Zetecfiesta Posted November 22, 2002 Posted November 22, 2002 Afternoon all I just wanted to ask a little question, would it be possible to fit a 3.2 BMW engine(the M3) into a westy? I would have thought it may be a little long? + would it be cost effective? Its just a little thought of mine just to be different. Please dont laugh if you think its a silly idea because im only a little novice Thanks in advance and have a good weekend Quote
Nick M Posted November 22, 2002 Posted November 22, 2002 Cost effective ? Only you can be the judge of that ! Practical ? Doubtful - it's probably too long and too tall and don't forget you've got to get a gearbox in there somehow. BMW boxes are, from what I've seen, quite bulky, wide and heavy. Frankly I wouldn't bother. Quote
Bananaman Posted November 22, 2002 Posted November 22, 2002 Frankly I wouldn't bother. Nick come on don't beat around the bush. Quote
wrightster Posted November 22, 2002 Posted November 22, 2002 better with a vx engine !! (or maybe a ford) Fix Or Repair Daily .....only joking !! Quote
samcooke Posted November 22, 2002 Posted November 22, 2002 Probably a much better bet to go for the M5 V8. That would slip in nice and easy, not as long, see? An afternoon's work. Quote
neo Posted November 22, 2002 Posted November 22, 2002 i had the chance of one of these engines cheap,as my bro works for BMW parts manager,and i investigated it,to be honest its a fu***in nightmare, the engine is too long,it leans over hence too wide,the box wont fit at all as its massive compared to ford ones,even the 5 speeder,the exhaust manifolds are huge,and perfectly tuned to the engine, and the list goes on and on, i must admit being an ex BMW fitter i love there engines but, there all tilted over and hard to source engine management stuff for.321bhp would be nice i admit it probably is possible to fit it but its going to require chassis work and alot of fabrication of everthing inc the steering etc. a M3 4 cylinder may fit in on twin 48 though but the engines are like rocky horse ****e. Quote
windy Posted November 22, 2002 Posted November 22, 2002 Yep definitely too heavy. But what about the AJP all ally straight six fitted to the TVR. Dry sumped as std & runs MBE engine management . Not sure about reliability but box and diff should be easy in the Westy. Go on be brave!!!! Quote
Nick M Posted November 22, 2002 Posted November 22, 2002 I made the mistake of looking at the Jenvey website the other day. It appears they are now doing a manifold and tapered throttle body set up for Vauxhall 2.5 and 3.0 V6 engines. Having seen one in a scrapyard stripped of all the junk they are remarkably compact and as you can imagine it set my mind wandering off down all sorts of entertaining (i.e. expensive) pathways !! Quote
Nick Algar - Competition Secretary Posted November 22, 2002 Posted November 22, 2002 I had one of these engines in an M5 and it did 170,000 miles still going strong when I sold it, but heavy ain't the word. The Titanic was lighter. The power's great, but you'd need to design a chassis round it, and as for the engine electronics Would be interesting though Nick Quote
jonlewis Posted November 22, 2002 Posted November 22, 2002 I have had a few TVR Speed Six engines.... The first one at 4,000 miles, the second at 9000 miles, the third at 10000 miles...... Yes I hold the record for a TVR engine lasting 11 days. The new one is fine though Jon Quote
jonlewis Posted November 23, 2002 Posted November 23, 2002 I think TVR used to use camshafts made by Philadelphia and finder followers by Findus. They seem to have sorted the problems now though... aparently they use philadelphia with added chives now Quote
JonnyBoy Posted November 24, 2002 Posted November 24, 2002 Stick me in a TuscanR and i'm pretty sure my engine would go pop! do people no longer run them in gently to prolongue the moment they explode? Quote
windy Posted November 24, 2002 Posted November 24, 2002 I have had a few TVR Speed Six engines.... The first one at 4,000 miles, the second at 9000 miles, the third at 10000 miles...... Yes I hold the record for a TVR engine lasting 11 days. John Lewis, "Never knowingly undersold". Spooky - you are obviously a very good customer!!!! Quote
juansolo Posted November 24, 2002 Posted November 24, 2002 I find myself really wanting an non-naily engine and I keep coming back to the MX-5. I thrashed the bejesus out of mine on track for 2 years and did nothing more than swap the oil every 4500 miles. Other than being a little lardy, they are the right orientation, ultra reliable and have an awesome gearbox (only the S2000 betters it). 125-140bhp in boggo form for the 1.8 seems pretty good an off the shelf supercharger boosts that to around 180+ bhp should you so desire. Block and internals are good for 200+ bhp stock and can do it all day... Seems a interesting option and one that I'm seriously considering if it can be made to fit. Any reasons why this isn't a good idea? Quote
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