Hi guys,
following on from my other thread about which rwd end set up would you use in a mk4 escort conversion, im know struggling to decide which v8 engine is the best for size/ power and tunablity ? Ive been looking at most options from the old rover v8, jag v8 superchared lump to the american lumps. so my question what do you reckon is gonna be the best one to go for as there is so many options to go for ? all i do know is I want to run a manual box on it, and must be able to anoy the neighbours
so cheers for any info guys

 

for me id go for small block ford idealy late 302 or 5.0 out of a mustang with its T5 box or a small block chevy ideally a 350 with 4 bolt mains, both got plenty of tuning potential or if you want something newer LS chevy lump or you could go Audi or bmw wouldnt bother personally these days with a rover lump, my brother is putting a SC jag V8 in his mk2 cortina with a adapted lotus carlton 6 speed behind which we think when mapped under sc under driven etc should see 500bhp

 

Ls1 cheap and makes great power

 

any of the ls engines pound for hp they are probably the cheapest engines about

 

tbh , if you look and stock car and hot rod forums , small block chevvys and 302's are cheapest about , full rebuild kits are a pittance from the usa


imo pound for pound you wont be the ls series engine


but id budget 2-4k for a complete plug n play motor with box

 

I'm told the ford v8 is far more expensive to tune than the Chevy engines.

Also worth atleast considering a Lexus V8, very strong though !

 

If you know of a cheap supplier....I'm sure many would love to know.

They can be good value, but certainly not cheap anymore.

A lot will depend what you want. Most modern V8's will be hard to find with a manual box already bolted on.

BMW is one option, they do a manual, but it is hard to find.

Audi's V8 range apparently bolts up to some rwd Volvo boxes

Lexus LS400 is a superb engine, it is cheap, but you'll have to sort your on gearbox. I'm sure some people do bellhousings for them though

LSx range. Manuals are easy, but the engines are expensive now.

Rover....not really that cheap these days, and a mediocre performer in anything other than a very light car. But rwd boxes are fairly easy to sort.

 

Merc 5.7 v8?
Even the old ones were punchy,about 350 odd horse and tough too plus the supercharged versions are silly(but pricey).
The Audi stuff is cheap now though,saw a complete a8 on retrorides for Ł800 t'other week,tax and test too!!!

 

1uzfe gets my vote, like stevie says though it's a pain getting a box on.

 

BMW another good option, box is easy then.

 

i'm going for a 03/04 mustang cobra engine in my next project, but they are big engines,

if you want simple go for an ford/chevy small block, on carb, they can give good hp and are smallish, if u want 500+ i would say go modern engine with a whipple supercharger, it all depends on budget

ebay.com you will find bellhousings to fit most stuff to a t5, t56, tko type of box

 

And if you want the best, and the baddest looker, go ford modular

 

yep, thats why i'm going 03/04 cobra mustang, factory supercharged and internals good for 1000hp, with just a supercharger change, rev to 7k and 32v heads, sweet, the cobra engine is my test engine for a future big big power engine

my old 54 pickup has a ford big block 460 v8

 

A V8 on a small budget I would go Lexus and use an adaptor plate for the box, if you have around 5k I'd probably go Ls2 as there isn't anything to do if you want 400hp. Lexus is fairly wide compared to an Ls though.

 

Another option for the LS route, is the later L33 5.3 engines. They are still around 330bhp, and often they can be bought in the US for less than $1000. Although some accessories are in odd places ( weird water pump )

It would cost a little extra to rectify these bits. But unless someone was buying a load and importing them, you're still talking a few grand by the time it gets here.

For the Audi V8/rwd

http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/view...php?tid=123404

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/GASSING...+an+Audi+V8%3F

So if the engine can be sourced, it would still be a very viable budget option.

Thor in the UK or perhaps some of the Aussies will no doubt offer a bellhousing for the LS400 engine, often for the R-154 Toyota 5 speed, although these are getting pricey if you can find one. Still a very good budget option as buying a complete car with an LS400 in it will cost very little. And as with all Toyotas of that era, the engineering in them is outstanding.

 

A mate and I bought a BMW 4.0 v8 for Ł150 with the ECU which is great bang per buck but the manual boxes are quite rare but even then the going rate only seems to be Ł500 for the clutch, flywheel and box.

Last time I mentioned it Martin Hadland had two in stock as it were

When we looked into running an auto ecu without an auto box it's occasionally supposed to throw fault codes but the way around this is to get a remap from a manual setup on there, this also raises the power from 290 to 320hp IIRC

It's quite a size but it just about fits in a Ka bay (without room for a rad lol)

 

A v8 Ka?

LOL

What a terrible (but incrediablly cool) idea!

 

Piece of cake on the BMW - Converted my 540i Sport Auto to 6 speed manual and recoded all the required ECU's myself - only took 2 days for the entire conversion

 

It's a scimitar really with a Ka shell, with the engine behind the front axle it's technically mid engined, not done much since posting this thread been busy with other stuff: https://passionford.com/forum/restor...a-project.html

 

E39 M5. 400BHP. Bombproof.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bmw-E39-M5...item256c32adc1

 

Which 6 speed did you use? We were thinking of a diesel one to take the torque.

 

The OEM factory one that came in the 540i/6 - Cost me Ł600 complete with new clutch/flywheel, pedalbox etc etc

 

[quote=Stu @ M Developments;5806772]E39 M5. 400BHP. Bombproof.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bmw-E39-M5...dc1[/quote]

Its not that easy to install in another vehicle on the original ECU though is it??

 

And look at the price ! with no gearbox, clutch or flywheel

You'll buy a 300bhp Lexus LS400 complete car or sub Ł1k. Sell some bits and weigh in for scrap. Engine will almost be free then.
Ł1k to sort some sort of gearbox, possibly including clutch at that.

It's a relatively compact engine, absolutely bulletproof and very very tuneable.

The M5 will be a great engine....but when something goes wrong, it could be another Ł3k to fix it.

 

I bought an 88k miles taxed and MOT'd Lexus Soarer for Ł680 I reckon it will cost me nothing once I've sold off the bits and weighed it in, just like you said.

 

That going in your Escort then Martin, or for some other project?

 

Mr whippy in the resto sections made a conversion plate to bolt a Lexus motor to a supra manual box

 

Yep, but there is still the flywheel, clutch and concentric slave cylinder to take in to consideration.

All in all, to make the LS400 a manual will have roughly cost Ł500 plus the gearbox. Not bad considering the Thor conversion is around Ł1750 plus the box IIRC

 

Mr whippy in the resto sections made a conversion plate to bolt a Lexus motor to a supra manual box

 

If it will fit onto a Skyline box, with a Skyline front diff and package into an Escos then yes it may just find its way into my car.

 

Did you not read the post above yours Beefmeister??

 

Cool beans, fingers crossed then

 

if u want v8 and 4wd then ford v8 small block or modular with a t56 converted to 4x4, its been done and it was done in a sierra xr4ti stateside http://home.comcast.net/~xr4x4ti/V8_AWD_Pictures.htm