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Subaru / Datsun Differential In Spitfire Rear Plate


wbrown53

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Does anyone have information of the rear plate which allows you to attaches a Subura / Datsun to fit onto a Spitfire frame without doing any modification. i've run across lot of sites showing fellow spitfire owners with them, looking for information on where to purchase, or measurements to make one, basically any information.

email: wjb_217@yahoo.com

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As far as I know, the diff conversion goes back to the Eighties in New Zealand, when a kit car maker produced Lotus 7 kits based on Herald chassis. Datsun diffs were stronger than Triumph ones. Later, a friend of mine named Rocky bought a Vitesse with one of the diff conversions fitted. He liked the look of the conversion and used the back plate as a mould to have more made, as he wanted to fit another Datsun diff to his Herald.

 

Rocky's diff conversion was popular and he organised several more batches. The thing is, they were made by friends in various engineering companies around Christchurch almost as a favour, not as part of a commercial operation. A foundry would pour the back plates, a machinist across town would machine the alloy and make the front and top steel plates. Maybe thirty were made that way over a few years.

 

I don't know when the last lot were made. After the ongoing earthquakes in Christchurch, I don't even know if the old foundry is still there - it was on the wobbly side of town and would definitely have been damaged. I'll try and dig out some PDF diagrams of the steel front and top plates, but to make the alloy back plate, you might have to get it machined rather than cast.

 

Incidentally the original diff conversion used the Hitachi R160 diff, the smallest in the series. Most come with ratios better suited to high-revving Japanese engines. For example the WRX diffs are 4.55:1. If you're making your own conversion, you could look at the R180 diffs, which are slightly larger but come in more ratios.

 

We should make this a sticky, as it's a recurring question.

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If It ever gets finished ! Mainly other peoples work .

Only progress lately apart from the Subaru/MGF conversion progress has been the sourcing of a new Denso gear reduction starter from a specialist Fiat company in Texas . Fortunately having cut the bottom alternator bracket off my block to move the engine back I found they also supply a neat ally bolt on lower bracket which should get me out of trouble , I should find our tomorrow if they both turn up via UPS no doubt along with a bill from the customs !

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  • 2 months later...

The only person to market a 'kit' was my friend Rocky, and that was a personal project that others started asking about. Since the earthquake he's been distracted by stuff like rebuilding his house (the garage survived perfectly though) so I don't know if he'll ever do more diff conversions. And as the part of town where the foundry was located gelified and sank a metre, I wouldn't hold my breath!

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  • 2 months later...
  • 1 month later...

There is a guy in the US currently doing something like this. I have not paid close attention as I already have a Mazda diff in my car. I think he was going to make a couple of spares and I ***think*** he mentioned somewhere in the $700-$800US. Do a search for a Spitfire group on Yahoo groups.

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  • 2 years later...

R160 Subaru Diff Adapter plates

Has any one had any success with obtaining back plate, axles adapters etc.... for the R160 Subaru Diff.????

 

Could you please advise availability and contact....

OR....

Else post interest in being part of a batch made in Australia (someone that has made them in the past, Greg Tunstall ) but is only viable if a number are made.

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