I'm a reasonably proud owner of a brand new blacktop zetec, but am having second thoughts about using it. Assuming I sold it and had a little bit of cash to spend, what would be the options.

For £1000 I'd be particularly interested in:-

- a full setup ready to go, no messing around with replacing alternators, clutch bearings etc etc and nothing more than an exhaust required
- reasonable power, 120bhp+ ideally
- reliability, and combined with the above would rule out buying a cheap zetec

I'm thinking a full pinto or xflow would be the easy options, moving onto a zetec (think it was big_wasa that had one for sale?).

...or stick with my motor. Is there anywhere I could pay (say less than £500)to take my lump and box and turn it into a running setup without me doing anything?

This no doubt seems a bit stupid what with locosting being about doing it yourself, but unfortunately I have some reasons.

Appreciate there are a thousand of these threads already, but would be grateful for thoughts..

Regards

Mark

you are proud owner of a brand new zetec! did it come with loom, ecu, inlet manifold etc? or was it just the engine and thats it?

if you have a brand new one i would stick with it!

There are lots of different options for a crate engine setup, including small block V8.

All depends what your end picture needs to look like. Do you want Torque, Power, Accelleration?

You can get 200bhp from a Zetec (a mate of mine has onein his tiger, Dyno'd at 200), and ive got a 2.9 V6 with 150hp standard and bags of torque for my little dutton. This cost me £300, plus £50 for the T9 box, £40 bellhousing, £20 manual flywheel & Clutch (clutch is no good for permanent install), I already had a release bearing and lever. Just bought a carb manifold and carbs for it for £50 as well.

Like i said, it all depends on your target.

Why are you having second thoughts on the Brand New engine? You wont get better than that anywhere, in terms of reliability and firing up first time.

The only reason I'm having second thoughts is a balance of time and money, and that my stepfather is quite ill and I want to get the car to drivable as soon as I can. This is where I'm fecked, as I don't have the time do do much work myself on the engine, and I don't have the money to just buy everything.

This is why I'm prepared to compromise to get it to the stage I can drive up and down the street, and this is the limiting factor for me at the moment.

[Edited on 21/6/09 by 200mph]

i would be tempted to sell the zetec and look for a good second hand engine thats come out of a 7 type

FORD FOCUS 1.8 ZETEC ENGINE MK1 1999-2005 BRAND NEW
£550.00 there on ebay look a great deal to me?

FORD FOCUS 1.8 ZETEC PETROL ENGINE, TO FIT THE FOCUS 1.8 PETROL RANGE, FROM 1999-2005 (THE MARK 1 FOCUS). THESE ENGINES ARE EQUIPPED WITH TIMING BELT, WATER PUMP, FLYWHEEL, CLUTCH, IGNITION COIL AND LEADS. ALSO FITTED ARE THE INLET/EXHAUST MANIFOLD/S FOR CARS BUILT FROM 12/2001 TO 5/2005. IF YOUR FOCUS IS AN EARLY MODEL, YOU MAY HAVE TO USE YOUR OLD MANIFOLD/S INSTEAD OF THE MANIFOLD/S SUPPLIED ON THE ENGINE.

meh, hyperlink isn't working, but it's http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=170345649862&Category=100921&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26its%3DI%26otn%3D1 that I have, so fairly complete. It's the entire setup I'd be looking for, or for someone to take my engine and type 9 and do all the necessary to get it running without my further input.

[Edited on 21/6/09 by 200mph]

Zetec, type nine box Megasquirt ECU use the standard manifold Less than £500 I reckon. Whats th point going for the Kent engine when you know your gonna change it anyway.

But then it comes back to time.

It'll probably help if I'm less cryptic about my reasons.

My stepdad was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, and has about 6 months. He was really keen to see me finish the car and has offered a lot of help etc, so I really want to get it to a stage I can drive it up and down his very long drive.

I don't think I have enough time to do all the work needed myself, so a huge step forward would be sticking a running engine in then finishing off the steering and brakes myself.

it would be a huge compromise but such is life. I would love to keep my engine, but as I say I can't see me getting it to the stage I want without paying someone else a load of cash to do it.

think I've lost a post somewhere. gremlins in my computer

If you just want to get it to be driveable off the road, I wouldn't worry too much about the power of the engine - anything cheap that will run would do. How about dropping in an old carbed CVH with a type 9 box and in the future you can change to a zetec, keeping the same box and with the exhaust coming out of the same side?

Scour Blatchat etc. for someone who is doing a full engine upgrade. Crossflows, CVHs and Pintos are all cheap and simple engines which mate up to a Type 9 box (assuming that's what you are using).

Something with a carb would be preferable for ease of installation.

Perhaps look out for a cheap Dutton etc. project car with a working engine? That way you get all the bits you need.

I would say go with the crossflow.

small engine which means easy to move about and easier to fit in restricted spaces (unless you have F27 chasis LOL).

can be gotten running in cheap and simple carbs no fancy ecu to worry about,

lowish power compared to others, unles tuned so cooling is less of a headache.

exhaust is on same side as zetec for future swap.

rebuilt 1300 cheap as chips

[Edited on 22/6/09 by 02GF74]

this is the one i was looking for earlier.

1600 fast toad engie ## 850

I'm selling my pinto as a drop in unit, but have at least one bloke interested from Newark who went for a test spin.

Details here:
http://locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=115400

Plenty more than 120bhp too All you would need is a MS ecu to run it or a set of side draughts

the 2nd crossflow would still need a couple of hundred thrown at it I reckon, so would keep my zetec over it.


flak's is much closer to what I'd be looking for. Are you keeping the MS for your duratec?

TBs and exhaust included in the price?

Cheers

Mark

[Edited on 22/6/09 by 200mph]

quote:

---

Originally posted by 200mph
the 2nd crossflow would still need a couple of hundred thrown at it I reckon, so would keep my zetec over it.


flak's is much closer to what I'd be looking for. Are you keeping the MS for your duratec?

TBs and exhaust included in the price?

Cheers

Mark

---

I didn't see anybody mention Bike carbs.
You can get a bike carb set up for the zetec pretty cheaply.
Use a megajolt and the various ancilliaries, infact someone selling them on here:
linky
then just get the bike carbs to suit, GBS do them complete with inlet manifold for £280.
So you would have a complete setup for £400 and this could be fitted overnight.
How does that sound???