great thing about it being a sequential box too is you only need the clutch for taking off and stopping, you can just slam shift up and down, and if the donor bike has a quick shifter it's even better for it.
I'm in awe. I regret that I didn't find this a couple of years ago when you first posted it but it was great watching it anyway. I'm also consumed with the question of whether you might have ever considered building a light airplane and powering it with a motorcycle engine. It seems like an even greater challenge.
@@SuperfastMatt Check out your local chapter of EAA, as strange as it may seem, they are just about everywhere. If you don't get inspiration from hanging with some of those folks, you just aren't paying attention.
My uncle did this many, many times in a shop build in his backyard. Harley engine in an airplane, we thought he was insane, but he knew what he was doing. RIP Uncle Dick, you crazy bastard
The crossplane sounds so good though. I love the one in my MT-10. Although, it definitely has a crazy airbox. What looks like a huge gas tank is really 2/3rds airbox :-D Range is terrible, but whatever, I like what it does when I twist the throttle.
Fun fact, this isn't true, they are like that for marketing purposes, they could be a fraction of the size but then it'd ruin the design on the bike, if the intake pipe is the right size so there aren't losses and if the filter isn't tiny and restrictive it doesn't really matter what size it is, just as long as they aren't too small. Source: I build sport bikes for a living.
Probably already commented... but the little honda @0:30 is using the VFR tank only as an engine cover. Fuel cell is in the rear of that build. Cheers.
Dude. Epic build. And coming from someone that does the same , I love the fact that you decided to build/mod what you needed instead of just buying it. It makes you better at what we do to build stuff even sometimes when it’s more expensive.
I REALLY wanted to build a Locost about 10 years ago. Bought a welder. To learn to weld, I started building tallbikes. Build many many tallbikes. Bought an old Toyota pickup for a drivetrain. It had a tow hitch. So I bought a sailboat. Rebuilt half that boat. Built a new boat out of plywood. Gave up on the Locost and bought a '69 MG Midget. Rebuilt half the Midget. But hey! Now I can weld, sail, and give my wife headaches from 50 year old engine exhaust fumes!
I had an Alfa Junior racecar years ago - and I deleted the brake boosters (power brakes). The car weighed about 850kg (~1850lbs). Worked great - but the funny thing was that going from my road car directly to the racecar did not feel strange. Getting back into the roadcar after racing though I tended to lock the brakes up. Non-powered brakes, setup correctly, just feels right!
@@chaostoy Yeah this was back when I had more imagination and ambition than resources. I drove a pea-green 850 Spider for a time in high-school and always imagined it with a "real" motor, ABARTH flares and wide little wheels and tires. At least it had a roll-bar, which I eventually tested unfortunately.
you've just reminded me of the wooden car i "designed" when i was a kid. it was made off a bike too, reusing the engine and the rear suspension. i had troubles thinking how to design the steering, i didn't understand how a differential worked and i couldn't figure out how to mount the engine. my dad told me he would build it for me if i told him how but i never did because of those issues i had. i totaly forgot about it until today, 10 years later.
LMAO. Well let think about it. Some countries out law any mods. Some states in the US even regulate any upgrade to a emissions car that will make it not pass emissions test. So this is before 1974 and can you see Jay Leno breaking the law?
@@popsoldboats3406 yeah which i also find sad considering contrary to popular belief and the government knows it damn well that cars actually aren't the biggest polluters even worldwide catalytic converters on or not
@@popsoldboats3406 Jay Leno probably breaks a California vehicle code law every minute he's in his shop. I'm sure changing your own oil is probably breaking a law in California.
@@jiveturkey9993 Californians are the sickest people on the planet. Almost everything i buy for use on cars carries a warning that if used in California ,you will die from something nasty. Why anyone lives there is beyond me, but I live in Australia where modifying cars has been illegal since the 1970's when the government read too many Ralph Nader articles. (didn't he live in California around this time?) We can get around the laws using a specialist engineer to sign off the mods but these guys run a closed (read"expensive"_) shop and charge accordingly.
@@Mercmad have you seen the buckets with the disclaimer on them stating that if you stick your head in it you might drown? Or the plastic bags that have the disclaimer on them that if you stick it over your head you might suffocate?
I went to school for tool and die and have had hot rods my whole life, unfortunately I'm stuck having others with more patients and knowledge, to do most of my work. That said I'm at a loss to comprehend your know how. Lost story short, you earned another sub....
I'm actually in the process of swapping a Zx10r engine into my 1964 Beetle. I did most of my research and got the ball rolling last year. These videos have help reassure some of the ideas I formulated as well as helped point me in the right direction with aspects I haven't gotten far enough into yet. I look forward to more great content!
