Kent engine options ..

the 1600 will go straight on the 1300 box. Unless someone gets measuring stuff out there is no chance anyone will know it is any difference capacity wise, especially not nowadays, I would not bother telling anyone. I don't think it would be worth while to reduce its capacity, although I expect it is possible. You would be better to go for a more modern engine completely, such as a 1400 K series which would be considerably lighter, takes unleaded and would be more powerful/economic. Or something small and japanese, like a nissan bluebird or almera engine and box.

Cheers.

I guess that could be one of those how easy you sleep and how lucky you are things. I'm not lucky.

Ok.

I guess there's no reason why I couldn't as long as such would fit in the same space and not need much in the way of computers etc? I thought the K's were usually fitted transversely, al la Metro GTi etc? Having said that I think they used them in the Caterhams and I'm guessing they would be real wheel drive?

If we /are/ talking the same engine then it sounds like it might be a bit more of a project than I could cope with right now. ;-(

That could be better, especially if they were under 1500 cc, common, economical, reliable and cheap. I guess if it could be put in a MK1/2 Escort then it should also fit in this shed.

So what sort of age Bluebird / Almera are we talking about please?

Would they just be yer typical / basic inline engine / gearbox. Would they need anything special re the fuel tank (flow / return), 'catted' exhaust?

Cheers, T i m

K series gets put in all sorts of vehicles, there are obviously some gearboxes that are suitable, you would have to look round the net.

as to what extras you will need, it depends how old you go, if it is injected you are going to need flow /return, ecu etc. but if you go for an older jap lump then it will have a nice easy carburettor on it.

some of the smaller jap cars were standard rear wheel drive, like the bluebird. thinking about it the almera is fwd

Have a look round a breakers is probably the first step, when you identify something suitable then buy a complete running car, that way you can get all those silly bits you end up needing, it will also be the cheapest way.

I think most of the 8v versions of the K series used in Metros had carburettors.

Tony Houghton gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

I'd doubt that - single point injection, yes - but the K didn't go into the Metro until 1990 - not that long before cats were a legal requirement. And cats & carbs just don't play nicely together.

A quick google suggests that (surprisingly) there were some K-carb Metros, but "most"? Not even close.

They probably had the electronic version of the SU - stepper motors for idle and mixture, and an ECU. Works very well when it works.

there were some with an su, but not many and they were 1.1 only IIRC, I was really thinking the OP needs a 1.4 gti 16v K series, if he is scared of the injection he could always add a couple of 38 dcoe webers (that would be my choice)

Ah, maybe not "most" then. I remember reading a review where the journalist commented it made a nice change to be back in a car that was simple enough for amateur roadside repairs and assumed they were all like that except the 16v and GSA or whatever it was called. I'm pretty sure it was a 1.4 in the review, not a 1.1, though. I expect they also delayed the introduction of cats on the K-series as long as possible because it was designed for lean burn.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember T i m saying something like:

For gawd's sake stamp 1300 on the 1600 block.

;-)

Whilst in the real world I'm sure doing so would be no real issue to anyone but I believe the 1600 block is about 1" taller than the 1300 so a falsified stamping isn't going to fool anyone who knows their stuff for very long, once the whatsit has his the fan (as it's bound to at some time with me and my luck).

Remember I'm the one who gets done for doing 63 mph in an otherwise 70 limit because my Morris Minor Van is 'constructed as a goods vehicle' .... and is stopped by the Police after I'd taken a quick 'rest break' in a wood because someone had reported some terrorist activity!

Oh, and on that explaining what the container of blue gel was doing in the back of my car when randomly stopped during the 'ring of steel' round London. "Officer, it's the contents of one of those freezer packs that split open when camping and I put in a marge tub to be able to dispose of it properly and forgot I'd left it in there". Or having the Police phone and wake his parents at 2am to get them to verify the bike in the back of his van was his. Or being followed round the side of his house by the Police because he'd been seen jumping over the low front wall rather than using the gate ... like he had done every day for 10 years ...

And who else would get 50 yards on a 100 yard journey on his Daughters

Nope, the only thing that going to be stamped 1300 here will be a

Cheers, T i m

It's not so much scared as justification of the cost and effort for this one of way_too_many projects I have on the go right now.

