Of the few you list i would go for V8. Makes the best noise and better bragging rights
btw Welcome to the madhouse
Hi, newbie so bear with me.
about to start on a locost project, have the option of ZX12R, 2 litre Pinto or 5.7 litre Olds V8 & th400 auto.
the pinto would be the simplest, as i have more or less all that i need
the ZX12R will be the quickest but would mean killing my bike-i'm getting bored with it tho...
the Olds would sound bloody awesome but whats it going to handle like?
what would you go for?
A front heavy boat
for me thats ike saying, would you rather have herpes or the clap...
what about something more modern? zetec? duratec? vauxhall red top? vauxhall ecotec?
I notice there are no Jag engines in your list
Of the few you list i would go for V8. Makes the best noise and better bragging rights
btw Welcome to the madhouse
That's quite as range of options you've got there! What do you want to use it for. I vote zx12...... but then i would!
rotary engine, like a bec but with torque and better cruising rpms!
No Japanese car engines in the list either. I'm going Toyota 20v 1.6 4age with 160bhp and loads of fun. V8 bragging rights indeed!
quote:
Originally posted by Antnicuk
rotary engine, like a bec but with torque and better cruising rpms!
volvo power m/
rite guyz? yeah?
btw, i do like the idea of a V8 but auto.... meh....
There's simply no contest, which makes it a no brainer......... kill the bike and stick the ZX12R in. 
Can't believe you're even
considering the other two boat anchors.
Phil
quote:
Originally posted by Hellfire
There's simply no contest, which makes it a no brainer......... kill the bike and stick the ZX12R in.
Phil
OK,
i've been riding for 33 years, i ride bikes for a living & am getting a bit bored. i love the ninja, but would consider breaking it &
sell on the bodywork /chassis.
WTF do you do about reverse tho? & what diff do i use?
the Olds motor is sitting there as is the Pinto, poss part of a Moggy project-couldnt decide which motor to use re rising fuel prices.
i dont want to go too modern as i have a healthy dislike for mass electrics, wiring & half a dozen bloody computers(had a 3 year project go up in
flames due to a faulty starter relay) with the exception of the ninja as the wiring is reliable .
currently restoring the wifes Moggy on a budget, so buying even more engines is out of the question.
have a volvo diesel as the family runabout & just fancied a 2 seater as a laugh.
many years ago i had a Dutton B plus with a supercharged alfa & kinda wanted to relive my youth?
Talk about chalk and cheese........and something else!!
Forget the 180kg lump of iron with the 70kg lump (guesstimates) of more iron thats the Yank V8 and auto box for starters!! I imagine they are very
wide so will make accomodating them difficult while still leaving room for your feet - not something a newbie realy wants to be tackling trying to
package that lot i'd say (plus it will be soooooooooo heavy and not handle too well comparatively!!)
Otherwise, ZX12R if you want to go really really fast and dont mind the BEC thing - very raw to drive - speed is everything type experience.
Pinto would be the simplest option but probably 50%+ slower than the BEC.
As above though - there might be better engines out there depending on what you want to use the car for. Why only those engines listed?? You are
likely to spend £5k - £10k building the car so it would be a mistake to limit yourself to an engine just because it is free / cheap.
Tell us what you want to use the car for and we can help narrow the engine choice down further. Track / road blasts / touring etc??
i want the car for fun, if i keep the bike then i dont need speed, a 2 litre pinto should be quick enough. ok i know the olds motor was probably a non
starter, so that will go into the moggy.
as for spending 5-10 k on the car thats not going to happen.
the chassis will be built by myself & a mate who is also building a locost. the steel wont cost more than £100 & as we will be fabricating
them ourselves the chassis wont cost an arm & a leg. i am a painter & am quite happy to do a roof chop & coupe my moggy, so building a
simple chassis shouldnt cause any headaches.i have a good 2 litre pinto & all the sierra running gear also a complete zx12r if i decide to go that
route.
we will be most likely making our own body work, so apart from sourcing seats, dash & poss instruments i cant see where we will spend a lot of
money.
obviously i'm over simplifiying it all, but i want a fun car that i can blast up & down the b roads around northumbria/cumbria. having riden
a ZX12R over the last 4 years i know that i need to spend serious money to replicate that kind of performance in a car & i just dont get paid
enough!
Given the above, stick with the Pinto then. The money tends to go on bits like wheels & tyres, propshaft (could be £300 for a TRT prop for the
ZX12R version), reverse for the ZX12R (another £300 for an off-the-shelf item) based on a starter motor driving a cog. Sump mods might be possible
yourself on the bike sump if you have the right welding gear - otherwise £300 - £1200 for modified sump moving up to dry sump). Fibreglass bodywork,
brakes, wiring loom, instruments / switches / warning lights / exterior lighting etc etc all add up quickly - its the little bits that cost a
fortune!!
To keep the costs down then stick to all standard Sierra donor bits, set of 2nd hand alloys etc, and then keep an eye out here / ebay for bargains for
stuff like instruments, lights etc.
[Edited on 11/11/08 by Paul TigerB6]
Go for the V8, but (and being a little different) build it along the lines of Jim Tillers Allard J2.
V short vid
ATB
Simon
Pinto = cheapest by far. You did mention "locost" somewhere, something most people forget about once they start building.
Bike engines are loud, so for that reason, I'm out!
You can always go Zetec later on if you want a bit more power. I wish the Pinto option was available to me here in Canada, but it wasn't, so I
have a very complicated Nissan CA19DET turbo engine. Yes it can do 400 HP easily with very little modding, but I don't want or need that. I have
more wires than Carter has pills.
If you're breaking the bike you could keep the clocks, fuel pump, loom, ecu, end can etc. Would you need to buy all that again for the other 2?
where in the north east? and put the bike engine in , the thrill factor is brilliant!
Pinto - just don't start tuning it unless you know when to stop (unlike me )
quote:
Originally posted by RK
Pinto = cheapest by far. You did mention "locost" somewhere, something most people forget about once they start building........
You can always go Zetec later on if you want a bit more power........
If those were my only choices id go for the ZX12. And yes - it pains me intensely to say that.
However id prefer to sell the olds and pinto, put a 16V car engine in and keep the bike too.
cheers for all the input guys, getting the chassis kit deliverd within the next couple of days, will keep you posted!