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PostPosted: December 15, 2011, 4:46 am 
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Location: Sandy Springs, GA
Hey y'all!

I am interested in using something a little different and something that the good 'ole boys might respect a little more. :twisted:

Has anyone out there thought about/know about/have any opinions about using the drivetrain from a Ford F-150? Specifically, the 5.4L V8. I know that Colin Chapman would have smacked me upside the head :oops: for suggesting such a thing as they are rather weighty :shock: , but I am willing to add the weight for the V8 power, torque, and rumble. I know that there is also a lot of aftermarket support for this and the parts are pretty cheap. These motors are pretty durable also.

Does anyone have any input?

If anyone else would like to ask questions or speak about some of the larger engines available, feel free!

:cheers:

-Sam

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PostPosted: December 15, 2011, 9:53 am 
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Joined: July 26, 2010, 10:37 am
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Location: Tennessee
Since I started my build, quite a few people, most of which were "good ole boys". have looked at my build. Most all of them asked why I didn't use a V-8, one person suggested I use a 454. I thought about smacking them up side the head, but if I did that there wouldn't be anyone left in our county, so I just explained that I wasn't building a 32 roadster to go to the local drive-in, but rather I was building a "sports car" to drive on curvy back roads and I wanted it to stop and go around curves well. Almost none of them understood.


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PostPosted: December 15, 2011, 10:29 am 
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Are you doing it to impress the good old boys or to make yourself happy?

There have been several V8 builds, its certainly not out of the realm of possibilities. Personally if I was going that route, I'd look into an all aluminum option to keep weight down.


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PostPosted: December 15, 2011, 11:25 am 
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littlesammy78 wrote:
...I am interested in using something a little different and something that the good 'ole boys might respect a little more. :twisted:

Then why are you considering building a sports car made for handling. The good 'ole boys don't understand anything that's not "American" with a big chrome engine and huge rear tires.

Building a Locost based on someone else's expectations (that you apparently respect) is a big mistake. They aren't designing it, paying for it, building it, or driving it, so why give them so much input?

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PostPosted: December 15, 2011, 12:00 pm 
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Also keep in mind that a light weight car makes a 4 cylinder feel like a big ol' V8 with tons of torque.

The F150 needs it because it weighs so much (and it's built for pulling things), but a much lighter vehicle doesn't need all that. For most people it would even be wasted and reduce the fun factor significantly. Most people and most situations wouldn't let you use 1/10 of it and you'd have to be soft pedaling it so much you'd lose a lot of the fun.

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PostPosted: December 15, 2011, 12:20 pm 
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Location: Sandy Springs, GA
It is most definitely for me. If I really cared what they said, I'd buy another rust bucket Mustang and fix it up. I have loved the Seven since I was a small child and have always wanted to have one but I never figured I'd be in the right tax bracket to buy an original or buy the modern Caterham. It was about 4-5 years ago when I stumbled upon Mr. Champion's book in a used bookstore (talk about luck!) and I have read it cover to cover too many times to count. It was not long after that that I picked up Gibbs' and Tanner's books also. Since then, I have picked up much more literature and studied it. It was thanks to the guys on this site and Keith Tanner's work that I was inspired to pick up a Miata a little over a year ago.

I think I shouldn't have started with that statement. It was meant as a bit of an ice-breaker guys. :lol: I love the V8 rumble and the power. It helps that I am pretty familiar with working on Ford engines too. I also think that going a little bit different path might be cool for uniqueness. I have seen the Stalker V8s. They are pretty cool but WOW :shock: are they expensive!!! Plus, I'd like to have full control of every component of the car.

This will not be a track car per se. I am planning on using mostly as a street car/light touring/mountain road toy (pretty similar to what my Miata is today). I figure it will be kinda weighty (actually, downright obese for a Seveneque car) @ ~1700#s but (please don't ban me from this site for saying this :oops: ) I am willing to take on the extra weight to have the V8 powerplant.

You guys are right about the light car feeling quite powerful with a little 4cyl in it. I mean, my Miata will hang with just about anything in the mountains. As I am always explaining to my friends (most of which are part of the 'there's no replacement for displacement' crowd), it all comes down to the power to weight ratio.

