im a novice builder,iv just bought a locost space frame with nose cone and arches and escort mk2 doner parts,rear axle,brakes x flow 1300 and gearbox,my q is do i fit this engine because ive got all the v5 docs for this doner.but my plan when i started this was to fit a cosworth 2lt turbo engine but iv ben told there abit mad but i love rwd turbo cars.if i was to go for the cosworth option can i use any of the escort mk2 parts like rear axle wiring ect or do i just fit what ive got and get it through an sva.any advise welcome any other turbo motors to go for thanks daz

How much do you have to spend?

Cossie parts are very very expensive, if the engine needs work be prepared to spend a fortune on it.

If you want to use the live axle you will probably need an uprated diff and halfshafts to take the power. None of that stuff is cheap, or easy to come across.

If you want to use the cossie you would be better using a sierra rear end with a de dion as your chassis mounts wont need changing. You could then fit a 7.5" LSD to cope with the power/torque a bit better.

What do you want the car for. You will never be able to use the power of the cossie on the road, and if you want to run high boost, be careful in such a light car.

Have a look at Hicosts car in the photo archives, he has a cossie lump fitted.

David

Hi Daz
If it was me I would use the bits you have and get it built and SVA'd, then look at going with the cossie unit.
But if you have plenty time and money doing it the way you want it straight off saves you rebuilding it at a later point.

Your choice

Cheers
Alex
PS
And as said, cossie power in a seven is extreme unless you are aiming at a track missile

thanks david moneys not a massive problem but i dont want the car costing more than 6k as that was m buget to buy one but i bought the frame and doner parts for 400 quid so theres a theme to keep it cheap i plan on using it for weekend road use track days and quarter mile thats why i wanted a turbo can you sugest any other sva freindly options.

I think we will all get on out individual horses here, but for me, the Vauxhall XE 16v is hard to beat if you can find a good one.

I have just paid £200 for a complete, driving car with a good one in, then broken the car and made more than £200 selling the bits I didn't need, so the engine actually cost me less than £0.

With throttle bodies and a decent manifold on the otherwise stock engine it makes just over 200hp and around 165lb ft of torque, without the weight and driveability issues of the turbo.

Pushes my locost 0-60 in under 4 secs (getting the datron on it in the next few weeks to check properly! )

i run a nissan 1.8turbo and its very hard getting the power down on the road

you would pick up a nissan s14 for a few ££ and a very easy 300bhp thre

quote:

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Originally posted by NS Dev
I think we will all get on out individual horses here, but for me, the Vauxhall XE 16v is hard to beat if you can find a good one.

I have just paid £200 for a complete, driving car with a good one in, then broken the car and made more than £200 selling the bits I didn't need, so the engine actually cost me less than £0.

With throttle bodies and a decent manifold on the otherwise stock engine it makes just over 200hp and around 165lb ft of torque, without the weight and driveability issues of the turbo.

Pushes my locost 0-60 in under 4 secs (getting the datron on it in the next few weeks to check properly! )

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quote:

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Originally posted by CaLviNx
Hi

If i didnt know any better i would agree with "NS Dev" As i had a XE engine in my kit car,but after driving my GSXR1000 engined car for a good bit recently, I will NEVER ever go back to a car engined 7 again.

after a "spirited" drive yesterday, I managed to prove to a staunch car engined driver that bike engines do have a bit of torque for overtaking in the higher gears, and can run along nicely @ 60, and don't need the nuts revved off them at every opportunity, to such a point he admitted he would quite like a bike engined car..........

But only you can decide which engine you can live with as NS-Dev says everyone will sit on their own horse, and only you can decide which type of horse (or horse power) suits you, I would say try and get a run in a few cars with differing engines.

It would be a shame to make a choice, fit that engine then find out once your driving it that you don't really like it......

good luck with whatever you decide to run with.

[Edited on 28/5/07 by CaLviNx]

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As Flak says, a pinto is also silly cheap to tune, and whilst even when tuned it won't be the match of an XE etc, for some one that has not worked on an engine before, it is a great learning point.

I remember building my first pinto (1996, eek!!) and it was old hat then, but it forgave my clumsy gasket scraping, it didn't instantly melt when I ran it a bit lean, it responded to my early porting efforts and it NEVER broke down enough to actually stop the car driving. It took us all round scotland at some considerable rate (including a very memorable if slightly hairy run at night up the side of loch lomond!!!!!!)

Most (not all! ) engines have their benefits, and if you follow the advice of the majority on here you won't go far wrong (i.e. crossflow, pinto, XE, zetec, bike engine, they're all good in their own way)

also it dosnt matter what engine you put in, its going to be fast as theres no weight

a 1.3 xflow isnt slow in a 7.

dont fit a focus St 5 pot theyre made of chocolate , use a volvo engine .

a 2.5 will be 170 bhp as std NA, with plenty of headroom for more - im doing the initial groundwork at the moment .

Hi All

If you are building a Book Locost, which I assume you are, as you are using Escort MK2 bits, then, you are going to have fitting issues, for a Pinto and a lot of the other taller engines, without having to go through the bother of chopping sumps etc, and bonnets.

Also bear in mind with a 'Book Locost' there are bell housing clearance issues and gear box restrictions.

The Locost, is dimensionally much smaller than the 'Indy' size car.......

Just food for thought......

D.J.

Mine is a book locost and the vauxhall XE 16v fits under the std book bonnet line................................just!!

Point to bear in mind though, as the MK's etc are a lot bigger

[Edited on 28/5/07 by NS Dev]

[Edited on 28/5/07 by NS Dev]

quote:

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Originally posted by Volvorsport
dont fit a focus St 5 pot theyre made of chocolate , use a volvo engine .

a 2.5 will be 170 bhp as std NA, with plenty of headroom for more - im doing the initial groundwork at the moment .

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It is , but theyre made cheaper or something , lots more plastic stuff than the volvo engine .

they also have a integral exhaust/turbo housing .

much better to get a 2.3 volvo engine , they are much more reliable at higher boost pressure . the eng/trans is more suited to a rear engine car tho .

its a wonderful noise !!!

Looks like a separate turbo to me. Sorry pinched the pic from Danozeman:
Rescued attachment turbo duratec2.jpg

turbine housing is integral to the exhaust manifold .

the center cartridge obviously comes out !!!

thank lads it makes great reading,i dont think im any clearer on what to do but i think the logical thing to do is fit what iv got,compared to the cars iv had i just asumed that 1300 was going to be very slow.are the any mods that i could do with the 1300 to make it bigger brake.its a very good point that ive only ever sat in a 7 never driven one.i sold my subaru type r to buy this so i didnt want anything slow but i also dont want the runing costs of a realy hi pec car again as its only a second car.i like the sound of the nissan 1800 turbo.how difficault is it to fit a bike engine later if i just get the car through an sva.sorry for all the q im very excited at the mo thanks all.

Don't be put of the Zetec. I have just got my 2.0 back on the road today after sorting the head and fitting a pair of cams.

In standard form with TB's it was much quicker than my tuned Pinto but now it feels even better. The problem now is getting the power down onto the road. It was interesting in the wet

Not sure about the clearance issues in a book chassis though. Taller than a Xflow but shorter than a Pinto.

TBH anything giving >150bhp will be quick so go with what you feel will suit you.

If you keep the 1300xflow and build the rest of the car to spec you could run it in the 750mc Locost race series

The easiest power mod for the 1300xflow is to replace it with a 1600/1700 xflow!

should i just get it re bored