Hi All,
Sorry to throw gasoline on the fire, but anybody who seriously thinks
an engine swap on a spit is a good idea is just plain out of thier
mind!! There's a guy out here who has a small block chevy in his spit,
I think it's called "the Beast" or something like that. I've seen it,
and it's... Well, it's really not what you want to do. Do yourself a
favor and chuck your money down a deep hole instead.
Yes, it's true that the little pushrod 4 that came with your car
doesn't have quite as much power as some would like. However, it does
have about as much as every other component in the drivetrain will
handle. Unless you're an independently wealthy mechanical engineer
with a machine shop in your garage it's just not a good idea to
attempt an engine swap in a spit.
You may ask yourself how I can say this with so much authority. Who is
this new guy to pee on my campfire? Well, I currently own a '61 Herald
with a '79 Spit 1500 engine in it, and I can tell ya it wasn't easy. I
also happen to crew for a GT6 that races in SCCA, and I can't begin to
count how many clutches and differentials we've gone through.
This has nothing to do with "originality" or "saving the few remaining
examples of fine British craftsmanship". I just want to warn you that
it's not easy or advisable to try to put anything other than a
Spitfire engine into a Spitfire. If you need more power try a mild
cam, or better yet, buy a Camaro.
Cheers,
John Matthews
'61 Herald (granny spit)
BTW, Does anybody know what happened with Grassroots Motorsports
rotary spit project?
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