Triumph Spitfire

[BritishInvasion]

Would appreciate any input in transplanting a more fuel efficient engine in an early Spit. I've read much of this forum, and found lots of good information, so I am hoping to find a consensus on which direction to go.

The original cars had a curb weight of some 1,600# and produced 63hp/67# torque, so I am currently thinking maybe a 3-4 cylinder Suzuki/Geo, Honda Vtec, VW Diesel might work well. I like the idea of going to a 5-Speed transmission, so I intend to replace the tranny as well.

Hoping to build something that can get 60+ mpg, which I think is attainable given the low curb weight and CD of these cars.

-Cheers

[320touring]

Originally Posted by BritishInvasion

Would appreciate any input in transplanting a more fuel efficient engine in an early Spit. I've read much of this forum, and found lots of good information, so I am hoping to find a consensus on which direction to go.

The original cars had a curb weight of some 1,600# and produced 63hp/67# torque, so I am currently thinking maybe a 3-4 cylinder Suzuki/Geo, Honda Vtec, VW Diesel might work well. I like the idea of going to a 5-Speed transmission, so I intend to replace the tranny as well.

Hoping to build something that can get 60+ mpg, which I think is attainable given the low curb weight and CD of these cars.

-Cheers

Hi, Welcome!

Sounds like an excellent project you have planned here.

the spitfire is a nice, fun little thing

If it were mine, I'd be trying to keep the nature and characteristics of the car similar to the original..and do something that's already RWD so you dont have to sort a gearbox/prop/diff setup out

engine swap potentials I'd think of are:

Mazda Miata (MX-5 over here!) 1.6 or 1.8 16v

BMW m42 (1.8 16v as per my iS) my car is circa 2900lbs, and has 136bhp


if looking at a VW diesel, worth considering theat all teh Audi range mout their engines longitudinally- so mounts etc would be set up for RWD

[botsapper]

Not exactly for an ecomodder's take but a great tuning enthusiast's project. Here's a detailed build up of a Hayabusa transplant on a MX-5 Miata. MotoIQ - Project Mazda Miatabusa
Not eco-friendly but another fun frankenstein 'Zuki project.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEF329uKP8Q

[BackroadBomber]

I'd go with a geo metro 3 cyl 1l. I read (somewhere on this site) that you can bolt a Suzuki sidekick or geo tracker transmission to them so they're rwd. Or if you really wanted to think outside the box get a small 1.3l or so 4 cyl diesel out of a tractor. IMO the metro engine would be the cheapest route though.

[Ladogaboy]

In my experience, Mazda doesn't make fuel-efficient engines. I was shocked when my friend told me how bad his mileage was in a ~ 2,000 lb Miata.

[Arragonis]

Well done, you have one of the easiest cars for an engine conversion - seperate chassis and easily removable panels.

You don't state the year of your Spitfire but all of them come with twin carb versions of the triumph 4 cyl engine - 997cc to 1500. A relatively easy initial swap could be a single carb setup from a related Triumph with the same engine - For example if its the 997, 1200 or 1300 you could get the single carb setup from a Herald (same car underneath) and save some there.



For a federalised engine the 3 cyl Metro (or even the 4cyl one TBH) would be best for FE, the Miata plant will give more go but its not great for FE. As an alternative how about the engine from one of these ?



The engine is a 657cc 3 cyl turbo, and would fit perfectly and it comes with an inline gearbox attached which can be bolted straight in. They are certificated for Japan which has similar emissions regs to the US.

Think carefully before going too much bigger (TDI etc.) because of the weight - the spitfire has a swing axle rear end which is bad enough at the best of times, but the front suspension is much better.

Obviously consider upgrading brakes etc. at the same time.

Good luck - lets have some pics

[cfg83]

BritishInvasion -

A few years ago someone was selling one on ebay with a Kubota diesel engine in it. This is an EXAMPLE, I don't know which Kubota engine it was, but 25 HP sounds right :

KUBOTA D1005 DIESEL ENGINE 3 CYLINDER 1.0 LITTER NEW 25HP MEETS TIER 4 NICE | eBay

Ha ha, here is a Triumph with a Datsun B210 engine :

Triumph : Spitfire Triumph : Spitfire | eBay

CarloSW2

[samwichse]

How about the engine/tranny from a 1st gen Honda Insight? They do exist in junkyards, and they're spot on in HP (67hp for the gas engine sans hybrid motor). I guess you could mount a transverse engine to a rear wheel drive by turning it 90 degrees? You won't find a more efficient engine in that output range.

Sam

[leg0man]

there are adapters available to mate VW engines to Toyota/Suzuki RWD/4x4 transmissions, but i'm not sure how big those transmissions are as the adapter kits are designed for the offroading market (VW diesel engine in a sidekick or toyota 4x4), and might not be suitable for swapping into a Spitfire. Also, when you factor in the cost of the transmission, engine and adapter it could be a long time before the fuel efficiency savings actually save you any money.

[FXSTi]

If you could run a little less power this looks like it could be efficient, JDM Engine Depot

I keep looking at this motor and wonder what fun project it could go in.

Kirk