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Which V8?
pewe - 5/2/17 at 11:20 AM

Guys, the F27 has been sitting idle in the garage since I aquired the s/c hairdressers.
Contemplating selling it the other day I suddenly thought "Why not fit a V8"?
I've always wanted a V8, it seems like a good idea and I could do with a project.
So suggestions please as to which one I should be looking at.
It needs to be fairly narrow as the F27's a narrow bodied one or will that prove a stumbling block?
Any other suggestions gratefully received.
TIA.
Cheers, Pewe10


motorcycle_mayhem - 5/2/17 at 11:28 AM

Powertec 2.7 RPE would be my choice.

Unsure about the reliability of the earlier engines (RPA etc.), but certainly the later units are superb.


rusty nuts - 5/2/17 at 11:52 AM

Lexus?


bonzoronnie - 5/2/17 at 12:11 PM

quote:
Originally posted by pewe
Guys, the F27 has been sitting idle in the garage since I aquired the s/c hairdressers.
Contemplating selling it the other day I suddenly thought "Why not fit a V8"?
I've always wanted a V8, it seems like a good idea and I could do with a project.
So suggestions please as to which one I should be looking at.
It needs to be fairly narrow as the F27's a narrow bodied one or will that prove a stumbling block?
Any other suggestions gratefully received.
TIA.
Cheers, Pewe10


Very apt time to pose this question.

I have recently been pondering the exact same question

My formula 27 was originally fitted with fitted with a Rover V8 & auto gearbox.
As i bought the car minus engine & box, I have been thinking about replacing it with another V8 engine.

I have been looking at the Lexus V8 as an option.
Of course, absolutely no idea if it's going to be a wise option or nothing but hassle.


rusty nuts - 5/2/17 at 12:47 PM

I vaguely remember PPC covering the Lexus engine transplants?


Nickp - 5/2/17 at 02:24 PM

quote:
Originally posted by rusty nuts
Lexus?


1UZFE V8, Froggy on here has one in his MK chassised 'Rod


Ugg10 - 5/2/17 at 03:24 PM

In order of cost/effort/benefit IMO Only

Rover v8 - 4.6 on bike throttle bodies would go well.
Lexus 1uzfe - there are non variable valve ones, these are the ones to go for (ls400 or possibly soarer iirc)
TVR AJP8 from a cerbera
Bike engine v8

One of the determining factor will be tunnel size and what gearbox will fit, most sevens can only take the type 9 so fitting a lt77, t5, rx8/is200 may be difficult and a type 9 that can take the torque of a v8 will be expensive.

You could always go old school and fit a ford 302/289, surprisingly small for a v8 but heavy.

Final optio I would add is the m3 3.2 straight six or a TVR straight six, good alternative to the v8 and 300+ hp.

Also note, depending on what is in there at the moment, you may need to update brakes and diff ratio/lsd.
[Edited on 5/2/17 by Ugg10]

[Edited on 5/2/17 by Ugg10]


mark chandler - 5/2/17 at 05:18 PM

Roger v8 is small, still relatively cheap but will never make great power out the box but plenty of choices on gearboxes.

Modern double ohc's are very wide, personally I would get a scrap v6 manual jag s-type and fettle that lot in.

Any trick jap engine is likely to cost £££ bolting the thing up.


coozer - 5/2/17 at 06:01 PM

Ford 502.. 300bhp straight out the box and can had for about £3k brand new


mark chandler - 5/2/17 at 06:16 PM

quote:
Originally posted by coozer
Ford 502.. 300bhp straight out the box and can had for about £3k brand new


Throw a jaguar powerlock diff on the back of that and away you go.......


Nickp - 5/2/17 at 07:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Ugg10


Final optio I would add is the m3 3.2 straight six or a TVR straight six, good alternative to the v8 and 300+ hp.


