Nova with Motorbike engine!

[greg1.4]

always wanted to have a go at this..so lol

i have been talking to my dad about it, he reckons it wont be all that hard to do..

think we can do wiring (will just basically use a bike loom as the nova wont have any lights ect in it, will be made as light as possible)..

coolant shouldnt be a problem, extend make pipes, get cold air into it..

fuel wont be a problem, make a tank and lines ect with facet fuel pump or motorbike pump ect..

mounting the engine and sorting the drive out on it will be the hardest thing i think..

i aint bothered about having reverse so, just want a sequential 6 speed box (forward) so we will be able to keep the standard box and run it from a chain and sprocket like a motorbike..i will also mount the clutch lever onto the side of gear stick or make something to work off the pedal..

making the axle with sprocket, suspension, brakes and mounting it to the chassis is going to be the hardest part..thats the bit i could do with some help on.

has anyone attempted a nova project with a bike engine before?? seen plenty mini's ect done and seen as i am a nova freak i want to do it!

any help/advice would be great, and if we do actually start it i will definetly post up a project thread with pics ect so you lot can see something a bit different.:thumb:

cheers

Greg

[Asa-James]

never seen it done in a nova, but i've heard of kits available for saxo's/106's to do this. i once wondered about putting it where the back seats are to a solid rear axle, go kart style, but thats just me...

[stevie-p]

bloody hell sounds good hope you succeed will be keeping my eye on this

[greg1.4]

yeah having a solid back axle was the plan (like a go-kart) but how do we mount it, how do we get wheels/hubs onto it, how do we get brakes onto it??

having a solid axle with a sprocket fitted and achain drive aint really the problem (its actually putting the axle onto the car)

[Benn]

Seen race ones with r1 engines in the boot.

[greg1.4]

and p.s, one of the main reasons i want to do it, is because i have never seen a nova with a bike engine, nor has anyone i ask..

edit-

benn, have you seen novas with bike engines?

[Benn]

lol yeah as pre my post, i know a lot of boys that do racing. One had a space framed nova with alot of fiberglass pannels and a R1 engine in the boot.
was a bit hard to control on the road..

[greg1.4]

mmmm, still not seen one.

i just think it would be amazing, rwd, roughly 130 mph, 0-60 on 4-5secs, 12k + rpm, 6 speed sequential box...ALL in a nova! soundd real good to me..lol

[Asa-James]

you could adapt the existing H frame, or build your own set up, possibly looking at cav/cali 4wd systems? (obviously leaving out the diff...) i've never seen the underside of one of those though, so my input looks pretty much done! good luck if you do it though

[Andy]

With money,and plenty of it,Anything is possible in the world of modifying cars.....

[greg1.4]

i know that, but bth that doesnt really help..lol

[mayhem]

there was a guy on the dutch opel forum who was fitting a R1 engine into a nova, and he wanted it under the bonnet. all was pretty easy, only the gearbox was a problem. he didnt want to spend loads of money on a quiaffe (spelling!!) gearbox.
he never finished it :(

[greg1.4]

think i may have got an idea that could work if we could stop the hubs from turning..

use front nova hubs (that gives us disc brakes), use nova bottom arms and tie rods, fit coilovers on (obviously need to make new mounting points/strut tops in the rear) and somehow get cv joints from the nova onto a solid shaft which has the sprocket for the chain drive...

only thing with that is the hubs could turn/pivot (bottom ball joints) but somehting along them lines sound good..

[Fridge]

Or run it longitudinally (spl) keeping the engine in the front with a propshaft running to a rear diff?
There was a polo set up like this in ppc recently

[Fridge]

Using bits from front drive cars on the back of the car can give funny geometry, the tie bars don't move in the same arc as the top mounts under compresion so things go weird. Use rear bubs from a 4x4 cav or calibra, they has inputs for driveshafts and discs:thumb:

edit: bubs = hubs

[greg1.4]

did think about fitting engine in front longitudianlly, my dads idea was to use a mk2 escort axle with a propshaft up the middle (then the prolem is getting the propshaft onto the side of the gearbox???

[stevie-p]

ye i no of a few grass track ones with rear bike engines

[Fridge]

did think about fitting engine in front longitudianlly, my dads idea was to use a mk2 escort axle with a propshaft up the middle (then the prolem is getting the propshaft onto the side of the gearbox???

There's a spline that comes out of the side of the gearbox that drives the chain drive cog, you just have to fit a flange to it.
Something like this:
http://www.kitsnklassics.com/buildmanuals/Raptor%20build%20manual_files/image066.jpg

found the pic here (http://www.kitsnklassics.com/buildmanuals/Raptor_build_manual.htm) , you can buy one somwher else or make your own but you get the idea.

