Mornin all.

I recently bought a Smart Roadster Brabus Coupe. Got it rempapped to 125bhp and it's actually quite a hoot. You just cane it everywhere you go, feel like you're going eleventy-million miles per hour, but in reality you're barely troubling the speed limit!

I heard a lot of moaning about the gearboxes, but that has to be about the standard auto boxes surely as the flappy-paddle model that mine has changes faster than I could with a manual.

The only thing I don't like about it is the ABS based traction control system - it is far too intrusive!

Anyway, it got me thinking about returning to an old idea...

How about a stripped-out, basically kitted, mega-lightweight jobbie!? It'll give me something to faff about with until the Arion is built, or until I get bored and take the pile of junk I've bodged to the scrappy!

So I picked up a rolling Smart Brabus Roadster chassis (non-coupe) with V5 for pennies from a breakers. I went with the non-Coupe as it's lighter and I wanted to cut the screen down (the coupe wouldn't look right with this done).

Surprisingly, there's not a lot of swap info out there. I've seen that a guy put a Citroen VTR engine / auto box in one. And there are a couple of GSXR cars (especially in the ForTwo range).

So far I've stripped it's entire interior out, removed the heavy doors, removed the PAS components, removed the rear window, and chopped the screen-glass down just to see what it might look like (pic below).

Will get round to making a lexan screen, a simple ali-sheet dash, and put in some GRP seats. I'm confident I can knock 100kg + from the original 790kg weight (even with a four-pot engine swap).

The only fabrication work will involve a couple of mounts across the front chassis legs to take the relocated fuel tank, plates to tidy up the windscreen pillar legs, welded in harness brackets, a clutch pedal, couple of side impact bars across where the doors were (I'll attach the plastic door-skin panels direct to these bars. Oh, and new bracketry on the rear sub-frame to take a different engine / gearbox!

Which brings me to the bit where I need inspiration! Engine / gearbox choice!

My requirements:

Transverse layout.
No bike engines (will be too heavy at 650+kg).
Must be a physically small and light unit as there's not a lot of space back there (see pic of a Rover K-series block in the subframe).
Doesn't have to have stupid power.
Must be 'simple'. No fancy electronics / induction.
Must be plentiful (cheap!).
Naturally aspirated.

Common sense says a 'ready' mid-mounted engine like a MG(T)F, MR2, etc. Means I can get off-the-shelf gear-linkages, exhausts, etc. from scrappy's.

As mentioned I have a 1.8 K block with 160 pistons sat lying around. It would take me forever to get this engine built-up though, so I'd probably be best just transplanting direct from an damaged MG(T)F donor.

So far, the Rover K is the leading contender... it's light, it''s cheap, and it will make decent power. I haven't got any gearbox or engine manifolds lying about just now, so I can't be certain if it will all fit, but it looks hopeful. Can anyone help with dimensions for the PG1 box?

Am I missing any other engines out? Does anyone know of a notoriously small transverse engine / gearbox package that gives a good power-to weight ratio? The other leading contender was the Ford Sigma (Puma) engine and IB5 box. Light and buzzy, but I'm not sure it offers enough (any!?) more than the Rover K and PG1 to justify the extra hassle of making my own gear-linkage.

All suggestions welcome!






[Edited on 22/6/15 by scootz]

Ecoboost?
GM small block turbo (corsa vxr)

Cheers. I did think about the 1.0 Ecoboost, but reckon it could be a PITA due to all the modern emissions kit and fancy electrickery. It's not a particularly cheap unit yet either.

Nice project.

Banks put the Smart fortwo engine in the back of one of their lotus Europa cars, looked a tidy install and seemed to go well (and was very orange!)

http://www.banks-europa.co.uk/smart_europa.htm

other typical transplants would be:

Early Civic/Integra VTI B18 (180hp ish) engine or the later 2.0l Civic Type r K20 engine
As already said the 1.7 Puma Sigma - bike TBs, exhaust and an ecu and you are at 150HP+
On oddball choice may be the Toyota Starlet/Glanza turbo engine - these can be tuned from the std 135hp to 200hp (from a 1.3l 4E-FTE)

I'll get your PG1 measurement tonight mate, sorry forgot

quote:

---

Originally posted by liam.mccaffrey
I'll get your PG1 measurement tonight mate, sorry forgot

---

What are you up to again? I had the blue wave till the turbo died. Like you said paddle shift makes it super fun and you cannot lose your license. It does hesitate at junctions though. Engine wise, I will go for a mental rotax engine with cvt. Cant beat it. You make me want to buy another one

[Edited on 22/6/15 by femster87]

Cheers Ugg.

quote:

---

Originally posted by femster87
What are you up to again? I had the blue wave till the turbo died. Like you said paddle shift makes it super fun and you cannot lose your license. It does hesitate at junctions though. Engine wise, I will go for a mental rotax engine with cvt. Cant beat it. You make me want to buy another one

---

Another look at the first picture reminds me of the Manta Ray Buggy ! Possible inspiration for the styling ??????

Also dug this up - worth a revisit - bit more radical that yours scootz but interesting nonetheless.

http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=193319


[Edited on 22/6/15 by Ugg10]

How about the 190bhp Toyota Celica engine/gearbox?

Front/transverse installation and rev's like a bike engine

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ugg10
Another look at the first picture reminds me of the Manta Ray Buggy ! Possible inspiration for the styling ??????

Also dug this up - worth a revisit - bit more radical that yours scootz but interesting nonetheless.

http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=193319

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by JAG
How about the 190bhp Toyota Celica engine/gearbox?

