always wondered if vauxhall diesels share the same gearbox pattern as the petrols...
If I bought a second hand kit car and stripped it back to the chassis. What would be my best option engine wise for amazing fuel economy? I would be
looking for a kitcar that might be a daily driver so therefor reasonably practical, i.e a roof and weather tight.
Diesel? Small petrol? What kit car? Just plain not worth it.
Nothing wrong with a 1.6/1.8/2.0 modern injection 4pot. Kit cars are generally a lot lighter than the doner car so even a bigger engine can be economical because you're not having to labour it so much.
quote:
Originally posted by Irony
If I bought a second hand kit car and stripped it back to the chassis. What would be my best option engine wise for amazing fuel economy? I would be looking for a kitcar that might be a daily driver so therefor reasonably practical, i.e a roof and weather tight.
Diesel? Small petrol? What kit car? Just plain not worth it.
quote:
how about a GTM rossa with hard top? Selling mine in the spring with full MOT (when convertible prices go up), or you can buy now with no MOT for a god price
Seems like a pointless exercise to me.
If you want a practical car, to be good on fuel etc you buy a production hatch or similar.
If you want a performance/fun car you buy/build a kit.
People regularly modify the production cars so you can retain some of the practicality but gain some performance fun. Tht makes sense because its
fairly easy to increase performance.
But taking a fun kit car, then making it more econmic (and therfore less fun no doubt), and then trying to make a naturally impractical car, its
obvisousy going to be alot harder to make it practical. Seems like your compromising the wrong way.
[Edited on 20/1/11 by loggyboy]
quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
Seems like a pointless exercise to me.
If you want a practical car, to be good on fuel etc you buy a production hatch or similar.
If you want a performance/fun car you buy/build a kit.
People regularly modify the production cars so you can retain some of the practicality but gain some performance fun.
But taking a fun kit car, then making it more econmic (and therfore less fun no doubt), and then trying to make a naturally impractical car, practical seems like your compromising the wrong things.
well dinosarjuice off here is putting a diesel in his car. can't remember any recent updates, but he's doing it.
always wondered if vauxhall diesels share the same gearbox pattern as the petrols...
I'd like to put something like a daihatsu 3 pot or one of the new Volvo 1.6 diesel engines in a reliant kitten, lightweight, RWD etc.
quote:
Originally posted by Irony
Perhaps but in todays literally soaring fuel prices I was wondering what sort economy could be available with a modern diesel in a lightweight chassis.
get the 1.6 diesel engine out of a focus.
my mate who builds rally cars bought one and stripped it out with just 1 seat and dash out etc.
lightened springs etc
it did over 80 mpg till the engine got ripped out and sold on ebay....
good luck irony on ye eco build.
dave
I would have thought with the torque available in modern turbo diesels would be very impressive in a car the weight of a Locost, might even be too
much for an Escort diff. But it's an idea that appeals to me.
Diesels seem to do OK at Le Mans.
Citroen 1.4 turbo Diesel, what do you do for a gearbox though!
quote:
Originally posted by Benzine
I'd like to put something like a daihatsu 3 pot or one of the new Volvo 1.6 diesel engines in a reliant kitten, lightweight, RWD etc.
well, the 1.6, not the daihatsu one
Or even a 2.2 Mondeo Diesel 155BHP as std, and 180+ with a tuning box, 50mpg average as well draging the mondy body about.
or even the 2.0 diesel 130bhp and 50+mpg more with a tuning box.
Downside is all the electrinics.
Goes very well indeed!.
My favourite for a kit car would be a Perkins Prima, simple and turbo'd goes fairly well and will give 55mpg on a run.
A great little engine. Probably some in your local scrappy.
