[Dogsbody]

Just seen this on Ebay, would make a great trackday fun car or a stealth road car
click here.

[CartMan]

interesting

[happy-kat]

Very
Thinking though is the power to weight enough to make it fast?

[Dogsbody]

I'm in the progress of fitting a Kawasaki GPZ900R Ninja engine in a 1970 Sunbeam Stiletto
Around 675Kg, less than a Elise

Should be a "Fun" drive />

[hotrodspike]

It's been on for months on and off Graham, he's sold the engine in the meantime (Hyabusa I think)

[hotrodspike]

Kate, if it was the Hayabusa engine, they had about 172 BHP, so with the shell being virtually empty (no Ford engine, back seats etc) and only a lighter bike engine and box, it ought to absolutely scream down the road.

[RobK]

Plus the weight all being moved inboard and the relocation of power delivery to the rear, should make things more than a little lively.... right up my street. If anyone on here buys I would like dibs on a spin....!

[happy-kat]

Sounds like then it would make a cracking stealth track day toy given the info above, cool.

[StevenRaith]

If you're going to put an engine in the middle of a Puma, a Hyabusa engine isn't the first one I'd be looking at if I'm honest.

That said, a mate of mine has a sheddy black Metro with a 160hp 1.8 k-series running ITBs, an emerald ECU and lumpy cams (not unlike the Elise S160 engine). It'd be a couple of hundred kilos lighter, and much more drivable thanks to torque. And has the added bonus of being a Metro. Impreza STis don't expect to see a flame spitting metro (engine currently in the front) keeping station with them till three figures Very stealthy too, more or less standard outside, and when not caning it, just sounds like a Metro with a sports zorst. Then he opens it up, shifts up on the limiter, three foot flame...programmed deliberately into the emerald for sports car baiting/the lulz.

I was going to buy it off him a while back, but he then got a clean, white Metro Kensington shell which is the new donor car intended transplant victim, so it will look much like this....



But will hopefully be making lurid sights and sounds on road and track sometime soon. With three foot flames. And the engine in the middle. No bodykits, stickers, etc. Just enough trim/tint to hide the location of the engine, with any luck.

Back on topic, a supercharged S2000 or similar iVTEC would be top of the list for a Puma mid engined transplant with my wallet, although with the engine in the middle you could go for something bigger (Audi 4.2 v8? Relatively light for the power output...) as weight itself is less of an issue in the middle of a one tonne-ish shell, providing the suspension and wheel widths are beefed up a tad...

I mean, if you're going to make a track car, it might as well be a really quick track car? Just as long as it's not a VAG Turbo lump. I've been in a 350bhp Exige, and that engine, though impressive on paper, is quite possibly the dullest engine ever. The only way you tell you're going quickly is because you can feel your internal organs rearranging. Otherwise, a standard 190bhp VHPD Exige is a much better event, not that much slower anywhere outside a drag strip (my mates VHPD exige wasn't losing much to it at Donnington - there's only so much you can do on road tyres).

VAG Turbo Exige is perhaps the fastest disappointment I've ever experienced.

And the k-series is more reliable when looked after, as most VHPD engines have been. Actually, a VHPD lump in a Puma (middle or not) would be pretty interesting....

Blimey, that went on a bit, didn't it?

Anyway, point being - colour me cynical. I must be getting old.

[Mangham54]

The K-series is a wonderful sounding engine, particularly in VVC form. The VHPD variant is also a great engine, but even more prone to lunching itself.

VX220 2.2 on ITBs, a la Crazyfrog, is also very special indeed. But then it is only a two seater. Or if you want more power then the Harrop converted VXs (circa 300bhp+) are a visceral experience and a look at TimeAttack series over the last two years (and plans for this year) just goes to show what a fantastic platform the VElise platform is.

I have also driven a bike engined kit car and I simply don't think it is the way forward. Yes they sound epic, but I got infuriated with the piss poor torque. Stick that in a heavy steel chassis (Puma) and I think it would be a backwards step.

[StevenRaith]

I must be the only person who has known a few people with VHPDs that haven't eaten themselves

As far as I am aware, the VHPD is a solid engine if looked after meticulously - but thankfully, being a fairly normal block/engine at heart, it's not too hard.

Mates Exige did umpteen trackdays and a good few 10k's under his belt with just normal servicing and sluid checks (other than getting the throttle cable repositioned, of course - so that full throttle could actually be used).

I've been in a standard VX220 turbo, and found it to be only slightly more characterful than the VAG Turbot - is the Harrop one any better in terms of viscera (noise, etc) or is it also a bit of a 'whoooosh, ptsh, oh, think I heard some exhaust note in there somewhere under the turbo' engine?

Anything on ITBs sounds tasty

[Turby]

My Exige S1 VHPD has been well behaved for the past 20K miles /> touch wood /> At 190 BHP for 1800 cc its not like its majorly stressed at "only" 106 BHP per litre

mmm What about a Mid engined puma with a Noble V6 twin turbo ? />

[Mangham54]

StevenRaith, on 12 February 2013 - 12:43 PM, said:

I must be the only person who has known a few people with VHPDs that haven't eaten themselves />

As far as I am aware, the VHPD is a solid engine if looked after meticulously - but thankfully, being a fairly normal block/engine at heart, it's not too hard.

Mates Exige did umpteen trackdays and a good few 10k's under his belt with just normal servicing and sluid checks (other than getting the throttle cable repositioned, of course - so that full throttle could actually be used).

I've been in a standard VX220 turbo, and found it to be only slightly more characterful than the VAG Turbot - is the Harrop one any better in terms of viscera (noise, etc) or is it also a bit of a 'whoooosh, ptsh, oh, think I heard some exhaust note in there somewhere under the turbo' engine?

Anything on ITBs sounds tasty />

2.2 ITBs are immense.

2.0 Turbo is not the most vocal engine... but is rapid.

For any info on the Harrop supercharged vxs pop over to Vx220.org.uk and search for posts by the folliwing:

Joe 589
Techieboy
JG
Cocopops
Goosenka
Chrus_UK

and ITBd cars:
Crazyfrog
Sticky
Yaaan

the FRP has been spoken of positively on there recently