Project BEAsT

[Paul w]

I am now the proud (ish) owner of yet another Beat!
The only problem is that it needs a heck of a lot of work!

I have big plans for it though, all of which will be detailed in this forum, and I hope I can rely on all of your input to help me over the comming months!

The plan is in three phases

Phase 1
Get it back on the road, serviced, running well, cleaned and looking a bit better!

Phase 2
Start the tuning, new body panels etc with reports on each stage, finally a respray

Phase 3
The motorbike engine!!


I'll be starting a thread for each phase as and when!

Wish me luck!

PW

[Ouija]

Now your talkin ma man!

Keep us up to speed with this as I have considered this too. I was thinkin either a Honda Fireblade or SP1 V-Twin would be great.

Would love to see the faces of the local boy racers when you disappear up to 60 in 5/6 seconds while their corsas/novas put put along!!

Another engine that I thought of was the Daihatsu Charade GTti engine as it is also a 3 cylinder but with a turbo! 100bhp as standard and there are loads of tuning products available that can push that figure way up into Impreza beating territory! Power to weight etc..

Only problem with this engine is finding one!

Anyway good luck and keep us up to date.

Ouija

[hondzilla]

the engine is still used in japan but then also whit a turbo.
used for the z type over there.
maybe you could fit the turbo on the beat engine?

[Mic]

Start phase three...start phase three!!!!

I am looking to do the same thing as a recent rebuild of the old engine has left it far from satisfactory. Sort of , erm....Doggish really!

[Paul w]

I was looking at using a company in yorkshire that put blackbird engines in Minis........

Each engine is 160 hp, so it should be fairly erm....nippy!

It looks like they just build a new rear axle and subframe, then just bolt it in!

Its a project for next winter (2004) though, unless my engine goes pop!

PW

http://www.zcars.org.uk/graphics/minbbpice.jpg

[Mic]

Contacted that company about new engines. They can put in a yamaha R1 engine (keeps the CCs below 1000) that produces 150bhp at the wheels. With new axle, brakes etc etc (new rear end really) and ...this is the best bit...a sequencial gearbox with paddle shift for about £6000.

drool drool

[ivenner]

I have just read this thread, and notice the interest in adding a bike engine to the Beat. I can see the attraction of this :), but why not do something really radical and add a V8 to the little beauty?

No this is not some muscled up American hardware weighing a tonne, or even our own humble Rover unit, but a nice little 2 litre V8 weighing in at 73Kg! Yes you did read that correctly 73Kg. It generates over 300BHP in standard form (although they are working on an injected version) and would easily fit into the Beat. You may need to do a little work on the braking and suspension ;), but just imagine the end result, and the sound it would make...

More info here:

http://www.cyclonepowerltd.co.uk/products.htm

Cheers

Ian

currently Beat-less, but driving a V8!

[Paul w]

Funny you should say that.....

Ive been looking at this since i saw it at autosport

320bhp+
450x552x550 mm
68-73kg
104lbs/ft torque at 1500rpm....
190 lbs/ft at 7800

Not sure i could take the drop in revs though!! lol

[Ouija]

Hey folks

I was having a browse around the following site and the same company that we are all talking about has undergone the task of fitting a bike engine into the new smart roadster!

http://www.smartsrus.com/

Check it out, looks pretty damn quick to me!

I wonder if the development costs for this would bring down the price for us beat owners? No doubt it will be a small fortune, but just possibly worth it!

Can but dream eh!

[Paul w]

Hi I spoke to chris allanson of Z cars yesterday, and sent him some pics of a beat and some schematics.

He reckons its very 'do-able' but the development costs are likely to be high.

If there were three of us (or more) wanting to do this, then he reckons it would be under 10k including engine per beat. More than that and it would come down further.

If you watch the smart car vids and decide (like me!) that you want one, let me know. But we have to be VERY serious about this!

You will get a 120-130 MPH beat with a 0-60 of 6 seconds or less.......

PW

[Ouija]

Im still in two minds about this!

I drive my beat everyday and would wonder what a bike engined car would be like to drive around town etc.
Ive heard that they can be very snatchy, ie either full throttle or no throttle!
Also how does the reverse gear work?
Insurance, hardly anyone knows what a beat is at the moment so sticking a bike engine in may make insurance impossible?
I must admitt that if all the above were resolved id be givin this some more SERIOUS thought.

Ouija

[Paul w]

looking at the smart video, it does seem snatchy, but i guess you'd get used to it and learn how to drive smoothly. The reverse is done via an electronically activated idler gear that drops over the drive shaft. Insurance, well, even if they had heard of a beat they wouldnt insure it as one. Your looking at specialist insurance i guess, with engineers report etc. Something I believe Z cars can help with

PW

[ivenner]

Paul

The best people to try are a company called Adrian Flux. https://www.adrianflux.co.uk/index.htm . They seem to specialise in kit and modified cars, and it is alleged that they were started by a group of rodders who had problems insuring their various modified/imported cars.

Cheers

Ian

[tinytim]

Originally posted by Paul w


If there were three of us (or more) wanting to do this, then he reckons it would be under 10k including engine per beat. More than that and it would come down further.

You will get a 120-130 MPH beat with a 0-60 of 6 seconds or less.......

PW

I have to say I think for 10k I'd want better figures than that.
I put the Project A chip in tonight and wimped out with the needle underlining the km/h (100mph ish). There was more there but I need some new front tyres. That's with the standard engine. The 700cc I have (still in bits at the moment) I hope will put that to at least 120 and all in, it's still less than £1500.

I don't know what it cost but Gaz was pulling 120+ with his Nitrous.

It would be a storming BeaSt but 10K??? Ouch:(

[Paul w]

Any idea what sort of 0-60 we are getting with the project A chip? It definitely feels quicker off the mark, but is it much quicker overall?

PW