my project 62 lancer
found this article of someone else using the 4 cyl with a dakota 5 speed
enjoy the reading
Jim Szilagyi "LoCost 7"
This kit car project really started with the engine that I have installed in my car. This engine is a Mopar A-4 4-cylinder racing engine that is normally used in USAC Midget racing cars (4 cylinder sprint cars). In my job at Chrysler, I led the development team on this racing engine for Mopar Performance Parts. This engine was designed and developed as a team with Gary Stanton (National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Member), Tim Zuehlke (at my engineering and design supplier - Applied Technologies Inc - Toledo Ohio), my Co-workers at Mopar, and Myself.
This engine was designed as 1/2 of a V-8 World of Outlaws sprint car engine, using one W-9 Aluminum cylinder head on a special 4-cylinder aluminum racing block. The engine features a unique crankshaft, camshaft, and block, but all other parts are common with the V-8 racing engine. Since the introduction of this engine in 2001, it has won about 25 major Midget races. In racing form, these engines produce about 350+ HP w/ mechanical fuel injection on methanol.
After this racing engine was up and running, I wanted to build one and put it into a project car. I wanted to have one of my engines in my car. Since this is a 4-cylinder engine, I wanted to install it in very light car that would provide good performance. I also wanted a car that could be used on the street, and maybe autocross or similar speed events for street legal cars. I could not find a suitable production based car that offered the performance potential that I was after. The only car that offered what I was after is the Lotus 7 type cars, since they are known as racers for the road.
I began looking for a new or used Caterham, Birkin, and at many other Lotus 7 type kit cars. These cars are very nice, but substantially more expensive than what I could afford for this project. These cars were all in the $15,000 to $30,000 range not including the engine and transmission. My brother Alex Szilagyi told me about a book he had seen Build Your Own Sports Car for as little as $250 (British pounds) by Ron Champion. I ordered the book, and did an internet search and learned about the Champion Motor Car Company in Madison, Alabama (
www.championmotorcars.com), and the CMC Seven. The CMC Seven is built using a donor car and reuses as many components as possible. In September 2001, I bought the Do It Yourself kit from Champion Motor Cars for $1,300. This kit includes the precut tubing for the frame, brackets, suspension arms, and fiberglass nose cone / fenders / cowl. Ron Champions book is the build manual that explains how to build the car.
The frame was welded up on sturdy table that I built (as shown in the book). You can also buy the frame from Champion Motor Cars for a little higher price.
I didnt have a donor car, so I began gathering parts that could be used to build this car. My father gave me a 1985 Toyota Corolla GTS rear axle, drive shaft, steering rack, spherical bearing heim joints, and a set of coil over shocks w/ springs. These parts were originally obtained to build a race car, but never used. The rear axle had custom made brackets on it for a 4 link rear suspension w/ a panhard bar. My Father made these brackets for a racecar, but they fit the CMC Seven without any modifications at all (unbelievable). My brother gave me 2 sets of Toyota wheels, a steering wheel, brake proportioning valve, used aluminum sheets for the body, and an extra rear axle. I bought Mustang II front spindles at a swap meet for $20, and bought rebuilt front calipers, new rotors and wheel bearings at a local auto parts store. I had the front rotors re-drilled to match the same bolt pattern that was on the rear axle. I had a used Dakota V-6 5-speed transmission w/ clutch, flywheel, and starter left over from another project. I used this transmission since it bolted right up to the Mopar A-4 engine (common Dodge / Mopar small block bolt pattern).
I made the seats for about $25 using plywood , foam, and an old Connolly leather hyde that my wife has had for many years. With these parts, I was able to build a complete rolling chassis for about $3,500 (including everything but the engine). It took me about 6 months to build and assemble the rolling chassis. I think I could have saved more money if I had a donor car that could have been stripped of other usable parts (i.e. electrical components, brake parts, seat belts, seat covers, gauges, etc).
The engine took about 1.5 years to complete since I had to be really creative to build it at a reasonable price. A complete professionally built Mopar A-4 Midget racing engine costs about $29,000 including the dry sump oiling system, mechanical fuel injection, and distributor-less ignition system. I waited several months for the very first forged A-4 crankshaft so that I would not have to buy a custom made billet piece. I used common generic V-8 pistons and rods w/ minor machining modifications to work in this engine. I made the belt drive distributor, intake manifold (modified V-8 piece), motor plate, water pump (highly modified Chrysler 2.6L minivan pump), pulleys, dry sump oil tank, steering shaft, modified header, and many other parts. The engine was built for about $6,500 w/ me doing all the labor. The entire project took about 2 years and the total cost of the car was about $10,000 including the engine.
Special thanks are in order for the following people who helped make this project successful:
My wife Julie Szilagyi for putting up with my dream. Alex Szilagyi (my brother), A.J. Szilagyi (my dad), Gary Stanton, Tim Zuehlke, Bill Hancock-Arrow Racing Engines, Mancini Racing, Scat, Steve and Chase Laurendine-Champion Motor Cars, and Ron Champion.
so i will contact the above person for insight and references away i go
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