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Author: Subject: AAARRRGGHH Im pulling my hair out on this choice !!!
novacaine

posted on 2/1/07 at 04:48 PM Reply With Quote
AAARRRGGHH Im pulling my hair out on this choice !!!

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





And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but its sinking, Racing around to come up behind you again, the sun is the same in a relative way but your older, shorter of breath and one day closer to death

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James

posted on 2/1/07 at 04:49 PM Reply With Quote
Have you actually looked at the Beemer engine to see if it'll fit???

Cheers,
James





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novacaine

posted on 2/1/07 at 04:51 PM Reply With Quote
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





And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but its sinking, Racing around to come up behind you again, the sun is the same in a relative way but your older, shorter of breath and one day closer to death

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James

posted on 2/1/07 at 04:53 PM Reply With Quote
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]





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"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights." - Muhammad Ali

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force10

posted on 2/1/07 at 05:05 PM Reply With Quote
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.

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novacaine

posted on 2/1/07 at 05:11 PM Reply With Quote
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





And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but its sinking, Racing around to come up behind you again, the sun is the same in a relative way but your older, shorter of breath and one day closer to death

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Wadders

posted on 2/1/07 at 05:21 PM Reply With Quote
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.






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zetec

posted on 2/1/07 at 06:39 PM Reply With Quote
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.





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andybod

posted on 2/1/07 at 06:43 PM Reply With Quote
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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oliwb

posted on 2/1/07 at 06:48 PM Reply With Quote
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.





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macnab

posted on 2/1/07 at 06:50 PM Reply With Quote
doesn't one off BMW's engines need a £1000 timing chain every 100k. Just remember reading about that...






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novacaine

posted on 2/1/07 at 07:10 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
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



yea the engine ive been offered is in need of a new head gasket which i was planning to do myself, apparently before the gasket went the engine was very smooth and quite which could indicate that the cams/tappets are in good order...

Matt





And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but its sinking, Racing around to come up behind you again, the sun is the same in a relative way but your older, shorter of breath and one day closer to death

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oliwb

posted on 2/1/07 at 07:43 PM Reply With Quote
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.





If your not living life on the edge you're taking up too much room!

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jonno

posted on 2/1/07 at 07:53 PM Reply With Quote
Just buy a Dutton

Bit ugly but still great fun for the cash

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novacaine

posted on 2/1/07 at 08:33 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
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.



just to go off topic for a moment, do the 2.9i V6's fit the type 9's from a pinto sierra? what about an MT75?

IIRC the V6 has an input shaft 1'' longer so i dont think it would fit a non-v6 gearbox but i might be wrong....

cheers

Matt

[Edited on 2/1/07 by novacaine]





And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but its sinking, Racing around to come up behind you again, the sun is the same in a relative way but your older, shorter of breath and one day closer to death

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jonno

posted on 2/1/07 at 08:43 PM Reply With Quote
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

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novacaine

posted on 2/1/07 at 08:54 PM Reply With Quote
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





And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but its sinking, Racing around to come up behind you again, the sun is the same in a relative way but your older, shorter of breath and one day closer to death

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caber

posted on 2/1/07 at 10:08 PM Reply With Quote
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

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NS Dev

posted on 4/1/07 at 11:18 AM Reply With Quote
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!!!





Retro RWD is the way forward...........automotive fabrication, car restoration, sheetmetal work, engine conversion retro car restoration and tuning

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smart51

posted on 4/1/07 at 12:11 PM Reply With Quote
The newest marlin roadster is based on a 3 series I believe. have a look at that.
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