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Lotus Seven



 
 
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  #1  
Old August 8th 04, 12:24 PM
Neil G
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Default Lotus Seven

I wonder, we all know the 2.0TS and 2.4JTD are some of the best road-car
engine designs around. Pity then that Lotus 7 kits such as Cats and Westies
don't have them fitted instead choosing mass-produced Ford/Vauxhall units
where the pants have to been revved off them to get anywhere near the pithy
peak torque range let alone peak power .

Has anyone successfully mated an Alfa unit to a 7 copy? I guess a big
problem would be sourcing a suitable prop shaft (rwd)? Discuss mertis and
problems as appropriate :-)



Neil


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  #2  
Old August 8th 04, 12:28 PM
SteveH
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Neil G > wrote:

> I wonder, we all know the 2.0TS and 2.4JTD are some of the best road-car
> engine designs around. Pity then that Lotus 7 kits such as Cats and Westies
> don't have them fitted instead choosing mass-produced Ford/Vauxhall units
> where the pants have to been revved off them to get anywhere near the pithy
> peak torque range let alone peak power .
>
> Has anyone successfully mated an Alfa unit to a 7 copy? I guess a big
> problem would be sourcing a suitable prop shaft (rwd)? Discuss mertis and
> problems as appropriate :-)


How about an adaptation to take the old Alfa Twincam with rear transaxle
gearbox.

That would be awesome. Especially if you got hold of a 75 Turbo engine
for it.
--
Steve H 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
http://www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - MZ ETZ300
VW Golf GL Cabrio - Alfa 75 TS - Alfa 155 TS Lusso - COSOC KOTL
BoTAFOT #87 - BoTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #
  #3  
Old August 8th 04, 01:27 PM
Catman
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SteveH wrote:

> Neil G > wrote:
>
>> I wonder, we all know the 2.0TS and 2.4JTD are some of the best road-car
>> engine designs around. Pity then that Lotus 7 kits such as Cats and
>> Westies don't have them fitted instead choosing mass-produced
>> Ford/Vauxhall units where the pants have to been revved off them to get
>> anywhere near the pithy peak torque range let alone peak power .
>>
>> Has anyone successfully mated an Alfa unit to a 7 copy? I guess a big
>> problem would be sourcing a suitable prop shaft (rwd)? Discuss mertis
>> and problems as appropriate :-)

>
> How about an adaptation to take the old Alfa Twincam with rear transaxle
> gearbox.
>
> That would be awesome. Especially if you got hold of a 75 Turbo engine
> for it.


Chris Snowdon did one a few years back. It was at the back of his workshop
last time I looked.
--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk
  #4  
Old August 8th 04, 01:37 PM
SteveH
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Default

Catman > wrote:

> >> Has anyone successfully mated an Alfa unit to a 7 copy? I guess a big
> >> problem would be sourcing a suitable prop shaft (rwd)? Discuss mertis
> >> and problems as appropriate :-)

> >
> > How about an adaptation to take the old Alfa Twincam with rear transaxle
> > gearbox.
> >
> > That would be awesome. Especially if you got hold of a 75 Turbo engine
> > for it.

>
> Chris Snowdon did one a few years back. It was at the back of his workshop
> last time I looked.


Wonder how much he'd want to part with it?
--
Steve H 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
http://www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - MZ ETZ300
VW Golf GL Cabrio - Alfa 75 TS - Alfa 155 TS Lusso - COSOC KOTL
BoTAFOT #87 - BoTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #
  #5  
Old August 8th 04, 02:40 PM
Ex Alfa Adam
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Default

> > > How about an adaptation to take the old Alfa Twincam with rear
transaxle
> > > gearbox. That would be awesome. Especially if you got hold of a 75

Turbo engine
> > > for it.

> >
> > Chris Snowdon did one a few years back. It was at the back of his

workshop
> > last time I looked.

>
> Wonder how much he'd want to part with it?


A Caterham 7 with a turbo TS engine - you're sick, sick. Dirty. dirty,
dirty!

Can I have a go when it comes out of the workshop?

Adam H


  #6  
Old August 8th 04, 03:21 PM
Dr Entropy
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Default

On Sun, 8 Aug 2004 14:40:55 +0100, "Ex Alfa Adam" > pee'd inna snow, the
following:

X:> > > How about an adaptation to take the old Alfa Twincam with rear
X:transaxle
X:> > > gearbox. That would be awesome. Especially if you got hold of a 75
X:Turbo engine
X:> > > for it.
X:> >
X:> > Chris Snowdon did one a few years back. It was at the back of his
X:workshop
X:> > last time I looked.
X:>
X:> Wonder how much he'd want to part with it?
X:
X:A Caterham 7 with a turbo TS engine - you're sick, sick. Dirty. dirty,
X:dirty!
X:
X:Can I have a go when it comes out of the workshop?
X:
X:Adam H
X:
A few years ago I did a Seven conversion: Took a Fiat(!) TC ~OUT~ of the chassis and built a Lotus
TC for the owner, who then raced it in SCCA "Vintage/historic" class... but not before I got to
terrorise the neighbourhood for a few "test" laps around the block ;-} Herself and I slidin' the
arse-end around th' corners, neighbors comin' out of their houses onna second "lap" to watch and
cheer as SWMBO an' self giggled and waved like six-year-olds at a carnival.

