Whats the biggest engine any of you have seen in a locost??
I have a nice big engine which i was sort of given and it was too good to turn down.
It is a small block Ford 5.8 V8 which i would like to get in. The biggest ive seen is the Rover V8. Im not sure of the power and torque etc of the Rover but mine is 203 bhp and 306 ft/lbs torque..

What do you reckon?? Mad or should i just save up and buy a Cobra kit?

[Edited on 12/5/03 by Danozeman]

Absolutely off your rocker mate.......

Go for it.......

Just set it well back...

Barking, DO IT, you can never have enough power.

Dan

(angel) no dont do it...... (devil) HMMMMM YES YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO (angel) but....... but......... youll kill yourself (devil) HMMMMM YES YES BUT YOULL HAVE THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE DOING IT (angel) but the chassis wont handle it (devil) SHHHHHH DONT LISTEN TO HIM HES A MUMMIES BOY, BUILT IT BIG OR BUY IT BIG.

If they can get a Rover V8 in a Dax Rush....... do it. Just get yourself a strong transmission and some big tyres.......

I'm using a 3.5 BMW lump.

218bhp and 229lb/ft.

Not a massive capacity engine, but frickin' awkward shape (straight six)

Be insane like me and do summat different.

You know you want to...

There is no substitute for cubic capacity.

PS, nobody actually thinks you're mad - we're all just extremely jealous!

SSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Dan.

I'm fitting an RV8 with about 175BHP and I can hardly wait. There's no such thing as too much power...stick a block of wood under your throttle pedal if you can't handle it all to begin with...

You might want to think about 2"x1" chassis tubing for some of the critical rails. I remember seeing a thread about this where someone (maybe cymtriks) recommended beefing up certain chassis rails for american V8 engines. Also you might need a wider and longer engine bay but don't let that put you off!!

Good luck!
Craig.

Another alternative is to go for the Luego Viento - they've just done something similar!!!!

Have fun

ATB

Simon

The Viento is all 1" tubes for the outer frame of the chassis but the reinforcements on the side are 2x1" and there is a double brace in the engine bay - see my photo archive for pics.

Your engine would almost deffinatly fit straight into the Viento chassis. The Luego demonstrator has a 2.5 RV8 in it but the engine bay makes it look the size of a 1300 X-Flow

Happy to 'loan' you my chassis for an hour or two for a measure up but Luego are probably closer to you in Stowmarket?

Chris

[Edited on 13/5/03 by ChrisW]

Thanks for the comments chaps..
Id like to get the leugo chassis but they wont just ell me the chassis and im on a VERY tight budget...

The for V8 looks quite similar in size to the Rover one..

I have a whole car with the V8 in so i will be using g/box and rear axle etc from it to make sure it takes the power..

I saw the V8 viento at stoneleigh.

I know theres lots against me like brakes suspension chassis strength etc.. but im determined to get it done...

How would the sva like it??

[Edited on 13/5/03 by Danozeman]

dunno what your setup would be but i'd imagine emissions might be tricky on a big lump like that....

any engine can be made to pass emissions, it's not a matter of the engine size that sets the emmisions.
Also if it was the case how would the cobra's get thru.

PS i'm building a locost with a 350 chevy
pushing out 420 bhp and it meets the required emmisions ( have engine running out of car)

fair enough, I wasn't reffering to engine size vs emissions though I guess it'd have to be tuned down on carbs (or does it run injection?) or have lots of cats / a good exhaust system?

just curious (all IMHO of course)

Andrew.

you can buy just chassis from luego BTW. theyre good chaps just give them a call.

Don't do it the car won't handle very well

The worst I´ve seen (in a swedish magazine) in this type of car is a Chrysler 440 big block out of a -68 dodge Charger.

Apperently it works, but the magazine stated that it was simply "over engined".

/Hasse

There was a Vindicator Sprint (big, sort of 7 style for the lardy boys) in the back of Kit Car Magazine with a 5.7 V8 which, I assume, was a Chevy.
However, this is a much bigger car than your average 7 (and it was there for months so it may well not have been very good).

PS - I think you're mad...that is some serious torque

[Edited on 13/5/03 by uberf1end]

quote:

---

Barking, DO IT, you can never have enough power.

---

Horsepower can be compared to womens breasts, you can never have too much of it!!!

Yeah do it!! Sounds cool. Biggest i've seen is a blown large-block chevy in a Dax rush!

Speak to Hicost about chassis reinforcement - he runs 400lb ft from his Cossie turbo lump. I think it's fairly standard save some gussets and what not. You dont really need to go up to huge thick tubing and build yourself a Chieftain tank - a decent 1" tube chassis is very strong already. Look for Cymtrik's chassis stiffening mods on this site.

Some people will think american V8 and automatically go on about making your locost an ill-handling understeering barge. But remember it's all relative - it wont handle like a bike-engined featherweight but it'll still be a very lightweight sports car. Get the engine as far back as possible (look at a dax rush chassis. Have you got small feet) and you'll be fine. Them small-block fords aren't all that big and heavy anyway.

Go for it. Good luck...

Liam

The emmisions wont be a problem..
Im 6 ft so need room for me legs ...

I emailed Leugo and they said they only sell just the kit sections and wont do the chassis on its own. The section with the chassis is 2,000 and comes with sides wings and nose etc..

Its single carb but if i can get the money when its done i may get twin Hollies so more power..

A blown large block chevvy?? B****y hell.

Well, I wouldn't do it myself, it just sounds like a lot of effort for comparatively little gain. It's not going to accelerate faster than a BEC, and what are you going to use the 130Mph+ top end for anyway? It'll consume fuel and tyres like there's no tomorrow, it'll be so loud it's not going to be any more comfortable than a BEC and the handling will be worse. Personally I think I'd save/sell the V8 for a Cobra and stick something a bit more suitable in a less lardy chassis. Anyway, no prizes for guessing what type of locost I'm building, what ever you do, good luck.

Kingr

Seen a website somewhere (and I'm too lazy to try to find it again, sorry)

Guys (somewhere in scandinavia, I believe) had built a v8 locost.

They'd posted times for acceleration, that I just wasn't impressed with.
I think it came down to a traction thing - I reckon a BEC was getting better accelleration 'cos there's just that much less inertia for the rubber to deal with.

That said, I want an 8 in mine - just for the sound

- Greg H

ohhhh

With reference to the BEC debate versus V8 . I have a pinto powered robin hood with the race cam etc etc etc at at about 120 bhp and the power output only comes in when you start giving it a a few thousand revs which makes it quite an aggressive drive. Good fun though. I am thinking of building a V8 7 as i have a rover v8 and manual box. I was under the impression that it weighed about the same as the cast iron pinto so i cant see handling being to much of a problem. You only have to change the cam to get up around the 180 bhp mark, which isn't easy to get out of a pinto or zeetec. BEC's are obviously at the hard core end of performance but i respectfully suggest that to get the power out of the small engine you will end up driving it like a nutter, more than you would than a v8... who knows

Yea!

Sounds great!

Even better with a big supercharger on top and a shaker hood!

And that exhaust sound would be music to your ears.

You wouldn't need a heater with one of those engines in it.

Terry

Not too bothered about 0 - 60 and all that. Itl be quick enough and performance can be changed. I think 200 brake and 300 lbs torque should move it enough.. ( if it stops wheel spinning)..

Just cant stop thinking of the sound of a V8 and the look on peoples faces and the grin on mine....

Ive just got to build it..