engine choice

[Eric.S]

Alright guys so I'm soon planning to start my street rig project and am seeking advice on the engine choice. Once I get that I can start designing the chassis and suspension. So im looking for an engine I have a 1000 budget for it. It will be going in tube chassis car which should weigh about 700lbs and I need it to able to reach 85mph top speed. A bike engine would be ideal but am open to snowmobile, diesel ect. Where can I find them or do you have one your willing to sell.

What would you guys suggest

 

[firemanjim]

All you need is about a 2004 crf450...... It puts out 60 hp in stock form and I've seen them push 80+hp...... You will have NO problems hitting 85, and hitting it fast.......

 

[Eric.S]

Cool ill look into it.

Also Ive been browsing around ebay and found a bunch of 3cyl 2 strokes from snowmobiles and was wondering about pairing one up with a harley gearbox? Do you think the gearbox could handle the rpms?

 

[firemanjim]

Man that's too much work, too complicated to sort out, and more than likely have to get custom pieces made to mate engine with gear box. And a harley gear box might not withstand the rpms either.
Stick with a dirt bike engine or even a big atv/utv engine with a reverse, but not the kind with a TC drive system. I mean like a big 400cc polaris automatic 4 wheeler. Geared right, you will have no problem meeting your needs....
EDIT the snowmobile / Harley route would be real $$$$$$$ too....

 

[OzFab]

If you're willing to go to that much trouble to get reverse, find a cheap, running, small car; something like this would be perfect; technically, the whole rear end of the buggy is there in one package...

 

[Eric.S]

Cant be to much work. A couple cables, bracket misc sh*t. I dont see the mating of engine and box to be a problem more so its the rpms.

I found a couple crf engines online and they are way over my budget guys id like to keep it at 1k or under. I also played with the idea of a small car but at that point I might as well drop a 1uz w/ a w58 tranny and run it off a megasquirt. Im pretty much willing to do all the fab work.

Would it help If I draw up a generalization of what im picturing the chassis to look

 

[Scout]

A harley gearbox is coupled to the engine with a belt, but the bikes are belt drive. Plus a hd gearbox will suck up most of your budget.

 

[Eric.S]

Thats what I'm saying mating then wouldn't be a problem and theyre about 4-550 a pop.

Another option would be a full on bike engine I found an r1 engine for 900.