Following the questions from "Uniquelittlecars" and building 1275s for the
street:
Been thinking about that one for a while, as I have this race Bugeye I will
never race again... got plates for it now, but now way is it road legal yet.
Got all the right "legal" bits, just have not found the time or driving urge
to put it back together yet- plus I need engine/transmission.
Choices are.... Warmed up 1275, with +20 or + 40 rebore (not too much to
need expensive off-side bore lining, amount of metal between #3 and 4
pistons is a problem even stock), fully balanced, possibly aluminum head
(cooler running), most likely just a good old original iron -and flowed-
head, Hepolite pistons (not race), one Weber 45 DCOE, Kent 276 cam (there
are other choices), bigger valves (but not too big), APT studs/bolts, and a
Paul A.'s kit with Datsun transmission. Other choice is to forget about the
"warmed up" 1275 and just install a Datsun engine (1400 or 1500 cc engine,
lots of torque, 100 hp+ stock) and transmission. Only problem might be the
height of the block. Rear end: best might be a modified Mazda RX7 (series 1
with disc brakes), but I might just stick to a standard rear-end (I have a
spare) -with Quaife LSD diff, if I feel I want to spend another $1200.
By the way, I have a wild Sneider cam, 12:1 compression and aluminum
flywheel/race clutch on my Bugeye- it will idle, but not under 1500, and
even then it is quite "lumpy". Peak power is at 7,500 rpm, it is safe up to
8,500 rpm. Not good for the road, especially as to get the car off the line,
you need to get at least 45000 revs on the engine... and you need 105+
octane gas... All good reasons why not to have a race car on the road!
Also... my recommendation is to stay under 10"1 for the compression. Maybe
no more than 9:1 for pump gas, at least in CA. I have 10:1 on my Jay Ivey
built Twin Cam (Lotus 7), and that was supposed to be good enough for CA
premium unleaded, but that thing sure don't run right on pump gas. I know
apart from avoiding detonation, race gas is not supposed to make a
difference... but it sure does on my Lotus! Runs 5 degrees cooler on race
gas (usually 90 degrees C. instead of 95), and the pick up sure seems to be
better with the race gas. Another measurable difference, besides the 5
degrees difference in running temperature, is when I start the car - for
some reason , the car will not run right (sounds it's on three cylinders)
when started - difference is the time it takes for the engine to get in full
song: less than half a mile when on race gas (usually only two to three
hundred yards), at last four times as long when I run it on pump gas! Why?
Heck, I don't know! I want to put new carbs on, while I am checking out the
old ones (hence my question about the availability of new Webers, a few days
ago!)
JLC
|