What's the lightest option for RWD and 100hp currently?

In reply to Peabody :

I got amused by the idea that rotaries are light, but ten year old comments.

They're fairly short in height, especially with a side draft carburetor, electric water pump, and distributorless ignition, but they aren't really all that light.  Lots and lots of iron in there.  A VW watercooled four is lighter and about the same length, and a whole lot narrower.  Most modern all aluminum fours are lighter, too.

Years back I had an idea to re-engine an RX-7 with a VW 8 valve.  I still have the dual DCOE manifold and 13:1 pistons.  The key is a G60 flywheel.  You use the G60 pressure plate and a 225mm Mazda clutch disk.  You can do some light machining to the flywheel to take the Mazda ring gear and use the Mazda starter on the transmission.  There is about an inch of room to make an adapter plate because of the differences in bellhousing to flywheel depth.

I mean, it makes more sense to just put the RX-7 tail housing on a Miata 5 speed and bolt it to a Mazda 1.6/1.8 engine, but where's the fun in that?  You can't change a Miata head gasket in a half hour, and you can probably make more naturally aspirated power cheaply with the VW engine.  Was looking at hopefully 180hp on carbs, the Internet said that is a pipe dream with a B6/BP without turbocharging.

kevlarcorolla said:

In reply to Tom1200 :

About 180'ish from the locost forum which sounds right to me having weighed my complete R1 engine with oil and wiring harness coiled on top at 145lbs.

Hayabusa engines are much heavier than an R1. Complete 600cc bike motors are 145lbs. 

I've always seen the shipping weights for complete Hayabusa engines to be 250lbs with pallet.

So back to the Datsun A-series engines the naturally aspirated motor inmy car is 175lbs complete with oil, clutch and strater. The 60 series trans weighs 54lbs. You could use the 36lb 56 series box bit that wouldn't likely hold up with a turbo.

Stop fighting the sidewinder design! Set a FWD lump and trans in the rear, A'la Lambo Miura, 1967; Mid engine, RWD, transverse mounted. The hardest part is learning to use the shifter with a backwards pattern, but you'll learn! I have faith in you!

   It's only crazy until it works.(D.F. Kit Car: Goblin. Google it.)

AhBNormal said:

Stop fighting the sidewinder design! Set a FWD lump and trans in the rear, A'la Lambo Miura, 1967; Mid engine, RWD, transverse mounted. The hardest part is learning to use the shifter with a backwards pattern, but you'll learn! I have faith in you!

   It's only crazy until it works.(D.F. Kit Car: Goblin. Google it.)

Turn the shifter around 180 degrees - done.

In reply to kb58 :

We're on the same page. Waiting to see if the OP catches up?(Modding shifters is a bit of a rabbit hole! In 2 months I'll be in OZ RHD/Left hand shifting for 3 months.)