I've got a 1 litre kawi motor (from a Z1000, so basically an older leftover ninja motor they had laying around the factory) and am shopping for a kei truck to wrap around it.
do you happen to have a log of the things you're doing on that beetle ? i would like to do something similar in the future and i'm trying to gather as much info as i can. thanks ✨
@@ilgerry5690 i don't have any recorded log or anything, and have since had to sell the project, but I can try to answer questions and share what information I have.
@@bathrobebandit1561 thanks for the quick answer mate 🧐 if something pops in my mind i'll make sure to ask 😊 still, did u finish it then sold it or never completed it ?
@@ilgerry5690 unfortunately I didnt complete it. Moved for work and no longer had the space to do real fabrication. The engine went to a dirt track racer and body went to someone who was going to put it on a tube chassis with a 350 SBC so im at least happy none of it went to scrap. I'll return to the idea some day.
Awesome build process Matt ! I loved having the ability to get inside your head on your thought processes and design concepts as they either worked out, or failed ! I HIGHLY recommend taking the extra few minutes, and watch the Jay Leno Garage feature piece Jay did on this car ! This little Hotrod makes ALL the right sounds, and put a smile on both Matt and Jay's faces ! Who needs a sound system when you have a 12000 rpm rocket sled doing the talking ! That'll put a smile on any self-respecting gearhead ! Great job Matt !
when I was a teenager working at parts stores 30 years ago, I loved it when people came in with weird requests. I spent hours going through books to see what would cross reference. I dont even remember how many times people went back int o the radiator hose isle looking for something that would work.
You're an eloquently spoken skilled instructor and you're right about the British doing superbike engine swaps but after seeing loads of UA-cam videos of Hayabusa powered Polski Fiats, this trend is popular all over Europe! Since rice 🚀 rockets make the most horsepower per displacement it's simply cost effective! BTW the Brits built an awesome V-8 from 2 Hayabusa cylinder heads! They use that 450hp engine in the Ariel Atom 500 and the Radical R-1.
I've been putting engines where they don't belong all of my life, starting off with installing a 55 Chevy 265 V8 in a Kaiser and had to do a lot of adaptions to make it work. However, this is an entirely new level of adaptions and 'create your own' I'm not sure I even have the skills for. I'm impressed!
I love what you've done here as it's so in the spirit of building the Locost i.e. no instructions, lots of time lying in bed at night thinking about solutions and keeping the thing as light as possible = maximum fun
I imagine the clutch change is somewhere here in the comments. I noticed that you didn't have the hand clutch when Jay was driving the car. By the way, none of us will ever be as cool as "Jay Leno saw me at the side of the road and invited me on his show" cool. Major Props!!
Nice job Matt. I was lucky enough to have worked on two old Hondas. My Dad had a '65 S600, all original, but had been disassembled. Could not find carb parts, so we installed a CBR600 FI with our own manifolds and Microsqirt controller. Fun! The other was a hot rodded N600 twin. It too was original before I upgraded the engine with EI flatslides, custom header, CDI, karting tires and wheels and brakes. Keep 'em coming!
UA-cam's "recommended" got me here. Dude, that rocks. I had to back up here, to comment after watching Jay's drive in the car. That was fun. He was so real, about the car. well done!
During the oil pan shortening discussion, my eyes almost popped out of my head when you started talking about magnesium welding. I thought the story was leading up to something I've had firsthand witness to, which if I remember correctly, involved some thermite and an old VW beetle engine block in the middle of the Mojave desert.
Simple and to the point, I like that. I like that hand clutch, too. That car is a true hot rod and by the looks of it; rat rod, too. I've thought about doing something like that with a goldwing flat6.
Yooo I have always wanted to do a gold wing or bmw engine car as well. Always seemed sensible bc it’s pushing around a barge of a bike so what not a light car. Though both engines don’t really have an advantage to auto engines of equal size aside from weight, I just think it would be super cool
Oh I know, they also redline at 6k so for the overall size and displacement and rev range of the engine, you might as well go with a auto engine of the same displacement, they typically rev higher and would be more stout, not to mention easier to work with and modify, just heavier, maybe depending on the gold wing. Like I said there is no reason not to swap a gold wing engine into something, I saw a guy who had one in a kei van, that was neat, mounted it under the chassis, but i really cannot deduce the advantage of a gold wing engine to an auto engine in the same displacement aside from packaging
Rand across Matt's video and loved it. Loved his humor and candid comments about building this increditable street rod.Talk about a great surprise was when I found out Jay Leno had a video. Love the hell out of this car. Could listen to that sound all day long. Great Job Matt.
