Lightweight SIMCA 1000

[metalshapes]

Cool build.

I enjoy reading this buildthread.

Re-reading your posts, I came across this one about your scuttle panel.

"Also fibreglass panel is for LHD car so wiper housing area needs moving."


Sometimes it is beneficial to use the wrong side wipers on a race car.

They cover less glass on the pass side, but sometimes the pass side works better because the blade is more in line with the airflow.

[scmick]

Good point but among my stock of spares I've found a decent RHD wiper motor and mechanism that I've fitted. My orange SIMCA racer which is LHD has only a single wiper fitted on the driver's side.

[scmick]

The master cylinders in the SIMCA 1000 originally fitted under the dash either side of the pedals. Obviously done to leave the front compartment free as a 'boot'. Access under the dash is minimal and the original SIMCA cylinders aren't easy to get nowadays. This car's front end simply houses the fuel tank and radiator so no problem to have master cylinders poking through the bulkhead in a more 'normal' layout. Have adapted pedal box and operating rods to house wilwood cylinders. This will also get rid of the SIMCA clutch cylinder which uses a plastic pipe with 'dodgy' connections and using unions with a really obscure sized thread.

[scmick]

Have fitted master cylinders and was going to get all brake pipes fitted but a bit of welding under my SIMCA pickup turned into a much bigger job. See thread on here. The pickup is so handy for parts chasing so this project is on hold for a while... French car rust...!!! still it's no worse than the terminal rot i had to deal with on the Triumphs and Ford Anglias & Capris I used to be into...

[scmick]

Now the pickup is welded up and back on the road along with my SIMCA 1000GLS, I can start thinking about getting back to the lightweight project. I had quite a find recently. The car I'm working on was once a spare shell I prepared when I was racing. Sold on when I got the SIMCA 'Youngtimer' racecar, It came 'home' to me years later in a right state without the cage. I'd adapted a rear cage I had to fit but was never really satisfied with it. Recently on Ebay a NOS 'Sabelt' 6 point bolt in roll cage to fit SIMCA Rallye 1 & 2 came up. Lightly surface rusted from storage but with main hoop in later FiA spec 50mm dia tubing and fitting kit and at the right price plus free delivery from Border Minis in Cumbria, It was too good to miss. JUst when I thought reserves of SIMCA 1000 parts were drying up in the UK..!!! Just need some fine weather now as the garage is full with my SIMCA Rallye 2 in bits.

[scmick]

Starting on solution to fuel tank leakage. As we've used in racing SIMCA 1000s... an Alloy tank in the front 'boot'. The tank I'm using I got on Ebay, a superb bit of alloy welding from 'Alloy racing Fabrications' from near Newark, one of their standard range, the 6 gallon size. As the boot floor slopes down from the bulkhead, I needed a level base for the tank. This came in the shape of one of a few galvanised shelves I was given some years ago. They were labelled 'IKEA galvanised shoe rack'. Just as if it was made to measure for the tank...!!! (see photo) Just need to pipe it up to the engine in the back. Gauge is just a sight gauge but the SIMCA ones in the original tank are totally unreliable anyway... so no loss.

[scmick]

Correction to above post.. The tank conversion is on my '72 SIMCA 1000GLS. I should have added to the thread on that... the old brain malfunctioning...!!! I'll put this where it should have gone..!!!

[biturbo228]

Looking good!

Not sure what the original capacity was, but 6 gallons (27 litres) should be a fair chunk of weight saving for a sprint car. Petrol's not quite as heavy as water, but you tend to lug around a lot of it!

[scmick]

Putting the fuel tank in the front of a rear engined SIMCA helps even the weight distribution out too. My Rallye 2 racer has a large capacity fuel cell right at the front. The capacity isn't needed for the trackdays I now do but was essentail for its original German owner when he was doing long races at Nurburgring, Spa, Hockenheinm etc in the 'Youngtimer Trophy' races ...

[llwynogmon]

Feb 14, 2022 21:08:25 GMT scmick said:

Putting the fuel tank in the front of a rear engined SIMCA helps even the weight distribution out too. My Rallye 2 racer has a large capacity fuel cell right at the front. The capacity isn't needed for the trackdays I now do but was essentail for its original German owner when he was doing long races at Nurburgring, Spa, Hockenheinm etc in the 'Youngtimer Trophy' races ...

