Right, quick run down: Hillclimb/sprint car, home built book chassis, Aries (STM) bodywork, 2ltr C20XE, 4" deep home made wet sump, mounted 1" below the bottom of chassis.

Only done 2 events (a 3rd in class with lots of problems, then a 1st but with a weak-ish entry, so well happy!) The sump is hitting the ground so I've upped the front springs from 250lb/in to 375lb/in for the next event and will have to trick around with the ride height (lower wishbones horizontal when static?).

Question: why did I need to make the ugly bulge pictured? Is the engine mounted too high? Is the Aries bodywork too low-line? It's the one thing with the car that really bugs me, so all opinions/advice welcome....

[img][/img]

I've got a ST Locost and the bodywork (nose, bonnet, scuttle and rear) is lower than most others. I've got a K series with standard sump and I had to use a bulge even after raising the nose with spacers on the sides

Book chassis was desiged to take a small engine such as the cross flow, so when you install a new twin cam engine they tend to be taller and therefore interfere with the bonnet.

GTS make a nose, bonnet and scuttle desiged for the taller twin cam engines for the Panther which is based on the book chassis

NS Dev managed it - he used the caterham sump.

quote:

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Originally posted by MikeR
NS Dev managed it - he used the caterham sump.

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Yep, looked at NSDev's pics and the sump seems lower in the chassis alright. I think the best bet is to go testing with the new springs and see what the ground clearance is like. I just need a volunteer to lie on the track and stare at the sump as I drive full whack towards him and stand on the brakes...

it fits and he drives on the road.

The engine is fitted so its literally as far forward as touching the nose cone. He ground off the lip under the nose cone and the engine is a mm or few from underneath the GRP that the bonnet rests upon.

Can't tell you what the ground clearance is, but its probably over 3 inches. Try contacting him on here or via his company RetroPower. He's likely to be really busy so don't be upset of you don't get a response.

Hi Nosey.

You say in your O/P that you find your bulge ugly.

Just my opinion, but the shape of it to me screams "air intake".

Would it be more pleasing to your eye if the front of it was cut out and replaced with fine mesh?

It would break up your stripes and look more functional IMHO.

I hope I haven't offended you by saying this.
Cheers
Paul G

Image deleted by owner

No offence at all Paul, it had actually crossed my mind but the engine is dead tight to the bulge so it would have to be a "fake" intake, maybe fine mesh stuck on with a black background. Another option I was thinking of was making a corresponding bulge in the nosecone to tidy up the lines, also adding an air outlet in this one to duct the air out from the rad. These cars are never actually "finished", are they?

Hi

I do happen to know of someone who has all the bodywork that allows the zetec and other taller twin cam engines to fit in the Book type chassis with a 6" wett sump siiting level with the base of the chassis IE flat floored. With no bonnet bulge.



Sheriden Bells engine bay [/img]


Cheers Matt

The Aries bodywork is fairly low line. The sump on mine sits a little over an inch below the bottom of the chassis and I (as of yet) have had no problems with it scraping on anything. I can't remember what Matt (procomp) set it at but I think it was something around 3" ground clearance from the bottom of the sump, which looks like this:



Thats running a bike engine (around 230kg front axle weight) and 300lb/inch springs.