For some folks, TT is not an option as FI renders the vehicle ineligible for competition.

For me, CAMS Group 2B has lots of freedoms, BUT it does not permit FI where no FI option existed from the OEM.

Therefore, my options are limited to VQ block and heads. The challenge is to come up with an engine spec that generates max power conistent with the constraints in the regulations, and with reasonable engine life (say 30 hours between rebuilds).

I have been researchning this for at least 12 months on the basis that my DD will go on a huge diet and get a serious dose of steriods and a full CrMo cage when it comes off lease in a bit over 12 months. My current race car is no longer competetive in its class since it is based on a 1970-donor vehicle and apart from going down the 997 or 998 GT3/RSR or maybe Corvette route, a home-grown special is one of the few alternatives for Production Sports Cars in this country.

The basic parameters are ready-to-race without driver weight as close to 1100kg as I can, and around 380-400 ft/lbs of torque between 5000-7500rpm and fully adjustable suspension will just about cut it - we are allowed a total of 44" of wheel width and I know I can fit 10.5 and 11.5 (or 11" if square) wheels under the front and rear wheel arches without major body modifications (a bit of guard rolling will get the job done). We are allowed to move suspension pivot points radially not more than 50mm from the OEM pickup points, and I have already done to SusProg design for suspension and steering angles. Aero is a problem I have not yet solved either, but RMIT in my home town has soem really bright people who work with Formula SAE so thats a solveable problem ....

However, no-one has the spec's on a NA VQ head/cam/piston/rod/crank that will deliver the torque and engine life I'm looking for - and I have done enough with the old Buick 215 cu V8 in the past 30 years to understand how expensive getting to 400 ft/lbs of torque can be.

RJN in the UK have lots of VQ experience - but they are in Europe and I'm in the Antipodes ... so I continue my research and weigh up the pro's and con's of a roll-your-own solution here, or spend mega-Euro's and buy-in an engine.

I like the idea of a roll-your own solution, BUT I'm painfully aware of the cost of research - having suffered the odd catastrophic engine failure in the past when we did not quite get it right.

Bottom line is that this thread is not productive if you can use the FI route .... there is a VQ35 in a 300ZX that runs Super Lap in Sydney (the Unique AutoSports car) which has to make 800 hp given the single lap laptimes it pulls out - but that option is not availale to me for my category ... which is the only thing that makes it productive.

The VVEL heads produce too much heat for long races and I'm not sure how well they keep up past 8k rpm.

A.M. Performance is sitting out this season to move shop up to Washington state. They're not dead yet!

damn stupid fan boys that chose the Greddy TT for the project. Would really have liked to seen the NA option picked. At least we would get more info that way.

There's a guy building a 3.7HR...

Would have been nice to see what Nissan would have done NA

link? please :tiphat:

Awesome... Thanks for that.

3.7L HR Grand AM Engine
 

the reasoning behind swapping HR heads in place of VHR heads came down to the fact that noone knows how to properly control the VVEL to do what was required from the power angle.

HR heads bolt right on, no voodoo required.

look closely at the pic on page 2 and you see Veronica. 4 cam phase control, and this engine made right at 400WHP in it's final configuration.

if you guys are really interested in the dirty details, PM me.

as far as finding this engine in a catalog or being able to order from Nissan... Grand AM rules state that any part used on a car must be available to anyone else on the grid or the public. this is to theoretically prevent cheating by using one off or exotic parts. noone wants to invest the kind of time required in development of parts and then have to share them with the world, so this is a simple way of trying to control costs. that being said, this does not mean that you can call nissan and simply order the parts.

-n-