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What should I be looking at?
Ninehigh - 28/9/08 at 03:16 PM

I've just been on autotrader to see what I could get on the cheap to strip down, and it's led to a few questions which I hope some of you can help with.

1. I've found a land rover with a 3.7 litre engine, will the 4x4 thing be difficult/complicated to fit?

2. What problems would I get from using a front wheel drive engine and putting it behind me mid-engined style or should I just look specifically for something rear wheel drive?

3. There's a locost racing organisation! Is there anywhere I can find any specifications because I wouldn't mind racing one :-)

Ninehigh - 28/9/08 at 03:23 PM

Ooh just remembered the fourth one... If the engine is behind me, can the fuel tank go in the front? I mean is it legal and safe?

zilspeed - 28/9/08 at 03:41 PM

Spend a few hours searching through the archives and getting a feel for things.

In the meantime.

4wd - not necessary unless you have mega horepower.

Big engines = nose heavy = understeer.
These cars should turn in like nothing else.

Mid engines, yes, using a FWD donor is fine.

Locost racing. None of this fits in with the race series at all.

Ninehigh - 28/9/08 at 03:47 PM

quote:
Originally posted by zilspeed

Big engines = nose heavy = understeer.
These cars should turn in like nothing else.

Mid engines, yes, using a FWD donor is fine.

Ah, was really looking at a bmw 535 or similar 3-4l sized engine ideally. I guess 3l is fine what about 3.5?

blakep82 - 28/9/08 at 04:08 PM

i'm not sure a land rover engine and running gear is going to give you a particularly exciting drive

mr henderson - 28/9/08 at 04:28 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Ninehigh

Ah, was really looking at a bmw 535 or similar 3-4l sized engine ideally. I guess 3l is fine what about 3.5?


You can fit a large and heavy engine to these cars, especailly woth a little bit of stretching of the various dimensions, but you need to have a good think about whether it's the right thing to do.

Many people feel that the whole point of these cars is to keep the weight down, and I am inclined to agree with them.

John

Daimo_45 - 28/9/08 at 06:03 PM

Putting a big and heavy engine defies the point of the 7 in the first place. It's all about the power-to-weight ratio.

Paul TigerB6 - 28/9/08 at 06:12 PM

Decide what it is you want to build first - se7en, middy etc, and then think about what's a suitable donor to suit your choice, rather than finding a cheap car and then figuring out what to do with it.

In the grand scheme of things, a donor car is a pretty small part of the overall cost. I have to laugh when someone comes along and says i've been given some particular car (worth a couple of hundred pounds) so what can i build with it (and spend multiple thousands in doing so)

Ninehigh - 30/9/08 at 06:30 PM

Ah, well my original plan was some sort of bmw or merc engine because they're rear wheel drive and come in decent (2l+) sizes. The mid engine was an option for if I couldn't find anything suitable.

I figured the power to weight ratio would only increase with a more powerful engine really, guessing this isn't the case then?

mr henderson - 30/9/08 at 06:47 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Ninehigh

I figured the power to weight ratio would only increase with a more powerful engine really, guessing this isn't the case then?


Not if the weight is increasing as well! It's a ratio.

Ninehigh - 30/9/08 at 07:50 PM

True but surely with an increase in engine size the increase in weight shouldn't be too much (especially with regards to parts such as bigger brakes, being a bit wider or longer in the body)

Has anyone found the perfect match yet?

RK - 1/10/08 at 05:20 PM

My own experience has been as follows:
I got a donor car whose engine and transmission I didn't use. Long story I won't go into.
I ended up using a bigger more powerful engine upon the recommendation of the guy who was going to help me get the car built (at my labour cost).

My engine is big, complicated, expensive to have fitted and tuned, and heavy.

I would go with a proven, more commonly available engine, and no turbo. You have a lot of choice over there in blighty. Explore all the options available, and don't sweat it if you don't end up with 200, or even 150bhp. Perhaps the option of a really cheap engine/transmission plus all the other little bits bought separately will outweigh the cost of a donor.

mr henderson - 1/10/08 at 05:30 PM

On the subject of which donor car should you choose, have a good look at the older rear wheel drive Volvos.

My M reg 960 would make a good Locost, 200bhp 3 litre straight 6, independent rear, 4 speed auto, adaptable strut front suspension, all in good sub 100K miles condition, alloy wheels, good tyres and £575 complete with many months tax and MOT. What more could you ask for? I need to keep mine as an estate for the time being, but there are plenty of other examples around.

There are also plenty around with 4 cyl turbos and manual boxes too.

John

Ninehigh - 4/10/08 at 08:51 PM

I've decided to go with a small engine, mainly due to my no claims bonus dissappeared after I built it up a few years ago, so I've got insurance price to consider now :-(

So what's the most powerful one litre car about?

Simon - 4/10/08 at 10:04 PM

That'd probably be something with a Yamaha R1 bike engine in it.

Approx 150bhp.

A BEC fan will give your more info on engine weights etc, as I'm a fan of cubes

ATB

Simon

Ninehigh - 4/10/08 at 10:07 PM

Oh if only I could find one cheap enough! I've got to keep costs down so I was going to use the donor car's engine, something like a polo or fiesta..

hellbent345 - 4/10/08 at 10:28 PM

you might find that insurance is cheaper than you think even with no no claims discount on a suprisingly large engine so dont restrict yourself overly on that account

[Edited on 4/10/08 by hellbent345]

Ninehigh - 4/10/08 at 10:37 PM

£1000 for my mondeo is expensive enough, I'm planning on using this car regularly to and from work and such. With 7 years that I thought I had it was £400... That's not really a big engine either lol