has anyone ever considered putting a rotax engine (used in jetskis ect) in a locost??? they are exceedingly small, and can punch out over 150hp at ridiculously high revs?
also starting with R, rotaries, i guess, have been used before? also fairly compact ect, a decent 13b bridgeport would punch out 200hp plus, if you could stand the absolutely WOEFUL noise of the chook-cookers....

A relative of mine had a mazda rx something he raced many years back.
They are great engines,but ate fuel and oil.

Very nice Canadian rotary Locost
http://www.softarc.com/~ron/locost/locost.html

yea, rotaries are almost perfect locost engines, small, lightweight, and powerful for thier size, they have thier negatives though....
1) they sound like absolute s*@t..

2)as you say, they will go through fuel... a 13b, for example, has a capacity of 1300cc, but due to the almost 2 stroke nature of rotary running, it effectively has a capacity of 2600cc, and then, to compound the effect, rotaries REV... a 2600cc engine at 8000 is always going to chew gas...

3) GETTING THEM in the uk??? i'm yet to hear much at all about rotaries over here.. i've seen a few rx-7s in the trade it, but none breaking or anything, and definately havnt seen anyone who can build them, or machine end plates, which is really the only modification you need for them to make power, apart from an open exhaust and a big weber.. or a modern efi turbo one would work equally well...
not that i'd know in reality, but on PAPER i'd say a 250hp 13B peripheral port rotary powered locost would blow away a 150hp BEC.
overall i guess it all comes down to if you can put up with the sound of one... and telling people you have a wankel engine in your car...

on the other one... anyone ever tried a rotex?

Had one of the early RX 7's in the 80's. Smooth as silk, no reliability problems. Elford Engineering in Christchurch used to sell their own turbo on new RX 7's. They might be able to point you in the right direction. They are no longer Mazda dealers though. With regards to fuel, as far as I know, they can be run on a variety of fuels. I new someone in Durban who used to run one on a mix of Paraffin & Petrol!?

guy over here won the n ireland rally championship in a rx7 still says it was probly the best rally car he had.

At last someone has noticed the potecial of a rotary....
the gearbox is very selender

I can get these for about a 1000 imported from japan divide that buy three and u will get the price in pounds.

The 13b turbo is the only was to go about it
ported rotarys will make....shitloads of noise u will need a huge exhalst

I love the noise so what if it makes a Buzz noise..

rotarys are cheap over here in Australia guess we are just lucky lol

lucky.. ha.. unlucky more like...
i may have posted that they are possibly useful, but i still dont have to like them... or the rotary guys with their steamed up glasses that i used to have to blow away in my chev powered hk

saying that though, i'm considering a rotor in a locost, simply because putting some american muscle under the bonnet simply isnt practical. guess my need for speed overcomes my aversion to rotaries... as for A$1000 imported, where the hell are you getting THOSE, i was in australia until 6 months ago, and the price of a 13b turbo from importers out of japan was more like 2-3000...

If you're based in the UK and seriously interested in a rotax engine, a good place to start is WGT Autodevelopments in Northwich in Cheshire. He specialises in Mazdas, especially RX7s (he races one). He's also fitted V8 into MX5 !!!
http://www.wgtautodevelopments.co.uk/
Hope this is useful

for 2000 u can get a front cut...which contains everything in the front of the car brakes engine loom wheels head lights stering assmly and if ur really lucky bits and picese of the past owner. most of the cars have been in some sort of accident or some doggy prick got busted importing one so customs have choped it up and sold it...The import scean is growing to a point where most people are opting for low milage I mean 40000 km on a 10 year old car...rules are being brought in to reduce this kinda stuff but it is still thriving over here....
mate u should see what toyota engines go for over here. $750 gets u a 4age 100kw version and for $1200 it is in a front cut.

yeah, i know about the toyota ones.... if i were still there i'd have one... 2ltr 1g-gte (155kw) with box, loom ect going for about a grand....