MK Indy kit, Westfield or GT Panther?
Discussion
nelmo said:
Quality is down to the dedication and skill of the builder - the best cars are factory built. Caterhams are expensive because they are all at least part built by the factory (I don't believe you can build it from scratch even if you want to).
imo wrrong:i have seen several westfield and tiger cars (i´m talking about end 80ies beginning 90ies cars) which had been botched together by the factory.
a car from a private builder who knows his job and took care about building the car "for him" is often a better choice.
the built quality is also related to the kit: some kits will make it less difficult for the builder doing mistakes, consecutively its easier achieving a constant and good quality.
Equus said:
Most typical figures seem to suggest about 82kg with ancillaries, but dry.
...although this guy seems to have done an itemised weigh of the parts and reckons 86g just for the bare engine and nearer 113kg with all gubbins and ready to run.
But then you have to add a bit for the mandatory reverse, and a two-part propshaft.
Certainly, it's a damned sight heavier than the Aprilia V-twin, and I've personally weighed one of those at 65 kilos, dry.
I do fine without reverse, just need to get out and push, which is easy enough as its so light. Wouldn't the propshaft weigh about the same (or less) than the propshaft needed for the car engine? ...although this guy seems to have done an itemised weigh of the parts and reckons 86g just for the bare engine and nearer 113kg with all gubbins and ready to run.
But then you have to add a bit for the mandatory reverse, and a two-part propshaft.
Certainly, it's a damned sight heavier than the Aprilia V-twin, and I've personally weighed one of those at 65 kilos, dry.
I'd expect to be saving around 50kg using a modern bike engine over a similar power modern car engine and gear box with fluids. When my Indy had its suspension set up it weighed in (with half a tank of fuel) at 465kg, while a Caterham Superlight R300 is 515kg (not sure if its the same wet weight), the R300 makes a smidgen more power than mine.
s! Stick to the locost builders sure if it you are in the south then the SKCC.,tankplanker said:
I do fine without reverse, just need to get out and push, which is easy enough as its so light. Wouldn't the propshaft weigh about the same (or less) than the propshaft needed for the car engine?
Read the word 'mandatory' in my post. 
Reverse is now an IVA requirement on newly registered cars. It's also mandatory for circuit racing and I suspect that even on non-competitive trackdays the organisers would take a dim view if you had to get out and push your car backwards if you ran off the track.
Read the words 'two part' in my post.
The propshaft for a BEC is much longer (the gearbox doesn't project backwards into the tunnel as it does on a car-engined drivetrain) and usually needs to be a two-piece item with centre bearing.
Equus said:
Reverse is now a legal requirement on newly registered cars.
Propshaft is longer and usually needs to be a two-piece item with centre bearing.
That I did not know, does that count for swapping the engine on an existing car? Propshaft is longer and usually needs to be a two-piece item with centre bearing.
The extra length on the propshaft isn't going to be that much extra weight, the centre bearing/joint will be more though, but I can't see it adding much more than 7kg? Easy enough to make that back with a lighter arrangement at the back. If building now I'd look to use the Freelander diff and shafts rather than the heavier Sierra/MX-5 equivs and make at least that much back.
I need to sort mine out as part of its diet this winter.
Edited by tankplanker on Tuesday 7th June 09:53
tankplanker said:
hat I did not know, does that count for swapping the engine on an existing car?
No, as a legal requirement that's just for IVA.Though if you're swapping an engine on an existing car, it's not unusual for insurance companies to ask for an Engineer's report; any competent engineer ought to pick it up, and it may then become an issue for insurance.
If you fit a reverse for IVA and then choose to remove it, it is a matter for your own conscience and, once again, insurance liability.
I had 2 Westfields and they are very good. One was the green aerorace we can see on their advertisement, I had no problems at all. 100% track use.
Don't know much about others brands, sure Caterham is premium.
IMO I would advise you not to go MK, I currently have one and it's totally crap from factory.
I'am not talking about performance but reliability and support from the brand (I'am having very very hard times with MK to fix it whereas it's all their fault).
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