OT: Message from Dan

I'd hardly call 0-60 in 7.5 from a 2.0 N/A in standard road trim / spec, gutless, especially given the era that lump and the cars it first featured in, appeared.

Loads of spaceframed track stuff run dry sump XE lumps even today.

IIRC, they run something like 250bhp. :-D

Problem is, to get a reliable 250 bhp from an XE lump is more expensive than dropping a proper engine in. The JPE Caterhams ran 250 bhp XEs and the motor alone cost around £10k. You could drop a hairy as f*ck SBF lump in there and have a lot more than 250 bhp out of it, reliably, for a lot less cash.

It would be a tad nose heavy, but the old Basil Green Perana seemed to do just fine with one - and at least it's not a Vauxhall lump.

Actually if you want real power you havent progressed at all. A small block can make demented amounts of power just by using nitrous or turbos or both as they are seriously strong. They can be leaned on to a degree that no modern CAD Finite stress analised lightweight motor can. None of your following modern lumps can stay together, sound as good or make as much power at the end of the day. And small blocks are cheap to build/buy/tune too.

I was thinking more like small block with all the bottom end power they produce (and the sound!) with say a progressive 600bhp nitrous system. Or a couple of T3 turbos. Or both. Remember that small blocks come in anything up to 7 litre. Which is hardly small on the inside. And they really suit carpris. That engine bay was designed for them.

That can give you so much more power than those modern anemic engines that its not even funny.

Or how about a late LS9 V8 corvette engine if you want to go modern? Light, alloy, seriously powerful without tuning.

647 DIN corrected horses... Smooth tractable, economical and efficient, over 100 bhp per litre from a stock small block. Its not ford though. But who cares! And they can be bought cheap brand new in a crate.

Seems a shame to go to all that trouble with the car and engine bay and stick a sickly small 4 or 6 pot in it... Its huge! And crying out for a factory "fit" V8...

7.5 to 60 isnt gutless its sleep inducing! My olde fashioned Sierra with an even older 3,5 rover V8 did it in 4.7 (Vericom dashboard computer and drag strip timing) A stock big bike dees it in less than 3 and in the right hands just over 2.

So even an old rover V8 is a better bet than the above... A properly warmed up small block would murder all the above in its sleep,

My point was that whilst bolted in Mondeos and Astras having to put up with meeting MOT emissions for those cars and generic programmed for reliability and economy engine management, they're gutless wonders.

Take them out of those cars, shove a decent set of Weber 45s/Megasquirt and a Megajolt system on it then they'll go like stink.

Over in Norway, 600+BHP from YB Turbos bolted into Escorts and Capris seems to be the de facto standard.

At best they will make 10 percent more.

If you like woolly sounding laggy unreliable wonders.

Plus you can stick 600 extra on a small block should you be inclined and it will still have masses of drivability/torque and sound ace....

Why not save a shit load of weight, bolt a Toyota V8 from a Lexus and the 6 speed box from a Supra in, run a megasquirt if doing cheap, or an autec/motec (the aussies are way ahead on this) with big supercharger or twin turbos. Light, powerful, strong, smooth and pretty cheap to buy especially if you make do with a little 4.0

Size of the engine bay wouldn't an AMG V12 fit?

You could. Dunno how strong they are for "leaning" on them though! Most modern stuff uses fancy computer designed components, cases etc. They are designed to do a job perfectly with no extra strength or weight as its not required. Older stuff wasnt designed cleverly this way so everything was guestimated plus some for "reserve" just in case! Hence heavy and strong, good for serious doses of extra power...

I know someone who has just fitted one of these to an S13.

Think the next stage of the plan is a supercharger - track drift car being the desired end result.

However... it's been a complete bitch to fit apparently, and he's had to modify the sump etc.

That what, the standard cars output?

They were on fine form judging by the coverage last weekend - loads of crashing etc.

:-D

The standard cars claimed output.

The kit is lying here right now. The only bit I didn't remove were the gas nozzles which were threaded into the inlet manifold. I left the hoses on them and stopped up the ends with a bolt and a jubilee clip.

So, all I need are some gas nozzles.

To be honest, I would rather a TDI where I live. I need to do a 30 mile round trip to buy gas. There's a place near work which sells gas, but it was 60 odd pence a litre the last time I looked.

Have fixed a couple of sensors in the A4 (MAF and temperature) and it's now doing around 85-90 miles out of a tenner of unleaded at 9.29p a litre. That's not too bad really.

I'll either fit it or flog it. If I was fitting it to the Audi, I would want a decent range. Absolute top range on a tank of gas on the Golf was 230 miles. That gets really boring.

;-)

Is it under a grand and you'll give me £500 for the A4 against it ?

Thought not... ;-)

LOL... fair enough.