Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

poodge · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 687

I have always loved the revving ability of the rotary engine.It's a great pity NSU never got the chance to develop it properly,as Mazda did.
The RO80 was a fantastic car when it ran!

baconsdozen · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 1119 Location: Under the car.

In a weird way I rate the Ford Essex V4 as a great engine. They idle roughly and vibrate and have a habit of destroying the fibre timing gear. But the short length of the V4 made possible the MK1 transit van with a short nose and yet no great bulge inside the cab to house the engine. The van and its design went on to become one of the best known vehicles on the roads and was a true trend setter. I remember driving a new MK1 twin wheeler at 80mph down a motorway a performance that at the time seemed startling especially considering it was bigger than any other van on the road.
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Thirty years selling imperial hand tools for old machinery(Now happily retired).

mikeC · Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 10:31 pm Post subject:

Let me suggest a real left-field candidate, so left-field it's probably in another stadium!
How about the post-war Panhard 2-cylinder engine? In its ultimate Tigre form it managed to produce over 50 bhp from 850cc to give 100mph performance and 40 mpg, but even the original 1947 600cc produced something like 35 bhp at 6000 rpm and made the VW and BMC engines look pretty weedy. The bottom end was all roller bearings (mains and big ends) with special races with smaller rollers between the main rollers to reduce wear.
After the Citroen takeover politics, and perhaps production costs, killed it: wouldn't the 2CV have been something else with one of those engines?

peter scott · Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7122 Location: Edinburgh

Yes, I'd like to add my vote for the Panhard.

Peter
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http://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

ka · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 600 Location: Orkney.

Throughout this subject, we have used different names to describe the engine derivatives fitted to various vehicles. The early Ford engines known as the E93a, then the 100e, I am not aware of a number or name for the Pre-crossflow, the full crossflow engine was known as the 'Kent' engine, (was this the 105?) the V configuration the "Essex', the OHC the 'Pinto'. Is this just as simple as the engine development numbers, even diffs and rear axles were known as 'Essex', and 'Atlas', anyone know the history behind these names/numbers, and did other manufacturers use this or similar system?
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KA

Better three than four.

peter scott · Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7122 Location: Edinburgh

Were the designations such as 105E referencing an engine or was this rather a car build number?

I think 105E refers to the 997cc Harry Potter Anglia but is 107E not the reference to the final Prefect (100E shape) fitted with the 997cc engine?

Peter
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http://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

JohnDale · Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2015 9:58 am Post subject:

Keith D · Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2015 10:06 am Post subject:

The Ford numbers did apply to the models rather than the engines, but it becomes confusing when the Anglia, Prefect and later Popular all were designated 100E

Keith

BigJohn · Joined: 01 Jan 2011 Posts: 954 Location: Wem, Shropshire

I suppose what range the engine is classified in, the little Honda 50 mobilised Asia, and the Villiers powered every thing from motor bikes to rotovators over here. Then there is the Coventry Climax, generators to race cars and small family saloon.

Penman · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4765 Location: Swindon, Wilts.

Ashley · Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 1426 Location: Near Stroud, Glos

stevel98 · Joined: 04 Apr 2014 Posts: 74

The (nearly) STOCK 350cu in L98 mouse motor in my '87 Corvette for the win! Very Happy

245horses, 345torks, 0-60 in 5secs, 13.5sec 1/4mile, uses no oil, smooth, no leaks or rattles, sounds awesome with its straight pipes, a doddle to work on, ..and 30+mpg for the long holiday trips..

Nothing like a Scottish Highland road trip behind a healthy V8, or a long 500mile run down to Goodwood, or cruising the Lake district, etc, etc...

..failing that, the 791cc, twincam, drysump, four carbed, Honda S800 I drove back in '72-'75.. The current McLaren F1 cars have, I'm sure, copied the exhaust note of this wee beast!

scott_budds · Joined: 20 Nov 2008 Posts: 175 Location: Norwich

A series is a great little unit and versatile.

Rover V8 overrated and underpowered.

Coventry climax is another great little engine that was better than it ever should really have been.

Buddsy
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Im looking for an Elan plus 2 for my next resto project...if you see one think of me please!!

Da Tow'd · Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2015 3:59 pm Post subject:

the engine that I admire the most due to all the years that I've been pulling wrenches on them has to be the Volvo B series 4 cylinder.
solid and reliable
second in my book would be the VW TDi diesel

I sure like the sound of a wound out Porsche flat 6
cheers
Hank

Ray White · Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6337 Location: Derby

Might I speak up for the Austin Seven engine? By today's standards, quite inadequate but introduced in 1922 it brought motoring to the masses. It became known as the mighty atom.
A four cylinder side valve of 747cc, with a bore of just 2.2" this most unlikely unit powered hundreds of thousands of little cars and lent itself to tuning for thousands of specials and took numerous records at Brooklands.

To me, what is remarkable about this 2 (later 3) bearing engine is that it seems to do the impossible. It would be a mistake to compare it with other, more powerful engines, and it wasn't the best performer compared with some other engines in it's class but it did what was asked of it.