Straight 6 in a seven esque car?

Straight 6 in a seven esque car?

Author
Discussion

busta

Original Poster:

4,504 posts

240 months

Wednesday 2nd February 2005
quotequote all
Will it work/ fit? Im intending to build the car from scratch roughly following the Locost formula and using a Carlton GSi 3000 as a donor. Hopefully the 3.0 straight 6 will provide a good middle ground between the high reving 4s and the torquey V8s.

Can anyone think of any immediate problems? I realise the engine is probably a bit long but I should be able to cater for that in the design.

How do people get round the issues with wiring electronic ignition? This is the one area in which i have no experience and don't know many people who do.

Bernie

JonRB

76,124 posts

279 months

Wednesday 2nd February 2005
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There was a bespoke 7-esque german offering running an Audi V6. That sounds nice, especially if it were the S4's twin-tubo V6. Mmmm.

Martin_S

9,939 posts

252 months

Wednesday 2nd February 2005
quotequote all
Busta,

I ran a Carlton GSi 24V for some time (Car Mechanics magazine ran an article on me and my GSi, so I'm on the record as being a big fan). It's a great car, if you want a cheap performance saloon, but the engine is way too heavy for a Seven type kit car. It is much, much heavier than a Rover V8.

It's also not all that powerful by modern standards - the 24 valve produces 204 bhp in standards tune and the 12 valve only 177 bhp, if my memory serves correctly.

At risk of starting an argument up all over again, I personally think that the Rover V8 is way too heavy and bulky for a Seven, yet even I would admit that it's a better choice than the GSi engine. There are very few tuning options for the Vauxhall straight 6, it weighs a ton, and it produces less power and much less torque than a lightly breathed on Rover unit.


>> Edited by Martin_S on Wednesday 2nd February 23:24

The DJ 27

2,666 posts

260 months

Wednesday 2nd February 2005
quotequote all
What about an E30 BMW 325i engine? 180bhp iirc, and I wouldn't imagine it was that heavy, or expensive. Awaits to be proven wrong....

busta

Original Poster:

4,504 posts

240 months

Wednesday 2nd February 2005
quotequote all
The only reason I was thinking of using the carlton lump is because I have a 12valver sat at home, complete with car (and rust), with no place to go.

Any other ideas of what I can do with the engine/car?

Bernie

Martin_S

9,939 posts

252 months

Thursday 3rd February 2005
quotequote all
I'd suggest that it would be better suited to something more 'touring' in nature, with a bit more overall weight so that the nose-heaviness cause by the engine isn't so pronounced. Something like Marlin Hunter or YKC (nee Marlin) Berlinetta, perhaps?

You could probably pick up an old Marlin Berlinetta to convert for a couple of grand.

busta

Original Poster:

4,504 posts

240 months

Friday 4th February 2005
quotequote all
Hmm, a couple of grand is a bit over my budget.

I'll knock up a chassis over the next few months, stick the engine in and see how it goes. Will probably end up being totally un-seven-esque but thats the fun of making things your own way

Bernie