Front/transverse installation and rev's like a bike engine

---

clicky

i nearly purchased a brabus ended up with a vx220

the k series should be good ala elise and can run up to 160bhp fairly cheapish

go proper old school and try an a-series. throw a old T2 turbo on with a mirage manifold. loads of umph, plenty of resource info online, and no electronics in sight!

I do believe there are mid mount conversion kits available too

[Edited on 22/6/15 by AntonUK]

quote:

---

Originally posted by scootz
Mornin all.

I recently bought a Smart Roadster Brabus Coupe. Got it rempapped to 125bhp and it's actually quite a hoot. You just cane it everywhere you go, feel like you're going eleventy-million miles per hour, but in reality you're barely troubling the speed limit!

I heard a lot of moaning about the gearboxes, but that has to be about the standard auto boxes surely as the flappy-paddle model that mine has changes faster than I could with a manual.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by MikeRJ
I bought my wife a Roadster Coupe at the beginning of the year as a birthday present, though I had to completely rebuild the engine (factored into purchase price). It's more fun than most cars I've driven, and it's no slouch at lower speeds. However you must change gear pretty slowly if you think the Roadster does it faster than you could! It's not as terrible as many people make out and it certainly has it's charms, but it's slow enough that you have to learn to anticipate the box to get the best from it. Fully auto mode is virtually useless as well.

I'm really interested in your project as a revvy naturally aspirated engine with a manual box and clutch would turn it into a cracking little sportscar. Brabus somehow managed to shoehorn a V6 (made from two 3 port Smart engines) into an extremely limited edition version, but a four pot is still going to be a tight fit IMO.

I did notice that the new ForFour/Renault Twingo has a 3 pot with a proper clutch/gearbox and wondered if that would fit in, but obviously they are new and expensive.

Hmm...has the Mazda rotary ever been mated up to a FWD transxle?

---

Bit of a randomer, how about the CGA3DE out of a Mk2 Micra? Apparently they're quite revvy and respond well to some light tuning (up to about 130hp NA). Or sticking with the Nissan theme, SR20DE (or DET) - not sure how small they are though.

Toyota Glanza Turbo 1.3 engine? They can be tuned pretty crazily I understand

You could consider the Focus 1.6 (Sigma or Zetec?), they have cable shift mechanism from I've seen from MEV Rocket builds.

Honda B16 would be pretty scary quick
https://www.flickr.com/photos/59800367@N07/sets/72157654433698458/

Suzuki G13B
http://www.16vminiclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1473

Mazda v6
http://www.16vminiclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15932

Cheers... forgot about the MEV middies!

Worth a search for pictures of the sylva j15 (jenko on here), sigma/zetec se version of the r1ot or the vectis (mgf subframe version) for installations/frames etc.

Also gtm libra used a K series in the rear end and the marlin 5exi has been fitted with a number of transverse engines including the vag 1.8t (another one to add to the list)

If you want an engineering project there is always the A series mini engine with a k1000 BMW bike 16v head. Loads of articles on this out there.

[Edited on 22/6/15 by Ugg10]

4age? Then upgrade to the super charged version?

Supercharge a little Aygo 3 pot?

Aygo gearing is very long and the engine (without supercharger) felt a bit flat after 5000rpm IMHO.

Otherwise, it ticks the boxes

Hey Scootz, any progress on this project?

My wife's Roadster Coupe was recently written off by a mad Aygo driver; the rear suspension is well and truly bent (the entire de-dion axle, x brace and the subframe bracket where the de-dion locates) so just pondering the possibilities of fitting something else in.

Hi Mike

I went with the Aygo engine in the end. The good news is that the engine and box fit.



I'm not sure how I'm going to deal with the offside engine mount as it's solid and sits above the subframe. I was hoping it would go below, so I could simply drop the engine from underneath should I need to.

If that's not an option, then I'll just have to plan the electrics / plumbing to allow for easy subframe removal (it is only 4 bolts after all).

I also plan on using TB's from a Triumph Speed Four as these roughly have the same port size / shape. Again, it involves a bit of fabrication as I need to lose one of the bodies, but it's no big deal.

And that's ad far as I've got just now...

Nice, that fits rather neatly, and I happen to know of a recently written of Aygo

Did you know there's an aftermarket turbo conversion for this engine?

quote:

---

Originally posted by scootz


I also plan on using TB's from a Triumph Speed Four as these roughly have the same port size / shape. Again, it involves a bit of fabrication as I need to lose one of the bodies, but it's no big deal.

And that's ad far as I've got just now...

---

Cheers Ugg. The 955 ones are too big to get them in-line with the 1KR-FE inlet ports (even with linkage modification).

No problems, just looked the the atp direct to head bling dimensions and that engine is tiny, I thought my zetec SE was small but......

http://beta.atpowerthrottles.com/product_info.php/toyota-1kr-38mm-p-169

It is dinky!

Mike RJ. that comment made my day! Still chuckling to myself now

These people supply 80 and 120 BHP versions of the 1KR-FE (Aygo) engine, so there's plenty of scope to get more than the stock 68 BHP from it.

C1GTi turbo charge it. They reckon the engine is good for far more than the 95BHP they give it, but they think the standard gearbox is only good for 100 BHP.

quote:

---

Originally posted by daniel mason
Mike RJ. that comment made my day! Still chuckling to myself now

---

Bit of a thread resurrection...

How did the Smart project go Scootz?

Lol - its not made much, in fact any, progress.

Does that surprise anyone?