious 350Z. Mustangs didn't get IRS until 2015 so kit options are very limited. C4 Vette kits are a dime a dozen and the rear end is pretty easy to transplant into a different chassis.

[espo]

I have used the suspension from some of the John Greenwood Corvettes on a couple of projects. I even put the complete engine, transmission, and IRS under a Revell  '56 Del Ray.  

[MeatMan]

I used the Viper IRS on my 70 Camaro, and parts of it on my Benz SSK.

 

Edited November 7, 2018 by MeatMan

[Dirty Dave]

22 minutes ago, Fat Brian said:

The AMT and Tamiya MkIV Supra kits have IRS as does the AMT Fast and Furious 350Z. Mustangs didn't get IRS until 2015 so kit options are very limited. C4 Vette kits are a dime a dozen and the rear end is pretty easy to transplant into a different chassis.

Was thinking that the Supra rear suspension was strut-based, I hadn't looked at it seriously. C4 may work if I convert to coilovers or replace the kit fuel tank with a cell. It's pretty tight under the rear of this wagon.

This thing is supposed to be some kid's Instagram-worthy beater and not an all-out competition car, so I am trying to think about what's currently the hot ticket in magazines and websites, and not necessarily the actual smart performance choice. This also precludes full frame swaps into what was originally a unibody car, or body mods that would require professional skill to complete. Bolt on flares, bumper removal, and holes cut in the hood are likely to happen.

 

[Fat Brian]

30 minutes ago, Dirty Dave said:

Was thinking that the Supra rear suspension was strut-based, I hadn't looked at it seriously. C4 may work if I convert to coilovers or replace the kit fuel tank with a cell. It's pretty tight under the rear of this wagon.

This thing is supposed to be some kid's Instagram-worthy beater and not an all-out competition car, so I am trying to think about what's currently the hot ticket in magazines and websites, and not necessarily the actual smart performance choice. This also precludes full frame swaps into what was originally a unibody car, or body mods that would require professional skill to complete. Bolt on flares, bumper removal, and holes cut in the hood are likely to happen.

 

The Supra setup is a strut type but has upper and lower control arms. The 350Z has lower arms and coil springs. If your looking for trendy mods anything from a 240SX would be ideal. I put the Z setup in a Mustang II and had to back halve the chassis because there wasn't enough room for the new suspension and the fuel tank/spare tire.

[Dirty Dave]

11 minutes ago, Fat Brian said:

 If your looking for trendy mods anything from a 240SX would be ideal.

That's true. I've seen S13/S14 suspensions adapted to all kinds of things that they probably shouldn't have been. Thinking maybe something from a BMW may work, too.

Edited November 7, 2018 by Dirty Dave
Grammar

[om617]

These can be found cheap and have really nice suspension,and you have spare flat 12 for later

[SSNJim]

How about the Lindberg 37 Ford Convertible or 38 Ford Van? It looks like it has a Corvette C3 rear end in it. You can probably pick it up for a song at Ollie's.