After years of having my car off the road I'm able to get it back to my home garage so I can work on it in the evenings. I'm not using the
Volvo straight six anymore. I want to keep it simple this time, what I'm after is ideas for engines to use, specifically a donor vehicle that
comes with an engine and gearbox in RWD format. Some things I'm after:
- 150+bhp as standard
- Manual RWD
- Slim gearbox (well, slimmer than my volvo gearbox which is fatty fatty fat fat)
- Can be turbo
- 4 pot or short engines, (no straight sixes or V8s)
- Donor vehicle cost up to about £600 (I'll sell off bits I don't use afterwards and weigh in the shell to recoup some costs. Can include
MOT failures that need trailering away if they've failed on things other than the engine/gearbox etc e.g. terminal sills)
- Comes with everything I need to get it running. Engine, gearbox, ECU & loom. I'm happy to modify prop, make engine mounts and exhaust
etc.
I've not given it much thought, so far my list is:
There is a complete 940 turbo in a scrapie near me. i was going to rob the turbo but web info says its only a T25.
Top of my list at the mo would be the Jag S type of a 99 vintage.
3L v6, Can be had Manual. 240bhp on the standard ecu and can be had for around your budget. I may even be up for helping out with the ecu as it should
be just a posh rwd mondeo.
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Building: a reputation as a BEC devotee. Built: ZX12R Indy
posted on 10/9/12 at 08:31 PM
I've given it quite a lot of thought......
150bhp as standard - Check!
Manual RWD - Check!
Slim Gearbox - Check! (They don't get much slimmer than this..)
Can be turbo - Check! This one isn't though.....
4 Pot - Check! Definitely not straight 6 or V8
Donor vehicle cost upto about £600 - Check! Possibly......
Comes with everything to get it running. Engine, gearbox, ECU and loom - Check!
A bit left wing, and its not been done before as far as I know....
.... a Sierra?
with the addition of a blacktop zetec? (close to 150, especailly once remapped or on carbs/TBs), or if you 100% MUST have 150 from the outset then a
duratec instead.
quote:Originally posted by loggyboy
.... a Sierra?
with the addition of a blacktop zetec? (close to 150, especailly once remapped or on carbs/TBs), or if you 100% MUST have 150 from the outset then a
duratec instead.
Thanks for the idea but a bit too fiddly tbh, I really want a single donor.
quote:Originally posted by loggyboy
.... a Sierra?
with the addition of a blacktop zetec? (close to 150, especailly once remapped or on carbs/TBs), or if you 100% MUST have 150 from the outset then a
duratec instead.
Thanks for the idea but a bit too fiddly tbh, I really want a single donor.
Fiddly!?
Almost every 7esq out there is or has been based on a sierra, so part from MX5 or BMW, almost every other route is bound to end up more fiddly in the
long run.
quote:Originally posted by loggyboy
Fiddly!?
Almost every 7esq out there is or has been based on a sierra, so part from MX5 or BMW, almost every other route is bound to end up more fiddly in the
long run.
I'd have to buy a gearbox and engine from separate places and not from donors so I wouldn't recoup any costs, the zetec wouldn't be
making the required power so would need fiddling with. Also I loathe Fords, I feel dirty enough having Sierra diff and brakes. Yes people have done
those routes before so things are available off the shelf (e.g. exhaust) but I'd be making that anyway, same with engine mounts, same with
everything. Buying everything off the shelf would be expensive as flip. My Indy was supposed to be based around Pinto/type 9 and that needed lots of
tweaking for things to fit properly.
I've got a complete 318is engine, a gearbox, propshaft, exhaust & intake, and ECU etc. which would be good. I've not had the engine
running as it's only ever been on a lift before I changed my mind to go Zetec. However, it was purchased as a good runner. Gearbox and all other
components came from a sub 70k car which I scrapped due to a blown head gasket.
I believe it's even pre-1995 (so it's the 1.8 version with a forged crank) so easy on emissions. Drop a turbo on it, and you'll see
200hp easily.
I'll be getting rid of it soon as it's taking up a lot of space..
I've only gone for a Zetec Type 9 setup due to changing from a Haynes roadster to a Locost and my feet won't fit in the footwell if I make
the transmission tunnel wide enough for the BMW box.
quote:Originally posted by Benzine
I'd have to buy a gearbox and engine from separate places and not from donors so I wouldn't recoup any costs, the zetec wouldn't be
making the required power so would need fiddling with. Also I loathe Fords, I feel dirty enough having Sierra diff and brakes. Yes people have done
those routes before so things are available off the shelf (e.g. exhaust) but I'd be making that anyway, same with engine mounts, same with
everything. Buying everything off the shelf would be expensive as flip. My Indy was supposed to be based around Pinto/type 9 and that needed lots of
tweaking for things to fit properly.
It seems your dead set against the simplest option IMO then!
You would only need to source the engine, the sierra donor Gbox would be fine and with the zetec wouldnt even need to change the bellhousing. And if
you plan on using seirra diff, shafts and brakes then you arent going down the single donor route anyway.
Even if you increase your £600, your still looking at limited selection of RWD cars:
Sierra
MX5
BMW
Omega/carlton/manta
Volvo
Mercedes
Other older jap wagons that are price loaded due to the drifters.
As for tweaking etc, its a kitcar... if you want a modular build then spend the $$$ on Caterham/westfield.
Thanks for the offer, PSpirine, but still after a single donor that I can recoup costs on, also I can see how it all went together as I take it to
bits. I've broken cars in the past and have broken even or made money after selling parts and weighing in.
quote:Originally posted by loggyboy
It seems your dead set against the simplest option IMO then!
You would only need to source the engine, the sierra donor Gbox would be fine and with the zetec wouldnt even need to change the bellhousing. And if
you plan on using seirra diff, shafts and brakes then you arent going down the single donor route anyway.
As for tweaking etc, its a kitcar... if you want a modular build then spend the $$$ on Caterham/westfield.
Simplest, maybe marginally, but also more costly than breaking a one-stop-shop donor and recouping costs. I already have the diff, brakes, hubs etc in
my kit car, it was road registered in 2006. I have no problems with tweaking bits and custom fabrication to make things fit, my point was even
though the car was designed for the type 9 and pinto, I still needed to fettle bits to fit. Using another donor would be no different.
In this vid you are Lynn. Replace 'a mini metro' with 'additional Ford parts' and 'driving' with
'using'
