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SquashedCat
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Literally just before COVID, I purchased a 1972 TVR Vixen 2500 S4 "Hybrid" (The older style Vixen body on the new M series Mike Bigland frame.) I had been in discussions with a Canadian TVR owner, racer, and TVR race car builder Mark Brown at Road America about building a special TVR project car. Mark had already built two TVR Vixen S2 race cars and he and his wife both experienced TVR racers. I wanted to build a Vixen with similar horsepower output as the TVR Griffiths, around 300 hp to replace the heavier than a V8 Triumph 2500cc 105 hp engine. I decided I did not want to go the V8 route, after discussions with TVR owners who have gone that route, and finding out the V8's while very cool sounding, and high torque output, present a very warm cockpit for it's occupants which is not very conducive on a hot summer day with no air conditioning. The dual exhaust under each seating area is not very comfortable for any distance driving. So, I decided to go with the Ford Cosworth 2.0L YB turbo route, the little four cylidner sewing machine engine. 
I did some research and the 200 block on the YB was designed for the 4WD versions, which offered slightly larger and better water jacketing ports and same for the head water jacketing which I thought would be useful for the warmer US weather conditions during the summer months. Found an engine builder in the UK who happened to have a supply of Cosworth YB engines. Specificied a 200 block engine to have a stage 3 engine build, which involved strengthened head bolts and head gasket capable up to 500hp, a certain size turbo, ECU chip, and green size injectors, which should deliver around 325 hp. After the build, the engine dyno tested on the stand, at a whopping 380hp! Way more hp than required, but no complaints. Mark Brown was able to get the engine to be delivered to Canada, and then along came COVID. I was hoping to help Mark with the Vixen restoration, but COVID had the borders closed. Mark then went to work dissassembling the Vixen down to the frame. He had to do some minor intial frame repairs as the car had been hit on the drivers side ages ago but the repairs were really substandard. Mark also contacted Mike Bigland, the M series frame designer, to talk about the Cosworth high torque and the M frame flexing and how to upgrade the frame to deal with the high torque Cossie output. Mark had the rebuilt engine, so he set about making the YB fit in the space, especially the RS500 intercooler and custom radiator. Due to the slope of the bonnet, Mark has a couple of rows of the intercooler cut down, and intake and outtake pipes adjust to fit the new orientation of the engine. So, Mark upgraded the frame, new engine mounts, Cossie T5 trans mounts and sent it out to be powder coated. Suspension, bushings, and a dual rear coil over setup like the Griffiths as added. Once the frame returned, new fuel tank 15 gallon, high pressure fuel pump, new fuel lines, new brake lines, rebuilt the hubs, and the old Girling front disc brakes and rear drum brakes. As Mark races Vintage Class Vixens, they have to have the original braking systems. And if he can make his race car stop quickly using the old tech, he upgraded the brake pads closer to racing pads, and added an electric vacuum pump to assist and the turbo pulls more vacuum and creates little. The car stops wonderfully with the orginal brake units. Mark rewired the car, all teh electrics work great, upgraded the headlights to LED, and added a delayed two speed windshield wiper switch. Mark added a roll bar, we sent the car out to have a new interior installed. I had instructed Mark I wanted a sleeper, with wire wheels, and with the M frame, only 5.5" x 15" wire wheels will fit properly with the wheels and tires inside the body wheel wells without sticking out. So,only 195 x 65 x 15 tires on her, which I must admit is very little meat on the road given her output, but she looks mild and meek. I thank Mark Brown for making one of the funnest and reliable TVR Vixens to drive and own.
I did some research and the 200 block on the YB was designed for the 4WD versions, which offered slightly larger and better water jacketing ports and same for the head water jacketing which I thought would be useful for the warmer US weather conditions during the summer months. Found an engine builder in the UK who happened to have a supply of Cosworth YB engines. Specificied a 200 block engine to have a stage 3 engine build, which involved strengthened head bolts and head gasket capable up to 500hp, a certain size turbo, ECU chip, and green size injectors, which should deliver around 325 hp. After the build, the engine dyno tested on the stand, at a whopping 380hp! Way more hp than required, but no complaints. Mark Brown was able to get the engine to be delivered to Canada, and then along came COVID. I was hoping to help Mark with the Vixen restoration, but COVID had the borders closed. Mark then went to work dissassembling the Vixen down to the frame. He had to do some minor intial frame repairs as the car had been hit on the drivers side ages ago but the repairs were really substandard. Mark also contacted Mike Bigland, the M series frame designer, to talk about the Cosworth high torque and the M frame flexing and how to upgrade the frame to deal with the high torque Cossie output. Mark had the rebuilt engine, so he set about making the YB fit in the space, especially the RS500 intercooler and custom radiator. Due to the slope of the bonnet, Mark has a couple of rows of the intercooler cut down, and intake and outtake pipes adjust to fit the new orientation of the engine. So, Mark upgraded the frame, new engine mounts, Cossie T5 trans mounts and sent it out to be powder coated. Suspension, bushings, and a dual rear coil over setup like the Griffiths as added. Once the frame returned, new fuel tank 15 gallon, high pressure fuel pump, new fuel lines, new brake lines, rebuilt the hubs, and the old Girling front disc brakes and rear drum brakes. As Mark races Vintage Class Vixens, they have to have the original braking systems. And if he can make his race car stop quickly using the old tech, he upgraded the brake pads closer to racing pads, and added an electric vacuum pump to assist and the turbo pulls more vacuum and creates little. The car stops wonderfully with the orginal brake units. Mark rewired the car, all teh electrics work great, upgraded the headlights to LED, and added a delayed two speed windshield wiper switch. Mark added a roll bar, we sent the car out to have a new interior installed. I had instructed Mark I wanted a sleeper, with wire wheels, and with the M frame, only 5.5" x 15" wire wheels will fit properly with the wheels and tires inside the body wheel wells without sticking out. So,only 195 x 65 x 15 tires on her, which I must admit is very little meat on the road given her output, but she looks mild and meek. I thank Mark Brown for making one of the funnest and reliable TVR Vixens to drive and own.