I was really thinking out loud in case someone came up with an easy / straight forward 'been_there_done_that and it took a weekend' type solution, as may be the case with a Bluebird lump, once you have it all on the floor and somewhere to do it out the rain etc etc.

We are currently running 3 cars and with the possibility that she might retire soonish we would only be able to afford (and probably justify) one.

We built the Ranger together (and by 'we' I mean that as she took the head off and ground in the valves and changed the waterpump by herself along with loads of other jobs on there) but 20 odd years later she doesn't have the same bond with it as I do. Partly I guess is she's been spoilt with power steering and electric windows and partly because it's not looking a bit 'tatty'. Things that I've never desired or needed (although I've got on the Rover and have had to repair both).

So, the (200k / 44 mpg) Rover needs a sill and rear suspension bush for the MOT. Nothing too tricky especially when done in my mates workshop on his 4 poster (assuming we can get the bush).

The Belmont is showing 120k (38 mpg) but still seems to be trundling on (and that big boot is handy).

The Ranger is easy to repair, with a tidy-up will probably see us out but not 'economical' nor ideal for long trips (it would do it, just not quiet etc. It's quite comfortable with Metro GT seats). ;-)

However, if we are only running one car not three we probably still have some slack in the total cost even with the lower MPG etc. Plus there are a couple of 75 mpg / £30pa tax bikes we can use when we just need to get somewhere, it's nice weather and we fancy a change. ;-)

So something newer and economical (fuel and road TAX), maybe one of those Fiesta estate 1.4 diesel things and just hope nothing expensive goes wrong with it (considering how little I've spent on the kitcar in

Cheers, T i m

ah yes the 1.4 tdi diesel, just had one in with the common leaking injector seal fault 300 quid (at local diesel specialist) and it will probably recur, I reckon that is rubbish on an 05 low mileage vehicle, and apparently they all do that !!

what a pity it was not built on a 72 vehicle and was tax exempt. For simplicity I would stick the 1600 in and in your case tell dvla and the insurance.

Which makes one wonder why on earth you'd buy one of those to do a low =

mileage...

people don't do the math before purchase, and perhaps the seal problem was a reason it was not high mileage, the 2nd owner does do a fair mileage: 15k a year or so, the first owner must have been sub 10k. But it seems likely from research on the net that engine is not good enough for really serious mileages.

Ah yes, isn't it just. That's assuming that a 'rebodied vehicle' still retains such perks?

I could still make the TAX nill by making it electric (and I think it's exempt the MOT, or was).

FWIW I still have the electric Enfield Moke I could use as a cheap / fun vehicle but unlike the Ranger where many of the options previously mentioned would be pretty cheap, a new set of batteries in the Moke wouldn't (8 x 6V 200Ah monoblocks).

Yup, I think that would be the best choice for both me and the vehicle (better performance, better towing) if not for our cashflow etc. Mind you, if we did reduce two vehicles into that one (loosing the Rover) then that could still be money in the bank (probably higher insurance and nearly double the tax going to the 1600 and what, ~30 mpg, considering it has the aerodynamics of a shed and is much heaver than a std Escort). That's 14 mpg down on the Rover but could be cheaper to maintain, once I've done the valve seats for unleaded that is).

Cheers, T i m

That's what I'm trying to do here.

Like, if we bought a tidy economical car today it would probably be a 'few grand' as such things seem to be going at a premium right now.

If it was a £30 TAX and (say) 50 mpg job and assuming two oldies wouldn't be too expensive to insure on such a thing then: It may take some years to pay for itself, especially if something 'expensive' goes wrong now and again.

However, it would probably be more comfortable and quieter than anything we have now and almost defiantly safer. That said, the Ranger is probably 'safer' than any of our motorbikes and cycles? ;-(

Cheers, T i m

I know it is controversial, but you could buy yourselves a 05 prius for about 5k, they don't seem to have any real problems even when used as taxis, they do over the ton and 60 odd mpg. A techno masterpiece for a song. Loads of interior room, loads of airbags. You need to try one to to appreciate/understand them. From the list of things you have/had it sounds up your street.

All pretty much spot on.

But I get 42-44mpg from mine.

I've never seen anything even close to even 50mpg over a full tank.