Posted: 6/4/2008 11:26:37 AM EDT
The Car. 1997 3.8 liter V-6 Pontiac firebird. The plan: Toyota 2JZ engine/Transmission. Unsure of the rear end, probably a For 9inch. Lightweight flywheel, New Clutch. Everything else I need to reliably put 500 HP TO THE GROUND On just turbo. Putting 500 to the ground means making about 545-555 I believe. The short block will handle 800 as is. So a small N2O set up too, maybe 100-125 hp The factory wiring is coming out and getting redone frome the headlights to the computer obviously, which means new custom wiring harness. Going with an aftermarket computer from the beginning due to the mods. Redoing the brakes all the way around. The factory ones ain't gonna cut it. Hell they don't cut it now. Of course that means new lines throughout and a master cylinder too. The factory fuel pump ain't gonna cut it either. So as long as I'm chopping into the car the way I am, and since I'm gonna need wider rear tires, the facotry fuel tank and pump, filter, etc is all coming out. In it's place will be a fuel cell, pump, and filter pretty much in the trunk, but with a firewall built in front of them and a cage to protect them. Where the backseats were will be the new T-Top storage and a speaker box that will look integral to the car. In front of that will be a a roll bar that will be as much of an attachment point for the 5 points as anything else. With racing seats in front of that. The console will have to be changed out since I'm going from an auto to a stick. And the dash will be gutted since the computers, airbags, A/C etc are coming out. I don't know if if the final build will have a/c or not. It's probably not gonna be a daily driver ever again. It could go either way, but right now I'm leaning towards the negative. The front suspension will get replaced, with what I have no clue. The lights all the way around are going bye bye, and will probably be replaced with LEDs. Part of me wants to go straight black with it, with black wheels too but I live in the country so that would mean every time I get it out, washing it after I leave the house. I know the American car guys will hate me, I'm used to that  I'm not pushing for any budget or time line. It'll probably take me well over a year. But I did pick up a Ford Explorer a week or so ago to have a daily driver while I do it, so I'm not messing around. Oh, for those wondering, "gaijin" is Japanese for "outsider" I figured it had a level of appropriateness to it since It's an American car that will have a Japanese heart and Brain. Oh, and for the guys that will say stuff about emissions/inspection/ etc, we don't have any of that in Arkansas. One thing for sure is that I'll dominate my area. All the serious car guys with money to spend build dirt track or drag cars. There are 2 vipers running around central AR and neither of their drivers can drive for shit. not that it'll matter because if this works out right, I'll be lighter, put as much power to the ground and I can already outdrive them. The rest is ricers that think their honda with an exhaust can do something, and I could beat all them already anyway. Oh, another thing. I grew up dirttracking and working on Chevy ssmall blocks and an occaisonal big block. I know American things. I'm pretty damn new to the Jap world. So any of ya'll that know stuff, fell free to suggest changes, ideas etc. The motor plan obviously isn't close to done. but it's gonna be a good while before I even get the motor, much less rip it apart. |
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dusty, are you talking about the SR20Det from Nissan? This is my boy Pats car. The engine is for sale along with most everything you need. Let me know I can forward him to you. The motor is way strong and freshly built. He has spares for this car. www.tunedbycft.com/videos/nissans13dyno.wmv |
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| I have little in regard to a frame of reference here, but why the SR20DET? Do they make conversion kits to put one in a firebird? I would think that one could make a turbo kit for the GM product and run it with MSII etc. for much cheaper whith equal cool factor as the alternative. besides everyone knows if you are going to put a 4cyl. in there and you want to make power, you should use a 2.2! |
There isn't a conversion that I'm aware of, but I'm an AWS certified welder and can fab up whatever I need to make it work mounts wise I love GM stuff, another reason I went with the four is the tiny amount of room under the hood. Plus like I said, I wanna do something different and weird. Despite the lack of room in there, I have seen a few rat motors in late generation F Bodies. I have no clue how they even changed the plugs, but they had em in there. My main goal is to have a motor that can safely handle 400 hp and a very rare 75 to 100 hp nitrous shot. |
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Why not just super or turbo charge the 3.8L motor? It's a pretty bullet proof engine. If you drop another engine in there you're also looking at trans, ecu, lots of mods to get it in there. Or sell your car, pick up a cheap miata and find a junkyard 5.0 mustang engine. That'll turn some heads. |
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How much horsepower do you think you need? |
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 I'll check it out. The same friend that suggested the sr20det is trying to get me to build up a 240sx drift car. No one drifts where I'm at that I know of. I'll get over on those forums tonight.