^^ how's about a half way solution, a production car thats practicaly a kit 
Reliant Scimitar with any diesel lump you can make fit - PPC had one a while back with a BWM 2.5 TD (out of an omega)
Scimitars only weigh ~1ton and thats with an essex V6
also you can get a pre 73 one (SE4 / SE5) so free road tax 
Lightness is good, but you also need decent aerodynamics for good economy, and many kit cars fail dismally in this respect (any kind of Lotus 7/Ariel Atom clone will be poor).
vauxhall 1.3 cdti with a chip, 100bhp ish
whilst im a fan of diseasels in dailys/rep mobiles, the few OEM diesel converstibles ive been in (merc, BMW etc) you can hear the diesel racket from
the engine which is all but hidden with a proper roof and you get the stink! Ok when you are going fast enough to outrun your own chuff cloud, but
town driving and gassing off on long descents does make it smell like youve got ya head under the bonnet of an 80s transit--Yuk...
its its in a roofed kit car, then it can almost be excused, but might need a fair bit of dynamat on teh bulkheads and floors to stop it sounding like
a dozen bolts in a bucket
I agree with the noise problem. I have a Golf GT TDI 150 and is does go like stink. A mate of mine with the same car put a stainless steel exhaust
on his and it literally sounded awful. Like a angry tractor that needed a tuneup.
However if you've been to Le Mans 24 then the petrols make your ear drums rattle whilst the diesel are quiet.
What diesel engines could be converted to rear wheel drive and with what box? I know that BMW 320d are rear wheel drive but they are quite big
engines?
[Edited on 20/1/11 by Irony]
Been driving my diesel mev rocket for 2 years now. its ace.
its no traditional sports car by far. but that just adds character. i dont get great fuel economy, rarely average more than 50mpg, but thats cos i
dont drive it economically. did achieve 90mpg coming bak from newark last year doing steady 70 and that was still having a bit of fun overtaking.
engine is the 2.0 PSA hdi unit from a ford focus c-max. 136hp and 340nm in standard trim.
only down side is ECUs, all common rail engines are stupidly complicated. i was on the verge of a nervous breakdown getting my c-max ecu to work. one
of the few kit cars with a fly-by-wire CAN network controlled engine i believe.
oh yeah, diesels are very tall engines too. one of the reasons i chose the mev, that and been able to use the c-max gearbox.
will
quote:
Originally posted by dinosaurjuice
Been driving my diesel mev rocket for 2 years now. its ace.
its no traditional sports car by far. but that just adds character. i dont get great fuel economy, rarely average more than 50mpg, but thats cos i dont drive it economically. did achieve 90mpg coming bak from newark last year doing steady 70 and that was still having a bit of fun overtaking. engine is the 2.0 PSA hdi unit from a ford focus c-max. 136hp and 340nm in standard trim.
only down side is ECUs, all common rail engines are stupidly complicated. i was on the verge of a nervous breakdown getting my c-max ecu to work. one of the few kit cars with a fly-by-wire CAN network controlled engine i believe.
oh yeah, diesels are very tall engines too. one of the reasons i chose the mev, that and been able to use the c-max gearbox.
will
I remember reading the the VAG 1.9Tdi engine didn't need too many wires. I'd worry about the noise though as even in lightweight tin-tops
it can be a bit offensive.
"weasel build" in PPC
The MEV looks sweet!
quote:
Originally posted by matt_gsxr
I remember reading the the VAG 1.9Tdi engine didn't need too many wires. I'd worry about the noise though as even in lightweight tin-tops it can be a bit offensive.
"weasel build" in PPC
[/img] Don't see why not, my Mondeo's got the 105hp flavour and that goes quick enough, in a much lighter car it would be sweet.
Also nothing wrong with getting an extra 30-40mpg for the same speed!
Perhaps now is the the time for Dave Walker and co to start making aftermarket ecus for diesels
ATB
Simon
Not that I want to side track this but I'm really intrested in the new FIAT Twin air engine from what I've seen and read, Obviously buying
one wouldn't be cheap as it's a brand new engine but seeing how it performs in the 500 I think it would be intresting nestled in the back of
a light weight kit car.
I'm no expert but aren't diesel engines considerably heavier and Diesel is more expensive so the difference in economy has to be even
greater?
A turbo diesel can give good performance in a heavy weight saloon but in a very light car the rotational inertia and lack of top end will blunt the
performance when compared to a petrol engine of similar power.
With any diesel DIY installation the prospects are really limited to older diesels which have less electronics such as the older version of the
Rover L series.
The very latest generation of diesels with particulate filters are not only much more complex and less attractive from the costs aspect.
The alternative is of course a petrol engine and go LPG, on running cost are 60% that of a petrol engine, the technology is fairly simple the gas
injectors are slaved off the petrol injectors.
Interestingly quite a few Toyota Prius have been converted to LPG.