OMG, I’m dying 😂! The part about taking advice from the guy who spent all this time trying to weld magnum to aluminum. I think you do self deprecation well, and boom 💥 on me, I am paying attention. One last note : the oil pan welding part made me really laugh out loud. 💨💨😎💨💨
Super cool functional build man! A french company SECMA does the same kind of low cost racing gocart build with all stock renault/peugeot parts for around 15K euros. But having a S600 with a bike engine is much more satisfying. More power to you!!!
The more bike engine powered cars I see, the keener I get to try my hand. It's a shame they stopped making Mokes so long ago. Oz viewers be aware that our emission requirements are linked to the engine & NOT the body or chassis. I really like your reverse gear solution, too. Nice work.
This is a great build, I really like your matter of fact, tongue in cheek presentation. Watched the Jay Leno drive, this thing rocks... and seeing the drive completes the story. 🙂
very cool Matt. I did something similar when I took the front and rear suspension components from and RZR razor and built a frame to accommodate a Vmax 1200 cc engine. Four wheel drive, looks like a mini jeep, loads of fun. I enjoyed your vid, we both solved the reverse problem very differently. Still a work in progress.
You and "This Old Tony" could be a great radio show......Nice job! My buddy had many SCCA DSR Sports racers running out of his shop in the 80's thru early 2000's quite a few were National Champs....Its amazing how much power these bike motors can put out👍
that basic clutch system has worked for me in my aircooled vw powered rail buggy since a bad bike accident in 08 and subsequent injuries resulting in losing a leg.... i also use a atv thumb throttle for fuel ..... next build im saving parts for "fly by wire" throttle and hydraulic clutch..... awesome build sir enjoyed your videos
I found you via the Jay Leno channel... I hope that someday, you get the itch to clean up the bodywork on your S-1000. It deserves to be as awesome on the outside, as it is underneath! I love that slightly dry sense of humor you've got, and your presentation was thoroughly enjoyable! Keep doing what you're doing, Matt!
I was doing Formula Student as part of my Uni course, we used Triumph Street Triple 675 engines and put them in what is essentially a big boy kart. About 250kg wet, engine tuned to make 100 bhp at the rear wheel
Motorcycle intakes are tuned to separate intake plenum from filter, kinda like exhaust resonators but for the other end. They're up high because putting a full heavy tank of gas down low, near CG is better so the big empty box of air ends up going up high, and forward, near the ram scoop ducts.
I thought you would have hit us with the "other CAD" joke when you were fab'ing your motor mounts, but I'm glad you saved until closer to the end of this series! That's funny as hell though! Love this whole build and your humorous explanation of it!!
If you like that joke, watch Bad Obsession Motorsport and the Binky build - it's where I first heard it, and I assume Matt is actually referencing them :)
Thanks for the video, my wife said I can do whatever I want with her 2008 Honda Fit as long as we have the other car for her to use, so I've been scheming to put a 'busa engine in the rear seat area for a Mid-engine RWD contraption...This video gives a quick overview of things that need to be considered!
First vid of yours I've watched. Love it! Dry dry humour, very British! Oh, BTW, we use small engines in the UK because we're not allowed to play with big toys anymore.. including engines nor guns.. *SUBSCRIBED
SFM, I jumped in to the shallow end of the pool to check out your wicked stuff a bike power plant in a tiny car and backstroked to the deep end because it was open mic night at your garage. Absolutely enjoyed your bad idea build and your spot on clip describing how you set $10,000 on fire for for a good cause, fun. Color me an instant subscriber.
i have always wanted to use a harley motor for a two seater but i figure like you said. the motor and trans but with a belt or chain drive it would destroy both quickly.. but the diferencial you showed for that application. would probably last longer but the inevitable is bound to happen.. weight would be paramount.. you have a great mind my friend.. peace
Very impressive build and super concise video presentation...Thanks! But, welding MAGNESIUM??? I once worked in the defense industry for 3 years. An aluminum component we built (specified to weigh no more than 1 pound) for use in a 'smart' bomb was a couple ounces overweight. The only solution we could find was to build it using magnesium. Bt, the military steadfastly disallowed magnesium - EVEN FOR USE IN A BOMB....and yet, you're WELDING it??? YIKES!!!
Oh one more thing, that clutch lever mounted on the shifter is a clever solution because it adds more footwell room! Shifter/Clutch combo is a common thing on Vespa and Lambretta Italian scooters!
Hey, just finished the first video, and before getting into this, wanted to say that the way you present the info is great. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! For NOT wasting a metric ass load of time on non-essential crap. Succinct and sweet is where it's at man!
The issue I have with people putting motorcycle engines in a car is that people use the motorcycle clutch. Ya know, the clutch that's designed for a 600 pound motorcycle and not a car that weighs 3 times as much. You get slip, you can't put the power down as efficiently and you are either changing clutch plates or tires far too often.