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 That's like a video of some guy I saw a few years back who put a Honda motor into a Mustang Cobra! Eh, who the heck am I kidding. You're thinking outside the box. Good for you. Heck, it'd be interesting to cruise in, hehe
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I would never put ANY little 4-cylinder in an F-body, but +1 for a built KA24 over the SR20. Go here: Turbo240.com Ivan is a friend of mine, and his 240SX is amazing. Nobody knows the KA24 like Ivan. |
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The 2JZ is one of the two best built motors EVER made period. The RB26DETT is the other one. The factory crank will handle over 800hp. The machining tolerances are incredible on that motor. Remove the two smaller sequential turbo's and replace with a larger garrett single or doubles in parallel. If you can get that motor for 3k you're getting a deal if it runs now. They are one of the most sought after motors and they are buildable to 1200hp. The goal I'm assuming is not to make a horsepower/dyno queen but truly drivable. They are EASILY tunable to 500hp which will allow you to keep traction assuming a LSD and still have a nice flat torque curve. Good find and good luck. |
I planning on yanking the back seats out to have some more storage, and as long as I have a place to put the t tops, I'm pretty open to mods of the ass end. I thought about a vette rear end and IRS, but having it narrowed, getting the transmission set up right, and everything else, that's just beyond my capabilities.I want it to go fast through turns and on a straight line, mostly concerned about turns though. Almost anyone can build a car that goes fast for 1/4 mile in a straight line. It's a bit more of a challenge to build one that'll take a turn at twice the posted limit.
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Run TEIN coilovers and a factory supra rear end or find a 350Z rear with the LSD. You can upgrade the pumpkin and it will handle the torque. The TEIN's with the EDFC module will allow you adjust the ride, are full pillowball mounts and will be somewhat economical considering what you're trying to accomplish. |
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450 out of a 2jz is easy, no problems there. why a 9 inch? id go with a 12 bolt personally, but either will work. why are you going to a full custom brake setup, new master cylinder/booster and everything? thats unnecessary fuel cell? why? tire clearance? I dont know that the fuck tires your thinking of but, f bodies can fit big tires just fine, with some hammering. Entire new front suspension? again, why? What are you going to do with this car, straight line? Id imagine the inline 6 is going to require some firewall mods, but i dont know that. |
Brakes, same thing, my stock baby discs up front and drums in the back are all but useless. Brakes, suspension, and rear end may come out of a WS-6 if I can find one. I know they'll fit, I know they'll corner hard, and I know the rear end will handle the power. As far as the fuel cell goes, I have to redo the fuel system anyway, and a cell will be safer, and they're fairly cheap. I'm anticipating not only having to mod the firwall, b ut prrobably get an aftermarket hood also. It is no small miracle of science and heaven that GM was able to get a V8 in it, and I have to get an I-6 into it and have room for the intersooler. Which means I may be making a new frame for the nose, as there are some supports right in front of the radiator that I'm fairly sure will be in the way of the intercooler. I think the only REAL easy part of putting the motor in is that since the car is built for a V-8, I'll have plenty of room on the sides for intake, exhaust, etc. |
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Nope - but a HUGE fan of them. One of the all time greats IMHO. If you have one - never let it go. I had a chance to buy a clean low mile version a few years ago and passed on it. Kicking myself ever since. Congrads on the ride! Of course I do own the latest thing in tuner motors so I have chance of catching up in power potential someday! Peace, Dean |