Chuck certainly has a valid point about the BMC A motor. In the long run,
most people would be better off buying a motor from a well know builder.
The same applies to Formula Vee motors. Most of the Vees buy their motors
from one or two builders, and all they have to specify is whether they
want the Vintage motor or the SCCA Nationals motor. Of course, we all
know which one is more appropriate. ;=)
There is another point, however. The nationally known builders concentrate
on a particular type, or a short list of types. What do you do if the
motor your car is supposed to have isn't on anybody's list? You either pay
some builder to experiment with your money, or you build it yourself. This
appears to be the case with my motor, a Fiat 1100. About the only cars
using this motor are Stanguellini Formula Juniors, or perhaps a Bandini,
Volpini, etc. I have yet to get a positive response from an engine builder
when I ask if they do Fiat 1100s. Perhaps I haven't looked hard enough, but
I suspect there just aren't that many cars racing to warrant somebody
specializing in them. Am I willing to have a Ferrari specialist do a Fiat?
Not at those prices. If you find somebody to build up the oddball motor, or
were lucky enough to get a good one with the car, then you can maintain it,
and even build up a new one using exactly the same mods done to the old one.
That's what I did when the crank in mine snapped in '95. The head survived,
the cam survived, the external covers and bits survived, most of the heavy
parts were junk. All told, it cost me about $2500 to build up a new short
block and do a minor freshening on the head. I ended up having to have the
cam journals welded up and reground. After about 3.5 seasons, I'm about to
open it up for a freshening, so I think I got my $ worth. Is the car
competitive? Not a chance. Would it be faster with a $5000 motor in it?
Maybe, but not much. Trying to get as much power out of a Fiat 1100 as a
$10,000 Ford 105E Richardson or Cosworth motor would be futile. Did I have
much of a choice when I needed a motor in 2 months time? It sure didn't look
like it.
It's also unfair to compare the time spent doing this to time spent at your
job. Sure, if you get paid by the hour, you can work more hours and make more
money, so time spent building a motor really is time "spent". This is all
supposed to be a hobby, so if you like working on old cars, you work on old
cars. I certainly do.
Simon
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