Ro 80

[barefoot]

When I was at school, my friends dad had one of these & as it went down a particular steep hill, flames would pour from the exhaust.

I saw it next when we were both at university, the owner had laid it up in a barn - from memory it had only done about 30k, but the engine was apparently dead.

If I'd known then what I know now...

[idiotboy]

Wow excellent purchase.

 

Now I might be shot down in flames here, but I'd be tempted to leave it as a V4. The rotary engine is very thristy so in this day of petrol at £1.50 a litre why not leave the more efficent V4 in place. You can always tune that up (if you have to) as its a Ford unit.

 

Also the V4 sounds great anyway, plus you won't have to worry about rotor tips. My uncle had a RO 80 back in the day and he always said that after fitting the 2nd rebuilt wankle at 20,000 miles he got sick of it.

[dollywobbler]

I agree. The Ro80 is so much more than just a Wankel engine. Get it up and running, enjoy it as it is and if you still want Wankel power, take your time sorting out a powerplant.

[Shep Shepherd]

^

Agreed. If the car came from the factory with a four-pot, I'd still love it because of its looks; I can't think of any 1960s saloon car's styling I like more

[Formula Autos]

Come on folks! A few pages in and no-one's mentioned lobbing in a Perkins Prima yet.

[Guest]

I want to have great big hot pervy sex with that car.

[Rocket88]

I may be talking complete bollcoks [as per] but I think they were going to offer these originally with an Audi 4 pot engine as a chepaer alternative.

[dollywobbler]

I though the simplified non-Wankel version was what became the VW K70. Hence very little VW content in it.

[Junkman]

I may be talking complete bollcoks [as per] but I think they were going to offer these originally with an Audi 4 pot engine as a chepaer alternative.

 

[anorak mode]Partially correct. They were going to offer a cheaper (smaller) car with their own (NSU) four pot, since at the time the car was under development, there was no Audi four cylinder four stroke.

Before the car could be launched, they were taken over by VW. The car got eventually produced as the VW K70. Ro80, K70, can you see the link? 'Ro' stood for Rotary, 'K' stood for 'Kolben', the German word for piston. You can also clearly see the 'family resemblance' between the two cars.[/anorak mode]

 

 

[Rocket88]

I think we should all possibly get out more..................I'm sure I've see/heard one of these with an Audi motor transplanted into it, when the Wankel died. Be nice with an RX8 lump in it.

[Shep Shepherd]

I quite like the idea of owning a K70 at some point. Pity that there are so few left, though

[CreepingJesus]

Come on folks! A few pages in and no-one's mentioned lobbing in a Perkins Prima yet.

 

1.6 Umwelt non-turbo, for complete miserableness surely?

 

There was one of these sitting in a showroom in Kirkcaldy for some years; I had the chance to perv/marvel at it for a good half hour once. I love the design and the appearance of them, but the thing that struck me then, and now looking at these pics, is just how elegantly simple and spacious the interior is. It's something car designers seem to have lost a long time ago. Personally, I wouldn't be too fussed what engine was in it*, just to have one of the apices of German (maybe even European) car design of the period.

 

 

*Altho', a full-fat Mazda rotary would be fun!

[TagoraSX]

Thanks for all the comments gents, plenty of food for thought.

 

There was one on ebay recently with the 1.9 engine from an Audi 100 C1

 

As I see it the options are.

1. Keep the V4 and sort it out properly.

Probably the sane persons choice

 

2. Original NSU engine.

Expensive, temperamental, thirsty, Car would be worth more.

 

3. Mazda 12a or 13b engine.

More reliable, powerful and less thirsty than the NSU, Very expensive.

 

4. Find a compact relatively modern engine that will fit

 

 

Any ideas?

[woolleyiain]

That's the best looking saloon car of EvAr. Stick a 13b on carbs in it. A 12a is a bit of a fire starter (fuel lines next to hot bits / pulsation dampers leak). It'll only do about 13 miles to the gallon. It'll be quick though

[flat4alfa]

Loved these since I was a boy

 

Drove one once, stayed loving them since

 

Excellent!

 

VAG V5 for the win

[TagoraSX]

But will it fit?

[barefoot]

You can also clearly see the 'family resemblance' between the two cars.

 

 

 

Same doors?

 

Seriously though, the world might be a very different place had those taken off in the early '70's and become the standard

by which others were judged and if we'd not had to go through all that Giugiaro bollocks.

[Barry Cade]

There was one of these sitting in a showroom in Kirkcaldy for some years; I had the chance to perv/marvel at it for a good half hour once. I love the design and the appearance of them, but the thing that struck me then, and now looking at these pics, is just how elegantly simple and spacious the interior is.

