I'm building cars in my head again!

If one wanted to build a car based on an old, lightweight rwd car with a modern reliable engine, keeping the original light responsive revvy nature of the car but with economy, refinement and reliability(at elast from the engine) what would you choose?

Preferably sub 1500cc to keep to lower tax bands and light weight.

No bike engines!

I considered the fiat FIRE engines in 16v form but they are tall and ultimately seem to struggle over 100bhp.

I then looked at vauxhall's small-block family one engines (familiar territory) and specifically the 1.5 Daewoo unit which is oversquare ( 81.5 bore and 76.5 stroke) and 1498cc. This engine with a reasonable plenum intake and exhaust would make around 120bhp on its original management but being or iron block construction is quite heavy.

What would you use?

Rover K-series 1.4.
I am planning on using the 1.8, but if you want sub 1.5 for tax reasons, then fit a 1.4 and swap to 1.8 afterwards.
And its small, light, revvy.

K series 1.4, they work well in Midgets
Await's the 'they aren't reliable' brigade to turn up in force.

The K-series hs to be the easy option - Caterham actually fitted the 1.4 at one stage. If you were a whiz with bellhousings, what about the Suziki Ignis Sport 1.5 VVT motor?

Some fantastic articles written on the K series highlighting what the REAL problems were and how to overcome them. Trouble is, poo sticks as they say, and now everyone say 'Head gasket' and walks away. Shame really as it is a cracking engine.

Wow, first 3 posts all suggesting the 1.4 K.

And you can pick up a complete car with one in for a handful of notes. Well, maybe not now thanks to Gifted Gordons scrappage fiasco... but there are still plenty about.

How good bad or ugly are they then? Ive heard of the freelander gasket in 1.8s, but I dont know anyone who has had one and not had issues.....

How tuneable is the 1.4 (standard management and small spend)

I had a very breif drive in a 1.5l honda vtec civic(?) a while ago and that seemed a nice revvy little motor, I know nothing about them though
Edit: Ignore that, just noticed the RWD element in your OP

[Edited on 4-3-10 by flibble]

They are wonderful!

I kept my 216 and will remove the k from that for a future project sometime. great fizzy, eager engine. Gasket went at 78k, repaired it myself and it now has 130k on the clock and sounds fantastic.

My wife has a MGZR 160 with the 1.8 VVT K in it. Very fast, having traction problems so may need a tire upgrade otherwise very strong @ 70k

Plenty of info out there on how to avoid HGF. Easily prevented.

link for me to digest later

http://www.aronline.co.uk/index.htm?essaykseriesf.htm

Also worth poking around http://www.dvapower.co.uk/

1.4 K series revs to 6750 and makes 103 PS. 1.8 VVC revs to 7200 and makes 143 PS (there was a higher output version). Lotus VHPD 1.8 uses the vvc head without the vvc and makes 190 BHP. All weigh 99-100kg

I'm actually quite a fan of the Vauxhall 16v 1.4 as fitted to Astras etc - Mrs Beddows has one and much to my surprise (not a Vauxhall fan at all tbh) it's actually fun to drive even in an Astra if you keep it revving Plus you can get fairly huge BHP out of it if you spend a bit of money........ but even with just a proper exhaust and intake system it would be a cracking engine!

D Beddows: I know, I have the 1600 version in a nova track car! That was why I went looking as the 1400 is oversquare and the 1500 is better again!

Im actually ashamed to admit id forgotten about the k series even when thinking of small modern revvy alloy engines

Another one for Kseries.
Very light and reliable if screwed together properly.
Steve.

On a non-Vauxhall theme, the Suzuki Swift GTi (old shape early 90s) have very nice revy 1300 16v 100bhp standard engines and bolt on to the RWD box from a Suzuki SJ jeep.

Friend of mine had one in a Striker.

What box would one use with the K series?

http://kengine.dvapower.com/

[Edited on 4/3/10 by alistairolsen]

quote:

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On a non-Vauxhall theme, the Suzuki Swift GTi (old shape early 90s) have very nice revy 1300 16v 100bhp standard engines and bolt on to the RWD box from a Suzuki SJ jeep.

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Standard K 1.8 series as used in the R45 R75 and MG ZT 1.8 and Freelander 1.8 only made 118 hp ---- but other versions made up to 160 hp


The 1.6 made about 116hp as standard, and the 1.4 usually made 103hp --- figures varied a bit depending on year.

For insurance reasons the the base model Rover 25 1.4 only made 81hp but only difference from the 104hp version was the butterfly in throttle body was only allowed to open 50% .
Just change the throttle body and throttle cable and get an instant 23hp gain.

quote:

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Originally posted by alistairolsen
What box would one use with the K series?