Welding wierd alloys: Been there done that. Brought my damaged R1 block to a radiator shop that tried to TIG it but the puddle was just popping crackling. The problem was that I had laid the bike down at very slow speed and a curbstone had ripped the crank cover off, shering four bolts and ripping out four bolts. Spent two weeks trying to build up material by bracing it with zink. Everytime I tried to get the zink to wet the surface the flux burned up. Came to the conclusion that did not trust softer bracing materials with lower wetting temperature and that I would have to use a BBQ to heat the whole block in order to have the slightest chance with zink. In addition to all of this there was a lot of experimenting with stainles sheet metal to try to make "moulds" in order to contain the zink where I wanted to build material. I had already given up and was ready to buy another engine when my friend said: "Lets go to one of my customers, a repair ship yard." Within 30 minutes one of the welders had buildt up the material with the MIG welder they repair aluminium boats with. Then we went to another customer that was a machine shop to get the seal surface machined. Bought a cover from a scrap yard to replace the shattered one and used it as template to drill and tap the holes. Then I "just" had to assemble the compleate engine and transmission again before I finally got it running. Lessons learned: 1. Friends are super important. 2. You learn a lot when you cant just buy a scrapped engine to solve your problems. 3. It takes a lot of time.
Bro That shiftier clutch combo is legendarily sick AF! I want it on everything i drive!
That shifter is gone in the Jay Leno driving video. What happened?
YOU RIGHT THAT CLUTCH SET UP IS GENIUS
In the UK you can legally adapt your vehicle to do this if you have a disability you can literally have motorcycle controls on your car
great thing about it being a sequential box too is you only need the clutch for taking off and stopping, you can just slam shift up and down, and if the donor bike has a quick shifter it's even better for it.
My Geo metro had a cable operated clutch - might be easy to retrofit as long as the mechanical advantage isn't far off.
3:45 - "Or you can do the _other_ CAD, which is 'Cardboard Aided Design'..." 🤣
LMAO.
See Project Binky.
For people who see computers as magic boxes cardboard aided design is a lot easier.
@@calvingreene90: I get it, I just thought the expression was funny.
@@deusexaethera Good stuff.
I'm in awe. I regret that I didn't find this a couple of years ago when you first posted it but it was great watching it anyway. I'm also consumed with the question of whether you might have ever considered building a light airplane and powering it with a motorcycle engine. It seems like an even greater challenge.
I've always wanted to build an airplane.
One of these days...
@@SuperfastMatt Check out your local chapter of EAA, as strange as it may seem, they are just about everywhere. If you don't get inspiration from hanging with some of those folks, you just aren't paying attention.
My uncle did this many, many times in a shop build in his backyard. Harley engine in an airplane, we thought he was insane, but he knew what he was doing.
RIP Uncle Dick, you crazy bastard
@@Beegs164 Sounds like everyone's favorite kind of uncle!! Your parents aren't always cool with it but the kids think he's awesome! 😆🤪
That shifter/clutch is the coolest thing I’ve seen in a while! Great job, bro. Seriously. Well done.
Got my vote.
Motorcycle intakes are huge, because they are tuned like a musical instrument.
#YAMAHA both of my R1s sing like angels. Though, one of them has obviously been possessed (crossplane)
The crossplane sounds so good though. I love the one in my MT-10.
Although, it definitely has a crazy airbox. What looks like a huge gas tank is really 2/3rds airbox :-D Range is terrible, but whatever, I like what it does when I twist the throttle.
Fun fact, this isn't true, they are like that for marketing purposes, they could be a fraction of the size but then it'd ruin the design on the bike, if the intake pipe is the right size so there aren't losses and if the filter isn't tiny and restrictive it doesn't really matter what size it is, just as long as they aren't too small. Source: I build sport bikes for a living.
@@jefffrasca4054 wait till you mod the air box, delete the cat and flash the ECU. It's a whole different monster. What I did to my mt10 lol
yeah he just lost a bunch of power
Love the presentation. To the point, understandable, good photography nothing left out, and a straight faced sense of humor.
Probably already commented... but the little honda @0:30 is using the VFR tank only as an engine cover. Fuel cell is in the rear of that build. Cheers.
Dude. Epic build. And coming from someone that does the same , I love the fact that you decided to build/mod what you needed instead of just buying it. It makes you better at what we do to build stuff even sometimes when it’s more expensive.
I REALLY wanted to build a Locost about 10 years ago.
Bought a welder.
To learn to weld, I started building tallbikes.
Build many many tallbikes.
Bought an old Toyota pickup for a drivetrain.
It had a tow hitch.
So I bought a sailboat.
Rebuilt half that boat.
Built a new boat out of plywood.