[Edited on 5/2/17 by Ugg10]


A BMW straight 6 does make a good noise too
The alloy blocked M52B28 doesn't make 300bhp (only 230bhp) but weighs 40kg or so less than the M3 and costs peanuts. The BMW gearboxs are nice and short and compact too.


pewe - 6/2/17 at 11:23 AM

Thanks for the suggestions - some interesting ones.
There have been threads on MX5Nutz and Miata.net about slotting Lexus V8's into hairderessers so I'll be taking a closer look at those.
Radical V8's look great but it's essentially a locost = low budget project.
Straight and V6's all have their place but it's really about teenage desire to own a V8.....
Cheers, Pewe10

Just found this:- Rover v Lexus V8's

[Edited on 6/2/17 by pewe]


Irony - 6/2/17 at 05:24 PM

Everything has its drawbacks I am afraid. When I built my car I went for a Rover V8 simply because it was the first time I had put a spanner on a nut and I wanted something that was easy to work on. Something that would give me the V8 rumble but not to complicated.

Owning a V8 seven type car is about the theatre of owning a V8 Seven. The sheer visceral experience of the twin pipes running down the sides with that massive rumble, the fact that car alarms can be set off with a blip of the pedal. When driving through a tunnel the urge to literally waste ££££ in petrol by booting it. No V6, straight 6, straight 4 or bike engine can match the sound created by a V8 to a V8 lovers ears. I wouldn't dream of putting a straight 6 or whatever in my car, its not whats for. If the OP wants a V8 then nothing else will do.

If I had my time again with my car then I would put a 1UZFE in mine. The engines can be had cheap and they are apparently very very bulletproof. They make great power and don't weigh a ton. As said there is a downside, they never made a manual gearbox for the 1UZFE. There are many many conversion kits on the net now but it will set you back some cash.


sdh2903 - 6/2/17 at 06:09 PM

I must admit I consider my self a car enthusiast but I have a gap in my motoring history in that I've not had a v8 (yet). I haven't even got my current build on the road yet and I'm already thinking ahead to what I can squeeze an Ls motor into. The short list currently sits at a cobra replica or a 50s American pickup.

The Ls is not much different size wise to a rv8 if budget allows.


SCAR - 6/2/17 at 06:20 PM

Made for LS range of motors
http://www.gdcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/slide51.png


sdh2903 - 6/2/17 at 06:24 PM

Yes I've already downloaded all the brochures but will be some years before I can afford one


Ugg10 - 6/2/17 at 06:46 PM

Slight off the wall, what about the jag xjr 4.0l supercharged v8. You can get a running car for less than £2k, earlier ones had only one lambda sensor and I have seen them fitted with manual gearboxes. All alloy but maybe too big but 400hp can't be sniffed at and you gotta love the supercharger whine.


mark chandler - 6/2/17 at 07:10 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Ugg10
Slight off the wall, what about the jag xjr 4.0l supercharged v8. You can get a running car for less than £2k, earlier ones had only one lambda sensor and I have seen them fitted with manual gearboxes. All alloy but maybe too big but 400hp can't be sniffed at and you gotta love the supercharger whine.


They never stuck manual boxes in these, XJR6's a few, very few had a getrag 5 speed box.


Ugg10 - 6/2/17 at 07:16 PM

Seen them fitted so must have been a custom job, but proves it is possible, probably using the getrag 265 box off the xjs/omega????

Engine is probably huge but got no dimensions sorry.

Bit more info here http://www.super7thheaven.co.uk/components/jaguar-aj-v8/



[Edited on 6/2/17 by Ugg10]


luke2152 - 6/2/17 at 10:33 PM

I've got a 40v audi v8 in my sensible car. Power is not remarkable at 300bhp but it is a bloody light 4.2 engine. I know this because I have the block from another (that I robbed the heads off) propping up my coffee table and the block (with a couple of kg of glass on top) weighs 30kg. Not sure how easy they mate to a rwd box though


mark chandler - 6/2/17 at 11:24 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Ugg10
Seen them fitted so must have been a custom job, but proves it is possible, probably using the getrag 265 box off the xjs/omega????

Engine is probably huge but got no dimensions sorry.

Bit more info here http://www.super7thheaven.co.uk/components/jaguar-aj-v8/



[Edited on 6/2/17 by Ugg10]


On Jaguars there is a lot of integration to the auto box, an Aston vantage v8, the little newer ones come with a 6 speed manual so that's your choice which is not lowcost!


tweek - 7/2/17 at 01:12 PM

Audi 4.2 v8, long prop, Audi transaxle in the back. Y'know, because weight distribution

Ok so you end up with a prop spinning at 7k RPM a few centimetres from your crown jewels, but that just adds to the... excitement?