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quote:

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Originally posted by alistairolsen
What box would one use with the K series?

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quote:

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Originally posted by D Beddows
...Nissan Micra 1.3 16v is another but the rwd aspect is an issue....

As you may have guessed I'm quite a fan of little revvy car engines too

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Another vote for K-series and Type 9...

1275 A series mini engine with a 16v BMW K1100 head is another idea I've always really liked

seen that conversion and while neat I couldnt bring myself to pour that much work into an archaic 3 bearing iron bottom end when there are better engines out there!

lol, agreed BUT it's also a question of the easy availability of other bits - for a front engined rwd car ok maybe not BUT it's so easy to find suppliers of uprated racing Mini parts (like gearboxes) it's not SUCH a stupid idea.... ploughing your own path is one thing but you need to be able to finish what you're doing without having to spend on bespoke everything

Still think you're not going to beat the Vauxhall.... - K series engines are wonderful but finding one that you're sure hasn't hasn't been bodged is going to be your problem

[Edited on 4/3/10 by D Beddows]

Yeah, but with the availability of honda and k series subframes nowadays the first and only step in a series mini tuning is removing it!

I like the vauxhall engine and Im familiar with it and I know it will be reliable, but it comes with a 40kg weight penalty that makes me wince!

The problem with A series tuning, and especially fitting a BMW head is they cost an absolute fortune by the time you've finished. Saw an A series with BMW head and turbo for sale recently for £10k!!

Much cheaper to fit a vauxhall/honda/K series/R1 or micra engine. Even if they do charge £1-2k for a subframe (where a full 7 chassis seems to go for £500-700)

quote:

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Originally posted by alistairolsen
Yeah, but with the availability of honda and k series subframes nowadays the first and only step in a series mini tuning is removing it!

I like the vauxhall engine and Im familiar with it and I know it will be reliable, but it comes with a 40kg weight penalty that makes me wince!

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Smart Brabus engine?

698cc and good for 120bhp?

No idea how you would couple it up to a decent gearbox though

Had a 1.4 K series on big throttle body, decent exhaust and lightened flywheel and was huuuuuuuuuuuge fun.
Also had a Mk2 Suzuki Swift Gti a few (quite a few) years ago and that was also masses of fun............even though it was FWD

Steve

sorry , cant add anything here.....

if its not big , huge and got a whopping turbo , its not worth it .

light , modern , free revving ?

rotary ......... turbo !!

volvorsport, you sound like a mate of mine! locost with a T5 in it counts for big and turbo'ed!

quote:

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Originally posted by alistairolsen
How tuneable is the 1.4 (standard management and small spend)

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Toyota 4age 20v VVti Blacktop, 8k revs, 160 bhp, 80kg of reliability.

just from out of left field here, but i love the engine from the diahatsu charade GTI from yester year. think it was less than 1 litre and you could rev the nuts off it, strap a massive turbo to it, beef up the head gasket and go tearing up the tarmac at the lights

I second the Daihatsu GTi. As stated above, < 1ltr, 3 cylinders, weighed next to nowt and when turbo'd produced 120bhp. IIRC.
Only trouble a bit rare in the UK, only about 200 imported.

RX8 rotary engine, very light, 230 - 250 bhp, 9500 rpm limit in stock form and comes with a RWD 6 speed gearbox

Do i sound like a broken record yet? i will get the message across!

The 16v TU5 engine as fitted to Saxo VTS and 106 GTi, or even the hotted up 8v versions are great little engines.

The Swift GTi engine has already been mentioned, but not sure about availability these day, don't tend to see many older Swifts around.

The Zetec SE is Fords version of the K series and can make very good power, and the 14XE and 16XE Vauxhall engines are also very tunable.

BMW M42 engine. Found in E30 318iS in 1.8ltr and in E36 318iS in 1.9ltr guise. Duplex chain, 16valve and adjustable sprockets as standard And they love having the nuts reved off them, ask me how I know!!
The book says 135bhp but ive seen several on the rollers and they always make more.......oh yeah and their RWD to start

ATB, Ben

I've got an 8v 1.2 FIRE engine in my car and it really sings at higher revs (even if peak out put is only about 60hp, it feels and sounds good when you really push it). Be quite fun to put a 1.4 16v with a turbo in a light weight car.
On a side note, how much extra power can you get with stuff like turbo's, better exhausts, airboxes and remaps? I ask because FIAT sold a 500 with 200hp which seems to have the 1.4 16v FIRE engine.

A VW 1.4Tsi with 170bhp as standard could be interesting .

Not sure of the weight / cost, but maybe a future possibility when they start appearing at scrappy's.