Lakester Un-Blown gas g engine.....

[lrs30]

Insight, plans where to start, mistakes to avoid, links, pics, help, starightjacket for even attempting to do this.......We are very interested in getting to the salt, any help would be great. Are platform as it stands now is to run a VW engine, starting with 1600 cases, we are wanting to do it grass roots style, starting out just to get are feet salty , then move up as we get experience....Any Insight is a great help.....www.myspace.com/ryanbfg     lrs30@msn.com is my e-mail....  or what about a 1954 2 door Bel-Air sedan, stock drive train 235 6cyl....Now talk about a brick cutting air....

[1212FBGS]

vdub engine only if ya want 2 have fun? I have a feelin that all those 1000, 1500, 2000cc lakster records will be owned by a costella busa very soon
kent

[LittleLiner]

Go to the following site. 

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/bvillecar/bonneville-Index.html

Read everything . . . . . several times.  Should get you started pretty well.

[Jonny Hotnuts]

I am all for the grass roots efforts... When my father and I started our busa powered fiat x19 project I wanted to have a goal of no more than 10K in the car, and while 10k is not chump change it is a drop in the bucket in comparison to what most race cars cost. Now we are closer to 15k....things add up and there are some unexpected cost that you wont be always be able to catch.

I dont want to discourage you but if you are considering using a VW mill it will end up costing more in the end to be competitive. While this is just my opinion I feel what it cost to make a motor designed to make 80 hp make the amount of HP that a modern 4 valve FI motor of like displacement stock will be staggering. In the Fiat world it is not uncommon to hear of someone spending 10-15K in 1.5-2.0 fiat motor to make 160 hp.....and these motors are maxed out....the block can not take any more. For smaller displacement motors I feel a better choice is something on the lines of the new Ecotec 2.0 (can run 800+hp), Honda 2.0 out of a civic or any number of performance motorcycle motors (imo a good choice because chain drive can solve some difficult issues and the motors are already built to handle extreme HP and have 6 speed sequential shifting that doesn't need complicated linkages).

Don’t worry about Rick or Costella, just build something faster, it is possible. If you find a way to do it with a Dub…. more power to ya.


Good luck!

-JH

[sockjohn]

I'll second the bike motor!   

I looked into building a VW Beetle drag car for quite some time,and came to the conclusion that you won't get more than about 200-250 horsepower without needing to go to a Porsche transaxle and at that point cheap is out the window.  200 HP on a bus transaxle is certainly doable, but is about the limit for real cheap.  Of course this was people running drag slicks with good traction, so you may be able to push this a little further without big issues, but with a pushrod engine there is a limit to how much rpm you can squeeze out of it.

Even a GSXR 1000 makes 180 HP stock and is fuel injected, and fast bikes have a habit of ending up wrecked and the low mileage engines sold cheap.  Buyer beware, but it makes for a cheap engine choice.  The Hayabusa would be in your intended engine class, and has an enormous amount of parts intended for drag racing to boot.  Perhaps I'm a bit partial to Suzuki's.

A Hayabusa sprocket on the VW halfshafts seems like a good start

[Stainless1]

I don't know, bike motors in a car?? who would ever think of doing that unless they were drinking 
OK the first one I saw the guys cut the top half of the frame off of a 750 Honda Interceptor and welded it into a lakester.  They even used the bike swingarm to mount the axle.  I think the dang fools set a record too    they must have been drinking...

[JGMagoo]

dunno....I've seen some 'serious drinkers' put car engines in bikes...

JG

[Jonny Hotnuts]

I have a soft spot in my heart for the Honda Interceptor motor. I was like 12 years old when they came out in 85. Thought they were the coolest bikes I had ever seen....almost like a space ship.
It is funny to see how little they have changed, if you put a CBR 1000RR next to an interceptor motor they are almost identical. I would be willing to bet that a smart project using the interceptor motor would still break records.

