ive just been offered all the parts i need for a locost off a BMW 3 series 2.0 4 cylinder for £150, should i take this offer or get a sierra and sell the parts i dont need to cut down of the price of the car !!!


i don t know what to do!

any BMW engined locosts out there?

cheers

Matt

Have you actually looked at the Beemer engine to see if it'll fit???

Cheers,
James

no ive not seen the engine but being a 4 cylinder i was hoping it would fit,

these engines run for ever and are quite powerful so i thought it could be quite good for a locost

Matt

If you look at most of the other comments made about BMW engines on here... overly tall and 'on the slant' seems to be the general opinion.
Although I have no personal experience of BMW engines so maybe the 4-pot is 'vertical'!

The running gear, though, is gonna be the Locost choice of the future (as it's about all that's left post Sierra) so be a pioneer and go for it!
Then we can all copy you and avoid the pit falls!

Cheers,
James

[Edited on 2/1/07 by James]

I always thought the 2litre was a 6 cylinder jobbie?
The 4pot is also on the slant and gets right in the way of the steering column, plus its VERY heavy.
if its your 1st build i would advise using the Sierra as you will encounter far less problems that haven't already been solved.
If you've had practice at this Locost lark then have a go at the beemer, as you say the engine will run for ever as long as its serviced.
Whichever you choose, best of luck to you sir and keep us posted.
FT.

my bad, yea i just re-read the email, its a 1.8 4 pot, i thought the 2.0 was a 6 pot but the guy said its a 4 cylinder and i mis-read the engine size, wooops lol

cheers

Matt

Thing is, its not really the engine and box that will cause you the most problems, it's all the other stuff, suspension, diff, drive shafts, brakes, steering etc. As soon as you wander off into unchartered territory, things start to take longer to work out, and there will be less information/help to be found. Stick with ford stuff, and its all been done a thousand times before. Get it built and SVA'd and then you can enjoy driving it.

ATB
Al.

The BMW engine is OK, but no better then anything from Ford/Vx/Toyota etc and not really any more powerful. Stick with the Ford stuff as just as good and cheaper.

check the 4cylinder bmw's for noisey cams/tappets and head gaskets otherwise a decent engine a little under powered in bmw but should be ok in a locost and a bit different

Uh £150! £1,200 budget!?! Buy it now.....sell the engine and gearbox off on ebay and some other bits you don't need to make back the money (get on to GTS - the stuff I've seen seems good quality but don't take no poo from Darren, not dealt with him but it seems as if you give him an inch and he'll take a mile!) Build or buy yourself a chassis get the running gear in and find a ford gearbox and any engine of your choice! I'd go for it! It can deffinately be done as GTS are currently doing it. You will come across lots of problems with a standard build, just admit this fact and get on with it. Nothing is so hard that you'll grind to a halt! Oli.

doesn't one off BMW's engines need a £1000 timing chain every 100k. Just remember reading about that...

quote:

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Originally posted by andybod
check the 4cylinder bmw's for noisey cams/tappets and head gaskets otherwise a decent engine a little under powered in bmw but should be ok in a locost and a bit different

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I'd do the headgasket and sell the engine and box on. Witht he money go to a scrappy and get a type 9 then start thinking about what engine you want! You can get x-flows and 1.6 pinto's for throwing away money/free at the moment! If your still trying to keep to a tight budget. The gearbox shouldn't cost you much at all....reckon I could get one for about a tenner from my local scrappies......Oli.

Just buy a Dutton

Bit ugly but still great fun for the cash

quote:

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Originally posted by oliwb
I'd do the headgasket and sell the engine and box on. Witht he money go to a scrappy and get a type 9 then start thinking about what engine you want! You can get x-flows and 1.6 pinto's for throwing away money/free at the moment! If your still trying to keep to a tight budget. The gearbox shouldn't cost you much at all....reckon I could get one for about a tenner from my local scrappies......Oli.

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Phaeton S3
1600 x-flow, Webber 40 carb, piper fast road cam. Q plate first registered 1984. 4 speed quick shift gear box Full engine rebuild in 2002 and part re-wire in 2004. No tax or M O T, doesn't need many jobs for the m o t, get in touch for more details. Engine producing 93 BHP, dyno print out. Clubman bucket seats and racing harnesses Alloys in mint condition with good Pirelli tyres. Stainless side exit exhaust and stainless side panels. Body in good condition with the usual crazing and the odd crack but nothing serious. Lots of receipts and old MoTs. Easy project for someone with the basic skills. I lack time and space and the basic skill to sort her out. £900 Car located in north Staffs. Possible delivery

NTDWM

might just be a cheap car to start with

thanks for telling me about that but idealy i would like to build a car instead of buying one, just a bit more fun and i can make it my way

thanks anyway

Matt

Hey I went through ll this about 15months ago before I started. I am now 1 year into the build of a bookish locost with a 1600 Pinto I got 2 of these for free! I gave up trying to get a donor so I have bought all the bits as and when. My build budget was originally £1000 revised to £1200 some time in the summer and I stopped counting in September!

Really I am very glad that I simplified the build as much as I have, it does look like I will get the car finished this summer. All the same the job is not without surprises and difficulties and the amount of re-working will be very considerable no matter how well you plan!

Go on jump in! if you can get a sierra go for it it will save you so much time and effort in sourcing all the little bits that are still driving me demented and knackering my buget!

If you get to the end of the build you will either be heartily sick of the idea of building cars or desperate to start on your next project!

GOOD LUCK
caber

2.9 or 2.8 or 2.9 24valve ford v6's will all fit the type 9 gearbox if you use a granada v6, 2.3 cortina, sierra XR4i, sierra 2.3 ghia or capri 2.8i bellhousing.

Unfortunately type 9 boxes don't tend to like the power of these engines if tuned, or the 24v in std form.

What you can do is get an mt75 box out of a 2.0 dohc (post 1990) sierra, AND a MT 75 out of an XR4x4 2.9, and fit the front half gearbox casing from the 4x4 to the rear casing and gear cluster from the 2.0 dohc box, giving a 2wd v6 mt75 box (which were made but are now like hens teeth to find)

A while back when I had more time I was going to build a sierra estate based on a nice, late, mint chasseur shell, fitted with 7.5" rear end running gear and lsd, with late scorp 24v engine, coupled to one of the boxes described above and with a nice eaton blower on the engine.

Would have made an absolutely superb tow car, unfortunately time dictated that I stuck with my XR4x4!!!

The newest marlin roadster is based on a 3 series I believe. have a look at that.