Less weight or more power? I've been running my MK1 with an mod'd 8v engine (150bhp@wheels) for a number of years now. It's quick, but I'd like to have a bit more poke. Should I reduce the weight by buying lightweight panels etc or install a turbo'd engine? What would you do?
I would go for less weight as it will also help improve others areas at the same time such as handling and braking. If it still isn't enough for you then you could always go for more power afterwards
less weight means better handling , a more nimble car that changes direction better , and improved braking , and negates the need for huge tires .Also makes life easier on your gearbox and chassis . With a turbo engine you gain a fair bit of weight , the turbo m a heavier manifold , a lot more piping , an intercooler , probably a bigger rad and oil cooler etc etc .
Less weight for all the reasons above and why go towards problems with unreliable turbo lumps when a good old fashion tuned 8v should never cause you any real problems.
whats you current power:weight ratio? what has already been removed? other than lightweight panels what is left. . have you already got, small battery, smaller fuel tank, perspex windows,nitro gen filled tyres, lightweight wheels is it a road and track motor? or can you lose all the none essential track parts?
I still use it on the road, with track day use, but want to keep it looking standard and practical. Rear seats etc have been removed, no underseal and it has polycarbonate windows so far.
my 8v racer has won quite a few pots with <150 at the wheels. Another option is to spend money increasing the rpm range and the speed it gets there, so effectively increasing the accle/ area under the curve
what spec is the engine ? custom built or is it a freely available one from tsr etc? any scope for a lightend fly wheel, or has it been done. reducing unsprung mass is a good way of speeding up acceleration.
TSR 2008cc bottom end Grant Motorsport 41/36 Big Value Head Grant Motorsport matched cam Supersprint wrapped 4 branch manifold with GrpA exhaust Yamaha R1 Bike Carbs HotGolf lightened flywheel () I can't see I'll get much more power from this without spending a lot more money, hence why the question - less weight or turbo
Less weight + 2.0 16v engine only, reuse Mart's flywheel The % improvement you have had from a base 8v engine is easier and cheaper to achieve from a 2.0 16v engine leading to more torque and power. Many of the 8v parts can sell for a premium, which could mean the 2.0 16v would cost next to nothing to install and get running.
I'm not sure i'd see much more power from a 16v engine from what I have already got, possibly 10-15bhp tbh. How much LIGHTER is the 2.0 tfsi engine ?
The 2.0 16v PFI engine will be more flexible than your current modified 8v engine yes. The 2.0 16v DI engine can be made to be even more flexible than a PFI 16v but will cost significantly more to modify than both 8v or 16v currently.
I hope yours is better than the one he sold me (stiched me up with)........It has cost me money to get it to a useable state after I sent it to Mr Hillclimber to have a bit more fettling done on it only to find that the valves had been set way down in the head resulting in a combustion chamber bigger than standard evethough it had been skimmed by GM!! I have decided to go down a different route now for my 2ltr engine I am building.....but this head will now be fitted to a 1.9L bottom end I have
My GM head is a long story...fortunately it does work! I was told by 'the man in the shed' that he originally ported this head himself and then Grant just finished the valve work.
So what parts would you change to help make it lighter? My list so far: 1. lighter wheels 2. lightweight windows
LOL...I know what you mean about long story, I forget how long I was waiting for mine....I actually bought a 42/35 full race head on ebay that was a GM one but needed some work doing on it as someone had ground the end of the inlet with an angle grinder so thought I'd send it to Grant....6mth later he tells me the head is scrap as it was cracked in to a water way BUT that if I 'give' him that head for his display stand he could do me a really good price on a 41/35.....I naively said yes and got the one that I got that had had the valve work finished by a blind man by the looks of it (definitely NOT 'the man in the shed') [:^(] I am going down the following route with mine.....although you could struggle with the carbon roof based on other posts I have seen (I luckily already have mine sitting in storage ) Carbon roof Fibreglass wings Fibreglass bonnet Fibreglass tailgate Fibreglass doors Perspex windows with slider on drivers side Carbon race seats Alloy spare wheel fuel tank
Less weight and more power All depends on what your doing. If you want to lap and the sort of speeds Mr Reeves does than you need big BHP and the cheapest way to get that sort of power is turbo with modern engines being so solid. You can then tie that in to one of the modern std 6 speed gearboxes and have a cheap and tunable base. If you leave it fairly standard it will probably be a tame as you like of the turbo and trundle down to the shops all day long. If you go 16v then you have 16 of everything to change and I can't see the benefit of fitting one unless you do some serious work to the pistons/cams/springs etc or your not going to get value for money. A std one will gain you nothing over what you have got. There has been a lot more development on the 8v engines over the last few years and they are producing some decent numbers at the moment and I don't see that a 16v is any better unless, as I said, you spend some serious money. That said a decent 8v doesn't come cheap! Whilst if set up properly it will still drive down the shops fine they do become a little highly strung and just want to go all the time once you get over a certain level of tune. v BHP v performance it's got to be a turbo, but then you have to make it go round corners and stop. That is an art with that much bhp, plus they don't sound as good as open carbs/throttle bodies!! If you stay N/A then weight is important. Check before buying glass fibre panels how much they weigh. You can cut a lot of wight out of the steel panels, depends what you use the car for. Some of the glass fibre stuff doesn't fit that well either. It surprising how much weight is in the doors, glass, rubber seals, seats, carpets, soudproofing, exhaust system, radiator fan, heater and plumbing, unused wiring, dash, rear drums, cast brake calipers, spare wheel well etc. etc. You then start to get in to bracketry, alloy bells and discs, drilling holes in things, smaller bolts, alloy panels instead of steel etc etc. It all depends on the level of comfort you are prepared to accept. I have to wear ear plugs in mine when I take it on the road but that is fine for for what I do with it. I'm just starting on a weight loss program on mine so I'll let you know how far you can go when I've finished
drivers seat/carbon cobra,also> passenger seat/4kg with standard frame, lightweight batt/5kg, deframed bonnet with alloy insert,down from 17kg to 4.5kg, same bonnet sprayed, some ideas from my mk2
Wow - That's a massive weight saving on the bonnet. I don't think I could live with those seats though!
