Vixen - engine swap - ideas and guidance please

Vixen - engine swap - ideas and guidance please

Author
Discussion

tomtrout

595 posts

162 months

Sunday 10th August 2014
quotequote all
Excellent - so when are you going to swop dads engine for a proper Ford lumpsmile

tomtrout

595 posts

162 months

Sunday 10th August 2014
quotequote all
For a daily driver I think I might reluctantly agree with you.

Moto

1,230 posts

252 months

Sunday 10th August 2014
quotequote all
heightswitch said:
Vixens fitted with the asthmatic old crossflow are terrible , underpowered rubbish wink

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmwml3mUPoA

biggrin
N.
Love it.... Now that's what I call an underpowered, asthmatic crossflow! biggrin


Moto

1,230 posts

252 months

Sunday 10th August 2014
quotequote all
heightswitch said:
Never..Coz a fettled Zetec sounds pretty much like a BDA and is better wink

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU4Gejel3lk
N.
I have to admit it Neil. That does sound good

Edited by Moto on Sunday 10th August 22:45

prideaux

4,969 posts

148 months

Sunday 10th August 2014
quotequote all
heightswitch said:
Vixens fitted with the asthmatic old crossflow are terrible , underpowered rubbish wink

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmwml3mUPoA

biggrin
N.
I must say thats one pampered rubber duck even has a helmet lucky Quack
A

tomtrout

595 posts

162 months

Tuesday 12th August 2014
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I must say Neil that zetec powered cortina sounded good. The rear end was pretty lively - you didn't flog those dodgy tyres to him did you?biggrin

prideaux

4,969 posts

148 months

Tuesday 12th August 2014
quotequote all
heightswitch said:
New tyres on order smile
N
Shame it was one of the real period features wink

geeeman

1,310 posts

254 months

Thursday 14th August 2014
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has anyone on here got a zetec or duratec engined vixen, thats up and running?


Cerberus90

1,553 posts

212 months

Thursday 14th August 2014
quotequote all
There's a white Vixen with a Duratec/Zetec in it running.

Think it an ST170 engine.

It's been at Cadwell trackday the last two years I think. Certainly was going well last year.

Grantura MKI

817 posts

157 months

Thursday 14th August 2014
quotequote all
Cerberus90 said:
There's a white Vixen with a Duratec/Zetec in it running.

Think it an ST170 engine.

It's been at Cadwell trackday the last two years I think. Certainly was going well last year.
It was at the pre80s last year.
Best,
D.

DamianS3

1,803 posts

181 months

Thursday 14th August 2014
quotequote all
geeeman said:
has anyone on here got a zetec or duratec engined vixen, thats up and running?
Hello not a vixen but I do have a jag 3.0 Duratech in my s series s3 picking up from mapping tomorrow.



The figured are at the wheels. I would probably do a few things differently next time.

For me the choice was first what engine config and what power was I looking for ? I considered cosworth v6 (heavy poor spares availability) cosworth YB (had a cossie for a while loved the power 360 at the time but thought heavy too mental and expencive) that was the only 4 pot I considered. I didn't want a rover v8 prob because of age and fuel economy it's my daily driver. So ended with the jag duratech. As they are light make good power and spares are plentiful. Also the s3 is good as a v6 IMHO.

I picked up a whole s type for £600 and have used engine a gearbox from this.

Cheers

Damian s3

Sonus

292 posts

182 months

Friday 15th August 2014
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Mazda MX5 gearbox fits the Duratec I believe(?)

I was fitting a Zetec into my MGB GT before I bought the Vixen and the Zetec is a nice low cost engine. I bought mine from kit car company in the UK for £750 brand new with flywheel, clutch, inlet etc.

jim3000s

141 posts

207 months

Friday 15th August 2014
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Bought a new one a couple of years ago for £650, amazing VFM.

DamianS3

1,803 posts

181 months

Friday 15th August 2014
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http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

My build thread with pics will get some more pics soon.

Not sure how strong the mx gearbox is but iirc the do a six speed.

Cheers

Damian

madsvlund

345 posts

131 months

Friday 15th August 2014
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Talking of gearbox. I have a std Jaguar S type gearbox behind my Stype duratec, and a 2.93 ratio Bmw LSD. + 16" rims, 245/45R16 tyres. This setup works very well on the street, 1'th a bit low, but usable, and crusing in 5'th with 2000 rpm @ 50 mph.

But for racing is it not that good, gear ratios are : 1,2,3,4,5 = 4.23, 2.52, 1.66, 1.22, 1 equal a gear to gear drop of: 40%, 34%, 27%, 18% and a total drop 1->5 of 423%.

