What engine is this?

[Babalouie]

I saw this car at the Tokyo Nostalgic Show in May:
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m255/MX5_Dorifto/Grandjdm/JapanTrip109.jpg

Ok, nice ZG nose I thought...but under the bonnet was this:
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m255/MX5_Dorifto/Grandjdm/JapanTrip306.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m255/MX5_Dorifto/Grandjdm/JapanTrip304.jpg

Is that an LY L-gata crossflow?

Alan?

[zed74]

I would say a "yes"

[HS30-H]

Babalouie,
Yes, it's an original 'LY' crossflow head - but the owner has custom-built an injected and intercooled twin-turbo setup for it.

He looks to have perfected this now, but back in 2003 I saw the car at one of the Sagamiko Picnic Land meetings and the installation was still very much a running work-in-progress:

http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=7797

http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=7799

http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=7800

http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=7798

[Babalouie]

Thanks Alan, I wasn' sure if it might be a real LY or say a modern engine with a "nostalgic" looking valve cover :D

Are these things particularly rare?

[HS30-H]

Are these things particularly rare?

Yes. I was trying to think of a way to define 'rare' in this instance, but it is difficult to come up with a meaningful definition.

A personal count of known running examples struggles to get into double figures, as does the count of personally known extant LY heads ( whether complete or not..... ).

So yes. If we were talking about a steak, it would be a case of "knock off the horns, wipe it's arse, and put it on a plate" rare........

[Babalouie]

Hmm...quite rare...and chewy no doubt :D

[sblake01]

Got to love that analogyLOL