Hold on there John! I personally agree with you regarding putting
extremely large engines in Spitfires, but your allusion to putting a
1500 engine in a Herald doesn't hold water. Speaking from personal
experience, I can safely say that the 1500 hjas the same outside
dimensions as that 1147 Herald engine. So there is no trouble
installing it. True, if you use the Herald tranny, you will have to
change out the clutch, but everything else is a piece of cake!
Joe
P.S. According to Tim, the RoSpit is going to be on display at Import
Carlsile May 14-16.
john matthews wrote:
>
> 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?
--
"If you can't excel with talent, triumph with effort."
-- Dave Weinbaum in National Enquirer
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