Ford Ka + ...

RST Lump. Fun? Good weather is coming in and I'm looking for a summer project. My V6 Astra wasn't as good as I thought it'd be last year...

Reply to
Sandy Nuts
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You are Rob and I claim my five pounds.

Reply to
Bob Sherunckle

Well, you can swing for that fiver my friend. The difference is, if I say I'll do it, I'll do it ;-)

Reply to
Sandy Nuts

Isn't an RST lump only 135 brake or so? I reckon you'll be a lot for an RST lump in decent nick too. I'd go for something around 1.8L at least with

16V - the Puma lumps the obvious choice.
Reply to
Doki

Hayabusa engine and a stripped interior / cage etc.

YKIMS ;-)

-- JackH

Reply to
jackhackettuk

If he was Rob, he'd be 'shoehorning' a V8 in...

-- JackH

Reply to
jackhackettuk

Probably beyond my technical abilities :P Although it does excite me to think about it ...

Nah, seriously though...

RST engines are available relatively cheaply and in a fair state of tune. I was thinking the 1700 Puma donk, but it's a tight fit and the 900 quid premium for the kit could go towards a 160+ bhp RST lump. Then there's the fact it's boosted ...

Reply to
Sandy Nuts

... and rattly... and prone to burning oil briefly before going pop.

How much money are you planning to set aside for rebuilds? ;-)

-- JackH

Reply to
jackhackettuk

That's a thought. The engine is mounted the wrong way round, though. Which means I'm going to be cutting an awful lot to get the gear linkage working, and drive shafts will be a nightmare.

I'm thinking cheapish simplicity, something that I know I can do. The Ka is based on the Mk3 Fiesta, so the Fiesta RST power and drive train will slot right in (in theory!). A B16 is more than a summer project for me, I think!

Reply to
Sandy Nuts

Hmm. The Duratec 8vs have the engine turned the other way around.

Reply to
DervMan

Yes, and yet, no.

The blown 1.6 CVH's issue is just that, it's blown... as standard they're okay, tweaked, they're much better - but go off tune so damn quickly.

The RST donks in the Ka's bonnet have overheating issues, you will in all fairness want bonnet vents or wing vents, even then, cooling the wretched thing is an issue.

As you've said, be sensible and get the limited slip differential. I held my head in shame at the know-nowts who spent many thousands getting their Ka "phatted up" with the RST engine but didn't bother with the LSD (was it the S1 RSTs with the LSD and the S2 without?).

The 1.7 Zetec-SE from the Puma is a squeeze but it's a superb 1.7 four cylinder engine. Buy some Ford Racing Puma bits and it's good for a reliable 160 bhp. The 1.25, 1.4 and 1.6 Zetec-SEs will also fit but the go factor is much less.

Or, and you know it makes sense, a 2.0 ZVH with a turbocharger. Or the 1.8, it would do. Okay so you'll have the same cooling issues of the 1.6 CVH

*but* and here's the thing, it'll be quick. Wheelspinning into fourth gear quick.

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has some dated text and a picture of a 2.0 ZVH cooking itself. :) For what it's worth and I am not especially keen on the CVH, if you're into the lump *and* you look after it, it'll be great fun.

Reply to
DervMan

With the gearbox mounted on the offside?

Reply to
Sandy Nuts

Well I'll get to that point later ..

I thought that would be the case. The plan, however, was a nice alloy rad with a cool running 'stat.

Yeah, the 1.7 is a cracking revvy lump. 125PS for £900 isn't what I'd call good bang-per-buck economy though. I'm not wanting to build a super tourer that'll do a galactic amount of miles. Just something I can enjoy building, will put a smile on my face when I turn the key and squeeze the right pedal, and will give a few hot hatch Harry's a fright.

2.0 ZVH seems a bit excessive TBH. I was toying about with the idea of a 1.8 ZVH because of the slight weight advantage and simplicity of build. There are a few extra caveats with the 2.0 such as different head gasket and welds in the head.

We'll see. Summer is yet to come upon us and I'm only just starting to look about for lumps. If I can get an RST CVH lump for cheap enough, I'll probably go for it and give it an overhaul. If not, I'll price up some prebuilt ZVHs and compare against the cost of bolting my own together. If I go ZVH, I'll most likely want to do DIY as I've never screwed a non standard engine together before!

Reply to
Sandy Nuts

Even so. InDUHiduals spent a few thousand on a conversion and then a few thousand more on getting it such that it wouldn't overheat at the slightest hint of a traffic queue.

A bit like NASA's space pen and the Russian's pencil, I remember asking one guy who'd just splashed out for some _very_ expensive dual radiator system and wired in another manual fan, why he didn't have bonnet / wing vents. "Oh I didn't think about that."

On the other hand it's easy to sell on afterwards. People like the 1.7 Ka.

Right. In that case, aiee! the Zetec-SE is probably too expensive.

Yes, yes it probably is - but it's reckoned to be much easier to tune compared to the 1.8.

It's also better to sell afterwards. Shoot, give me a choice between a 2.0 ZVH Ka, a 1.7 Ka or a 1.6 CVH, I'd take the 2.0, thanks.

As I remember it's almost the same size, if not the same size, indeed so too is the transmission...

Now I don't have the space or patience for building an engine, but I'll wager that's the best way to do it!

Reply to
DervMan

You haven't noticed the trend for Kas owned by people here have you?

Reply to
Doki

Yeah, you need to be shit driver first.

;-)

Reply to
Iridium

I have to say three months on, I'm still impressed with ours.

Having now covered over 133k, it's not used any oil since I changed the sump just after we got it and I've done over 2k in it since then.

I'm not that light footed with it either.

And then there's the insurance - =A323 a month fully comp with a provisional driver as a named driver.

-- JackH

Reply to
jackhackettuk

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