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MG MGF Technical - Looking for a VVC engine

I'm going to do a bit of phoning around breakers yards next week.
Can anyone give me a list of which cars and models have the 1.8VVC engine.
Anyone know what a reasonable price might be?

Thanks,
Russ
Russell Morgan

MGF VVC (obviously)

Rover 200vi

Rover 200 BRM?

Lotus Elise 111s



http://www.dotcomoff.demon.co.uk

Home of the F'ers Gallery and MG Dealer Guide :)
Paul Lathwell

It has been suggested to me the following might have the VVC engine

Rover 218 ?
Rover 418 ?
Rover 25 ?
Rover 45 ?
Rover 75 ?
Land Rover Freelander ?
Russell Morgan

Russell

Answers as follows:-

Rover 218 ? - only Vi and BRM models
Rover 418 ? - only the none VVC unit available
Rover 25 ? - only on the GT1 model
Rover 45 ? - I am not sure but think not
Rover 75 ? - only none VVC version
Land Rover Freelander ? - only none VVC version

Cheers

Patrick
Patrick

Also used in kit cars I suppose but I don't suppose that would be of much help. Could try the classified section of kit car related magazines though - worth a try. :)
Paul Lathwell

No kit cars officially come with the K series VVC engine- most manufacturers prefer the smaller engined variants or the relative simplicity of the 1.8 MPi.

Paul is quite right with his list of potential candidates for the VVC engine:

Rover 200 Vi/ 200BRM
MGF VVC
Lotus Elise 111S

Of the recently released Rover models, only the 25GTi has the VVC motor. Patrick is correct in saying that the LandRover Freelander, the Rover 45 and the Rover 75 are not fitted with the VVC K series.

As to cost- I am not sure. Probably a couple of grand.

Rob
Rob Bell

I would have thought Dirk could provide recent experience of the cost of a new VVC engine!
Patrick

I wasn't going to mention that... ;o)


The situation could turn to a full-on Basil Fawlty scenario along the lines of 'Don't mention the war!' LOL

Rob
PS I think that Andy Phillips also investigated this?
Rob Bell

>No kit cars officially come with the K series VVC engine

My mistake then, I thought there was a Caterham with the option of a VVC. :-s
Paul Lathwell

I don't think so Paul- although Caterham enjoys a very good relationship with Rover.

To my knowledge, Caterham only use either tuned standard K-series engines or the VHPD.

Please let me know if I am wrong!

Rob
Rob Bell

The Aerial Atom uses it me thinks.

not much use to you though, just being clever.
Julian

Are you sure Julian? I was under the impression that it had the MPi engine? The low price (14-16k GBP) would suggest the cheaper engine installation too.

Rob
Rob Bell

Could be wrong, but though it was VVC. Maybe an option?

and its only around £11k if you build it yourself!
Julian

From my Caterham catalogue :-
The VVC engine (153 ps in this car) was introduced in 1997 on both the '7' and the '21'. I've not seen ANY 21s on the road, and although the VVC 7 was considered a good road car, it wasn't considered the right path for a high performance 7.
You might find one from a Caterham - but these are *very* rare cars in the breakers !

Steve
Damn - I knew I shouldn't have got the Caterham catalogue out.
Steve

I stand humbled and corrected!

Still it's a bit odd- I have seriously considered buying a Caterham 21 in the recent past and cannot recall reading the specs about the VVC. Still maybe that was because I wanted the 1.8i with a view to later upgrading to VHPD spec at a later date.

I shall dig out the literature I have in case I am going mad! ;o) LOL

Myopic Rob
Rob Bell

I've heard of two Caterham 21 VVC (both 1998, one R reg, t'other is an S reg). The car is very rare, so I don't think you'll be finding a spare engine from this source ! The VVC engined '7' is also rare (incidentally, the VVC engine can't be dry-sumped !).
I can imagine the VVC engines are much in demand - not for the VVC mechansim, but for the actual head.

Steve
Steve

>>incidentally, the VVC engine can't be dry-sumped<<

I suspect that this assertion came from Caterham, although I don't know why. The bottom end is the same as any other K, the dry sump kit should just fit straight on.

FWIW the Westfield FW400 is also available with the VVC engine.

Mike
Mike Bees

I bought a VVC engine today from a 200Vi with 4000 miles on the clock, complete engine minus ECU for 750GBP+VAT delivered = 881GBP. I think I did quite well at that price.

Thanks for the help. 200+bhp here we come ....

Russ.
Russell Morgan

The Feb edition of Car Mechanics quoted 400 quid for a second hand K-series. I suspect that this would be for one of the lesser spec'd motors of smaller capacity- so 750 + VAT can't be bad.

So what are your plans for this engine Russell? (200 bhp?) What are you about to put it into?

Rob
Rob Bell

Rob,

Told you so! ;-)

(Paul - feeling a smug ba**ard, with swelling head.).
Paul Lathwell

Rob,
Russ is installing the VVC into the midget. He found the 1.4K engine was not quite fast enough to keep ahead of my Monty turbo all the time, in last years' MISC series!
David Smith

Rob,

David has it partially correct. I have a 1.6K Series in a Midget that I used last year in the MOSS International Sprint Championship.

I can't remember many events where David beat me in the Monty Turbo. A wet Wiscombe Hillclimb was one of them but the criteria for a fast run was having brain removed.

I'm hoping to leave Monty Turbo's to play amongst themselves this year and go chase MGF Cup Cars.

I'm not putting the VVC engine in as it is. I will convert the VVC head to traditional style cams with the kit from Piper - taking advantage of the larger valves/ports etc.

My car will be on the MGCC SW Centre stand at the Classic Car Show this weekend if anyone is interested.

Russ
Russell Morgan

Hopefully will be competing in more MISC events myself this year- so perhaps see you at the tracks chaps!

Good idea to use a VVC engine in this way Russell- I guess you know all that already- but the bottom end is strenghened- so presumably will be more reliable with higher outputs that a mod'ed 1.8MPi

Look forward to seeing the completed installtion!

Rob
Rob Bell

Ah ha. You are the Rob that was at Silverstone and Wethersfield. You must try harder to make more than two events this year...

>>the bottom end is strenghened

As standard the bottom end of the VVC and 1.8i are the same. I'll fit forged pistons to allow me to rev higher than 7500rpm (How much higher not sure yet - Any ideas ?)

See you around next year.

Russ
Russell Morgan

Russell I sneaked up to MISC (North) to participate in the Harewood Hillclimb... so that's three! ;o) But I promise to do better this year- work permitting.

Cheers

Rob
(Now looking forward to the new season! MGF Sprinting guide at http://go.to/mgfgallery- excuse the shameless plug ;o)
Rob Bell

Actually Russ and I met on the same events only 5 times last season and the Monty was quicker on 4 out of 5., Silverstone, Pestalozzi and Abingdon as well as Wiscombe. Two were wet and 2 dry, and as this old fart gives him 20 years advantage I reckon that's OK......
David Smith

>>I can't remember many events where David beat me in the Monty Turbo.

Strange how you seem to remember the good times...

Silverstone - Yes (But I was on awful tyres - no excuse though)
Pestalozzi - beat me fair and square
Abingdon - half and half - I was quicker in the morning you in the afternoon (wet)

How about the big open venues like Castle Combe and Wethersfield......

My apologies David - I gave you less credit than you deserve.

Russ


Russell Morgan

This thread was discussed between 28/01/2000 and 03/02/2000

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