Been offered a 136 as a project I am just wondering as I know v little about these cars has anyone ever dropped a mr2 engine in one? Or what engine and grarbox could be upgraded?

You can stick whatever you want into them if you can fabricate new engine mounts and a gearbox conversion plate - there is loads of room in the engine bay. The gearbox will struggle with more than about 130bhp though. The only bolt in option is the 1.6 VW petrol engine out of a Felicia with the gearbox adaptor.....that may open a way to fit other VW family engines but I am not sure. Kieran (contact him through Facebook Skoda Owners site or the Skoda Forum) made an adaptor plate and converted a Rapid to Rover k-series power which works very well......particularly as the 136 Skoda engine is one of the lightest around and so is the k. If you add a heavy iron engine the handling will suffer....

What weight is the 136 engine if anyone knows, mr2 engine is 175kg and 350 with the gearbox and hubs

136 engine is under 100kgs....it's flyweight. I don't know what configuration the gearbox is in an MR2, but it sits in front of the engine on the Skoda and is also relatively small and light. I can pick up a 5speed box and carry it relatively easily, so I reckon it's under 75kgs.

What exactly are you planning? It sounds like you have already picked the MR2 as the engine to use.....I assume from the weight it has an iron block? Perhaps the question you should be asking is - I've got an MR2 engine.....how can I fit it into a Skoda Rapid?

Na just knowing its a good solid engine as I had one before and it was bullet proof and both are rear engine rwd that's why I was thinking mr2

The MR2 is mid engine the Estelle range is rear engine. Gearbox sits in front of the engine in line, with the engine out behind the rear axle in the Skoda. What are you planning? You also need to remember that the Skoda is set for carbs (so no injection tank or piping). Kieran ran the k-series engine on bike carbs and fitted a megajolt ignition system. I am running injection on my race engine but I've had to have a whole new fuel system made up.

You could always tune the 136 engine. 90-100 bhp isn't massively hard to reach - bit of head work, cam, exhaust Weber 40 and either megajolt ignition or modified dizzy with electronic ignition.

I love the look of the rapid what I want is something to go sideways in tbh if the 136 engine can reach 90-100bhp I'm sure that could do it for me, this is going to b a project bare shell rebuild that's why I wanted to know my options, it seems the the gearbox can be a bit soft in these? Is it possible to have them rebuilt / refurbed stronger?

It's possible to have any gearbox rebuilt or strengthened! I am now running 128bhp and have had no gearbox trouble to date (touching wood with fingers crossed), likewise the k series engine Rapid is running similar without issue so far. I don't think you'd want to go much beyond that kind of level though. On the sideways front.......even a standard 130 will go sideways but not unless provoked. The handling is surprisingly neutral, particularly if you fit modern wide, low profile tyres. I went completely round a roundabout in my 105 on Saturday night, pretty much as fast as I could (which isn't actually that fast in a 47bhp car) and there was a touch of understeer then a very mild bout of oversteer followed by a jerk back to neutral as I turned off. More power will help the oversteer.....just don't go too modern on the tyres in terms of width and profile or your grip will exceed the power and tail out fun will be hard work.

Of course you could just buy this - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1996-SKODA-FELICIA-RALLY-CAR-VW-POLO-ENGINE-1400-/301026255955

 

Engine will bolt onto the gearbox and it already has carbs fitted.....engine, carbs and set up got to be a grand to do on their own. Flog off the leftovers to rallyists!

Na I wanna build it not buy it so I can maintain it correctly it is a project so plenty of time to do it at 128bhp does it take a lot of provoking to go sideways?

Na I wanna build it not buy it so I can maintain it correctly it is a project so plenty of time to do it at 128bhp does it take a lot of provoking to go sideways?

 

You would only be buying the engine with carbs set up and a gearbox conversion plate......you will have to do the same with an MR2 or any other engine. The difference is this one will work out cheaper because its got a manifold and gearbox convertor plate.

 

On the 128bhp subject - yes because I have spent several years and lots of money on the suspension and redistributing weight - I also have low profile wide modern performance tyres. The same engine in my 105 would be insanely sideways though.

I should mention in case you're getting ideas of 128bhp from a 136 engine, that mine is a 130 with a cast iron 8 port competition head and it has been very hard work and extrmely expensive!. It is possible to get 128bhp out of a 136 engine but it's very expensive and involves building a balanced screamer of a race engine.

Someone in the Skoda Owners Club GB (https://www.facebook.com/groups/skodaownersclub/) is selling a tuned Alfa Romeo twin cam conversion for a Rapid. 

£600 and ready to bolt in....got to be tempting.....the old Alfa twink sound amazing too.