How durable a Duratec tuned to 263bhp?
Discussion
jackal said:
timrw81 said:
I plan to use the car for road driving.
get a classic then ..... 'tis all you need 
more of the power, grip and performance more of the time and at the limit much much more of the time
momentum is where its at ... in fact, why not stick with the MX5, its a fabulously balanced car for the uk roads these days
I have had both an R300 (rover K) and a cheap ragged ex-academy car worth half as much. The academy car was ALOT more fun to drive on the roads. Narrow tyres and lightweight, it was a blast to hoon around in. Big bhp aint the answer to road fun!
I'll add another vote for the "less is sometimes more" side of the argument.
I drive a Birkin 7 (I'm in Brightest Africa) with around 150bhp and a weight of around 600kg (the car, not me). I race the car, but keep it road legal. For road use that level of power to weight ratio is quite adequate.
For track use, more is always more, but that's a whole different discussion.
James
I drive a Birkin 7 (I'm in Brightest Africa) with around 150bhp and a weight of around 600kg (the car, not me). I race the car, but keep it road legal. For road use that level of power to weight ratio is quite adequate.
For track use, more is always more, but that's a whole different discussion.
James
LRdriver II said:
jackal said:
timrw81 said:
I plan to use the car for road driving.
get a classic then ..... 'tis all you need more of the power, grip and performance more of the time and at the limit much much more of the time
momentum is where its at ... in fact, why not stick with the MX5, its a fabulously balanced car for the uk roads these days
I have had both an R300 (rover K) and a cheap ragged ex-academy car worth half as much. The academy car was ALOT more fun to drive on the roads. Narrow tyres and lightweight, it was a blast to hoon around in. Big bhp aint the answer to road fun!
David Long said:
That's interesting . . . . . I have noticed higher exit speeds when not trying so hard. Maybe I'm getting better feel for the traction in the corner. I'll think about what you say next time I'm out.
Definitely worth a try. Not beasting it was worth 1-2 seconds a lap for me. The best piece of advice I can give is pick your moment with the throttle. Hanging it out everywhere is fun, but it isn't quick in a high powered car.You want to be smooth, keep the car settled through the corner with a little bit of trail braking to get the Ford anchor pointing inwards, and gradually build up the throttle without braking traction, only taking full throttle when it's going to grip.
Also if you're still struggling with lower powered cars, you're probably not carrying enough speed into the corner and/or perhaps not braking late/hard enough. I'd consider getting some instruction with someone that knows Caterhams, you wont regret it.
Well....
I hired a Roadsport 125 from Caterham Midlands on Tuesday. And oh what fun I had. I had a headache after 5 or 6 hours of driving but it cemented my thoughts on having the Seven as my only car. I definitely would. I drove it in the country, in the city (Loughboroug and Leicester city centre), on A Roads, B Roads, Motorways, in the hard rain and the blazing sun, hood on, hood off, so it gave me (in that 6 hours) a lot of different types of driving and conditions I would face. I had some earplugs specially made at a hearing specialist when I used to play gigs a lot and play my guitar very loud. I used them on Tuesday for some of the time and found that they could make the loud engine noise (which I thought could be tiring) quieter and thus make long distances much more bareable.
I did ring HWR Motorsport in Newcastle last night to ask them about the tuning potential of the 2 litre duratec. In the conversation, i think I figured out what I actually want. One thing I want from my dream Seven is torque - mid range torque - and lots of it. The thrill of an 8500rpm redline is not for me. Call me strange but I just don't like the sound of an engine screaming at those sorts of rpm - especially a 4 cylinder engine. Brian at HWR mentioned that they sometimes fit 2.3 duratecs into S3 chassis, and I think that is what I would eventually go for. Something tuned to around 250bhp with max torque coming at something like 6000-6500rpm. I'm going up soon to have a look around and talk about the possibilities.
Tim
I hired a Roadsport 125 from Caterham Midlands on Tuesday. And oh what fun I had. I had a headache after 5 or 6 hours of driving but it cemented my thoughts on having the Seven as my only car. I definitely would. I drove it in the country, in the city (Loughboroug and Leicester city centre), on A Roads, B Roads, Motorways, in the hard rain and the blazing sun, hood on, hood off, so it gave me (in that 6 hours) a lot of different types of driving and conditions I would face. I had some earplugs specially made at a hearing specialist when I used to play gigs a lot and play my guitar very loud. I used them on Tuesday for some of the time and found that they could make the loud engine noise (which I thought could be tiring) quieter and thus make long distances much more bareable.
I did ring HWR Motorsport in Newcastle last night to ask them about the tuning potential of the 2 litre duratec. In the conversation, i think I figured out what I actually want. One thing I want from my dream Seven is torque - mid range torque - and lots of it. The thrill of an 8500rpm redline is not for me. Call me strange but I just don't like the sound of an engine screaming at those sorts of rpm - especially a 4 cylinder engine. Brian at HWR mentioned that they sometimes fit 2.3 duratecs into S3 chassis, and I think that is what I would eventually go for. Something tuned to around 250bhp with max torque coming at something like 6000-6500rpm. I'm going up soon to have a look around and talk about the possibilities.
Tim
I can understand where you're coming from in your comments. This is the torque curve for my 210 BHP R400 Duratec (ignore the blue line). It does have a flattish curve from 3000 RPM and will pull away in any gear. It is great for lazy driving on the open road, but it can lack character and the buzz you get from more peaky engines.
Edited by David Long on Friday 22 May 13:43
That's interesting. Cheers for posting that David.
I don't think there's anything more innately right about a 'peaky' engine for a Seven than a torquier one. As long as engine choice doesn't interfere with weight distribution then it just comes down to preference. I don't get a buzz out of wringing an engine's neck (the Roadsport I drove the other day felt like my little friend; like we were in it together - I love that and never experienced it to that extent). I do get a huge buzz out of a lot of pull from low revs. I like a car to feel and sound solid and strong rather than highly strung. I can definitely appreciate why a lot of people would disagree though, and go for top-end power delivery.
Tim
I don't think there's anything more innately right about a 'peaky' engine for a Seven than a torquier one. As long as engine choice doesn't interfere with weight distribution then it just comes down to preference. I don't get a buzz out of wringing an engine's neck (the Roadsport I drove the other day felt like my little friend; like we were in it together - I love that and never experienced it to that extent). I do get a huge buzz out of a lot of pull from low revs. I like a car to feel and sound solid and strong rather than highly strung. I can definitely appreciate why a lot of people would disagree though, and go for top-end power delivery.
Tim
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