Gave up on the Locost and bought a '69 MG Midget.
Rebuilt half the Midget.
But hey! Now I can weld, sail, and give my wife headaches from 50 year old engine exhaust fumes!
I had an Alfa Junior racecar years ago - and I deleted the brake boosters (power brakes). The car weighed about 850kg (~1850lbs). Worked great - but the funny thing was that going from my road car directly to the racecar did not feel strange. Getting back into the roadcar after racing though I tended to lock the brakes up. Non-powered brakes, setup correctly, just feels right!
The Best automotive channel EVER. I'm glad I discovered your channel in its early states. I love your half baked ideas and questionable methods.
I see Scotty with his fist in the air
Love the videos. It’s a great mix of technical, dirty socks, and bad great ideas.
For 40-years I've thought about putting a motorcycle engine in a Fiat 850 Spider. Some guys think. Some guys do. Brilliant car and engineering.
I was looking for someone to say they have done this also!
@@chaostoy Yeah this was back when I had more imagination and ambition than resources. I drove a pea-green 850 Spider for a time in high-school and always imagined it with a "real" motor, ABARTH flares and wide little wheels and tires. At least it had a roll-bar, which I eventually tested unfortunately.
you've just reminded me of the wooden car i "designed" when i was a kid. it was made off a bike too, reusing the engine and the rear suspension. i had troubles thinking how to design the steering, i didn't understand how a differential worked and i couldn't figure out how to mount the engine. my dad told me he would build it for me if i told him how but i never did because of those issues i had. i totaly forgot about it until today, 10 years later.
"Is it legal? What, are you a cop?"
LMAO. Well let think about it. Some countries out law any mods. Some states in the US even regulate any upgrade to a emissions car that will make it not pass emissions test. So this is before 1974 and can you see Jay Leno breaking the law?
@@popsoldboats3406 yeah which i also find sad considering contrary to popular belief and the government knows it damn well that cars actually aren't the biggest polluters even worldwide catalytic converters on or not
@@popsoldboats3406 Jay Leno probably breaks a California vehicle code law every minute he's in his shop.
I'm sure changing your own oil is probably breaking a law in California.
@@jiveturkey9993 Californians are the sickest people on the planet. Almost everything i buy for use on cars carries a warning that if used in California ,you will die from something nasty. Why anyone lives there is beyond me, but I live in Australia where modifying cars has been illegal since the 1970's when the government read too many Ralph Nader articles. (didn't he live in California around this time?) We can get around the laws using a specialist engineer to sign off the mods but these guys run a closed (read"expensive"_) shop and charge accordingly.
@@Mercmad have you seen the buckets with the disclaimer on them stating that if you stick your head in it you might drown?
Or the plastic bags that have the disclaimer on them that if you stick it over your head you might suffocate?
This is an impressively informative video. I've never seen anything like it. This guy should be a senior engineer (maybe is) someplace.
He worked for Tesla at that point :)
I went to school for tool and die and have had hot rods my whole life, unfortunately I'm stuck having others with more patients and knowledge, to do most of my work.
That said I'm at a loss to comprehend your know how.
Lost story short, you earned another sub....
My favorite episode of Leno was THIS car! I couldnt believe it when I found your vids. Super informative, love the S600.
I thought this car was familiar. yeah, leno was disappointed that the original parts got trashed.
I loved that episode I've seen it about 15 times
DUDE THAT CLUTCH SET UP IS BAD ASS
I'm actually in the process of swapping a Zx10r engine into my 1964 Beetle. I did most of my research and got the ball rolling last year. These videos have help reassure some of the ideas I formulated as well as helped point me in the right direction with aspects I haven't gotten far enough into yet. I look forward to more great content!
I've got a 1 litre kawi motor (from a Z1000, so basically an older leftover ninja motor they had laying around the factory) and am shopping for a kei truck to wrap around it.
do you happen to have a log of the things you're doing on that beetle ? i would like to do something similar in the future and i'm trying to gather as much info as i can. thanks ✨
@@ilgerry5690 i don't have any recorded log or anything, and have since had to sell the project, but I can try to answer questions and share what information I have.
@@bathrobebandit1561 thanks for the quick answer mate 🧐 if something pops in my mind i'll make sure to ask 😊 still, did u finish it then sold it or never completed it ?
@@ilgerry5690 unfortunately I didnt complete it. Moved for work and no longer had the space to do real fabrication. The engine went to a dirt track racer and body went to someone who was going to put it on a tube chassis with a 350 SBC so im at least happy none of it went to scrap. I'll return to the idea some day.
Even though I love the stock+ super clean look, I can still really respect your rat rod Honda. It's just so insane.
I really enjoy your commentary. It's fun and not too serious and still gets the message out.
