Can anyone tell me which engines would be the easiest to fit straight into a mk1 derby?

Also, I'm looking to upgrade the 4 speed box to 5 speed.

Any views? Ideas?!

Cheers

Same as any other carb fed Polo - same engine bay as the MK2/F. The front panel has moved further since this first shape though,so there's no space for a supercharger without doctatorship. I know of a 175bhp bike-carbed 1300 8v MK1 race car,so i can only imagine what a fast road tuned bike-carbed 1600 16v would go like. Until it breaks the gearbox,no doubt.. Alternatively,fit the alloy block 1.0 litre from the 6n. It'd be almost half the weight of the latest Polo. Blue Motion Derby! It'd keep up with traffic,be well nimble and sip fuel like a moped.

Wouldn't the engine mounts need fabricating for that though?

You say easiest to fit, so basically you should look at an engine from a mk1/2 which is either low mileage or well maintained. A 1300 from a late Ranger would be a good choice (MH code) and should come with a 5-speed box. It's a good idea to swap the selector rod and anti-roll bar over at the same time but you can get away without these..

for minimum hassle, a mk2 coupe S lump or a HH lump from a Derby GL/GLS. Slightly more messing a GT or 1.4 ABD engine with weber carb and electric fuel pump. Anything injection wise from a mk3 is fairly straightforward, but you need more or less a full car to do the conversion.

5-speed box can be fitted along with the 5-speed anti roll bar. The mk1 linkage doesn't always like the addition of an extra gear though.

Mobile welders dont charge much to come out and weld one thread onto an engine block,and thats the only difference,there. Inlet studs are different,but bike carbs are easy. Cooling system almost connects straight up. If its strictly a straight swap only that is under consideration,then the above suggestions are all good - with a MK2F GT engine and MK2 inlet and carb all bolting together to make 70+bhp.

for minimum hassle, a mk2 coupe S lump or a HH lump from a Derby GL/GLS. Slightly more messing a GT or 1.4 ABD engine with weber carb and electric fuel pump. Anything injection wise from a mk3 is fairly straightforward, but you need more or less a full car to do the conversion.

5-speed box can be fitted along with the 5-speed anti roll bar. The mk1 linkage doesn't always like the addition of an extra gear though.

Man knows. This is exactly what I did (twice)...1st time took about 2 weeks, second time took less than 1 day! I'd go for an early coupe S lump (I prefer HK to MH) and a 5 speed from a mk3 (not GT)...code for this is 8p iirc. The HH are ok but hard to find and I've not exactly had much luck with them...they tend to eat alternators (oil leaks) and generally blow up. Maybe cause they're older, maybe cause they're more likely to have been left stood for years.

You WILL need to cut and shut the gear linkage though...ask euro derby about that one, he's boss. :)

I dunno what it is about HHs, they're either really good or really bad. Luckily for me, mine is the former. Although I did change the headgasket last year for a metal one just to be safe. I know what you mean about alternators. The one that came with it lasted one day.

I think I had 2 weeks each out of 2 alternators, got me to the rolling road and back and it was all downhill from there. That silver Derby, so much money, 18 months of ownership and it was on the road for a total of 6 weeks...with 3 different engines!

Bloody mk1s.

bloody hell, 6 weeks! I'm suprised you've kept it this long.

It sounds too difficult all this ha ha

Is it possible to just change the gearbox to a 5-speed with its current engine? Or would it be pointless?

what engine is it? 1100? It can be done but you need to change the flywheel and clutch at the same time, and the arb as above. You would probably be best off with a gt box on one of those, I think the 8p would be too long for it. So you would get some more acceleration out of it, and you should improve motorway journeys too as IIRC the 1.1 mk1 'box is very very short!

Well i'm going to get my grandad to do, he restores old wagons so this should be easy for him.

I however, know nothing! But i'd need to gather the parts....so let me get this right.... i'd need:

A GT gearbox

what flywheel?

what clutch?

And whats an arb? !

Edit: Its the 1093cc

Edited 17 June, 200719 yr by DubLass

any mk3 flywheel will do. I might have one here actually you can have. Any 190mm clutch will do also (£60ish from gsf) ARB = anti roll bar, it's part of the front suspension that links the front struts together. The mk1 version is the wrong shape to accomodate a 5-speed box, it catches the gearbox casing.

Awesome, thats helped me big style, thanks Gaz!