Howard Allen wrote:
>
> Looking for collective wisdom here. I have a second Spitfire just
> laying around that has been a donor for my restoration project. It
> primarily needs an engine and transmission. Wondering what engines
> people have shoehorned into their Spitfires? I would prefer to stay
> with a 4 cylinder to maintain weight distribution.
Howard,
If you haven't already, go to http://members.aol.com/~danmas
The focus is on big motors, but there are a few 4 banger swaps,
including mine.
>
> I happen to have a couple 2.2L K car (Chrysler) motors laying around
> that look like they would work rather well (exhaust/intake on the
> correct side, low deck height as the engine is about 15 degrees off
> straight up and down) and I hear it will mate up to a Jeep 5 speed
> transmission with a minor mod.
One thing to look out for is fit of the transmission between the
frame rails. My 5 speed is quite compact (from a datsun 210) and
is still a pretty tight fit. Depending on how low you want the
engine, where the starter and clutch arm come out, this could be
troublesome. For both engines and transmissions, it's not so
much the outright size, but where the odd things stick out.
> Anyone done this? A 2.2 L engine is
> good for 93-108 HP and is pretty economical to run (I get about 30MPG in
> my Dodge Charger with a 5 speed).
>
Depending on your objectives, you might want to go for more power.
My spit, which is supposedly rated 110 hp is fun, quite quick,
and perfectly adequate for daily driving. But it doesn't have the
outright acceleration of a muscle car or modern sports car. The point
is that the effort involved in installing a 150 hp motor wouldn't have
been significantly more.
If your motor of choice has a good enthusiast following, this
is less of an issue, because you can add more power later.
It is not clear to me at what point you have to start re-engineering
the rear end. It probably depends on how much self control you
have in regards to drag racing and burnouts ;-)
110 hp should be fine, since that is factory GT6 spec, and
the later spitfire units were supposedly the strongest of
the lot.
--
Reed Mideke
email: rfm(at)cruzers.com -If that fails: rfm(at)portalofevil.com
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