Ugg10 - 7/2/17 at 01:18 PM

quote:
Originally posted by tweek
Audi 4.2 v8, long prop, Audi transaxle in the back. Y'know, because weight distribution

Ok so you end up with a prop spinning at 7k RPM a few centimetres from your crown jewels, but that just adds to the... excitement?

Isn't this what they used on the Ferrari's, corvettes and some alfas and I think the Porsche 928 ? Not an unusual thing to do for a rear transaxle.

I do like your thinking though, do you know of a where you can get a prop made and balanced and out of interest how does the flywheel/clutch work on this arrangement?


tweek - 7/2/17 at 02:30 PM

I'm no engineer, but I'd imagine the clutch/flywheel would stay the same. The prop would be acting as a giant gearbox input shaft extension.

The biggest challenges would be the housings at either end and the prop as you've mentioned. You'd need to decide whether you would want extra bearings and shafts involved to give a flanged interface at one end and a sleeved interface at the other (as you would get on a 'normal' propshaft - right?)

A good engineering or motorsports engineering firm should be able to do it, as for specific names, hopefully someone else will be able to help you out there.


froggy - 7/2/17 at 10:36 PM

1 uz is pretty much a 675mm cube if you want to see if it will go in the hole . Rx8 box is now an option with an adapter and there's cheaper ways to get a clutch using mr2 turbo flywheel clutch fork and v6 Camry clutch which in my car is holding 460hp 430 lb ft . It was a few years back and I used a Toyota r154 box and adapter which I still have the cad file for but r154 are making £700 plus now so not a cheap option . Mines twin turbo because I'm stupid and I should have bought a set of throttle bodies and made 320hp and epic noises but it still sounds good and with so much torque on tap i rarely need to use any boost or high rpm just leave it in top and relax . Engine , box and microsquirt cost me around £1500 to put together which is a very low budget and engines are more like £5-600 now where I paid £250 4 yrs ago .

From what I've read these motors were designed to have a very long service life and my engine had 160000 on it before I boosted it , I took it across Europe on a 2500mile trip and it didn't use a drop of oil or miss a beat


dave_424 - 11/2/17 at 10:05 AM

Likewise I've recently brought a lexus LS400, turbocharged it and installed megasquirt. The whole process including buying the car, turbocharging it and getting it tuned has cost me less than £2000. It's making 380whp at 7psi which I believe the engine will take until the end of time.

Cheap and reliable power if you can fit it in something and mount a manual box to it.

Who doesn't like a turbo v8?


r1_pete - 11/2/17 at 10:34 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Ugg10
quote:
Originally posted by tweek
Audi 4.2 v8, long prop, Audi transaxle in the back. Y'know, because weight distribution

Ok so you end up with a prop spinning at 7k RPM a few centimetres from your crown jewels, but that just adds to the... excitement?

Isn't this what they used on the Ferrari's, corvettes and some alfas and I think the Porsche 928 ? Not an unusual thing to do for a rear transaxle.

I do like your thinking though, do you know of a where you can get a prop made and balanced and out of interest how does the flywheel/clutch work on this arrangement?


The 944 924 too, heres my v8 hooked up to the 944 torque tube, there is a working clutch etc in there too

V8 to 944 TT 1
V8 to 944 TT 1


froggy - 11/2/17 at 11:06 AM

quote:
Originally posted by dave_424
Likewise I've recently brought a lexus LS400, turbocharged it and installed megasquirt. The whole process including buying the car, turbocharging it and getting it tuned has cost me less than £2000. It's making 380whp at 7psi which I believe the engine will take until the end of time.

Cheap and reliable power if you can fit it in something and mount a manual box to it.

Who doesn't like a turbo v8?


350lb ft at 2100rpm never gets old especially with only 850kg to drag round


Yazza54 - 11/2/17 at 06:41 PM

Wonder if anyone's used one of these in a kit car

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172511946143