erm... cars... sorry

[Derek Nicol]

Since the late Seventies i have had a likeing for Hot Rods. Since the late eighties i have had a likeing for Rotaries. It has long been a dream to (one day) marry the two together. Well, it seems that a couple of people in Aus have already done just that. I have been aware for a while now of a Red 1.3 litre twin rotor Roadster with yuk yellow chassis and suspension and i have been hearing rumours for some time of a 700bhp turbo 2.0 litre triple rotor Hot Rod being built which i have now, at last, found some photos of and thought i would share with you. Its a 1934 Chevrolet and will eventually be finished in 'Ducati Yellow' paintwork. Apologies to anyone who thinks that four wheels are two too many for this forum...\r\r\r\r\r\r\r\r\r\r\rThat didnt go so well!.. if youre interested go look in the gallery.. :roll:\r\rgallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.Download ... alNumber=1\r\rgallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.Download ... alNumber=1\r\rgallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.Download ... alNumber=1\r\rgallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.Download ... alNumber=1

[Richard Negus]

I've opened my presents, read all the labels, and now what to do before the kids & outlaws arrive ?\rSome of you may know about two drivers (Phil Jeffries & Brian Walker) who borrowed a race-prepared F1 engine from Shenstone to put in their hill-climb car, shared the drive in the 1100cc class, and won almost every event entered in the early 90's.\rBrian, as you do, decided he wanted more power so we came up with a four-rotor engine (really two aero twins coupled in-line) for him. He connected this to a Hewland transmission, made the composite tub, suspension, bodywork and John Beattie came up with an engine management system with three injectors per port, running on a methanol/nitro mix.\rDue to a misunderstanding of the direction of engine rotation, it initially had one forward and five reverse gears ! Soon solved with a reversed crown wheel & pinion set.\rIt competed in the 2500cc class and was very impressive away from the start line, but not competitive with the class-winning turbo Pilbeam Hart BMW's, producing somewhere around 800bhp.\rI stood behind it once (only once !) at Shelsley ; the revs went up, Brian dropped the clutch, it wriggled - and disappeared from sight ! Me ? Deaf and streaming eyes from the nitro residue.\rA change in fortunes meant that Brian only raced it for one season and then put it away. Its probably still gathering dust in his workshop.\rThe twin rotor engine surfaced again recently and forms the basis of an all-new race / track day bike being built by Tony H.\rThe first Norton four-rotor engine was built for the Reliant SS project. Again, two aero twins connected in line by a gor-blimey bronze oldham coupling. When that project died, the engine was acquired by Ralph Bellamy at Brighton and installed in a race power boat. I believe its still there.\rSomewhere in the Bristol arear, there was another twin rotor aero-based race engine made for a Phillips quad-bike, but not installed. Twin-plug housings, flat-slide Keihins, fan-cooled, etc.. Anyone know where that one is ?\rContinuing the four-wheel theme, karts are getting bigger & bigger engines. There is a German manufacturer who took the Norton / Mid-West single rotor aero engine & adapted it into a direct-drive kart. Now another kart manufacturer wants a race-tuned F1 engine for super-kart racing where big motorcycle engines are the norm.\rWhich brings us back to where this started. Phil & Brian tried to race a 250cc kart in the 500cc hill-climb class ; they were laughed at until they started winning, when the RAC scrutineers said the wheelbase was shorter than allowed by the regulations - so they put castors on spring loaded wheelie-bars and continued winning. The scrutineers then said 'no suspension - therefore it doesn't meet the regulations', so they produced a miniature race car for the F1 engine.\rIn their wisdom, the RAC decided that a 1.5 handicap applies to rotary engines so the car raced in the 1100cc class - where they (legally) continued to dominate.\rR.

[Derek Nicol]

Well, ive bought a rodded 1957 Ford Pop, complete with a silly piston engine, does anyone know where i can get hold of a good working naturally aspirated Mazda rotary engine, gearbox and propshaft at a sensible price? An early RX7 rot box mot failure would be ideal.\r\rhttp://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn244/BaronVonVVankel/cropped.jpg

[Derek Nicol]

Well, ive bought a rodded 1957 Ford Pop, complete with a silly piston engine, does anyone know where i can get hold of a good working naturally aspirated Mazda rotary engine, gearbox and propshaft at a sensible price? An early RX7 rot box mot failure would be ideal.

\rOK, got me an RX7 today :D , now 'ALL' i have to do is put the Mazda engine in the Pop.

[Malc]

What sort of silly piston engine are you taking out?\rMalc

[Derek Nicol]

What sort of silly piston engine are you taking out?Malc

\rHiya, hows you? & hows that red/silver/blue beastie coming on?\rThe Pop has a Pinto in it at the moment.\rIm aiming to raise a few eyebrows in the V8 dominated Rodding world ("silencer?, whats a silencer?"). \r :lol:

[Malc]

I take it the rodding world in not limited by noise regs. MSV, the owners of Cadwell, Brands etc, have a 105dB(A) in place. Thought I was ok with the red bike (had them voluntarily tested last year when TP rode them), it was 104dB(A). The silver one was 113dB(A).\rHave now found out and also checked with the ACU, that rotaries have to be checked at 6000 rpm. Mine were checked at the old measure of 3250rpm last year so having to have a re-think about exhausts.\rAlso means that the red/silver/blue beastie which is still progressing very slowly will not be able to run with its original exhausts.\rRemember those 2 stroke MZs with silencers the size of a scud missile, could end up looking like that!\rTrident/Rocket 3 OC have a diagram in their club mag on how to silence those lovely sounding Rob North triples with open megas. Shame its come to this,\rAre you still going to sprint the Norton along with the Ford Mazda Pop?\rMalc

[Richard Negus]

You could always have a fan-cooled motor, like the hill-climb car, with the compressor part of a turbochager driven by toothed belt from the generator rotor, using normal absorption silencers.\rThen of course there'll be the allegations that it's turbocharged !

[Derek Nicol]

Are you still going to sprint the Norton along with the Ford Mazda Pop?Malc

\rErm.. NO! the mrc who host the event have had a change of direction, along with a move of venue from Shakespeare to Santa Pod, the emphasis is now on Japanese cars rather than being a rotary event. The Pop would not be eligible and wont be very quick anyway with 105bhp.\rRotary bikes are no longer welcome.

[Derek Nicol]

My 'new' rotor motor...\r

[mullins]

"It's soo small"....hehe :lol: