Hi. My big Locost project is an F1 style single seater, but I can't get too much done on that until I finish the engine swap in my Lotus Elise. To that end, does anyone in the Surrey/South London area have an engine crane I could borrow for a day?

Thanks!

Nick

Handcross on the A23 too far south??

Thanks very much for replying so quickly!

Not too far at all - is there any chance I could borrow for Tuesday next week? And to confirm, is it the type with the hydraulic cylinder to lift the arm?

Always good to meet another constructor as well

You have u2u.

Hi, what elise do you have out of interest?

I am thinking about one for my next road car to replace my Auris.

I heard the Honda engine is mental in the lotus! Whats the spec? How hard will it be to fit?

I would lend you my crane but I'm in Cumbria so no use at all to you but interested in hearing more about your lotus.

Rob

I bought an Elise, a year 2000 Sport 160, in 2004. Only slight problem was that the previous owner had attempted to drive through a tree. The tree had won, and the driver's wheel ended up touching the driver's side door. I repaired that by building new suspension mount points and various other fixes. The Elise S1 is a great chassis, and now pretty cheap if you can look after it yourself.

The Honda engine I have is 220bhp, on a car that will weigh about 750kg. My main reason for changing it was the sports cams - the Rover K engine was unpleasant at low speeds due to lack of torque. The Rover K gearbox is also, and I'm sure I'm not the first to say it, not the best. I want a car that will be a fun track machine, as well as usable at low speeds.

The kit car build will target a BMW M3 engine with DCT transmission, 440bhp, in a single seater chassis with an all-up weight of under 600kg. I'm sure that will provide some interesting photos for this site!

[Edited on 18/4/13 by MrNickB]

[Edited on 18/4/13 by MrNickB]

Good job putting the lotus back together.

I'd like to see updates on the transplant, let me know.

Rob