It is my understanding that the RCR use of the thicker aluminum for the tub renders it strong enough to eliminate the square structural tubing that Jaguar used in the transmission tunnel to connect the front and rear subframe. The RCR tunnel was designed large enough to accommodate an automatic transmission. Or so I was told. I'm using a Tremec 5 speed so I cannot verify based on my own experience.I don’t want to hijack this build thread too much, but after much Googling, this is literally the only build info I can find online for the RCR D-Type, so I wanted to ask Chuck, Barry, and anyone else with knowledge a few questions.
Point of reference. This would be a street car for me… cruising two-lane country roads… no track days planned.
Chuck, since you’ve probably been all over this car with a tape measure, do you know if a reliable automatic transmission can be used? I realize that notion is sacrilegious to many of you reading this, but I am an amputee and it’s neither practical nor safe for me to use a manual transmission (as much as I would like to). Since an automatic tranny is the linchpin for me when it comes to this potential project, it seems like any small(ish) 4 or 6 cylinder inline engine (Ford, Toyota, etc) might work, it’s just a question of fabricating the mounts. Yet another sacrilegious statement, I realize… just exploring options. My car style has always been a ‘time capsule’ exterior and reliable low(er) maintenance innards.
Overall, everything I’ve read here seems within my skill level. I got the impression from somewhere else that RCR delivers it as a rolling chassis (minus wheels). Chuck, are you modifying yours in a particular way? Or is all of the front and back suspension fabricating and adjusting part of the normal build process?
And does it not come with parts for the trunk and fuel cell support? Or did you decide to do that yourself for a lower cost kit?
Thanks!
Good luck! Keep us posted!