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UK, here I come again :-)

Being owner of an S1 Elise, returning to the UK was almost a certainty.

Nope: not because something is broken. After the first and ahum major bill for correcting all neglect of maintenance on the ELise, it starts now at the turn of the key, drives good too, no rattles other than a spanner some mechanic lost into the chassis. Getting in and out semi- elegantly is a sport, but I need the exercice anyway.

Problem is: the Elise is slow. Fast to get to topspeed but that is - partially due to the close ratio-box- only 120 mph. It just holds the road too good at any speed. So I drive it flat-out most of the time. Hell, even fuel comsumption stays staggeringly low.

So some upgrades came in. Swapped the flywheel with a lighter version, bolted the bigger throttlebody. The 135 HP seemed to be there but very few -if any- extra ponies.

Searching the web I found engine swaps: Audi convertions and the Honda S2000-swap. 220 to 300 HP, that seemed the ticket. However the price going from 12 kUKP to 20 kUPD seemed also a very nice bag of coins and ads 40 tot 100 kg of weight to the nimble Elise. Not to mention that it's about the price for an 400 HP E39 M5 (which also found a way to get on my "Want"-list)

Then I stumbled on this: Rotrex.

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It is a supercharger the size of an alternator and guess what: there is space available in the SI Elise for it, even without eating the boot. So I now have bought a complete engine/gearbox/ecu out of an Elise for

400 UKP and I will collect it from Southhamptom around 28/29 April. Reason for it is that making the brackets and testing is far more easy when a separate engine is available.

The supercharger is setting me back somewhat more but here the European logic comes into play again: in Europ the product- made in Danmark - costs around 2200 Euro, in the good US of A I can get it for 1700 US$... go figure.

Seems my circle is closing and that I am back where I started: modding cars and driving them fast.

Do not say it, I have been told to be barking mad a fair few times lately. Must be midlife-crisis and stuff but as it seems being mad is quite a nice state to be in, it seems not to hurt me as much as the others. :-)

Looking forward to drive at the wrong side of the road again!

Tom De Moor

Reply to
Tom De Moor
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Welcome back. Perhaps you can give some unruly youths another thrashing whilst you are over here - there are some who could certainly do with it :-)

Hehe. I want to live on your planet..

Yay. Excellent stuff.

Bungee jumping from the edge of sanity :-) Good stuff - keep it up.

Good to have you back. Let us know of any adventures you have en-route.

Reply to
Albert T Cone

So how much extra power would that give then, Tom? Sounds like an interesting idea.

Reply to
conkersack

There's a business opportunity for you, there's definately a market for anyone able to develop and supply parts (engine mounts, driveshafts, gear linkage) for a Honda or VW 1.8T conversion at a reasonable cost. I'll take a

1.8T kit if you do. You could try contacting Bernard at Auto-Teknix, last I heard from them they had a 1.8T DIY kit of the basic parts for around £3500,
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Turbo Technics also do a supercharger conversion for the Elise.

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Reply to
Homer

Hey, you 're speaking to an old man now: just turned 40. The balance might be shifting from predator to prey. :-)

Anyway: I am looking forward to a decent English breakfast.

Don't you worry : yo do. :-)

Yes, it looks quite good. I suppose if it is OK for the Koeningegg it might be sufficient for the Elise.

Major feel good factor is the size and the fact that it can be fitted where the airco-compressor of the Elise should be. Never tought I would be glad that airco existed.

Thanks : watch this space around 28/4 for me ranting.

Going in the afternoon to Portsmouth, liked it there last time and want to see the HMS Warrior again. If the Navy doesn't keep a close eye on it, I might steal the ironclad: a proper tool for some jobs I have!

Tom De Moor

Reply to
Tom De Moor

Aim is to have around reliable 200 HP at the crank with a weight penalty of about 15 kg. (there are possibilities of gaining back some of those

15 kg elsewhere on the car (battery, alternator, gearbox, throwing out the radio/speakers which are never swithed on anyway)). 200 HP crank translates to 170 HP at the wheels. Should be noticable as the car is now around 110 HP at the wheels and it struggles above 5700 RPM in fifth.

Having no experience with modified K-series, I searched a bit. 200 Hp seems to be within reason and as there are allready some 300 HP-Elise S1 (Honda supercharged) the chassis should cope fine.

Best of all is the very small weight penalty so suspension which can stay as it is for the moment. Brakes are slightly uprated but nothing major.

I just do not want to loose the joyfull lightness of the car. We'll see how long "reasonable" stays on the cards because I will have a spare engine.

Things are strange: I left motorsport/tuning and stuff because in Belgium you can only loose money with it. Now that I have something else the bug comes back to bite and former customers show up (unasked!) with wallets full and open. I hate to send such customers away ;-)

I need an extra life, 48 Hrs in a day and some pills so that I don't need to sleep !!

Tom De Moor

Reply to
Tom De Moor

Sounds like the extra wont go amiss!

Not sure about the first two, but I'm positive you can get the third!

Reply to
conkersack

My GF might leave me if I tumble into that again. However she loves her=20 Mini and hopes secretly for a Cooper S... all is not lost ;-)

I also believe that there is a fair market for a simple and cost- effectif Elise power upgrade: in fact every Elise driver wants extra=20 power and some extra topspeed.

3500 UKP in DIY is not a bad price but reality shows that "fitted"=20 engine swaps gravitate around 12 kUKP to 20 kUKP which is a lot of money=20 to be spend on a car (Elise S1) worth 8 tot 10 kUKP.

Like always : once the engine convertion is done, you need the bigger=20 brakes, the tuneable suspension, the better seat, the Mocal oilcooler,=20 the carbon fiber body parts weigh nothing but are at a "reasonable" -you=20 reason yourself into it ;)- 6 kUKP for the lot, etc ect.=20

That said: those people exist, seen now some 10 "converted" S1's and=20 about the same number of S2's.=20

Seems I am not alone being mad...=20

Yep, they use the Rotrex too and have welded an extension pipe on it.=20 Their kit is 190 Hp to 230 Hp.

Tom De Moor

Reply to
Tom De Moor

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