Engine choice for a hypothetical vehicle?

[Adoom]

Say you wanted to build a road legal race car.
Maximum wet weight of 1000kg.
You would use an aftermarket computer.
Rear wheel drive
It must have NO LESS than 400kw atw
You want to build this as inexpensively as possible. (imaginary figure of 10-15k )
The engine must not be a grenade.
Most of the work you can do yourself(except machining).

What engine would you use?
What would you do to said engine to get 400+kw? (you can't use nitrous)
Bear in mind that you would want to avoid spending loads of money on expensive branded performance parts.

What car/chassis would you use to keep within the weight limit?

[1I1]

10-15k wouldn't be enough but I'd love a 180SX with an SR20DET bottom end (forged internals etc) and a SR20VE head

180SX chassis might get close to 1000kg, but wouldn't be suitable for raod use.

[Lurkin]

ae71/ke70, 7agte and under 15k.

Its already begun... but in Australia.

However, no idea of what power it will be making.

[Dell'Orto]

A KP6x over the top of a 2JZGTE

[Shrike]

Morris 8 shell cut down to rat rod specs :p $800 and you would make money back for selling what you dont need
Hilux rear axle $500
custom box tube chassis 1k max for box tube
1uz and w5* 2kish + 1k for turbo setup (flanges piping etc to make manifolds etc)
custom single peice driveshaft $50 (shorted a stationwagon one and reweild the flanges)

ms3 ecu 1k

total so far
$4350

4pot front brake and hub setup of a skyline $500
intercooler+piping $300
turbo $1200-1500
id 1000 injectors $1400ish
700hp feeder pump 550hp lifter so say 1k including lines etc
custom fuel tank 500

$9050

ive possibly missed a few bits but still under 10k and this is assuming you do the work yourself etc

[nz_climber]

What do you want to do with the car? Rally, Circuit, Drift, Drag??

As that would have a big bearing what to pick.. 400kw is a lot of power, don't know why you would need that much (drag racing I guess) that sort of power requires a lot of work on other parts of the car to keep it reliable..

Also a thing to remember is why all the horsepower when you can loose weight, that way the car will be faster in the corners too.

For example 600kg car only needs 240kw to get 400kw per ton! And will be quicker round the track.

I am biased, but my pick of car will be a lotus 7 replica with a pretty standard engine 1.6L or 2L engine (turbo if you need it) and the car will be quicker than 90% of the drivers out there, and run circles many higher power and expensive cars.

Don't know anything about engines with 400kw though

[bzrspeed]

it would be lancia stratos with 2l turbo delta engine.
400hp is easy and car look so good.

But a delta with 2l and awd in rally form would look good.

[Adoom]

ae71/ke70, 7agte and under 15k.

Its already begun... but in Australia.

However, no idea of what power it will be making.

Don't you think 400+kw from a 7agte might be a bit optimistic?

[fuel]

KP6x Starlet with Evo4+ 4G63T mounted north/south. Engines aren't expensive considering power potential, plenty of cheap bolt-ons available and doesn't take much work to get to 300kW+ with 400kW+ being easily obtainable. Biggest trouble would be finding a gearbox to go behind it - a chap in the states makes up bell housings to go from 4G63 to W55-58 or R154. Think Dellow in Aus makes 4G63 to W5x bellhousings too.

[Adoom]

it would be lancia stratos with 2l turbo delta engine.
400hp is easy and car look so good.

But a delta with 2l and awd in rally form would look good.

400kw.... so thats 536hp

[Adoom]

A KP6x over the top of a 2JZGTE

And what would you do to make 400kw?

[bzrspeed]

deristricted rally engine makes 580hp.
But 400kw maybe pretty hard on metal

[Lloyd]

Sounds like a bit of a stretch. That is a lot of power so you'll likely want a reasonable size engine, but to go in a very light car (which reads as a small car) on a budget and expect it to hold together with abuse...

Are you wanting it to handle too?

Easiest bet would be as above, 4G63 or SR20 with a heap of boost and stroker kit thrown at it if its in the budget in something like a KP60.

[RomanV]

So about 600hp, in a Lancia Stratos... for less than $10-15k.

Seems a fair match for my swine powered rocket ship that has about 100 bacon meters of thrust.

Or was that equally as likely? I forget.

[RedMist]

A KP6x over the top of a 2JZGTE

Exactly what I was thinking. Well almost. KP6x over any old big turbo engine. I've fallen in love with V6 twin turbos. So I'd probably pick a VG30DETT.

[bzrspeed]

i thought 400hp which a lancia delta engine can handle easy enough.
Stratos kit car you build yourself.

[iOnic]

Getting 400kw will blow the budget with pretty much any engine. Especially if you want it to last longer than one dyno run.

[rollaholic]

yep i agree with nz climber, go lighter for the same power to weight ratio with less cost.

[fangsport]

puerto rican spec 3T in a KP60 or TE71.
weight: 860kg tops, likely less than 800kg
mods: non standard internals but would be closer to 2.1l, and a big turbo!!!
Drivetrain: probably a trusty W50 and Liteace rear (weight and price) 4.8:1 CWP and 15" rally tyres
Bodyshell prep: seam welded and multipoint rollcage, poly carb side and rear window glass.

go rallying and crash it a long way off the road with the change

[duddley]

Rb30 in little johnnys cef?. With that budget a r32 skyline with a rb25det would probably be the easiest way to stay in budget and make that kind of power