 

 

It's still there- bright orange one in Glenwood car sales- I dropped a Punto off there a few weeks ago and had an ogle at the NSU- salesman asked if I would PLEEZ take it away... he was joking but I do believe it's for sale. MInt it is.

[flat4alfa]

But will it fit?

Hammer a wheel locknut over it.

[CreepingJesus]

It's still there- bright orange one in Glenwood car sales- I dropped a Punto off there a few weeks ago and had an ogle at the NSU- salesman asked if I would PLEEZ take it away... he was joking but I do believe it's for sale. MInt it is.

 

If that's the place in Junction Rd that does/did Piratical Car Hire, then that's the one. Was considerably less mint, the last time I saw it; iirc it was a bit of a 20-yarder. The salesman did say it was a project, and it wasn't for sale at that point.

[TagoraSX]

Wow, nearly a year has passed since the last update..

 

This one has turned into a right ball ache.

 

After spending a sizable amount of wedge rebuilding the entire brake system, sorting the fuel system and lots of other little jobs and getting its first MOT since 1979 I thought all was well.....

 

 

 

Then the gearbox started to whine, turns out a previous owner had filled with automatic transmission fluid which has ruined the bearing, I found and ordered the parts to needed to rebuild the box in Germany hoping that would be the end of it......

 

I moved the car to Telford as I wanted to get some bits of bodywork sorted. After a test drive my mechanic gave me more fantastic news, the V4 sounded like a cement mixer full of spanners and was on it's last legs, YAY!

 

The offending article. The V4 was a dog when it was new so I have no intention of repairing it or fitting another, fitting a new rotary is also a no go as its just too expensive. Someone suggested some sort of Zetec conversion so I may start a thread looking for some advice on which one to choose.

 

 

 

 

 

[mark165]

What a superb car, still can't believe these are 60's motors.

 

Thanks for the write up, really good reading.

 

In terms of engine, what about a Toyota 3SGE, plenty of horsepower, very reliable, cheap as chips and a bit different to the zetec route?

 

 

[Urban_Paranoia]

Telford? Just round the corner from me!

 

I moved the car to Telford...

[HillmanImp]

I was not aware of the K70 until now. Now I want one, possibly more than an RO80.

[Shep Shepherd]

Would a 2.0-litre Pinto fit, I wonder?

[TagoraSX]

I've heard of people fitting Essex V6's back in the day but it would involve moving the rad to the side and some chopping.

I don't mind what engine goes in as long as it's cheap, compact and reliable with around 130 bhp.

 

The Zetec was suggested for several reasons. 

Lots have been retro fitted to various old Fords and the kit car boys use them.

Cheap and easy to get hold of.

Various mounts, adapter plates, manifolds etc are available off the shelf.

[Shep Shepherd]

Essex V6-engined Ro80s were/are absolute weapons, according to old magazine articles I've read. Pity that they aren't cheap engines any more, though.

[HMC]

Looking forward to seeing which way you decide to go with the powerplant. IIRC production ended in 1977, at which point it still looked more modern than anything else around.

[tooSavvy]

YaY! My sis had one, via her Hubby - who was abroad and thus not driving it!! - and it had a v4 in it  .

 

The Company who did the conv [Corley Conversions IIRC] did the adaptation to the Torque Converter with a S/S plate..... they failed where the extreme end (drilled to connect to flywheel - I think) would crack through... and you get 'tinkk, tinkk, tinkk...' on idle.

 

Dunno if there was a LeccyWindow option on them.... the handles for 'keep-fit' operation have a habit of coming adrift, the drive cog just sort of comes away from the shaft... not very well 'peened over', onto the shaft??

 

# Trick to get 1st ?... lever forward, into Reverse..then smartly back into 1st     [3 Cogs...!!]

 

 

I used to borrow it [MT tank syndrome on the $ha99inPalace MM1000, Ex telephones Van] and the g/f just loved all of it... err, the CAR i thinkk. 

 

Sis actually passed her test in it [Automatic Licence]... Tester said little and, sort of looked on, as she did the bizzz... Nice, he said??

 

The original rotary was a screammerr..... Henrys finest was a well sad substitute, all Blow & no GO!!! 

 

 

tooSavvy

[Des]

Assuming these cars mostly had V4 conversions because the space left when the Wankel got pulled would be a bit small, I don't suppose there's many engines that would fit, get a tape measure and start popping bonnets, I'd look at those Subaru flat fours, or the VW water cooled boxer would offer similar reliability, fuel consumption and a fraction of the performance as the original Wankel.