Awesome build process Matt !
I loved having the ability to get inside your head on your thought processes and design concepts as they either worked out, or failed !
I HIGHLY recommend taking the extra few minutes, and watch the Jay Leno Garage feature piece Jay did on this car !
This little Hotrod makes ALL the right sounds, and put a smile on both Matt and Jay's faces !
Who needs a sound system when you have a 12000 rpm rocket sled doing the talking !
That'll put a smile on any self-respecting gearhead !
Great job Matt !
that mister leno should be thankful of what you did, you gave his channel a solid plug
One of my all-time favourites from Jay Leno's channel - a true Q-car (not what it seems) with a properly punk attitude.
when I was a teenager working at parts stores 30 years ago, I loved it when people came in with weird requests. I spent hours going through books to see what would cross reference. I dont even remember how many times people went back int o the radiator hose isle looking for something that would work.
Ok, when I saw that shifter, I hit the sub right away. Maybe the coolest automotive mod I've ever seen.
Thanks! I love it. Maybe my favorite part of the car.
You're an eloquently spoken skilled instructor and you're right about the British doing superbike engine swaps but after seeing loads of UA-cam videos of Hayabusa powered Polski Fiats, this trend is popular all over Europe! Since rice 🚀 rockets make the most horsepower per displacement it's simply cost effective! BTW the Brits built an awesome V-8 from 2 Hayabusa cylinder heads! They use that 450hp engine in the Ariel Atom 500 and the Radical R-1.
Morgan started life as a car/bike 3 wheel sportster back in the 1920/30s and look at them now. Great video Matt!
The algorithm just discovered you for me! Love it! Keep it up! Laughed hard and learned something!
I've been putting engines where they don't belong all of my life, starting off with installing a 55 Chevy 265 V8 in a Kaiser and had to do a lot of adaptions to make it work. However, this is an entirely new level of adaptions and 'create your own' I'm not sure I even have the skills for. I'm impressed!
This is perfect engineering content. Funniest stuff ive seen in quite a while
This car is one of my all-time favourites from Jay Leno's channel. A true Q-car (i.e., not what it seems) with a properly punk attitude.
I love what you've done here as it's so in the spirit of building the Locost i.e. no instructions, lots of time lying in bed at night thinking about solutions and keeping the thing as light as possible = maximum fun
I’m bout to put a 1300cc Hayabusa motor in my 2009 Cobalt SS coupe and put a turbo on it.
I imagine the clutch change is somewhere here in the comments. I noticed that you didn't have the hand clutch when Jay was driving the car. By the way, none of us will ever be as cool as "Jay Leno saw me at the side of the road and invited me on his show" cool. Major Props!!
Hartley addressed all of this, including the excessive deck height,and yes, non-ironically it was first tested in a Lotus/Locost 7.
Matt, love your fast pace, humour and knowledge. As an Aircraft Engineer by trade I love how you simplify the insane! Keep up the good work man!
Great video. You sound like a professional speaker. The video was well done and everything was nicely explained. I subscribed. Keep up the great work.
Nice job Matt. I was lucky enough to have worked on two old Hondas. My Dad had a '65 S600, all original, but had been disassembled. Could not find carb parts, so we installed a CBR600 FI with our own manifolds and Microsqirt controller. Fun! The other was a hot rodded N600 twin. It too was original before I upgraded the engine with EI flatslides, custom header, CDI, karting tires and wheels and brakes. Keep 'em coming!
“The other CAD: Cardboard aided design.” So good.
UA-cam's "recommended" got me here. Dude, that rocks. I had to back up here, to comment after watching Jay's drive in the car. That was fun. He was so real, about the car. well done!
During the oil pan shortening discussion, my eyes almost popped out of my head when you started talking about magnesium welding. I thought the story was leading up to something I've had firsthand witness to, which if I remember correctly, involved some thermite and an old VW beetle engine block in the middle of the Mojave desert.
Dude, that bike handle shifter clutch is amazing.
It's my favorite part.
Couldn't help but imagining something coming apart when Jay was driving. Very cool series and very fun seeing Jay review it too
Simple and to the point, I like that. I like that hand clutch, too. That car is a true hot rod and by the looks of it; rat rod, too. I've thought about doing something like that with a goldwing flat6.
BMW water-cooled Boxer.
Yooo I have always wanted to do a gold wing or bmw engine car as well. Always seemed sensible bc it’s pushing around a barge of a bike so what not a light car. Though both engines don’t really have an advantage to auto engines of equal size aside from weight, I just think it would be super cool
@@joederue9900 Goldwings have like 165hp.
