what would you guys say is the absolute maximum to pay for a donor?
i am going down the s2000 route so i know they are not cheap,but i think i can get a very good one with rear quarter damage for just over £3k. i know it sounds dear but after using engine,box, diff,prop,steering,dash,possibly drive shafts,and selling interior,brakes,suspension,wheels/tyres, exhaust,body pannels, air con pump,pas pump,body and shell i would imagine its not as dear as it seems.
i now know an after-market ecu is required but if i went bec again i would need engine/box,reverse box,power commander,diff, prop,dash guages and steering so am not sure how much more the s2k installation would cost over a bec? doee this sound realistic or not as it my first build?

might be worth joining there owners club / web forum, maybe avoid telling them that you are going to rip it to bits though.

click button

[Edited on 15/1/10 by graememk]

good idea,cheers mate!

Are you thinking about narrowing the footwells to pull the engine/box back, the bellhousing is very wide? The installs I've seen seem to be biased well towards the front.

Dry sump ?

A good manifold, I've heard a poorly designed one loses BHP badly on this motor ?

Wider rear wheels tyres, thinking about the torque of an S2000 compared to a BEC.

Wouldn't you be better off going with a 7" Ford diff and Sierra shafts? This would allow you to fit a 4.4 or 4.7 ratio diff.

The S2000 diff at 4.1 would gear the car for 155 ish, surely wasted on the brick like 7 shape, you'll never get there.

Just a few things to think about that comes to mind.

mnr chassis can be modified to accept s2k, standard diff on 13" wheels should be fine! there is no more torque with an s2k than most other engines so a 7" rear wheel and 205/215 tyre should be fine,road use only so dry sump not needed,as for the manifold i am not sure! there is a very helpful guy on here called ricky with an s2k viento so i will ask him what he did! he is running 280 bhp

MK have already made a chasis to fit the S2000 engine it was at Newark Kit car show.

If youve not already bought the chasis it may be worth calling them