Sell me your Honda or Duratec powered S1/S2!

Sell me your Honda or Duratec powered S1/S2!

Author
Discussion

Sloch

Original Poster:

51 posts

139 months

Wednesday 17th July 2013
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Thought I'd try my luck here...



Anyone thinking of selling up their Honda or Duratec 2.3 powered S1/S2 or know of any for sale?

Looking to be in the car within the next week or so if possible and have cash waiting for the right one.

N/A (may consider supercharged) and Nitrons are preferred.



You can contact me here or email me on ross0501@hotmail.co.uk.

Cheers.

Edited by Sloch on Friday 19th July 16:41

Exige77

6,522 posts

196 months

Thursday 18th July 2013
quotequote all
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/l...

Wait for it to come down to £17k

Ex77

Sloch

Original Poster:

51 posts

139 months

Thursday 18th July 2013
quotequote all
Exige77 said:
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/l...

Wait for it to come down to £17k

Ex77
Did see that and thought it was a tad optimistic. Then read "cat C" and had to pick my jaw up from the floor.

walm

10,610 posts

207 months

Friday 19th July 2013
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Are you a member on SELOC?
One of them was trying to get me to swap my Boxster for his Honda-ed S1 111s in Azure Blue.
I have to admit I was fairly tempted!

His username is "mad as a box of frogs".

Sloch

Original Poster:

51 posts

139 months

Saturday 20th July 2013
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TheTalentedMr said:
Cheers for that. Trying to stay away from previously damaged cars though.

TheTalentedMr

221 posts

210 months

Saturday 20th July 2013
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Thought you might say that but worth a look for that price. Personally I wouldn't go there but there's so few around it's tough to find one at the moment.

Considered an Atom if you're looking for a Honda powertrain?

Sloch

Original Poster:

51 posts

139 months

Saturday 20th July 2013
quotequote all
TheTalentedMr said:
Thought you might say that but worth a look for that price. Personally I wouldn't go there but there's so few around it's tough to find one at the moment.

Considered an Atom if you're looking for a Honda powertrain?
True, but a previously damaged car would be a no go for me either.

Good call on the Atom but it's to be a daily driver as well as track car. Leaning more towards the Duratec too for better weight distribution.



What's the general consensus on the Duratec front (at around 250-270 BHP) - 2.0 vs 2.3? I know the 2.0 revs a little higher. Is there a reason Caterham chose the 2.0 for the R500?

Edited by Sloch on Sunday 21st July 00:02

TheTalentedMr

221 posts

210 months

Sunday 21st July 2013
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To be honest I've never even seen one come up for sale, let alone in the summer months. I'm not sure what your budget is but I would say the sensible thing to do would be to look at an Exige S 240 instead.

As a daily driver a modified car would be a worry to me, too much to go wrong and let you down along with a longer lead time on parts and needing a specialist to conduct the repairs. No doubt many will disagree but that's what I'd do.

Exige77

6,522 posts

196 months

Sunday 21st July 2013
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Most of the engine conversions us standard parts apart from the engine mounts which you don't change that often.

Honda, Audi and Ford parts easily available unlike Lotus parts.

What things do you think might go wrong ?

Ex77

Edited by Exige77 on Sunday 21st July 13:22

kambites

68,178 posts

226 months

Sunday 21st July 2013
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The other custom part that can go wrong is the half-shafts on a Honda conversion. The Duratec uses the original gearbox so doesn't have that problem.

TheTalentedMr

221 posts

210 months

Sunday 21st July 2013
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Exige77 said:
Most of the engine conversions us standard parts apart from the engine mounts which you don't change that often.

Honda, Audi and Ford parts easily available unlike Lotus parts.

What things do you think might go wrong ?

Ex77

Edited by Exige77 on Sunday 21st July 13:22
Just to counter that argument on the Lotus parts front, we're talking engine here and in a standard cars case it's a Toyota unit so bits should be just as easy to come by as the Audi/Honda/Ford etc.

