MakeEverything
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 posted on 5/9/08 at 08:31 AM |
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V8 BIG hp Locost (Not the sauce)
Ok, Ok i take it all back. The more i think about it, the more im beginning to get excited.
Originally, ive planned a BEC Locost with an RSV Mille engine, but a guy at work has a Rover 3.5 +.020", honed Crank and stage 3 heads that he
might give me.
Has anyone looked at V8's? I reckon i could make it fit, and with a bit of thinking (and metal) i reckon i could make the chassis strong
enough. Im new to V8 Transmission though. Manual is of course preferrable, as is 5 gears for economy (where applicable!!)
Ive got a supercharger i would put on it too, and access to a nitrous kit for an additional 75hp injection. All together, i reckon i could muscle up
around about 400hp..... maybe.....
The questions i have are:
1. What V8 Manual transmission is best? There are a few different types.
2. Which rear axle would be best, without the need for modification? - Obviously i would like wider rear tyres so as not to waste the power with too
much whelspin, so the wheel offset needs to be quite shallow depending on axle width.
3. Has anyone here put a V8 into a Locost before? - If so, i would like to hear the stories. (Good & Bad) 
4. Does anyone know a good shrink?
Ill keep plotting, drawing and dribbling and ill keep you posted.
Kindest Regards,
Richard.
...You can make it foolProof, but youll never make it Idiot Proof!...
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MikeRJ
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 08:37 AM |
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Simon on here has a twin turbo'd Rover V8.
A big heavy V8 in the front of a very lightweight car isn't going to do the handling any favours IMO.
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Dangle_kt
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 08:38 AM |
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I think if you get 400bhp then there aint gonna be much "locost" about it.
You'll need uprated parts to deal with that sort of power, and then you need to upgrade the parts that can stop that sort of power, and make it
handle.
Oh and how will you fabricate the front end to fit HGV air suspension to deal with the weight of that CAR engine
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02GF74
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 08:45 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
A big heavy V8 in the front of a very lightweight car isn't going to do the handling any favours IMO.
a common misconception; rover v8 is all alloy, big but light compared to old fords.
check the weights.
xflow 110 kg
pinto boat anchor 135 kg
rover v8 150 kg
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Paul TigerB6
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 08:46 AM |
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Dont forgot to get yourself a donor card too!!! 400bhp and all that supercharged V8 torque makes me think you might need one!!
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Guinness
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 08:49 AM |
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I know a lad who has a big BHP Rover V8 in the front of a Dax.
It looks and sounds great, and once it's on the move it's fantastic.
The only trouble with it seems to be traction from a standing start. He has masssssssssiiiiiiiiivvvvvvvvvvvveeeeee back tyres and despite all that
rubber, when pulling away it spins them up!
He was round at a mates house one day and went to pull away, span the back tyres up, and it sort of drifted the back end down the camber of the road
until the sidewall hit the kerb!
I say go for it! Good luck!
Cheers
Mike
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D Beddows
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 08:52 AM |
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Loads of people have done it so you'd hardly be treading unchartered territory - 400bhp is about 200 too much for a 7 however - go for it by all
means but you really are just wasting your money after you get much more than 200bhp
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smart51
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 08:53 AM |
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Compared with the BEC you were planning, the V8 is going to be very torquey. Think wheelspin. Think wheel spin in every gear on dry roads. Think
lairy snaking away from traffic lights.
I knew someone with a Westfield Seight. He thought it a bit much really and he didn't have 400 BHP.
It will be a really fast car. Very, very fast, if you can put the power down. The rover V8 engine isn't really all that heavy. I'd
think carefully about what diff and rear axle I'd use with that much power.
You'll also have to think about the steering column. You'll probably need a few UJs to guide the column around the exhaust manifolds.
Westfield, MNR and DAX have had V8s in their cars so it can be done.
