The Corolla had a sprung door and a busted timing belt, so I got it for cheap. Ae86 Corollas are highly sought after and tend to go for much higher prices. I put on a new timing belt and got the engine running before I yanked it and sold it as well as the interior and some other parts I wasn't using. I ended up getting more for the parts than I bought the car for and found a free door (it's even red!).
The original engine is a 4AC (1.6L SOHC rated at 87hp). Too big, and not enough power for my class. To remedy that problem, I bought a 2001 Yamaha YZF-R1 race bike. It's modified somewhat and makes an estimated 160hp, nearly twice what I started with out of a mere 998cc.
Pure craziness, right? Well, before you throw me in the looney bin, I had some inspiration.
1) Legends/Dwarf cars are 5/8 scale cars that use motorcycle engines in longitudinal configurations. I am leveraging a driveshaft adapter made for these.
2) It's been done in regular cars too:
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http://www.situne.no/
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Home - HR Engineering
plus the ubiquitous Geo Metro with a CBR 600 that's been posted here before, although that is FWD.