The biggest engine you can put in a hatchback?

[vlc]

for example - the 'ford fiesta'

installation - FRONT END only

are these feasible...

1. V6
2. V8 90-degree [with bonet bulge]
3. H type 6 cyl
4. 5 cyl inline [slanted, with bonet bulge]
5. VR8
6. boxer six
7. flat six
8. ???

do i assume you would also relocate the gearbox, fuel tank, an battery to the rear, an use a transaxle?

[stevieturbo]

Anything is feasable, it just depends how much work you want to do, and how much of the original car you are going to cut to make it fit.

[eliot]

I was think of putting a rover v8 transverse into an mk3 escort - its been done on a mini with minimal cutting, so should be possible.

e.

[canam]

Which H type 6 cyl do you have in mind?

[lanciachris]

Tip : If you are listing boxer 6 and flat 6 as different types on engine this is not something you should be contemplating.

[GreenV8S]

The purists might disagree! Strictly speaking a boxer has twin (or more) cranks and a central combustion chamber, although nowadays the term seems to be used for horizontally opposed engines in general.

[JonRB]

lanciachris said:

Tip : If you are listing boxer 6 and flat 6 as different types on engine this is not something you should be contemplating.

Oh God, not again

[dizzy rebel]

you could get a rover v8 in a fiesta no problem, theres a guy doing a conversion on a nova as we speak, i would put a ford v8 in it though just to keep it all one make

[lanciachris]

JonRB said:

lanciachris said: Tip : If you are listing boxer 6 and flat 6 as different types on engine this is not something you should be contemplating. Oh God, not again

Gah.

[chuntington101]

one guy put a chevy V8 in the back of a golf!

but it was destined for the back of his ultima

i think there is little point going for size. if you want real power then stick two four pots in. like dubb sport (i think) did with their golf (or was it VR6s). anyway, 800bhp when both engines were on song and 4WD.

now if you could use 2 500BHP 2.3 EVO 4G63T units.....

or an mini with 2 turbo'ed Busa units.......

thanks Chris.

[love machine]

The Mini V8 worked as they used a Princess gearbox with the standard drop gears!! The RV8 is competetive weight wise. The Ford V8 isn't. You will just end up with massive understeer. I reckon a blower is a good idea. Minimal mods. Ahhhh, are we talking FWD here? If you were totally insane, you could build a Twinny using RV8's. The princess box is easy to make up a dual linkage. I'm building a twinny very slowly.

[DustyC]

Anything is possible.

Ever seen the Fiat 126s with 5.7 V8s?

Edited to add
www.ukstreetracers.com/CarBuddaTaz.htm

Incase you havent seen it the front seats have been remvoed and the driver sits in the back!

>> Edited by DustyC on Thursday 23 December 15:35

[annodomini2]

Theres a guy with a yank v8 in a reliant!

[albundy89]

rover 5.1 V8 twin turbo, mounted in front, driving rear wheels,as it should,in a Mk1 Golf

[Alpineandy]

See Practical Performance car for a 27 Litre Tank engine in a Rover SD1 (It is a hatch back, Honest)......

[agent006]

I remember readin about a BMW 350 compact (yes, that's the 5.5 V12).

[vlc]

agent006 said:

I remember readin about a BMW 350 compact (yes, that's the 5.5 V12).

but is that car 4 metres long, becoz true small hatchbacks like the fiesta are no longer.

otherwise, going by the comments above, it seems a V8 is the maximum feasible.

tho i wonder about now...
1. VR10
2. VR12
3. boxer 8cyl
4. flat 8cyl
5. inline 5cyl

ps- an ya cant put them in the back as thats cheating !

[v15ben]

DustyC said:

Anything is possible. Ever seen the Fiat 126s with 5.7 V8s? Edited to add www.ukstreetracers.com/CarBuddaTaz.htm Incase you havent seen it the front seats have been remvoed and the driver sits in the back! >> Edited by DustyC on Thursday 23 December 15:35

That is unbelievable!
Quarter Mile Time of 11.6 in a Fiat 126!!!!

[Alpineandy]

vlc said:

but is that car 4 metres long, becoz true small hatchbacks like the fiesta are no longer. otherwise, going by the comments above, it seems a V8 is the maximum feasible. tho i wonder about now... 1. VR10 2. VR12 3. boxer 8cyl 4. flat 8cyl 5. inline 5cyl ps- an ya cant put them in the back as thats cheating !

Slightly off thread, but this reminds me of a story my uncle told me. In the early 70s he was a mechanic in a BMC garage. By co-incidence the V12jag engine and gearbox from one job was laying next to another job. A customer asked jokingly how they'd get that engine in the little mini pick-up, as it was longer than the car.
'Well, we'll put an oxy torch on the end and bend it round 90degrees' he said with a straight face.
'OH.....Right.....thought so' said the customer.

[davefiddes]

How about a Rover V8 in a mini, still FWD of course...

www.v8mini.co.uk