Simon's Clubman Site

The 2nd Coming

Having once said that my second build would not be a repeat of the first, it's funny how things change !!

For my second ICV (Individually Constructed Vehicle) I was always thinking of something mid-engined, a la a FWD power plant in the rear. Along the lines of the Sylva MoJo2 http://www.stingraymotorsport.com/sylva.htm. At one stage I did quite a bit of research and planning but got stalled on the Engineering requirements (read costs) in Australia and lack of general information on the Web.

You know what it's like - as time goes by you never have enough and want more. The same applies to the Clubbie, particularly in the power department. Whist the MX5 (Miata to the American folk) is a great engine with a superb gearbox, it is still only a 1.6L 86kW motor. Any new car had to up the ante to make it worth the effort and avoid disappointment.

Fast forward a couple of years. In discussion with others who had previously built a clubbie (ICV, Locost or Seven), plans were laid for #2.

Having sat in just about every Clubbie around, together with a mate, we determined what we think is the ideal chassis dimensions. Also having access the an Elfin, Birkin, Westfield, Kestrel and a number of Locosts, we also have plans to mod the chassis design and simplify construction.

The choice of motor was a harder decision, with limited options in Australia due to tough emission compliance rules. The final selection came down to:

• Toyota 4AGE 20v Blacktop 1.6 (123kW)
• Toyota 3SGE Gen3 2.0 (132kW)
• Toyota 2ZZGE 1.8 (140kW)
• Ford/Mazda Duratec 2.0 (122kW)
• Honda S2000 2.0 (176kW)

My line of thinking was if I'm building a new car, I want to use a current bread engine, with all aluminium design. This effectively eliminated the 4AGE & 3SGE. Whilst the Honda is considered the ultimate, availability and cost would usually put it out of most peoples reach. Realistically I was tossing up between the 2ZZGE and Duratec 2.0. The current model MX5 comes with the 2.0 Duratec and 6 sp R/W gearbox, so there would be no gearbox / adaptor plate / clutch matching issues or expense. It also comes with VVT which the Focus version doesn't.

All this went out the window when a local Honda S2000 write off was advertised and purchased for a price I couldn't refuse. It all happened quickly, and the rest, as they say, is history. The Honda F20C 2L motor develops 250hp / 176kW / 208nM in standard form. Put this into a 650kg Clubman, and we should have a rocket ship.

So the final power train is Honda F20C, chrome-moly 5.5kg flywheel, H/D clutch and 6sp gearbox. Also having a RH exit exhaust means having no side exit legal issues. The only down side is the height of the F20C motor, which will be addressed in the chassis design.

May the good times in the shed roll on again.

FOR SALE: Parting out Honda S2000 AP1 MY00 - see here for parts listing