V8 Capri: Options

whooligan · 16-09-2012, 06:27 AM

Bought another V8 project to increase my driveline options for my track day project. So, here are my options.

Motor 302 Windsor or 351 Clevo?
Gearbox T5 BW or Single rail 4-speed?
Diff: BW drum brake or 9 inch drum brake or AU LSD disk brake?

Advice?

V8GT · 16-09-2012, 12:40 PM

302 windsor (will handle way better than if it was a clevo)
sell the t5 and single rail, buy a toploader
9inch running au brakes (el brakes are better option)

greencapri408 · 16-09-2012, 01:16 PM

347 Windsor or if you have the bucks dart block and 363ci
Nice and light

whooligan · 16-09-2012, 03:32 PM

How much lighter is the Windsor compared to the Clevo? Handling is what I'm looking for.
Not really after big power either, just reliability. I'll be running a close to stock engine with minimal modification until I can get the balance in the car right. Have no interest in building a monster motor that won't stop or go around corners.
Interesting you say to ditch the T5 for a toploader???? The toploader shifts like a stick in porridge compared to the 5spd with a quickshifter.
Reason why I ask, I'll be selling off whatever I don't use.

JG66ME · 16-09-2012, 03:49 PM

Not sure about weight Cleveland v Windsor but if you use an alloy intake and bell housing on the Windsor it is a few pounds lighter than the Essex V6 or at least about the same.

As the car is light I would not bother with a 9inch rear as they are heavy and less unsprung weight is better. I think rear drums are fine if you are going Falcon with Falcon discs up front. Again, light car.

I agree about top loader shifters. If you go 5 speed you could use a 3.23 BW diff to give you better acceleration providing the first gear on that transmission is tall. I would want to aim for no less than 30mph at 4-5000 rpm in first gear and 25mph for every 1000 rpm in top.

If you go single rail avoid the 503-009 box. First gear is a pain, way to low. Get a 503-003 out of an XB or 503-009 from the XC 5.8. The latter is the best. I would run a 2.92 ratio axle with this combination. If you are not bothered about off the line acceleration then a 2.75 will work nicely.

Steve

whooligan · 17-09-2012, 07:07 AM

I dont have a centre for the 9 inch (it was kind of a cheap buy so I picked it up) whereas the Early BW has a low ratio for flat out speed. The later BW is more of a general purpose ratio, 3.4? So more usable at Winton where tha car will probably most get used.
I'm only doing sprints so of the line is not an issue. And only has to last 12 minutes at a time.
The T5 I have is out of a EF xr8. Not sure what the ratios are but I bought it because I had driven a car out at Calder (short track) with essentially the same setup as I'm thinking of behind a mild Windsor.
The Clevo and single rail came up cheap thru a contact so I thought I'd throw that in for now and see how it went. It's a combo I've seen before. I guy nit far from me has the same setup in his capri and reckons it goes ok. My car will be lighter with most panels fibreglass.
The ultimate aim is to do Phillip Island regularly, so long term this will be a car I just leave down the holiday house for a weekend fang around my local and take my 4 banger Capri to Winton for the social sprint weekends with the club guys.

ClevoCapri · 22-09-2012, 05:57 AM

Get alloy heads on the clevo and save around 23kg's. Which I think is only a few kg's more than a all iron windsor. I would be concentrating on the suspension setup. Adjustable TCA's, compression strut conversion ect.
If your going to track it get disk brakes all round.
And an alloy center 9 inch would be my choice. I run an alloy strange center.

whooligan · 23-09-2012, 01:45 AM

Spoke with a guy tonight who had driven the donor car and was scared wit-less!!!! Awesome torque, apparently.
Donor car was setup for drag racing so front end is fairly standard apart from heavier springs/shocks. My race car has beefier springs and an inch lower, twin swaybars based on the Perana racecars.
I'm looking into an A-Frame kit as used in the UK for the rear setup.
Got the number of a guy who races a Tarmac rally Perana so hope to pick his brain over the next few months. Car doesn't need to be ready until Feb next year so plenty of time.....he says with worried look on his face!!!