[LEWI007]

Will be great if you get it working

[burgo]

:roll:

[Lee]

You'll be beaten to it if a certain person gets his ass in gear :)

[Fridge]

Whats the eyes for Burgo?

[Stoo]

the problem you have fitting a solid rear axle like a go-kart, is the lack of differential

obv, being a rally man, you know the importance of a diff, be it open or limitred slip

so unless you want to be going sideways at every corner, the best option is to take a look at austins spaceframed RWD nova for some inspiration

Longitudinally mounted XE on 45s running (IIRC) a mk2 escort rear axle with a prop shaft down the 'trans tunnel' (read exhaust tunnel)

Otherwise, its just gonna be like running a welded diff, ala tramp drift stylee


Either way, your looking at some sort of spaceframing really to make the best of it


Have a look on youtube btw
theres an R1 engined smart car kicking about
Stranger things have been built

Ie Twin VR6(turbo)/R32 engined golfs/lupos ;)

[_JH_]

Is it for anything specific or just for fun?

A twin bike set-up like a Class 7 Grasser might be worth looking at, just move the engines further forward if using on tarmac. But those axle set-ups are not cheap.

Why not put a sprocket on a Sierra rear diff?

[turbojolt]

i was thinking about this the other day after seeing a video of a twin motorbike engined kit car i was think along the lines of two hyabussa turbo engines lol 1100 hp lol would be a fun drag car shame about the amount it would cost to do tho

[pob]

http://www.r1manx.com/Home.html

Have a read of this. Build diary and the components section.
This is how a Yamaha R1 was put into the front of a Mini.
You should be able to use the same principles.
Although I'm not entirely happy with a car being chain driven, it's just not right.

[General Baxter]

You'll be beaten to it if a certain person gets his ass in gear :)

lol,

[greg1.4]

damn it, whos doing it?

cumon, spill the beans..lol

[General Baxter]

nope, if i tell ill be castrated lol

[Lee]

nope, if i tell ill be castrated lol

Yeah, I cant tell you either, or Nick will be castrated :D

[Fridge]

Can i castrate nick and then we can all know?

[Fridge]

Nothing personal mate:thumb:

[Lee]

Can i castrate nick and then we can all know?

Id pay to watch you try that lol

[greg1.4]

looks like we are heading out to the local bike breakers tomorrrow to get an engine and box ect then..lol

has the project been started or is it at the same stage as us? "thinking" about it?

[Mike]

Id pay to watch you try that lol

LOL my thoughs exactly at that lol

Someone will get hurt there, and i can tell you now, it aint going to be Nick :thumb:

[Fridge]

What engine are you going for?

I say go for a V-twin, something like a TL1000, will cost you a LOT less the a 4 pot.

[Lee]

looks like we are heading out to the local bike breakers tomorrrow to get an engine and box ect then..lol

has the project been started or is it at the same stage as us? "thinking" about it?

Its well underway, its just lacking enthusiasm as far as we can tell. He needs a kick up the ass. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!!!

[garyc]

surely a Busa is about the only way to go. I'd suggest getting to a decent autograss meeting, 1st, they put 1 or 2 bike engines in minis so a nova should be a doddle...........!

[General Baxter]

Someone will get hurt there, and i can tell you now, it aint going to be Nick :thumb:

lol :witch:

[P Whack]

i am debating about doing one of these, engien wont be hard at all to mount, i have worked out to make it front wheel drive sit the engine up high and then mount a diff underneath, you can buy a diff which is chain driven so theirs your biggest two problems solved its a bike engiend car and is still driveable

[burgo]

i assume you are aware this thread is almost 2 months old

[Peanut_119]

lol yeah as pre my post, i know a lot of boys that do racing. One had a space framed nova with alot of fiberglass pannels and a R1 engine in the boot.
was a bit hard to control on the road..

what kind of racing do you mean pal?

[P Whack]

yeah i know lol just that i was searching to see if anyone has done this yet and couldnt fidn a thing

[mowgli]

the biggest single problem with this is that a motorbike engine has tons of horsepower but not much torque, it doesn't need any to push a motorbike & rider along. now fitting one into a radical or seven is easier cos they weigh about 450-500kg but a nova will be more like 700kg, so the performance won't be super duper

[P Whack]

get a really big drill bit get cutting lol and strip the hole lot out lol wonder how light you could get a nova haha

[jonn]

the gearbox wont last long

[Lee]

the biggest single problem with this is that a motorbike engine has tons of horsepower but not much torque, it doesn't need any to push a motorbike & rider along. now fitting one into a radical or seven is easier cos they weigh about 450-500kg but a nova will be more like 700kg, so the performance won't be super duper

Totally. But stick TWO bike engines in, then you have a serious weapon!

