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£1.70 per bhp
Mr C - 28/2/12 at 02:09 PM

I've been looking out for another engine to rebuild to a high spec as another project once the V-Storm's on the road. Couldn't resist this version 8 Sti short block which came out of a low mileage WR1. As standard they put out 320bhp and 420nm of torque. I'll uprate the mains and big ends as a precaution and it should be good for 370bhp all day long. Oh, and got it for an excellent price as well.

Ninehigh - 28/2/12 at 02:17 PM

Your title intrigues me.. I wonder what the cheapest engine mods would be in a "£ per bhp" way?

Mr C - 28/2/12 at 02:33 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Ninehigh
Your title intrigues me.. I wonder what the cheapest engine mods would be in a "£ per bhp" way?


To be honest, I can rationalise and justify £1.70 more than I can the toal cost . I'm not sure which engine or mods offer the best bang per buck. In my case this is a good starting point as the internals are all toughened, forged, nitrided etc. Ideally I need to source a bigger turbo different heads, and a mappable ecu so the cost will escalate unfortunately, though hopefully not to silly amounts. I'm hoping for no more than £5 per bhp all in. for a target of between 370-400bhp

matt_gsxr - 28/2/12 at 03:26 PM

I got two gsxr1100 ex-sidecar engines for £500. That is about £1.66 per bhp.

As it was they needed some repairing.

Ninehigh - 28/2/12 at 04:18 PM

Actually that's a good point, the challenge should include the original price and actual power

Bluemoon - 28/2/12 at 05:07 PM

I guess you should really turn it into bhp/tonne/pound of the whole car not just the engine

Chippy - 28/2/12 at 05:23 PM

Hmmm! my V6 Cossy worked out at £1-12p per HP, but then add the gearbox, ECU, etc, etc, etc. Eye watering. Cheers Ray

ashg - 28/2/12 at 06:09 PM

saab 2.3 turbo running a td04 turbo cost £150. mapped to make 300bhp = 50p per bhp. can anyone better that?

mr_pr - 28/2/12 at 06:15 PM

My sisters horse is worth something like £8000. I guess that means she wins the most expensive hp?

clairetoo - 28/2/12 at 06:43 PM

My Mazda V6 came out at 48,something pence per Horse........not including getting it in the car and making it work - but the total was still less than a lot spend just on an ECU...................

jossey - 28/2/12 at 07:10 PM

Ashg I can just beat that.. I got a Zzr1100 engine running from a bike for £50 (cost of bike minus selling off everything not needed) 40p per BHP

Although the gasket set will double that £perBHP lol

DJ

Nickp - 28/2/12 at 08:12 PM

200bhp BMW M52 c/w g'box ECU loom etc for £150 = 75p per bhp

sebastiaan - 28/2/12 at 08:16 PM

Do I win? Bought two pinto's for 50 euro's and sold one for 60. That makes me around -8 quid for 120 BHP or -7 pence/BHP!

coyoteboy - 28/2/12 at 08:19 PM

Bought a 330 hp V8 for just over £1 per bhp

Mr C - 28/2/12 at 09:08 PM

I suppose working cost and driver appeal is the secret, you can get a boat anchor for feck all and throw money at it to make it quick, The ones that appeal to me though is the cossie V6 and a V8 just mentioned. Obviously a scooby burble floats my boat at the moment.

[Edited on 28/2/12 by Mr C]

coyoteboy - 29/2/12 at 12:50 AM

Flat 4 burble is purely down to dodgy exhaust design (which actually robs it of torque), it'd sound just like an I4 if it didn't collect and fire each pair seperately.

Edit: Not that that detracts from the nice noise! I'm all about what makes you grin.

[Edited on 29/2/12 by coyoteboy]

Irony - 29/2/12 at 12:10 PM

We can all say that 'I got so and so for £10 and its got 150bhp' etc etc etc. My brother gave me a Toyota Corrola 1.3GL and I got free BHP.

I think more interesting is what is the average cheapest upgrade for BHP. Surely on a standard engine a remap is the best option??

coyoteboy - 29/2/12 at 12:20 PM

quote:
We can all say that 'I got so and so for £10 and its got 150bhp' etc etc etc.


Well, we can, but it would be spurious. The point is there are some engines around that represent more power for the average purchase price (rather than the flukey giveaway prices you occasionally get).

quote:
I think more interesting is what is the average cheapest upgrade for BHP. Surely on a standard engine a remap is the best option??


Depends on the engine in question entirely, so just as spurious as "I got an engine for free". My 3S-GTE can be ramped from the stock 200hp to ~250 with a boost increase for the price of a bleed valve - that's about 50hp for £5. To get that on a NA engine would cost you hundreds, maybe thousands and isn't possible with a re-map on most NA engines.

[Edited on 29/2/12 by coyoteboy]

Mr C - 29/2/12 at 12:31 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Irony
We can all say that 'I got so and so for £10 and its got 150bhp' etc etc etc. My brother gave me a Toyota Corrola 1.3GL and I got free BHP.

I think more interesting is what is the average cheapest upgrade for BHP. Surely on a standard engine a remap is the best option??


Yes you're right we can all say a lot of things, Its interesting to see fellow builders approaches to some horsepower, there's nothing wrong with a bit of bar talk along with a few humourous responses (imo), the pinto response for example why would you want a pinto engine? and the two bike engines, is it a twin engined car they are going in? Each to their own, variety and all that.

Not sure what sort of response I was expecting when I posted originally, I guess I posted because I was chuffed with the deal I got... strengthened block, nitrided crank, forged internals... normally a £2K engine with heads. Its going to ost me another monkey to split the case and replace the bearings then another bag a sand for a bigger turbo and ECU . I'm looking at some heads with solid lifters at the weekend as well!!! All part of the petrolhead experience I suppose.

When I factor in that I'm already starting with 220bhp in a car thats not finished (waitng for parts again...) the cost doesn't bear thinking about


froggy - 29/2/12 at 01:57 PM

Saab 234 1994-1998 add a cheap holset hx35 £200 a Set of 630cc injectors £160 and a gm 3bar map sensor , 3" exhaust and a remap (DIY with map from several free sources ) and make 450-500hp on a bone stock engine .

sebastiaan - 29/2/12 at 02:55 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Mr C
the pinto response for example why would you want a pinto engine?


Coudn't decide if I wnated to build a car or a boat. If I ever convert, at least now I have an anchor already ;-)

In all seriousness, when I build my car, funds were low and I just used the engine that came from the donor (1.6 pinto) this was later replaced by a 2.0 Pinto with a mild cam and EFI. Since then, I've been trying to break ik but it just keeps on going