Oh I know, they also redline at 6k so for the overall size and displacement and rev range of the engine, you might as well go with a auto engine of the same displacement, they typically rev higher and would be more stout, not to mention easier to work with and modify, just heavier, maybe depending on the gold wing. Like I said there is no reason not to swap a gold wing engine into something, I saw a guy who had one in a kei van, that was neat, mounted it under the chassis, but i really cannot deduce the advantage of a gold wing engine to an auto engine in the same displacement aside from packaging
@@joederue9900 Super cool is the main reason.
Best how to build video I've ever seen on UA-cam!!!
Excellent, I love when people explain the process, instead of just showing them eating tires.
Rand across Matt's video and loved it. Loved his humor and candid comments about building this increditable street rod.Talk about a great surprise was when I found out Jay Leno had a video. Love the hell out of this car. Could listen to that sound all day long. Great Job Matt.
One of the best hot rod channels on UA-cam. Keep up the great work. I am thoroughly enjoying the content.
OMG, I’m dying 😂! The part about taking advice from the guy who spent all this time trying to weld magnum to aluminum. I think you do self deprecation well, and boom 💥 on me, I am paying attention. One last note : the oil pan welding part made me really laugh out loud. 💨💨😎💨💨
Super cool functional build man! A french company SECMA does the same kind of low cost racing gocart build with all stock renault/peugeot parts for around 15K euros. But having a S600 with a bike engine is much more satisfying. More power to you!!!
I like your sense of humour! Very entertaining and informative, thanks mate!
matt the reason the british put motorcycle engines on their cars is because they don't have to pay a road tax for sitting idle in traffic
Your choice of music is so nostalgic!
I read your racecar book, but you totally need to do a video on fsae.
I'm not sure which I enjoyed more, your technical expertise or sense of humor!
This is one of the best videos on doing a motorcycle engine swap! Thank you so much for all the tips.
The more bike engine powered cars I see, the keener I get to try my hand. It's a shame they stopped making Mokes so long ago. Oz viewers be aware that our emission requirements are linked to the engine & NOT the body or chassis. I really like your reverse gear solution, too. Nice work.
That clutch is brilliant!
This is one of my favorite builds! Thanks for the all the tips!!
Same here.
First saw your car on Jay Leno's show.
However, my path to your channel goes through your ECU-related things.
Really enjoyed this. The guys narrative was flowing, entertaining, informative and kept me engaged. Which not many do. Well done mate.
This is a great build, I really like your matter of fact, tongue in cheek presentation. Watched the Jay Leno drive, this thing rocks... and seeing the drive completes the story. 🙂
very cool Matt. I did something similar when I took the front and rear suspension components from and RZR razor and built a frame to accommodate a Vmax 1200 cc engine. Four wheel drive, looks like a mini jeep, loads of fun. I enjoyed your vid, we both solved the reverse problem very differently. Still a work in progress.
You and "This Old Tony" could be a great radio show......Nice job! My buddy had many SCCA DSR Sports racers running out of his shop in the 80's thru early 2000's quite a few were National Champs....Its amazing how much power these bike motors can put out👍
That clutch shifter is awesome.
that basic clutch system has worked for me in my aircooled vw powered rail buggy since a bad bike accident in 08 and subsequent injuries resulting in losing a leg.... i also use a atv thumb throttle for fuel ..... next build im saving parts for "fly by wire" throttle and hydraulic clutch..... awesome build sir enjoyed your videos
Another masterclass on this subject, an absolute gem of s video!
Once again, this has exceeded my expectations in every way.
Well put together. I mean the car and video. Made me laugh and appreciate your hard work. Excellent from Australia.
I like how the magnesium oil pan didn't stop you and you creatively made it work
Awesome.....had a Bugeye TR3 which was the most fun car I ever had and I owned 5 Hot Rods all over 400 CI!!!!
and lucky enough to have one of the worlds finest drivers in your car.
I am really glad you make these videos, because they make my projects seem sane. :) :)
There’s a guy in my town with a huyabusa motor in a geo metro. It’s crazy and loud AF
I found you via the Jay Leno channel... I hope that someday, you get the itch to clean up the bodywork on your S-1000. It deserves to be as awesome on the outside, as it is underneath!
I love that slightly dry sense of humor you've got, and your presentation was thoroughly enjoyable! Keep doing what you're doing, Matt!
I was doing Formula Student as part of my Uni course, we used Triumph Street Triple 675 engines and put them in what is essentially a big boy kart. About 250kg wet, engine tuned to make 100 bhp at the rear wheel
Motorcycle intakes are tuned to separate intake plenum from filter, kinda like exhaust resonators but for the other end.
They're up high because putting a full heavy tank of gas down low, near CG is better so the big empty box of air ends up going up high, and forward, near the ram scoop ducts.
