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who has a s1, I do

2K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  Qldelsie 
#1 ·
I have a 98 elise s1 stock motor with sport exhaust and hurricane intake, i figure around 130hp. will i notice a big difference going to piper 270 cams and 4-2-1 manifold or will it be a minor increase in power? i figure it will take it to 150hp any thoughts?
 
#2 ·
Yes and add some throttle bodies like jenveys and aftermarket ECU....then you will be at 185....if it is a vvc rover k series then cam block off plates....what my first caterham ran and that made a big difference. Otherwise yes expect 150 max from the 1.8. You will notice and the idle sounds good.
 
#4 · (Edited)
If you want to better understand what the Rover K can do power Vs cost, look here :
DVAPower website

This chap also knows his onions :
www.sabre-heads.co.uk

To cut to the quick, 150 - 170 BHP is the sweet spot on the Rover K (ideally matched to the CR gearbox if your highway driving is minimal), Depends if you start with the 1.8 K16 or the later VVC with the better cylinder head. In reality, the S1's are so much lighter on their feet than the later Toyota powered S2/S3's, you don't need mega power for the road. Compare the torque curve & weight ratio of a Rover K S1 Vs Toyota 2ZZ S2 and you'll see what I mean.

More is definitely possible (200 - 230 BHP... 1.9 / 2.0 litre an option too VGK RACING) but you'll end-up replacing most of the engine, so the cost & fragility curve will be steep. Remember it started as a 1.1 litre single cam shopping car engine ;-)

Unless required for race regs, or you just like the engineering challenge (especially away from UK based specialists) at 200 BHP+, you should consider an engine conversion. Honda K is popular, but the results can be variable depending on the install kit & who builds it.

Me? I love the way the S1 drives / feels, so didn't want to change its character too much with a Honda / AUDI swop. Loved the Rover VVC & CR 'box too from my old 111S... just wanted more. So currently building a Duratec 2.3 to Caterham R500 spec, except it will have more torque. This I hope will be my version of a 'perfect' S1 :)

HTHs

PS the Rover K was re-engineered after the Chinese bought the rights to it & still in production (stronger / better head sealing / turbo & NA), so worth checking this out as an option. Theres a thread on SELOC about it
 
#5 · (Edited)
Hey cain-it - I see you live in Dubai. I was there from 1974 - 1980 and loved it, although it was just a sand pile then ! Together with a couple of others I started the Dubai Kart Club back in the days when there was nothing else to do (unnlike now !) - Our original track is now buried underneath the car park at the airport !! We even ran a race each year out at the Grand Metrolpolitan Hotel out on the Abu Dhabi Road where we drove through the covered entrance way / foyer as partof the track ! We used to also race up in Kuwait and down in Oman, and had a Middle East Kart Championships there with even visiting drivers from the UK flying in ! Those were the days !! Not too many twisty roads for you in an Elise down there !!
Out of interest, I took my S1 from standard slowly up to almost full race - Head worked, bigger Paul Ivey valves, cams, DTH throttle bodies, engine mounts, Nitrons, etc etc, and once I got it there, while it was faster, it was somehow less enjoyable - I realised how in so many ways Lotus had got it pretty well correct in the first place ! I slowly took it back to much less extreme before I drove it out to Colorado and up to Alaska, and it ended up being a perfect car. While more power is great, sometimes 120 hp is just right for many of us in most situations.
My next Lotus will remain basically standard (maybe !), and I know that unless you are a true K series lover with bottomless pockets, the best - and cheapest - and easiest way to get decent RELIABLE hp is to Hondarize. That is what I realise now I should have done. While it is certainly possible, anything over 150 hp in a Rover engine just doesn't work (financially or mechanically) in the long run, and most people only realise that after they have tried it !!
Here is another look at the process Lotus Elise, Engine Tuning, King K
If one Googles "Article on K series Rover engine tuning" there is lots more out there..........
Some info on the Honda transplant can be found here http://www.kirrapak.com/Kirrapak/HondaElise.html
Giles
 
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