I remember this syndrome well with my late father's Imp a full tank and a 2" thick 2' by 2' paving slab ballast in the front boot helped handling enormously especially in windy conditions. I suspect that  a negative camber kit would have made an even greater difference as fitted to a friend's rally Imp but his remained as standard.

[scmick]

The orange SIMCA racecar was built and raced for many years around Europe in the 1300 class of the 'Youngtimer trophy' by Frank Breidenstein, top engineer at Porsche. He obviously used his vast rear engined car experience on it. Loads of weight is moved forwards with a huge radiator in the front under the fuel tank. Also, he adapted the SIMCA's transverse leaf spring front suspension, replacing the multi leaf spring with a flat single leaf and then replacing the original shockers with adjustable coilovers.

[scmick]

This car doesn't need a high capacity tank as it is due to be a 'test bed'/occasional track car so I've fitted this alloy foam filled tank from a past racer. The large capacity alloy radiator and enlarged grille will be needed if I decide to fit the supercharger. The last SIMCA I ran using that really developed some serious heat..!!!

[biturbo228]

Feb 15, 2022 11:34:58 GMT scmick said:

Also, he adapted the SIMCA's transverse leaf spring front suspension, replacing the multi leaf spring with a flat single leaf and then replacing the original shockers with adjustable coilovers.

I've been weighing that up as an option for my Spitfire. Reduce the rear transverse leaf to a single length for location (or replace it with one of the fancy fibreglass leaves from America), and run coilovers in the original shock positions. Can't decide whether the added ease and lower cost of adjustability is worth the additional weight...

[scmick]

Decided to revive this 'stalled' project for 2024. Currently digging it out of mothballs, held up when I realised I'd pinched one of the wheels for a spare for my track SIMCA. next job will be to fit the roll cage. Sold this rolling shell many years ago with a cage. Returned to me, several owners on less the cage and many other bits. Cage is currently in garage piled on top of my other project that I must finish this year... the '49 Ransomes MG5 crawler that is receiving SIMCA power.

[scmick]

A few dry days at last.... have managed to move car to a place with room to work on it. Got rollcage in car today. Quite a contortionist's act as the two sections were fully welded. Past ones I've had for SIMCA 1000s have had the front section with a bolt in top cross bar. Still all in now, just needs bolting down tomorrow to plates already welded in from cage that 'disappeared' on its travels through various owners.

[scmick]

Roll cage now in, made easier as I'd welded thick plate into edge of footwells to mount original cage years ago before this shell went on its 'travels'. Just a matter of drilling and tapping to mount this one but might add a bit of weld to feet and edge of windscreen pillar to stiffen things up further. Spotted a bit of welding needed where rear jacking point once fitted, a regular SIMCA 1000 rust spot. Did other side years ago. Years of standing has seen off a bit more of SIMCA's original metal..!! Hoping to get on to fitting steering column, pipes for brakes and cooling, gear change rods, handbrake etc etc very soon. If we have a snowy spell have always got Ransomes tractor in garage to work on.

[scmick]

Thinking about next jobs on this. Still need to reinforce jacking point area at back end of sills. Rear suspension, I've two options... coilovers or shorter springs and shocKer bottom mount spaced down to retain spring. Checking my stocks of SIMCA bits found springs from a coupe we'd scrapped which are a bit shorter... will try those first. Put my high lift jack (made from ex vet's operating table mechanism) under rear subframe to raise car for welding.... The 'jack' worked well but years of storage and it seems the years of storage have seen the hydraulics off.

[scmick]

Needed to get rear end up high to weld jacking points and do rear suspension and brakes. My 'high lift jack' had seized but lifting the shell with the engine crane an some WD and 'exercise' brought it back to life. Jack wedged in position plus pile of wheels ensures H&S.

[scmick]

Was going to get busy with some welding under the back end but realised with it up at this angle it meant jobs under the dash would be easier to access, so, having already replaced SIMCA's dodgy, inaccessible master cylinders with willwood items on an adapted pedal box, am currently fitting the steering column. and can fit brake pipes at the same time. Areas for welding under back end don't look as bad as I'd thought. photos to follow... it's all a result of SIMCA's jacking point that is held on by a few spot welds, hold loads of muck & moisture eventually breaking free and taking chunks of rusty sheet metal with them. Will simply replace the metal but do without the jacking point, saving a bit more weight.

[generalstirlingprice]

Replace the jacking points with sill stand tubes much safer and easier for track work