WestTexasS2K Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 Snook she's a keeper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruntonauto Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 There is a very good reason we started putting the LS V8 in the stalker. It is extremly fast. Putting that to the side, the LS v8 has a lower center of gravity than the V6, and most 4 cylinders as well. It dropped weight off the front of the car, we add the t56 transmission and the weight has now come back up to the 3.8 car but is now located toward the rear of the car, and lower. F-R with driver 47/53 My personal car uses 5.3 LS v8 that is roughly 295# of torque and 350 hp. I primarly autocross so at the sub 80mph speeds I feel the less amount of torque will make the car a bit easier to control throttle input. I also got this motor with only 17k miles from a silverado for $750. By the time I changed over the proper camaro oil pan, intake, TB, water pump, and pulley i still only have $1300 into this engine. And it is still enough HP to have big fun on the road course, and like mentioned before, nice to cruise on the street. You can go plenty fast without making a scene with high revs. Plus it just sounds sooo cool. The big advantage we feel the LS engine has over a blown 4 cylinder is reliablity. Sure a 4 banger with a turbo can produce 500 hp, but for how long? Try taking one of those motors to a track day weekend with 5 or more 20 minute sessions. Price vs reliability vs performance, you can't beat the LS and those are the three primary values behind Brunton Auto. Having said that, I do not "dog" a 4 cylinder car, but we feel the LS is hands down the best way to go. I have recognized people's passions for their particular brands of engines. I personaly love Toyota trucks, and Honda cars. But I want a Chevy LS in my stalker. That is why we are willing to fit any kind of motor/transmission to a stalker provided the buyer ships it to us and that it will physically fit. Most OHC engines are just plain huge. For instance, the new ford V8 is nearly twice the size of the LS despite displacement. Even cars like the miata, s2000, new mx5, AE86 corolla, and 240sx are all now dumping there unreliable boosted 4 cylinders for LS V8s. I have always loved the 7 since the first time I saw one, and there is an instant bond with other owners despite their brand or engine power. We have a unique club of people that I hope, through Brunton Auto, I can help spread around the world. Scott Minehart Brunton Auto Owner/Operator http://www.bruntonauto.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusaNostra Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 (edited) ....and what everybody thinks of these lightweight simple 4 bangers like caterham/westfield and the like running neck to neck with some of the most "extreme supercars" in the world (powertoweightratio). http://tinyurl.com/429jl52 Edited June 20, 2011 by BusaNostra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimrankin Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 The old saying still stands true, "the only substitute for cubic inches is cubic dollars". If you want to go fast, go big. The realy nice thing is with all of the money put into aluminum component research the "go big" doesn't really mean "go heavy" anymore and "big" is getting cheaper and lighter all the time. That said, I'm happy with my "4 banger" in the S2K because I can get past my personal limits with it. But, I've been a "small block" Chevy fan since they were still 265/283/327 CI and will love seeing the new, light weight V8 "7's" eating up eveything at our local tracks as they become more common. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mondo Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Hard to beat a Chevy small block for $per HP... it does kind of take away from the underdog status when you fire up a 7 with an 8 though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slngsht Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Each variant has its own charm. I got a ride in Mopho's Orange, and was really impressed with how nimble the car was through the canyon roads he took me on. I'm pretty sure I would not have been able to keep up with him in those roads in Frankn7. On the other hand, when the road just opens up a little bit, like the really twisty mountain roads we have through the blueridge with lots of elevation change, I'm just as easily convinced a run of the mill 4 banger will simply get walked. And yes, it IS LOTS of fun to have the car absolutely plant you in your seat as it rockets from corner to corner, excellent brakes to slow you down, and enough tires to carry speed through corners. Where my car suffered was on bumpy roads - that was the most significant difference I noticed riding mofo's car. And that was not really because of the V8, more so due to compromises I made in wheel/tire size, brakes, etc... I'll report back on how the opposite end of the spectrum works out, but will always have a soft spot for the absolute rockets that V8 sevens are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruntonauto Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 There are so many different factors that go into how "nimble" a car feels. If you were to take a given suspension design, and add weight to it, it will absolutly loose it's nimble quality. There are things like spring weight and damper settings that could help support the weight staticly, and in cornering. However, the extra weight will still make the co-efficient of friction of the tires reach it's maximum point at a lower speed, on a given suspension design. But through proper suspension design we can alter the angles at which the weight is being transfered into the tire to acheive the same higher speeds at a given g-force of a lighter vehicle. A great example of this is SCCA autocross. For years and years DM was faster than EM. The only difference in these classes are weight and engine size. Until recently, through new advances in suspension design, the heavier EM cars are now becoming faster than DM. This is on low speed, toss your car back and forth type of racing where power is hard to put to the ground. It also has a lot to do with new tire technology that allows power to planted better. In either case, what affects the handleing of the car the most is not the weight it self, but how high the center of gravity is and suspension designed around that center of gravity to make the weight work for you instead of against you. And speaking of curvy roads. The Stalker Ambush this year will be in september and ALL 7's are invited to come play in the blue ridge mountains! The Stalker owners were happy to host the event this year so I will post more details when I know them. Maybe Hottcar can shed some light on this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86Sebring Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Awesome vid, does anybody know of a used and titled LS stalker for sale? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOTTTCAR Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 (edited) Try this one if it is not sold. Sorry that's not an LS. http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=12346&sid=33272f5bfbca6ef3207c8fd94e8dd061 Edited July 4, 2011 by HOTTTCAR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midgetracr Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 The LS3 powered Stalker that is shown in that video is for sale. Note that the first 1 lap+ was driven slowly to warm the tires and find the slick spots on the track before trying to go fast. Also note that the only times the camera car closed in was when I was held up by traffic or slowed on purpose. This was to time my arrival behind a slower car for one of the few places on track where passing was allowed. John Meyers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOTTTCAR Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 If you are going to buy a Stalker, John's car is currently proven the fastest Stalker on the Planet. Why not start at the top. Gale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitcat Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Not to mention, one of the fastest cars, period, on the planet. And maybe THE fastest car that can be legally driven on the street? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86Sebring Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Agree, John's car looks to be a ferocious one to start with, ha. Just what I am looking for. NJ laws are a pain in the neck, car needs to be titled as a mid 60s or so. I don't want the hassle of registering a 2010 kit car. John, can you post more info on the car, or email me at emihu2000@yahoo.com thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midgetracr Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Private message sent to 86 Sebring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erioshi Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 If you want a pure seven or a clone seven, stay the concept of 7. If you want big v8, humongous torque call it other than 7 'cause the man (chapman) will not appreciate that concept in his grave. Chapman critized many times with his work and creation but stayed in what he believes a lotus 7 should be. ... I not so sure that Colin would be so upset with the route alot of compays are heading. What would Colin do today if he had our technology? Do you still think he would use a 100hp 4 cyl? I think he used what was available back in the day. I think he would go with a 500hp 1700 lb car over a 100hp 1000lb car. As long as it is properly done I think he would lean towards Johns route. Forgive me for being late to the party, but I'm also inclined to think Colin would be happily looking at larger engines for more total performance. If you look at the engines Lotus has used throughout their history, they seem to to have favored engines with an emphasis for decent mid-range torque over pure top end HP. That trend seems to appear in both the engines they have sourced from other companies, as well as the engines they have developed in house. And there are in-house examples of swapping to larger engines for racing use or street use as the technology became available. The Europa type 47 is one example; they basically cut the rear chassis of a 4 cylinder Europa and replaced it with a tube framed V8 assembly. The Esprit also gained first more displacement, then a turbo charger, and ultimately four additional cylinders. Just two examples of many. Personally I am a fan of uber-light; my current project is swapping an R1 engine into a Europa and then turbo charging it. And while I love the idea of low weight and screaming RPMs, everything I've read says Colin was actually a bit of a torque man. I suspect it comes from his starting out in cross country trials racing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rnr Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 The Europa type 47 is one example; they basically cut the rear chassis of a 4 cylinder Europa and replaced it with a tube framed V8 assembly. While I agree that Colin liked displacement as much as the rest of us, I have to point out that the Type 47 Europa used the Lotus Twin-Cam engine and not a V8. There was a single V8 one made for a customer race team but it was a one-off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erioshi Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 While I agree that Colin liked displacement as much as the rest of us, I have to point out that the Type 47 Europa used the Lotus Twin-Cam engine and not a V8. There was a single V8 one made for a customer race team but it was a one-off. My bad. Looks like I managed to mistake the Rover V8 powered, GKN sponsored Lotus/Rover one-off project (prototype GKN 47D) for the Type 47. Thanks for correcting me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonjo2 Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 I am so psyched now. LS3 stalker being built by Scott. It's too bad I am deployed until Christmas... This will be my war trophy, so to speak. I've always wanted a seven and always wanted a 289 cobra, now to have the best of both. Scott, feel free to post any photos. I look forward to meeting you and Glen in August, when I am home for my R&R. Best Regards. Avery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MHKflyer52 Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 Avery, Stay safe and thank you for serving your country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snookwheel Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 Avery, Stay safe and thank you for serving your country. What flyer said! Thanks and be safe. I bet that V8 rocket Scott is building will be a blast!:cheers: Where is home, when you are home? Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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