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mr henderson
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 08:54 AM |
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An LT77 gearbox from SD1 would be the best bet price/value wise, if ytou can get one at a reasonable price an R380 would be better.
Wider wheels won't necessarily get you more traction, as the weight of the car is spread over a wider area. It's really all to do with
tyres.
Carb wise, go for the weber (edelbrock) 500 on an edelbrock manifold. Do NOT get the holley/offenhauser.
With a resonable cam you should get over 200 bhp and that really is all you will want to start off with.
John
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adam1985
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 09:15 AM |
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i dont know much about these v8 but when i went my local garage this week they had a landy with the 3.9 v8 and a supercharger they use to race he said
it was about 300bhp and when he started it up it sounded awesome just my 2p worth
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MakeEverything
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 09:21 AM |
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To answer some of the stupid questions :
A. I dont have to Uprate anything because it doesnt exist yet
B. When you build anything, you SELECT THE CORRECT SUITABLE COMPONENTS
C. The handling and takeoff is mostly down to suspension geometry at the end of the day. The engine really doesnt weigh that much more than a Pinto,
so no major mods needed other than strength for stresses in Acc, Decell, and cornering at speed.
I reckon a four link rear and live axle set up well would keep the wheels on the floor for a while.
"Compared with the BEC you were planning, the V8 is going to be very torquey. Think wheelspin. Think wheel spin in every gear on dry roads.
Think lairy snaking away from traffic lights. "
Well, Happy Days!!
I know its not unchartered territory, but the challenge of making all those horses stick to the floor is. Hopefully, its a bit clearer where im
coming from now.
Thanks all for the replies. 
Kindest Regards,
Richard.
...You can make it foolProof, but youll never make it Idiot Proof!...
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D Beddows
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 09:26 AM |
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lol, if you know the answers why did you ask the question?
[Edited on 5/9/08 by D Beddows]
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Paul TigerB6
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 09:29 AM |
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Making the horses stick to the road is going to be down to a lot more than suspension geometry!! The massive torque will spin the tyres up no matter
how good the geometry so its going to be a bit more than an engineering excercise. If you think driving a car that spins its wheels in every gear all
the time is going to be fun then i think you are in for a shock!! There are a few big hp cars (Cossy turbo's etc) out there and i think most
would admit that they are simply too much to be fun.
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scootz
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 09:42 AM |
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I know that you've been offered a unit, but if it's got you thinking about V8's, then I would look at something a bit more
modern.
Audi V8's are nice and light and are reasonable price-wise.
My main gripe with older V8's is Carb's... I hate 'em!
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novacaine
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 10:01 AM |
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if you do go ahead, be careful supercharging it.
i seem to remember that the eaton supercharger (quite a popular choice i'm told) is just far too small for the engine and can cause problems
Check out this website, lots of info on the rover V8
Link
And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but its sinking, Racing around to come up behind you again, the sun is the same in a relative way but
your older, shorter of breath and one day closer to death
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smart51
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 10:21 AM |
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Nice website.
Brand new complete long engine with EFI and all ancilliaries £5695
Stage 1 head with cams and new ECU (upto 260 BHP) plus £895 or...
bigger everything spec with stage 4 head a snip at £7945.
You said you didn't want carbs.
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mr henderson
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 10:28 AM |
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To spend big money on a rover v8 one need to be either a big fan of the rover, or ill informed.
Nowadays people who would have had a massively uprated Rv8 in the past are now buying new Chevrolet LS series engines.
