7 engine choice

[h20hamelan]

ive been slowly picking away at a 7 locost
I wanted all the options so I could do whatever. So I made the molds large enough for a V8 and the rear wide for independent.
The first frame I have built can accommodate anything, now having gone through what's on the shelf from electric (1st choice) to BMW S1000RR or Yamaha R1, I have sort of gotten away from these for the first car. I intend to build a few 7's as the molds took some time, and I suspect it's a bit of fun and will get better and better.

Engine choices, comments please, for your preferences in a 7 and why.

1 1986 Toyota 4AGE 5 speed, Steel block 350lbs
2 1995 Nissan SR20DET 6 speed (turbo) 300lb Aluminum block
3 1993 Ford 5.0L 5 speed, crazy and heavy (450lbs), I would probably do better with a Chev LS V6 (370lbs).
4 1993 Volvo 2.3L (red block 320lbs) 5 speed the venerable brick, turbo or 16V
5 1994+ Volvo Mazda Ford 2L (200lbs + I have 5), 2.3L, or 2.5L not sure which transmission likely Tremec 5 speed as I have 6.

Suppose #5 seems correct with Caterham since 2002. Standalone engine controller etc. Though I think they all would have stand-alone controls. The Ford 2L is a rev happy 150hp. But the 4AGE is the new DBA. I wish I had the funds for a Lotus/Ford Twin cam.

Going for a drive in an Elan to consider.

[h20hamelan]

timely

https://rejsa-nu.translate.goog/forum/v ... r_pto=wapp

I was just a bit late, but...
perfect eh!

[Donels]

I think it depends on what you want. For me it has to be light and revy. I built a Westfield with a cross flow and it was brilliant fun, I also drove a V8 Westfield and it was a completely different car, torquey but heavy and not so nimble and the Hyabusa powered Westfield was different again, light, very revy but not so much torque, but the noise was awesome.

[Barney]

I've always thought the Rotary engine from a RX8 would suit a 7 type car.
A compact engine using lots of Revs and an interesting exhaust note.

I was following the build of one such Locost on YouTube but the updates have dried up lately.

[The Veg]

Interesting stuff. In the time right before my Plus 2 came into my life, I'd been telling myself that if I got a house with a garage I'd build myself a Locost...then the Plus 2 showed-up and a year later I got a place with a garage. I don't think I'd thought very hard at the time about what to use for power, I guess I figured I'd cross that bridge if I came to it. Prob'ly would have wound up using an MX-5 sourced powertrain just due to easy availability, though nowadays the electric idea is intriguing. And being the big ungainly oaf that I am, the 442 chassis-variant would have been an absolute must. Of course with that extra size, the options for power aren't as restrictive...if I had the time, space, and money to build one now, I wonder what I'd do?

[jono]

Interesting!

I have a complete tall block Lotus TC with Burton dry sump kit and freshly built 2.5 gearbox that came out of a factory built 1979 Silver Jubilee Caterham Seven that a friend purchased new. It's all stripped, checked by my machinist, and ready to go back together (everything std and done 52k miles).

I'm moving house and so clearing out a lot of stuff and this is one thing I intend to move on - it would be ideal but I think you're in the US?

I always intended to build an Escort TC replica and this was going to go into it, ....but time moves on

Jon

[quaybook]

My son had a Westfield with a 4AGE, cammed to give 165bhp. It made a simply fantastic car, fabulous revy engine perfectly suited to a Seven - poor mans BDA in fact.

Vernon

[h20hamelan]

Interesting!

I have a complete tall block Lotus TC with Burton dry sump kit and freshly built 2.5 gearbox that came out of a factory built 1979 Silver Jubilee Caterham Seven that a friend purchased new. It's all stripped, checked by my machinist, and ready to go back together (everything std and done 52k miles).

you're in the US?

Jon

Canada, aka Canucklehead in Canuckleland

Sounds appealing, I have not shipped much since Covid from EU UK, shipping in the USA is 4 times prior to. I am in a very remote region of BC, sort of, end of the road. But have family on the very East coast in Lunenburg NS (Bluenose & II ) and West Coast Whistler BC. Montreal also, this would be the cheapest as has the biggest port.

Vernon, I purchased a wrecked car with the 4AGE, 20 years ago intended for this. It’s still at the #1 spot, but, the modern module Ford/Volvo/Mazda looks very appealing, even with the Mazda 5 or 6 speed box from the Miata. Though I believe the Tremec TKX or even TKO would suffice, and ultimately with more support / gears etc.

[pianoderby]

The Honda k series is dirt cheap, pretty light, and has huge aftermarket support.

[shynsy]

I fitted a rover K-series to my MG midget a few years back. Despite the reputation for head gasket issues (which is now solved by better materials) it was an awesome engine. Very light and in 1.8 form very revy. I mated it to a ford type 9 which worked very well. Standalone ECU and required only about 5 wires splicing into rhe MG loom.
Tim

[jono]

I fitted a rover K-series to my MG midget a few years back. Despite the reputation for head gasket issues (which is now solved by better materials) it was an awesome engine. Very light and in 1.8 form very revy. I mated it to a ford type 9 which worked very well. Standalone ECU and required only about 5 wires splicing into rhe MG loom.
Tim

I'm a huge fan of the Rover K and have the VVC version in my Elise and once had a Seven with the 1.4 Supersport K and 6 speed box and it was brilliant. It would be an excellent choice.

The only 4 pot engine I could actually lift single handedly from the floor onto the work bench. It's a brilliant design and the HG issue is somewhat overstated (4 thou liner height above deck solves it)

[2cams70]

Agree with the comments about Honda engines. Honda has a long and proud history of racing and excellent original IC engines. Pity the company seems somewhat directionless these days. I’m surprised no one is considering the 1.6L Ford Sigma series engine used in the Mk7 Fiesta. All aluminium, very light and compact , VVT if you want it, very reliable, very cheap and quite common. If you get the engine from a Fiesta ST which was sold in the USA as well you get a turbo version of the engine and 200 HP as standard and plenty of readily available tuning parts to bring it up to 300+ HP (it’s seemingly even pretty reliable at those types of power figure). Understandably there’s quite a few written off donor cars.

The 1.5 3 cylinder in the Mk8 ST is amazing by the way. I don’t know of another engine that offers an equivalent blend of performance versus fuel economy. Technologically it has the works engine wise (probably more so than the 3 cylinder engine used in the GR Yaris even). Mine’s done a hard driven 89,000km in less than 2 years with complete reliability

[jono]

Caterham adopted the 1.6 Sigma as their replacement for the Rover K until it was discontinued so it's a proven unit in a Seven type car.

[2cams70]

Here you go. Someone has done it. Mk 7 Fiesta ST engine in a Caterham ...... not that I condone this type of stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjuN1RXSDfk

[englishmaninwales]

….not that I condone this type of stuff.

Why ever not? Dave Gemzoe (see the conversion in the linked clip above) is a highly competent motorsport engineer (and no mean performer on the competitive hillclimbs in previous years).
For my part a lightweight 1800 K series suitably modified and mapped to produce a reliable 220 bhp is the way to go!