I thought you would have hit us with the "other CAD" joke when you were fab'ing your motor mounts, but I'm glad you saved until closer to the end of this series! That's funny as hell though! Love this whole build and your humorous explanation of it!!
If you like that joke, watch Bad Obsession Motorsport and the Binky build - it's where I first heard it, and I assume Matt is actually referencing them :)
Wait! You picked her up from Flagstaff?! That's so dope haha. I'm currently doing a similar build from a car I towed from Flagstaff.
Bro. Your dry wit is epic.
Thanks for the video, my wife said I can do whatever I want with her 2008 Honda Fit as long as we have the other car for her to use, so I've been scheming to put a 'busa engine in the rear seat area for a Mid-engine RWD contraption...This video gives a quick overview of things that need to be considered!
First vid of yours I've watched. Love it! Dry dry humour, very British! Oh, BTW, we use small engines in the UK because we're not allowed to play with big toys anymore.. including engines nor guns.. *SUBSCRIBED
@superfastmatt Your face through the whole of Jay's vid *FIXED NERVOUS GRIN* (don't blame you).
SFM, I jumped in to the shallow end of the pool to check out your wicked stuff a bike power plant in a tiny car and backstroked to the deep end because it was open mic night at your garage. Absolutely enjoyed your bad idea build and your spot on clip describing how you set $10,000 on fire for for a good cause, fun. Color me an instant subscriber.
i have always wanted to use a harley motor for a two seater but i figure like you said. the motor and trans but with a belt or chain drive it would destroy both quickly.. but the diferencial you showed for that application. would probably last longer but the inevitable is bound to happen.. weight would be paramount.. you have a great mind my friend.. peace
This car was always one of my favorite Jay Leno Channel videos.
Two types of CAD. Perfect!
Very impressive build and super concise video presentation...Thanks! But, welding MAGNESIUM???
I once worked in the defense industry for 3 years. An aluminum component we built (specified to weigh no more than 1 pound) for use in a 'smart' bomb was a couple ounces overweight. The only solution we could find was to build it using magnesium. Bt, the military steadfastly disallowed magnesium - EVEN FOR USE IN A BOMB....and yet, you're WELDING it??? YIKES!!!
great video and your episode on jay leno’s garage was epic!
Love these type of builds. Suggest that you paint the crusty metal and clean the job up. Rat Rods are for people who don't know much.
Oh one more thing, that clutch lever mounted on the shifter is a clever solution because it adds more footwell room! Shifter/Clutch combo is a common thing on Vespa and Lambretta Italian scooters!
Damn entertaining . I realize I am late to the party but look forward to your work.
IQ plus dry humor and not from England? I love this guy. Good video.
Thanks for the great video!. I should know these information before I made my hotrod, I will recommend your channel to car guy friends.😊
Hey, just finished the first video, and before getting into this, wanted to say that the way you present the info is great. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! For NOT wasting a metric ass load of time on non-essential crap. Succinct and sweet is where it's at man!
The issue I have with people putting motorcycle engines in a car is that people use the motorcycle clutch.
Ya know, the clutch that's designed for a 600 pound motorcycle and not a car that weighs 3 times as much.
You get slip, you can't put the power down as efficiently and you are either changing clutch plates or tires far too often.
Does not seem to meet JL’s standards by his demeanor but I really love your craftsmanship.
Welding wierd alloys: Been there done that. Brought my damaged R1 block to a radiator shop that tried to TIG it but the puddle was just popping crackling. The problem was that I had laid the bike down at very slow speed and a curbstone had ripped the crank cover off, shering four bolts and ripping out four bolts. Spent two weeks trying to build up material by bracing it with zink. Everytime I tried to get the zink to wet the surface the flux burned up. Came to the conclusion that did not trust softer bracing materials with lower wetting temperature and that I would have to use a BBQ to heat the whole block in order to have the slightest chance with zink. In addition to all of this there was a lot of experimenting with stainles sheet metal to try to make "moulds" in order to contain the zink where I wanted to build material. I had already given up and was ready to buy another engine when my friend said: "Lets go to one of my customers, a repair ship yard." Within 30 minutes one of the welders had buildt up the material with the MIG welder they repair aluminium boats with. Then we went to another customer that was a machine shop to get the seal surface machined. Bought a cover from a scrap yard to replace the shattered one and used it as template to drill and tap the holes. Then I "just" had to assemble the compleate engine and transmission again before I finally got it running. Lessons learned: 1. Friends are super important. 2. You learn a lot when you cant just buy a scrapped engine to solve your problems. 3. It takes a lot of time.
That shift clutch looks so cool, it show's the car has motorcycle DNA. :)
This is even better than part one!
Thanks, this Will help me with my smart roadster gsxr 1000! 🎉❤