My concern wouldn't be the engine itself, purely the additional bits that make it function (custom loom, ECU, mounts, modified intake that sort of stuff). Also if you have a standard car you can walk into any dealership in the country and order parts (you can even get the bits from Toyota using the OEM part number in an emergency). Couple this with the fact that not all Lotus dealers are familiar or happy to work on non standard cars then IMO it could be extra hassle as your day to day runner.

I'd love a charge cooled Honda car. There's an S1 Exige on youtube which looks amazing but I'd just be nervous to use that car to get to work in etc.

I just want to make it clear I have nothing against engine swap cars at all. Just trying to look out for the guy to make sure he doesn't start off in a car that could put him off Lotus.

Exige77

6,522 posts

196 months

Monday 22nd July 2013
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TheTalentedMr said:
Exige77 said:
Most of the engine conversions us standard parts apart from the engine mounts which you don't change that often.

Honda, Audi and Ford parts easily available unlike Lotus parts.

What things do you think might go wrong ?

Ex77

Edited by Exige77 on Sunday 21st July 13:22
Just to counter that argument on the Lotus parts front, we're talking engine here and in a standard cars case it's a Toyota unit so bits should be just as easy to come by as the Audi/Honda/Ford etc.

My concern wouldn't be the engine itself, purely the additional bits that make it function (custom loom, ECU, mounts, modified intake that sort of stuff). Also if you have a standard car you can walk into any dealership in the country and order parts (you can even get the bits from Toyota using the OEM part number in an emergency). Couple this with the fact that not all Lotus dealers are familiar or happy to work on non standard cars then IMO it could be extra hassle as your day to day runner.

I'd love a charge cooled Honda car. There's an S1 Exige on youtube which looks amazing but I'd just be nervous to use that car to get to work in etc.

I just want to make it clear I have nothing against engine swap cars at all. Just trying to look out for the guy to make sure he doesn't start off in a car that could put him off Lotus.
Do you mean the one in the TOAD video ?

Most enthusiasts change stuff like induction and exhaust anyway on std cars. A lot of the standards parts from Lotus are in fact Lotus and not Toyota. ECUs tend to be off the shelf items which can be remapped easily unlike the Lotus OEM ones. Wiring looms don't tend to be consumables.

Having started with a Std Toyota car and highly modified it and then had a Honda SC/CC it would be the Honda car every time assuming the conversion was done properly by someone like Maidstone's or Essex Autosport who have many very fussy customers.

The Yota lump was an improvement over the K series's in many ways but its not as perfect as many make out.

Ex77

TheTalentedMr

221 posts

210 months

Monday 22nd July 2013
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You're bang on, it was the TOAD video (the guy's a bit of a useless presenter but the car sounds amazing), i'd have that car in a second. I always prefered the S1, only problem for me was not wanting another K Series engine.

Having not owned a modified Lotus I suppose I shouldn't have commented. It was really my perception of the risks involved.

One final thing. I know the loom is not consumable. What I actually meant was in the case of a wiring fault only the specialist would have the diagram or fully understand the pin outs.

chuntington101

5,733 posts

241 months

Monday 22nd July 2013
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Are there many Durartec conversion out there? They are stonking engines and can make great power N/A or FI.

JezF

326 posts

233 months

Tuesday 23rd July 2013
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Yes, but far more Honda's, most of them n/a. Steve Williams Duratec conversions are good and I believe Phoenix now sell a kit which was designed by a friend.

You need to be patient if you want to buy an Elise/Exige with an engine conversion, they are a bit like buses from my experience.

I've owned an Audi engined S1 and a s/c Honda S2, they are very impressive cars, but arguably alter the balance with all that extra grunt, even though the chassis can more than take it.

Like most cars though, you get used to the power quite quickly and if you are so inclined, always hanker for more.

hondansx

4,638 posts

230 months

Wednesday 24th July 2013
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May be an idea to phone someone like SW Lotus as they are still going to be in contact with owners of converted cars.

Although we run a Duratec, the benefits are marginal. I wouldn't write off a decent Honda powered car.

chuntington101

5,733 posts

241 months

Wednesday 24th July 2013
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Both the k20 and durance units are very good. However I believe the duratec is a good chunk lighter than the Honda is it not? What's the weight of the Honda box compeard to the Toyota? Also anyone using the ford boxes?