I had a guy roll up to me on an interceptor last year about this time (I was on my turbo hayabusa) and the nut really thought he was going to make a run on that bike. To be honest it did MUCH better than I expected....he held with me until 2nd gear (about 45 mph). I have raced much more capable bikes that did not do 1/2 as good...goes to show you never know what the other guy is running and don't underestimate what you think will be a brick.

Talk about drinking, I was very close to putting a car together with a 2.0 2 stroke marine motor. (in theory a 2.0 2 stroke should make the same power as a 3.75 L 4 stroke.)
Now that is logic conceived at the bottom of a bottle!

[Speed Limit 1000]

Jonny, If you ask Stainless I bet he still has what is left of the Interceptor motor, I think one piston was all that was hurt by the nitro And as to the 2 stroke marine, I bet Jack could tell you about the "Ballpoint Banana". What you think is new is sometimes just history.

[JackD]

I saw the "Ballpoint Banana" many times but never saw it run.
Perhaps if he tried rear wheel steering it might have made a memorable mark there too.
The most notable features he brought with him each time were those form fitting sun  glasses, the "Wall Street" attire, and those beautiful girls.
"The best thing about those good old days is they are history that is unlikely to be repeated and only retold in small circles." 

[RichFox]

I remember some blue lakester with an Evenrude V4 in it. Never remember it being fast. But I liked it.

[russ jensen]

Talk about drinking, I was very close to putting a car together with a 2.0 2 stroke marine motor. (in theory a 2.0 2 stroke should make the same power as a 3.75 L 4 stroke.)
Now that is logic conceived at the bottom of a bottle!

Not that  Jack was drinking-wouldn't the 2 stroke crosley  conversion  count as a marine motor if he put it in a car{which would be less prone to sinking??}

[JackD]

As bad as that Crosley project still haunts me, it is nothing compared to the hearing loss and resultant screaming the Vice Principal endured as he advised me to shut it off.
I sponsor the HS Auto Shop Class to some things and there is a sign on the wall in memory of me from long ago.
Ya gotta kinda know the story though.
It just says "No unmuffled exhaust will be permitted on any running motor."
Their are rules in the SCTA book now with my name not on them but behind.
It was said that if there were any trees at Bonneville that Dan wooda hung me when we were kids, 30 years ago.
A variation of that expression made it into a 1990 documentary about a salt record event narrated by Peter Fonda.  LOL

JackD
Irreverend of the First Church of Wuts Happin Now

"Life is no fun unless you have some for yourself."(Me)
"Forgiveness is easier to get than permission."  (Wise Man)

Q: What does that have to do with building an LSR racer ?
A: Just about everything.

[russ jensen]

As bad as that Crosley project still haunts me, it is nothing compared to the hearing loss

"Life is no fun unless you have some for yourself."(Me)

[/quot But Jack ;isn't the noise the best part???

[Stainless1]

Jack,
Since we pitted next to Arnold all the time, memories of the Banana are burned into our memories.  The incessant tugging on the 37 Evenrude's rope, the blast of sound and the smell of alcohol burning for a couple of seconds and then back to the rope.... you can't buy those memories.  But he did run it one time, SL1000 and I towed him to 90, his lit it, dropped the rope and shot past us fast enough to scare him a lot.  He turned out, said he couldn't get it to shift.  Refused to let us tow him again.... now that's entertainment!
Rear wheel steering, now that's another drinking story.... what a crazy group that was 
 

Their are rules in the SCTA book now with my name not on them but behind.

JackD
Irreverend of the First Church of Wuts Happin Now

"Life is no fun unless you have some for yourself."(Me)
"Forgiveness is easier to get than permission."  (Wise Man)

Q: What does that have to do with building an LSR racer ?
A: Just about everything.

Yep, rules are made to corral the minds of the "what if" thinkers.  If they didn't write a rule in your honor, you weren't far enough over the edge...