[bowman]

great idea, i would conisder using a Yamaha FJR1300 engine, its a inline 4, 5 speed, but shaft drive, which would make connecting a to standard diff easier..... 150bhp+ and one of the torquiest bikes out there without spending busa money...

[mikey14sr]

there was a guy on the dutch opel forum who was fitting a R1 engine into a nova, and he wanted it under the bonnet. all was pretty easy, only the gearbox was a problem. he didnt want to spend loads of money on a quiaffe (spelling!!) gearbox.
he never finished it :(

Err, Bike engines have the gearbox built into them, so why would he need another one?

[philip]

do searches for autograss cars, with bike engines in, tons of them around tbh.

mate has a twin bike engined fiat cinq! its mental. id look at using a starter motor or something for reverse or get a reverse box.

wish now id gone for twin hyabusa's in my corsa:(

[mowgli]

Err, Bike engines have the gearbox built into them, so why would he need another one?


the output shaft speed would be about 4 times faster than is needed, on a chain drive bike, which is why they have a small cog on the front & a big one on the back...

also by law, a car has to have a reverse gear.

[bowman]

also by law, a car has to have a reverse gear.

Does it? or just need to go backwards under its own power.... starter motor, or similar fitted to additional sprocket on the axel to get through mot...?

[Pistol Pete]

Radicals etc are bike engined. How do they work, reverse gear wise?

[mowgli]

Radicals etc are bike engined. How do they work, reverse gear wise? usually with some sort of trick reversable drive box.

[pul16v]

can use a reverse box if ya like but cost alot or the starter motor idea works fine and gets it thru mots i worked on at 1400busa catterham which used a statermotor for reverse worked fine aswell not sure how the battery would last tho
also they do connect a prop staight from the output shaft of the bike gearbox useing a splined adaptor which then goes straight off to the rear diff all the west fields and such like ive worked on use that set up . only exception was a turbo busa mini which used a chain drive to a diff

look for the turbo busa engined mk1 golf on you tube that doesnt seem to have any torque problems lol

phil

[mowgli]

we are back at the problem of weight... an extra starter motor & gear will be fairly heavy

[Pistol Pete]

I myself cant see the attraction of a bike engine in a Nova. A 1000cc bike engine has around 180bhp, but what would that be like in a 700kg car?

[mowgli]

I myself cant see the attraction of a bike engine in a Nova. A 1000cc bike engine has around 180bhp, but what would that be like in a 700kg car?

the lack of torque is the problem

[stupot89]

yamaha raptor engine box plus then u could also use the wide rear axle and custom mount that to the nova then u have reverse.

[mowgli]

yamaha raptor engine box plus then u could also use the wide rear axle and custom mount that to the nova then u have reverse.

wouldn't it stick out the front by about a foot????

[Stanley]

Ive seen a bike engined Mini that had a starter as a reverse gear.

Saying that, if its not going to be used on the road, who cares, just blip it round to face the other way:D

[total_vauxhall]

its not all that hard you dont want a solid axel like. fit a corsa c engine bed in the rear same as you would to fit xe in the boot ect for the running gear and for shafts you can just run corsa shafts fitted into the diff from an f13 box with a bike sprocket bolted to the out side of the diff (motorbike shops sell blank sprockets so you can just get one drilled to suit) all you need to design is a cradle to sit the diff/ sprocket in with some sort of bearings ether side. trust me i hav looked right into making one i have a shell and all running gear ready but just aint had time yet with building my xe track nova . im gunna use a gsxr motor though i think

[mowgli]

like this.....
http://www.westgarage.co.uk/chaindrive/files/ltopr1.jpg (http://www.westgarage.co.uk/forsale/kits/kit2.html)

[total_vauxhall]

exactly like that ha ha were you find that pic mate iv been after one for ages to get one made up

[mowgli]

right click on the piccy & then click properties. the website is named

[total_vauxhall]

sorted cheers thats helped me out

[burgo]

they are £500. i know as ive got one on top of me wardrobe

[mowgli]

they are £500. i know as ive got one on top of me wardrobe

for god's sake don't slam the door, or you will look like an extra from hellraiser

[white2lSR]

they are £500. i know as ive got one on top of me wardrobe

And has anyone else putp2 and 2 together?? lol

[Sloth]

yup i know aswell....

[burgo]

for god's sake don't slam the door, or you will look like an extra from hellraiserfunnily enough my wardrobe did collapse the other day lol i spose keeping about 3 engines worth of stuff in there aint that clever

[Cle]

http://www.pngclub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42138 :thumb:

[AlanH]

they are £500. i know as ive got one on top of me wardrobe thats gonna be 1 fast wardrobe:D you using a gsxr engine in that too?

[burgo]

anyone wanna buy one of those diffs?

[novaxe235]

anyone wanna buy one of those diffs?how much is it ?

[burgo]

pm me an offer being as this isnt the right forum