Best Classic Ford engine for a Vixen
Discussion
I have Vixen S3 in the garage, with a brand new chassis hanging on the wall beside it. The car currently has an Essex V6. The body and interior are in vgc. The proposal is to develop the car for road and sprint/hillclimb use. I would like to canvas opinion on which would be most suitable of the 'classic' Ford 4 cylinder engines (I realise that the choice is limited).
>> Edited by mikehowell on Thursday 25th May 09:15
>> Edited by mikehowell on Thursday 25th May 09:15
Mike
It depends how competitive you want to be in the Sprinting. With a Kent (crossflow) engine you will be running in the standard or Modified Road Car classes which is where most of the TVR sprinters run, but if you put anything else in you will be running a totally different class along with some very serious machinery.
To run in Standard or Modified Road classes you need to keep the standard engine (mods allowed in modified) standard gearbox and diff. Technically pre-1980 TVRs with 5 speeder boxes in them shouldn't run in these classes but usually this appears to be overlooked!
Personally I'd put a Kent engine in it and mod it to your hearts content, not only can the cars go well with this engine but they handle fabulously as the weight distribution appears to be spot on. Power isn't everything, knowing how to drive the car is!
Have a look at the Spinting regs before you make your choice
davidy
It depends how competitive you want to be in the Sprinting. With a Kent (crossflow) engine you will be running in the standard or Modified Road Car classes which is where most of the TVR sprinters run, but if you put anything else in you will be running a totally different class along with some very serious machinery.
To run in Standard or Modified Road classes you need to keep the standard engine (mods allowed in modified) standard gearbox and diff. Technically pre-1980 TVRs with 5 speeder boxes in them shouldn't run in these classes but usually this appears to be overlooked!
Personally I'd put a Kent engine in it and mod it to your hearts content, not only can the cars go well with this engine but they handle fabulously as the weight distribution appears to be spot on. Power isn't everything, knowing how to drive the car is!
Have a look at the Spinting regs before you make your choice
davidy
Why spoil it?
A twink or BDA engine will cost you at least 10k to install. You can build a very powerful Crossflow engine for that sort of money.
Are you going to compete seriously or are you just wanting a nice road car with the capability of competing in fun events? IE Zolder track days etc.
This is just my opinion and I fully respect that you may not share the same one as me but! If you are going to build a vixen then you should either build it in standard form or you should modify it using the best modern methods and componants that are available today.
I am currently building a 400 griffith replica for competition. it will have all of the faults and weaknesses of the original because that is what the class rules dictate.
However I am also building a vixen S2 with my dad. The car is being built onto a hybrid vixen / Tuscan V6 chassis it will have a 200hp Zetec. IE the engine TVR would probably be using today if it was still being made. We will run the car with full electronic injection, 5 speed close ratio box and a 3.54 salisbury powerlok.
The result for my dad will be a very fast road car which will not break down and require tinkering with and will do 40 to the gallon.
A BDA engine is a beautiful thing to behold. It is also prohibitively expensive, very tempramental and not particularly powerful. It was also never fitted originally so why go back to the 60's.
The zetec is light, cheap, easy to tune economical but most importantly reliable.
My tuppence worth for what its worth.
Don't just limit yourself to ford? XE! S2000! Rover twincam! what about the new Ford / Volvo 5 cly engine from the new Focus ST. the choice of good modern running gear is endless.
neil.
A twink or BDA engine will cost you at least 10k to install. You can build a very powerful Crossflow engine for that sort of money.
Are you going to compete seriously or are you just wanting a nice road car with the capability of competing in fun events? IE Zolder track days etc.
This is just my opinion and I fully respect that you may not share the same one as me but! If you are going to build a vixen then you should either build it in standard form or you should modify it using the best modern methods and componants that are available today.
I am currently building a 400 griffith replica for competition. it will have all of the faults and weaknesses of the original because that is what the class rules dictate.
However I am also building a vixen S2 with my dad. The car is being built onto a hybrid vixen / Tuscan V6 chassis it will have a 200hp Zetec. IE the engine TVR would probably be using today if it was still being made. We will run the car with full electronic injection, 5 speed close ratio box and a 3.54 salisbury powerlok.
The result for my dad will be a very fast road car which will not break down and require tinkering with and will do 40 to the gallon.
A BDA engine is a beautiful thing to behold. It is also prohibitively expensive, very tempramental and not particularly powerful. It was also never fitted originally so why go back to the 60's.
The zetec is light, cheap, easy to tune economical but most importantly reliable.
My tuppence worth for what its worth.
Don't just limit yourself to ford? XE! S2000! Rover twincam! what about the new Ford / Volvo 5 cly engine from the new Focus ST. the choice of good modern running gear is endless.
neil.
Thanks very much for all the feedback. My intention is to use the car for sprints & hillclimbs, preferably in the TVRCC championship. This I believe, will have bearing on engine choice, however, checking the regs (2006 TVRCC Speed Championship Regs.doc) leaves me slightly confused. Other championships I have entered (TR, Scimitar) have been very strict on modifications with the emphasis on originality, with 3 or 4 classes dependent on level of modification. The TVRCC championship seems to be very open on mods with the emphasis on only power to weight ratio. Am I misinterpreting the regs? Can I put in any engine?
Probably worth a chat to Richard Thorpe in that case - he's very good at finding his way round the regs and they are very odd. Twenty years out of date in philosophy they encourage turbo engines because by tweeking the boost you can get exactly the correct max power to weight. If allowable a turboed hyabusa (sp?) would probably be best.
Thanks again for all your comments.
Conclusion:
Something with a Ford crossflow 711M block & bell housing and maybe a TR6 diff.
This choice would maximise the options as far as s&h championships are concerned- most (but not the TVRCC?) seem to specify engine & drive train quite tightly.
The crossflow is apparently very tuneable- even efi and alloy heads are available (I appreciate it cannot approach the output of a modern unit however)
In addition, this element of originality may help to maintain the resale value of the car.
Conclusion:
Something with a Ford crossflow 711M block & bell housing and maybe a TR6 diff.
This choice would maximise the options as far as s&h championships are concerned- most (but not the TVRCC?) seem to specify engine & drive train quite tightly.
The crossflow is apparently very tuneable- even efi and alloy heads are available (I appreciate it cannot approach the output of a modern unit however)
In addition, this element of originality may help to maintain the resale value of the car.
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