Looking for an engine...

[dnb]

...for one of my next projects.

I have always wanted a Caterfield of some description.  I thought it might be a bit of fun as a commuting car for next summer.  Let's face it, petrol isn't getting any cheaper and I'm beginning to feel the pinch at running the Scoob full time for my daily commute to work.  (Well, that and Super unleaded here costing £1.03 per litre now!!)

I have no desire to have a Eurobox of any description - I detest front wheel drive cars now, and generally don't feel as if I'm in full control of them.  There's not a lot of choice in the "frugal" RWD bracket, and I have no desire to ride a motorcycle.

So, I would like suggestions as to an engine for the Caterfield.  Has to be less than 1545cc for tax reasons.  It'll be VEMS controlled (of course) and it'll have to be tunable and capable of reasonable economy, because let's face it, I don't want a slow, thirsty car.

My first thoughts are that I should put a Hyabusa engine in it, but I'm unsure as to how thirsty they are and how tractable the car will be as a every (fine) day car.

Over to you!   


 

[Agriv8]

Hi,

Well chhep plug here for my mate's company.

www.mnrltd.co.uk

Hybusas are a good choice but there is of issues with oil surge.

marc has lots of R1 ones.


regards

Agriv8

[dnb]

Nice looking selection there   I especially like the idea of a car weighing less than 400kg!
So it looks like the best option for the moment is a bike engine.

[Agriv8]

How far is the dailly commute ? is it mainly A roads, B roads motorway ?

Regards

Agriv8
 

[cliffb75]

If utimate performance isn't the requirement, why not consider some alternative bike engines. ZZR1100, Fazer 1000, CB1100 etc. Most are similar to their race oriented cousins, but have cams and carbs more for midrange than full on screaming power, and I'm guessing they will be a lot cheaper than R1 and hayabusa motors.

[dnb]

6.5 miles if I go directly. 
1 mile A road, NSL when clear, crawl when not!
1 mile 30 limit, usually heavy traffic
1.5 miles dual carriageway - usually clear
3 miles (twisty) A road with 40 limit

It can become 20 miles if I go the fun way

Yes - ultimate performance isn't the goal - that's why I have a 5 litre v8 in the garage.

[Agriv8]

bike engines 7s can be tiresome in stop start trafic and the clutch even if uprated may not last too long. Thus the question re the travel
400kilo can be acheived but it isnt cheap and you won't be having the padded seats.

Out of the 100 kits sold by mnr 80 must br R1's a few zx12's a couple of hyabusas a zx14 is being built for a customer. The rest are car engined Zetec mainly and 2 daft burgers with Rover V8's  ( though 1 is slightly less daft because he has upgraded to VEMS  ).

I am by no means a guru I think the Fazer is a very close relation to the R1. I think you are looking at arround 1k to 1.5k for a R1 from a know breaker that MNR use ( depending on age ) though as you whant Inj rather than carbed this could be cheaper as injection motors tend to need a power comander  for the SVA test

Regards

Agriv8

 

[dnb]

A power commander?  What does one of those do?

[cliffb75]

Its just an injector frig box like an SAFC or e manage or similar

[Agriv8]

Power conader wat do they do :--
      Tend not to work ( they are a lot better Now )

being serious piggy back ecu only for fueling though the latest ones can do timing as well but these are £££.

To enable you to get the emmisions for SVA.

Or as cliff put it 

Regards

Agriv8

[dnb]

In other words, a load of rubbish that I won't need

[Agriv8]

Malc from yorkshire engines ( can be trusted ) just posted this weeks engine list up.

Here you go


here we go again more engine kits

ok now this is a beauty
2007 (06 spec) hayabusa kit complete less clocks (you can have them but there us except for proof of mileage ...............
16 miles from showroom to salvage yard

no price yet but should be around £3k

2007 zzr1400 183 miles £3k
2006 1000rr 300 miles £1850
2006 R1 400 miles £1850
2007 zx10 unknown but no muck on sprocket £1850
2005 zx10 2k miles £1300
2005 1000rr £1450

2002 929 blade with keys £850 !!!!!!
2003 954 blade damaged mounts ok though £900

how long do we think the busa will last
answers on postcard please

cheers malc 07960011585


Regards

Agriv8

[Sprockets]

One thing aswell that has yet to be said about the bike engines is fuel economy!  Yes, they only around the 1 litre mark, but they do drink some fuel!!  Just as a rough guide, I'm currently getting only around 30mpg out of my GSXR1000 when ridden with a fair bit of enthusiasm shall we say lol!  And thats with a bikes weight of around 180kg.  And as was previously said, 400kg may take some achieving in a car (although very possible).

For a daily driver, i would be tempted for some type of car engine.  For a track toy, bike engines are awesome, but are tiresome on the road.

Just off the top of my head, taking into account the cc limit, hows about one of the old D15 honda engines??  They are dirt cheap now (£100 would get you an entire car!), and no end of people have tweaked them, along with turbo charged versions, but then the fuel economy may suffer!!

Just throwing some different ideas out there

I assume the 1545cc is the absolute limit, and a 1.6 couldn't creep in? even at 1599cc? :p  Just opens up an entire different range of engines!

-Gavin

[dnb]

Blame the government for the 1545cc, not me!   I'd quite happily put a TVR 4.2 litre ajp8 engine in otherwise.  (The VEMS might not work though!)

It's the government limit to get cheap tax - it's the 3rd car for 2 of us after all!

[rob@vems.co.uk]

How about...

Polo 1.6 TDi engine?

I've often thought that a kit car would suit the diesel, and you could do something interesting with the final drive with all that torque and so little weight.

Rob