John
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swanny
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 10:37 AM |
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i'd agree. lots of people have spent big bucks on rover v8's and got some impressive figures only for the cost of LS1's to make all
of that seem pointless.
there are quite a few cobra owners ditching the rover v8 in favour of an LS1 not only more hp in stock trim, but better fuel economy. (maybe you could
get one of their rovers)
however, given the issue of getting the power down i think a stock v8 would be more than sufficient. it does take some getting used to. definately
dont get a four speed box. hopeless. 1st gear with a v8 seven is only to be used for parking. pull away in second, third even fourth is a doddle due
to the torque. i use second to avoid leaving black stripes everywhere. that said its perfectly possible to pull away smoothly in first...its just that
when you see a gap and think right i'd better give it some to avoid making him slow down, and boot it all you do is sit there spinning away!
if you want huge torque in every gear, the best sound in the world and be able to pick up a rebuilt second hand engine for 500 quid. rover v8's
the way to go.
makes me smile before i even take it out of the garage.best thing i ever did.
paul
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Humbug
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 10:37 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by MakeEverything
"Manual is of course preferrable, as is 5 gears for economy (where applicable!!)
Ive got a supercharger i would put on it too, and access to a nitrous kit for an additional 75hp injection. All together, i reckon i
could muscle up around about 400hp..... maybe.....
Not likely to be compatible with economy
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MakeEverything
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 10:43 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by D Beddows
lol, if you know the answers why did you ask the question?
[Edited on 5/9/08 by D Beddows]
I didnt ask the questions i just answered! Derrr
Modern engines are fantastic - Golf R32 V6, Type R, M5, etc etc, but ive been offered a reconditioned stage 3 powerplant for a song, an i just cant
turn it down.
I know the wheels will spin whatever the geometry, but lets be honest, you can make a 1.1 fiesta spin its wheels if you really want to.
It would just need to be driven accordingly, and driven with a little caution which is exactly what i am after. No need to go Nuts out everywhere it
drives - been there, done that.
I want to build a car that is unique, a bit of a handful and bloody quick. I know old Rovers arent the "best" engine in the world, but
its simple, cheap and they work.
If its too much of a handful in the wet, then it doesnt go out in the wet. If its only good for the drag strip, then it goes there more often than
track days etc etc.
The Engineering challenges of harnessing such power, and adding / removing stuff to make it run right or do what i want it to do is appealing (or
appalling..?) in a nerdy kinda way.
There are also challenges such as introducing Fuel Injection, different Cam, Different Valves, or timing settings etc, the same way putting R1 carbs
on a Zetec, or programmable ECU's on engines etc adds interest to other Locosters.
Kindest Regards,
Richard.
...You can make it foolProof, but youll never make it Idiot Proof!...
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MakeEverything
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 10:49 AM |
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Thanks Swanny, Nail, Head, and hit.
Kindest Regards,
Richard.
...You can make it foolProof, but youll never make it Idiot Proof!...
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mr henderson
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 10:55 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by MakeEverything
quote:
Originally posted by D Beddows
lol, if you know the answers why did you ask the question?
[Edited on 5/9/08 by D Beddows]
I didnt ask the questions i just answered! Derrr
I think he is assuming that the MakeEverything who did indeed ask the questions at the start of the thread is the same person as you, which apparently
he isn't.
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MikeRJ
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 11:07 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
a common misconception; rover v8 is all alloy, big but light compared to old fords.
Where did the 150kg come from though? It's been questioned on here before as it seems too low. It might be all alloy, but it's a big
engine. Then you have to take into account the big heavy gearbox that will be needed to take the power.
Unless it's one of the rather lovely ones made from two bike engines, V8's suit muscle cars and Cobras a lot better than a 7 IMO. It
seems a bit pointless building what is supposed to be a very lightweight, sweet handling car and then sticking a heavy V8 in the nose. Each to their
own though.
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Paul TigerB6
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 11:08 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by MakeEverything
If its too much of a handful in the wet, then it doesnt go out in the wet. If its only good for the drag strip, then it goes there more often than
track days etc etc.
And if its only good for pub bragging rights while being too impossible to drive to truly be fast then it gets parked in the carpark of the White
Swan??
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Paul TigerB6
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| posted on 5/9/08 at 11:16 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJWhere did the 150kg come from though?
144kg according to Wiki - only 10kg more than a Pinto. I was surprised myself!!
linky
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