the duratecs seem more tuneable and are a more modern engine. the caterham r500 runs a fairly powerful duratec.
but i think we all know where this thread is going! bike power
Hi all,
I plan on buying a 7 style car in the next year but due to budget etc will prob have an older style motor (pinto or X flow etc).
I have been thinking about engine options to upgrade the motor, I would like a reliable 200+hp and was wondering if anyone has used a Mini 1.6 SC
motor (160hp standard).
Any thoughts on this as they are tuneable and parts readily available?
Thanks
What are you going to do for gearbox
another thing to note is youd be able to buy a 200bhp 2.0xe or similar for a lot lot less than a pinto powered car plus a conversion to the mini lump!
You can buy a good Zetec 2 litre for £150, stick on some Webers and you have 160 bhp. Stick in a pair of Kent cams and you have 175 bhp. Get some
decent head porting done and you have 200 bhp. Have a fat wallet, far more is available. The Zetec fits easily and there are loads of fitting parts
available. Just about any RWD Ford gearbox bolts to it.
Spend a bit more and you can get a brand new Zetec for about £800. years of trouble free motoring and about 175 bhp when fitted with TB's.
Or you can try and fit a Mini engine. You then have to develop a bellhousing to match the gearbox and get the engine to talk to the ECU. There may be
issues with clearances, who knows.
Stick to the simple and enjoy the car.
All good points thanks, thought I'd have to have an adapter plate made up for the box.
Just thinking about something a bit different, I know the mini engine is an iron block so not sure if it's any lighter than the XE/Zetec, I doubt
it with the SC as well.
I just liked the idea of something that was supercharged from the factory due the cost, linear power delivery and tuning possibilities.
I have access to lots of salvage vehicles but hadn't realised the Zetec was that cheap.
What's the difference between a Zetec and a duratec?
Thanks again
inlet and exhaust on opposite side for a start. so the zetec exhaust runs down passenger side which is preferable in my opinion.
the duratecs seem more tuneable and are a more modern engine. the caterham r500 runs a fairly powerful duratec.
but i think we all know where this thread is going! bike power
The Mini 1.6 SC is not a particularly pleasant engine. Its rough, it leaks oil and the power delivery is not linear, it comes witha bit of a bang at
4000 rpm, not like a modern turbo at all.
The Duratec is a newer engine than the Zetec, its all alloy and capable of higher powerr outputs than a Zetec. But it costs more and can cost more to
fit.
Do not get hung up on power. My first Caterham had about 130 bhp and it was fast, very fast compared to anything else I had driven. I eventually built
a 208 bhp Zetec which was great but when it had issues I replaced it with a bog standard Blacktop which puts out about 175 bhp. Do I miss the 33 bhp,
most certainly do not. I can get from A to B just as quick simply because the extra power does not make you faster on the road. In truth I had just as
much fun with 130 bhp.
Supercharged mx5 engine ?
quote:
Originally posted by Paul Turner
The Mini 1.6 SC is not a particularly pleasant engine. Its rough, it leaks oil and the power delivery is not linear, it comes witha bit of a bang at 4000 rpm, not like a modern turbo at all.
The Duratec is a newer engine than the Zetec, its all alloy and capable of higher powerr outputs than a Zetec. But it costs more and can cost more to fit.
Do not get hung up on power. My first Caterham had about 130 bhp and it was fast, very fast compared to anything else I had driven. I eventually built a 208 bhp Zetec which was great but when it had issues I replaced it with a bog standard Blacktop which puts out about 175 bhp. Do I miss the 33 bhp, most certainly do not. I can get from A to B just as quick simply because the extra power does not make you faster on the road. In truth I had just as much fun with 130 bhp.
^^^^would be a good choice in the sub 1700cc classes i reckon!
i agree although im biased but the 1600 sigma is alot cheaper to tune and parts are more available and cheaper
The Tritec motor was developed jointly by Rover/BMW & Chrysler (not a reject) but there were big problems with the Brazilian factory, build
quality and power output.
Having said that, I bought one new in 2004 and sold it to a friend in 08. It's now at 98k miles, never used a drop of oil between services, has a
dyno print to show a great power curve to 163BHP as advertised (at 2 years old) and I had a GPS speed of 136 on the autobahn (the day I collected it
)
The Cooper S weighs just over 1000kg IIRC? Be different 
quote:
Originally posted by daniel mason
^^^^would be a good choice in the sub 1700cc classes i reckon!