Good suggestion about the aluminum frame! I had thought of an aluminum framed build but I kinda ruled it out because I was worried about strength issues (and the fact that I have never welded aluminum. Details... :roll: :wink: ). I will continue to do research on the topic under the frame forum. Do you think I'd have to modify the frame to add strength for the added power and weight of the engine? I have read through many of the build logs (especially Jon's, Peter's, Rod's, and JD's builds), IIRC they all used steel tube (and JD actually bumped the size of the tube up to 1.5" for more strength). For the record, Peter was doing Miata-based build though. Still, the frame is still up in the air as to what I will do on that. The different powertrain factors will really decide what happens with the frame.

Whereas those guys (Jon & JD) used Mustang powertrains, I am very interested in using the 5.4L V8 out of the F150. I know that I can find them for fairly cheap and I can get them with a manual transmission. As I said before, I am interested in doing something a little different. I'm not opposed to using a Mustang powerplant but I figure a change of scenery as it were would be good.

Any input is greatly appreciated!

:cheers:

-Sam

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Last edited by littlesammy78 on December 15, 2011, 5:50 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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PostPosted: December 15, 2011, 12:31 pm 
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@photoman: You and I must live in the same county! :lol: A 454!?! Really? Of course, I guess I am just as crazy for wanting to put a 330ci in one of these.

-Sam

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PostPosted: December 15, 2011, 12:34 pm 
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I think the aluminum reference was to the motor, that's the way I took it anyway.

When you're talking V8's a big issues is weight, but size is a huge problem too. The small block Fords are small, I think that's why they showed up in some various sports cars. I don't know what the 5.4 motor is but I think the modern Ford V8's are completely out of the question in these cars. A SBF is an inch shorter and narrower (maybe more narrower?) then other choices.

Welcome, by the way, glad to have you. Here's your chance to finally have a Seven. Many of us fell in love with these when we were very young. They must be appealing to a certain pre-driving age....
:cheers:

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PostPosted: December 15, 2011, 12:44 pm 
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I think you are right about the aluminum being a reference to the engine. :oops:

Yeah, the 5.4L is a Ford engine from an F150.

I am very glad to be able to get responses and input from guys that contribute a lot of good material to this site. Not to brown-nose or anything, but I do have a lot of respect for you guys.

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PostPosted: December 15, 2011, 1:13 pm 
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I always find it interesting to read people put down another group for not understanding something even as they tell you not to put a V8 in your 7. :roll:

Anyway, go for it. I would rather see you build with the GM LS engine because they are smaller and also seem to be more plentiful than the Ford engine. The 5.4L engine is an overhead cam engine, which means that it's pretty wide at the valve covers. That's pretty high in the seven and is harder to cover up than the general size of a V8. Using a cam in block V8 will make for a much smaller package and still give you the rumble and cool factor you're looking for.

Ken


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PostPosted: December 15, 2011, 3:10 pm 
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I'm with Ken, go for it. I too like the Ford 5.4; have it in my current vehicles. I would reccomend the 3 valve with the variable valve timing, like they have in the 05 and up Expeditions. Eventhough it is an automatic, that sucker is quick! Developing something like 80% of its torque at 1800 rpms. My right foot has to be re-taught every time I get in that thing.

My wife's 07 Mustang has the 3 valve 4.6 in it and I love that motor also, but dayumm, that 5.4 is impressive.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Tom

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PostPosted: December 15, 2011, 4:15 pm 
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horizenjob wrote:
They must be appealing to a certain pre-driving age....

Absolutely, my son was just over 2 when I gave him his first 7. It's a Matchbox of the Caterham R500.

His "Motus Seven" is by far his favourite car still :) He'll be 3 next year.

Tom...


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PostPosted: December 15, 2011, 4:16 pm 
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BB69 wrote:
I always find it interesting to read people put down another group for not understanding something even as they tell you not to put a V8 in your 7. :roll: ...

Don't know if this was for me, but I was just saying that he needs to be building what he wants for himself, not to anyone else's expectations. V8? Fine, just make a list of what the car will be used for, and then see if that engine fits your requirements.

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PostPosted: December 15, 2011, 4:40 pm 
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I thought about using a lincoln markVIII as a single donor for a v-8 irs car but those engines are 6" taller and 6" wider than an LS or small block. And when upgrading the engine you have to buy 4 camshafts($$$$).

Phil


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PostPosted: December 15, 2011, 5:26 pm 
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Whenever I think of V engines in a project car, I always dream of the BMW S85 :)


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