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Hi, this is the main page for a site that splits cleanly into two halves (see menu buttons below) - one dedicated to the Honda VFR750R RC30 motorcycle, the other to Ford V8 engines, particularly the overlooked but potentially formidable 400 (or 400M as many people incorrectly refer to it).
On the bike side of things I still need to RE rebuild the RC30's motor after many years off the road, it had a water damaged bore from sitting so long that needed sleeving, the guy decked one bank but not the other, noticed it when assembling so got the other side done, and the rods resized, assembled the engine, finally found an oem oil pump cos before buying a street VFR one to work with the external cooler, the guy who kitted the engine had a go at drilling holes for cooling lines in my original pump... anyways, only after it was together did I figure a couple of things out - better late than never I guess ;
So... one day :) Love to ride it again, after selling off the kit bits I still have the things that made most of the power gains - a decent exhaust and the superbike carb kit. And lower gearing, way way too low gearing... back in 1990 or so I did a quarter mile on it, boiling hot with no fans on the upper kit radiator as I rolled up, all 270lbs of me on it. Had to back off three times to get the front down (wimp!) and it ran an 11.45secs at 132mph (211kph), slow as hell stock, but man do they have potential!
On the car side, that's long gone. I just got sick of being pulled over. I still have the 351C-4V Weiand intake manifold I almost finished turning into a 400-4V port injection manifold, be nice to sell that but I guess someone probably makes them by now. Drive an Audi RS4 now, had a C63 AMG before that, getting old...
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| My RC30 is a 1988 model, one of the first 250 made. New Zealand was one of the first markets to receive the bike, with a retail price of NZ$16,000 (at the time equivalent to around US$9,000). Only 25 were imported, and after overseas buyers took some home with them, mine is one of a handful left in NZ. Two years later the second run of RC30s took the worldwide total to around 3,500 and for the first time the US market received a limited number of them. This retailed for around NZ$24,500. |  |
| The middle picture is the 408cid V8 in my 1977 XC Ford Falcon, an Australian sedan originally equipped with the Aussie-only 302 Cleveland (351C with local 3.00' stroke crank). The 400 represents quite an improvement over the 302 though, and I'll bring you dyno results as soon as I get it tuned up and running nice. I also plan to sequentially port inject it, and am keen to share everything I learn in the process. | |
| The bottom picture shows my RC30 naked and race kitted with Marvic magnesium rims, ready for it's only outing. With the smaller 17' rear and lower gearing, it still runs a calculated 117kph in the first of it's 6 gears. The speedo runs off the countershaft sprocket, so is oblivious to gearing and rim changes. Perfect for recording really impressive cockpit videos... |
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