Ae86 SR1 Bonneville project (Toyota Corolla + 998cc motorbike engine)

[darcane]

So, this isn't an eco build, bu there was some interest on another thread (Link: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...geo-15091.html) so I figured I'd start a thread on it.

My goal is to race at Bonneville and set a land speed record. The class is an I/GC which means I sized engine in a Gas Coupe chassis. An I engine is displacement limited to 62 ci (1016cc) and Gas Coupe is a production coupe or sedan that seats four in it's original configuration and has limited aero mods (mostly just an air dam and lowering is allowed, no spoiler, no grill block, no belly pan).

For what I had in mind, I wanted the smallest, most aerodynamic car I could find with RWD...

For $500.

Hey, I've got big ambitions here, but I'm a guy with a family working on a tight budget on my own in my cramped garage.

Enter the Corolla:

[darcane]

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:
- http://www.situne.no/
- Home - HR Engineering
plus the ubiquitous Geo Metro with a CBR 600 that's been posted here before, although that is FWD.

[dennyt]

Nice! You won't even have to worry about reverse if it's a Bonneville car. Good luck!

[darcane]

Plans:
Step 1 Complete the engine swap.
Step 2 Suspension/body mods. (Lowering, air dam, remove mirrors, skinny wheels, full moon caps, weight reduction)
Step 3 Safety equipment. (Roll cage, fire supression system,

At this point, I've had a local shop make my driveshaft, I have the adapter on, and I've fabricated some motor mounts and installed the engine. The engine sits a little high, so I'm either going to have to cut up the hood or cut up the subframe and lower the engine. I'm leaning towards the latter option, but it means redoing a lot of work I've already completed.

Another daunting task for me is building a header from scratch. I have limited tools for doing this (I do have a welder and a cutting tools, but no tubing bender). I've got a simple header designed that I can build, I just need to find the time to work on it. And that has been difficult ever since my son was born.

So, that's where I'm at now. As motivation, I recently played with photoshop a bit and made the attached image.

Oh, I plan on keeping this street legal and I hope to have it driveable for under $4000, and race-ready for less than $8000, which would likely put it at the cheapest record to be set at Bonneville in a long time.

[CigaR007]

Best of luck ! Sounds like a cool and rewarding project.

[dennyt]

I wonder if a hood cowl would kill two birds with one stone - provide engine clearance, and reduce drag due to windshield pressure. Like this:

[darcane]

Originally Posted by dennyt

Nice! You won't even have to worry about reverse if it's a Bonneville car. Good luck!

Bah, who needs reverse anyways.

I've looked into it, and I could add a reversing gearbox. But it won't be cheap, it will add weight, and I'm not sure I really need it, even though I intend to keep it street driven.

[dennyt]

Electric reverse!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0V0c...eature=related

[darcane]

Originally Posted by dennyt

I wonder if a hood cowl would kill two birds with one stone - provide engine clearance, and reduce drag due to windshield pressure. Like this:

I've kept close tabs on Phil's truck and his adventures to Bonneville. I'm going to do one of two solutions: either a cowl hood (I'll have to fabricate it, there aren't any aftermarket hoods for my car with enough clearance in the right spot) of cut up the crossmember so I can lower the engine. Even though it's a lot of work, I'm leaning towards the latter, mostly due to aesthetic reasons.

Cutting the crossmember has other benifits too. Lower CG, less angle in the driveshaft, and it allows me to change the oil without pulling the motor...

Mike

[MetroMPG]

Cool project - subscribed!

I was the one who suggested darcane start this project thread.

No, a Bonneville racer isn't purely ecomodding, but I think there's a lot of cross pollenation potential here in the engine swap, plus the inevitable aero mods.

Looking forward to seeing where this goes!