Sylva Leader...

[JulianCRX]

Hi all,

I have been looking into buying a project car for some time now. I recently found out a friend of my dad's is selling a Sylva Leader kit car. It isn't going to cost much at all, obviously this is reflected in the condition.

It was originally powered by a 2.0 Fiat twin cam engine, but this is in bits in his workshop. He thinks the engine will run if it was to be reassembled.

Basically, I would like to know how much bother it would be to fit a 2.0 Pinto instead of this Fiat engine, seeing as they are pretty readily available for little money. Or is there a better option? I wont have a huge budget for this, so the cheaper the better Oh, and I would like to run it on twin 40's.

From what I gather, the Leader has a live rear axle, which obviously isnt the best setup in the world. Should I expect pretty shoddy handling?

Any input is welcome as I am tottaly new to kit cars.

Thanks

Julian

[grahambell]

The Pinto is a heavy old thing and you'll probably get more power for less money out of the Fiat engine as you'd already have it.

As for the live axle and handling, the Leader was designed by Jeremy Phillips whose cars have probably won more races than just about any other kit car designer's, many with live axles.

The current issue of totalkitcar magazine has a piece covering 25 years of Sylva cars so probably worth you having a look. See www.totalkitcar.com or your local WH Smiths.

[JulianCRX]

Excellent! I'll buy one when I go to lunch.

Are parts for old Fiat engines easy to come by?

Thanks

[grahambell]

JulianCRX said:

Are parts for old Fiat engines easy to come by?

Easier than parts for old Fiat bodies!

Not sure to be honest, but dropping Fiat twin cams into Morris Minors used to be a popular swap and you seemed to be able to get bits OK a few years back. The classified ads in classic car mags should provide leads to old Fiat specialists who can tell you more.

[jgmadkit]

I love the old Leaders. Probably the car that got me seriously interested in kit cars. Never owned one as I went straight to the cobra rep but would love to have one one day (the missus gets her kitchen first). I would probably look into a modern engine fitment like the zetec rather than the old pinto.

John

[JulianCRX]

Fair enough, but I want this to be as simple as possible - hence using an engine that was carb to begin with.

I don't want too much power either, think a Pinto would be perfectly adequate.

[steve_d]

That fiat engine was right for the car when it went in there and given your budget concerns is still the right engine.
I think you will spend more on trying to make the Pinto fit than you will rebuilding the twin cam.
That is a very nice engine being light and free reving which is why it ended up in so many kitcars. Sounds nice too.

Steve

[Gudeon pin]

Right ho matey I can answer this as I have a Sylva Leader right now

There are basically two flavours (or 3)
Early Sylva = Vauxhall Viva suspension (raised box sections on front chassis area)
Later 3rd party Sylvas when the rights were sold off had a different front chassis arrangement (better) but still used Viva gear. (I have one of these)
Later Leader SS flavour used Chevette suspension.

Now the problem for me was to overcome the imperial 4" PCD so iu could use some nice 100mm PCD wheels. I have now done this with home made spigot rings and home made 7/16 unf variable PCD nuts. Works a treat

Mine has a 1660 crossflow with twin 40s a 285 cam and gives about 120bhp. It is lively and gets to 60 in about 6.5 seconds. I am trying to decide on a ZVH turbo or a Rover T16 turbo upgrade route. These handle like on rails and were built for racing. Ride is best on 14 inch rims with 60 profile tyres @20psi. On my 15 inch 195 / 50 /15s it is now noticably choppier but looks the mutts (very rare Watanabe RS8 split rim Minilites LOL)

I have seen some Leaders that were obviously built without having the suspension springs cut down so they look aweful. Car should sit flat and level almost on the bumpstops on the front.

Stick with the twincam, you should have about 140 - 150BHP easy with 40s on it. They are EXPENSIVE to tune though. So when the power gets tame then decide on something else, Rover T16s on LT77 box offer CHEAP power esp in Turbo form. But Fords are always the easier option in the end. I'd go CVH over Pinto though esp in ZVH format.

Sylva Leaders offer very excellent value for money. You could spend many times the amount and not be going any faster. My 2p

Cheers,

GP

[JulianCRX]

Thanks very much guys, very useful!

Gudeon pin, how can I tell whether this Leader I'm going to look at is early or late? I know it was built in '89.

Thanks again.

[JulianCRX]

Oh and do you have any pictures of your Leader?

[Gudeon pin]

JulianCRX said:

Thanks very much guys, very useful!

Gudeon pin, how can I tell whether this Leader I'm going to look at is early or late? I know it was built in '89.

Thanks again.

The early ones have a stepped raise in the top chassis rails in the engine bay area and splay outwards slightly and the Viva subframe bolts in on its factory mountings (vertical top bolts).

Later ones have FLAT top chassis rails that are straight and the subframe now mounts WITHOUT the factory mounting rubber block, instead it bolts horizontally through were the factory mounting block is normally bolted to the subframe. Much better to look at in my opinion and saves a bit of weight.

Whatever type it is get it

GP

[Gudeon pin]

I think they sold the Leader rights off around 87 to concentrate on the Striker, so yours could be anything. Mine was registered in 1991.

GP

[JulianCRX]

Gudeon pin said:

Whatever type it is get it

Im 99% certain I will. Going to look at it on Thursday, I'll take some pics and stick them up.

[pooh]

A few years ago i test drove a sylva phoenix with a Fiat twin-cam and it was superb, Jeremy Phillips recommended it as the best engine for the car. It is a great engine and very tunable, far better than a heavy old piece of junk like the pinto.

[Gudeon pin]

Julian, this one on Ebay has the same chassis as mine (you can see it in a couple of the pictures):

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dl

I recommend the gas strut bonnet mod highly in fact I'd call it essential. I'm doing vented disc conversion on the front and disc conversion on the back of mine as well as the huge power upgrade. LSD options I'm looking into as well LOL....

Cheers,

GP

[JulianCRX]

Neverending list eh?

I did see that earlier, very nice looking car.

[Corpulent Tosser]

JulianCRX said:

From what I gather, the Leader has a live rear axle, which obviously isnt the best setup in the world. Should I expect pretty shoddy handling?

Julian

I wouldn't worry about the live axle, IRS is better for road use but the live axle will not compromise handling if the rest of the car is set up OK.

My Striker has a live axle and has been a very successful sprint/hillclimb car.

[Gudeon pin]

Any news on this Leader matey?

GP

[JulianCRX]

No, not as yet.

Dad's freind still hasnt gotten back to me about it!

I have next week off, I will do some chasing up. Fingers crossed will have some info about it then

[Chris71]

Now I want one

To quote a Leader advert I saw on the web "much better than those piss poor Duttons". Ok, I haven't driven either yet, but I get the impression he might be right...