These ratios are quite common on street cars, but way to wide for racing. Where close ratio drop's like 30%, 25%, 20%, 15% are preferable.

So now i'm in the searce for something sub 5.000£ to replace the jag box. Perhaps a 7 speed BMW SMG with a manual shifter could be an option.

On top will the engine recive new "non Vtec" cams, and a light flywheel.

Btw, pay attention to clutch and flywheel, the stock duratec dual mass unit is too heavy for a sportscar, and make the rear block under down shifts, and the cluths can't withstand "normal" sportcar abuse (in my case anyway :-) )


DamianS3

1,803 posts

181 months

Friday 15th August 2014
quotequote all
Thanks for that I couldn't find the ratios anywhere my google skills failing me. Light flywheel and clutch to suit are on the shopping list. Any recommendations? I have a 3.28 diff in 7.5" ford diff it has a quaiffe ATB so wanted to keep. I will see how she drives. My s has 60 (don't laugh smile ) profile 205/15 on it.

Damian

DamianS3

1,803 posts

181 months

Friday 15th August 2014
quotequote all
Forgot to ask are you going cat cams and what inlet you running I am in std s type control flaps closed.

Damian

prideaux

4,969 posts

148 months

Friday 15th August 2014
quotequote all
heightswitch said:
Sonus said:
Mazda MX5 gearbox fits the Duratec I believe(?)

I was fitting a Zetec into my MGB GT before I bought the Vixen and the Zetec is a nice low cost engine. I bought mine from kit car company in the UK for £750 brand new with flywheel, clutch, inlet etc.
2.0 zetec on ebay now Brand new with all ancillaries £850...it starts to make a mockery of building an old crossflow at those prices.
N.
While your at it why dont you fit some nice MX5 seats and furry headlining and an auto box and oh original wheels they are oh so 60s lets fit some modern 17inch wheels and some low profile tyres and if whe are doing that we can re engineer the brakes and ad some disks and uprate to vented while we are there and well air con might be good oh sod it some cup holders and anti glare mirrors and a reversing camera might be useful and while we are at it ABS makes sense they are hell in the wet without it and Flip Fl;op Paint now that will make it stand out from all the classic cars and led lights would be far better than those originals and i cant find any decent MK2 rear lights so lets fill in the holes and the LEDs will look cool

Juat starting a Jaguar E type MK1 and the engine is a mess and so costly to restore i think that it would be far cheaper to fit an LS engine and well rather than restore the old parts i will look around and see what might fit thats a bit more modern as i really cant afford to get Eagle to do a proper period restoration with discreet upgrades does anyone know if an E Type Merc seat might fit as they both have an E in the name so i would have thought there was a lot in common there.

Andrew

Cerberus90

1,553 posts

212 months

Friday 15th August 2014
quotequote all
prideaux said:
While your at it why dont you fit some nice MX5 seats and furry headlining and an auto box and oh original wheels they are oh so 60s lets fit some modern 17inch wheels and some low profile tyres and if whe are doing that we can re engineer the brakes and ad some disks and uprate to vented while we are there and well air con might be good oh sod it some cup holders and anti glare mirrors and a reversing camera might be useful and while we are at it ABS makes sense they are hell in the wet without it and Flip Fl;op Paint now that will make it stand out from all the classic cars and led lights would be far better than those originals and i cant find any decent MK2 rear lights so lets fill in the holes and the LEDs will look cool


Andrew
Why not? biggrin

17"? Nah, I wouldn't mind a set of bronze 15" TE37s for the Taimar though, would also make getting tyres easier.

Cup holders are always useful.


You've forgotten the modern head-unit, amp and extra speakers though, biggrin

geeeman

1,310 posts

254 months

Friday 15th August 2014
quotequote all
interesting response..

there is a huge difference between chavving up a car and some tasteful improvements

In the case of the Etype their inherent value means an engine swap is rarely considered. Also the original engine is a lovely piece of kit, and intrinsic to the make-up and design of the car. It is a Jaguar unit. It just doesnt make sense to change it

The TVR however, you could say is a bit underpowered as standard. The engine is 'adopted' from a another manufacturer. The TVR doesnt have the same inherent value and probably never will (a good thing mostly)

Keeping the nice period design and features of the classic TVrs, while simply upgrading the drivetrain to a modern derivative of the Ford 4 cylinder seems to make sense, while certainly not devaluing the car as it may do with an E type. Keeping the original unit has its merits too also ofcourse. But lets not get confused about the goal of this type of conversion