Four wheels an' a board, with 150HP! WOOHOOO!!!!

"Keep 'em up onna sidewalks, where they belong!"


Dr E--
mhm 17x1

Linux: Load it, Learn it, Love it.
  #7  
Old August 8th 04, 08:59 PM
Zathras
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Default

On Sun, 8 Aug 2004 12:24:33 +0100, "Neil G" >
wrote:

>I wonder, we all know the 2.0TS and 2.4JTD are some of the best road-car
>engine designs around. Pity then that Lotus 7 kits such as Cats and Westies
>don't have them fitted instead choosing mass-produced Ford/Vauxhall units
>where the pants have to been revved off them to get anywhere near the pithy
>peak torque range let alone peak power .


I've driven one of these with a Burton race engine (1700cc I think)
fitted. Truly awesome. Much as I like my 2.4JTD, this is the wrong
place for it - it's too big and heavy. Even if you did fit it, it
would be so quick you'd need to fit some kind of auto box or your
hands would be a blur changing the gears given that 4500rpm is useful
top rev. The 7 is best with a lightweight power unit (preferably a
screamer!). YMMV.

--
Z
Scotland
Alfa Romeo 156 2.4JTD Veloce Leather
'Oil' be seeing you..
(Email without 'Alfa' in subject are auto-deleted..sorry!)
  #8  
Old August 8th 04, 09:11 PM
George Graves
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Default

In article >,
"Neil G" > wrote:

> I wonder, we all know the 2.0TS and 2.4JTD are some of the best road-car
> engine designs around. Pity then that Lotus 7 kits such as Cats and Westies
> don't have them fitted instead choosing mass-produced Ford/Vauxhall units
> where the pants have to been revved off them to get anywhere near the pithy
> peak torque range let alone peak power .
>
> Has anyone successfully mated an Alfa unit to a 7 copy? I guess a big
> problem would be sourcing a suitable prop shaft (rwd)? Discuss mertis and
> problems as appropriate :-)
>
>
>
> Neil


I would think that the big problem would be adapting these engines to
RWD. Here in the States, there is pretty big business (in the Alfa
community) in replacing tired 2.5 liter GTV-6 Alfetta engines with 3.0
liter units out of 164s (the last Alfa sold here in the US). The reason
why it works is because when you pry the transmission case off of the
bottom of the of the engine block, you have a pretty standard Alfa V-6.
The oil pan for a RWD GTV-6 or Alfa 75 3.0 fits perfectly; you just have
to drill and tap and few more holes. Then you take the flywheel from
your old engine and bolt it onto the 3.0 liter 164 unit. You do have to
do things like move the distributor from the rear of the cam box back to
it's original upright position on the right front of the engine
(passenger side here in the US, driver's side in Ol' Blighty) and some
minor engineering needs to be done with the intake manifold and plenum
due the the way they were designed in the FWD six. I've even seen a 164
24 valve fitted to a GTV-6 too, but that means even more re-engineering,
but the block's the same so again, the GTV-6 2.5 liter oil pan fits. The
results, though, in these light cars. is worth it, especially the 24
valve with it's 240 BHP! I ought to know, I've a GTV-6 (86) with a 3
liter, hot cams, increased compression and a re-mapped FI ECU. IT flys!
0-60 MPH in 5.8/5.9 seconds, top speed 155+. Yep it goes.

But I digress. The reason that such an FWD to RWD conversion is possible
here is because Alfa hadn't changed the block and the RWD bits from the
earlier incarnations of the same basic engine still fit. You won't have
that kind of luck with modern Alfa engines like the 2.0 TS and the 2.4
JTD because there never were RWD versions of those engines built. You'd
have to have an oil pan fabricated as well as an exhaust manifold (the
2.5 Liter GTV-6 headers fit the 3.0 Liter 164 12-valve engine perfectly,
but they won't fit the twin-cam, 24-valve heads) and god only knows what
else (engine mounts?). This makes such an engine swap really expensive,
but I bet a '7 with the Alfa 2.0 liter 4 would scream!

--
George Graves
------------------

Bush is a poor leader because he isn't very smart.
What's Kerry's excuse gonna be?
  #10  
Old August 9th 04, 12:52 PM
Halmyre
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Default

Neil G wrote:
> I wonder, we all know the 2.0TS and 2.4JTD are some of the best road-car
> engine designs around. Pity then that Lotus 7 kits such as Cats and Westies
> don't have them fitted instead choosing mass-produced Ford/Vauxhall units
> where the pants have to been revved off them to get anywhere near the pithy
> peak torque range let alone peak power .
>
> Has anyone successfully mated an Alfa unit to a 7 copy? I guess a big
> problem would be sourcing a suitable prop shaft (rwd)? Discuss mertis and
> problems as appropriate :-)
>
>
>
> Neil
>
>

In a similar vein, I sometimes wonder what my 1.8TS engine would be like
in my better half's MX-5. OTOH, I'd like to try her six-speed gearbox in
my 156...

Halmyre

 




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