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Posted: 6/26/2024 2:21:53 PM EDT
Looking for a project car to do an engine swap.
Engine could be anything, maybe even a tesla motor swap. Give me some good ideas for a chassis that meets my requirements: not FWD, not convertible, modern chassis that has decent suspension/brakes/structure, and good parts availability. Bonus points to cars that are small, quirky looking, usually not considered fast, or Japanese. I've ruled out too many cars to list for various reasons like: the cost of a chassis is too high, less than desirable brakes/suspension/structures, or poor availability(parts or entire cars). At this point I think my leading contender is a BMW 1-series - it checks all the blocks except it's not Japanese. Any other suggestions? |
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I really have an itch to do a nissan 240 LS swap. There's still some out there in decent shape and the owners dont want $15k. Maybe 70% of the owners are trash people living in trailers and smoking crack.
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Older rx7 meet none of the requirements. The last generation are great, but way too $$$. Fiero fails on multiple points plus I already have an mr2 with an engine swap. Quoted: I really have an itch to do a nissan 240 LS swap. There's still some out there in decent shape and the owners dont want $15k. I've looked, no good deals around me. A 350/370z easily checks all the blocks, but around me they're either clapped out obnoxious shitboxes or a badly overpriced later model. I also dislike how they look. Quoted: Old Maserati Bi-Turbo. Not just no but hell no. |
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Miata/LS swap. Or, an older generation Miata and a Ford 5.0 swap.
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A good friend of mine is just finishing up an all electric CJ 3A for a customer, and a CJ 2A with a Kubota diesel. Both are sweet as hell.
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BMW Isetta and a TFG engine.
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Quoted: I hate that they are convertibles and chick cars, but I like their size and suspension. I might consider one if I can’t find anything better. View Quote They make some pretty elaborate body kits for miatas. you can make them look like other non-miatas on the outside. The cockpit is still girly miata. |
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Lot of GT86/BRZ/FR-S with bad engines, especially 2013s. There's at least LSx and Honda K swap kits. It would be a fun car with a built K24.
Mac strut front suspension though. And the brakes would be pretty subpar with a bunch of extra power. |
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One of the youtube channels I watch just had a RX8 with a LFX swap. Supposedly those are dirt cheap. Everybody is going LS. The LFX are still a dime a dozen. They're currently doing another LFX into a volvo wagon and this second one will be turbo. I wanna say they had a LS scion on there not too long ago.
Depending on the vehicle they come in, there's a few different HP ratings. All of them appear to be over 300 stock. Supposedly there's commercial turbo kits for these that put them in the 570HP range. https://youtu.be/-Wl3DjGCLws?t=334 |
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2j in-to a s2k?
Not super modern but still bad ass. EDIT: nvm forgot they ship with soft tops. |
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NB Miata with a hardtop and a LSD. Drop a LS in it, it'll fit and nothing else you do will give you more bang for your buck.
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LS into a Porsche 924/944. Plenty of dead ones around with solid bodies. Here's an '83 944 for $5k.
LS into a Jeep XJ Cherokee, or just turbo & stroke the 4.0 LS into a Pontiac Solstice. The link is one FS on FB marketplace. EDIT: I think you had the other thread looking for a lightweight swap engine too? F150 2.7 Nano EB into a 944 would be an interesting combo. So would the current GM turbo I4 into a Solstice. |
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Anything with a Ford 4.0 SOHC. You'll be doing an engine swap for sure.
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Volvo 242.
RestoMod Volvo 242 with LS3 engine swap at Dynotorque. |
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My buddy had one of these years ago. It was painted a metallic gray and had these small tail fins. I really liked it as a two door and thought an LS swap would be awesome in one. 60s through early 70s Mercedes 2 door.
Attached File |
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FRS/BRZ/86
Swap in an LS3 or a 2JZ-GTE or even a K24. There's all sorts of swap kits out now. |
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Pick any rear wheel drive 80s American car. Install the appropriate suspension package from Maximum Motorsports or BMR and swap in a Japanese inline 6.
Subaru swap an Opel GT? |
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Lots of great suggestions in here, but most violate one of my basic requirements.
Quoted: Pick any rear wheel drive 80s American car. Install the appropriate suspension package from Maximum Motorsports or BMR and swap in a Japanese inline 6. View Quote I live in Alabama, so I have considered a fox body mustang despite their age. Unlimited engine options, but jap straight 6 are all over priced and over hyped. |
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I'm in the same boat. I already have the swap. looking for an affordable car that wont be a super PITA to swap K24 RWD setup into. I had a RX8, I know its been done but you have to hack the shit out of everything. rotary cars are designed around an engine the size of dice. BRZ would be cool but I dont trust rear end and not sure my trans (CD009) would even fit.
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If you want to do an interesting Tesla swap, Holley makes a kit to bolt a Tesla drive in a squarebody
https://www.holley.com/products/ev_conversions/swap_brackets_and_accessories/parts/VK160001 |
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I like the idea of putting an internal combustion engine in a Tesla.
Poking a finger in the eye of every Greenie out there would be fun. Unfortunately, I don't think you could get one cheap enough. I've seen some Ford 5.0 liters stuck in Subarus, and I was surprised at how well they turned out. If you didn't know better, you'd think it was from the factory. Again, I don't know how cheaply you could get one for. |
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Quoted: but jap straight 6 are all over priced and over hyped. View Quote IDK. The 2jz and the nissan RB both earned their reputation. Inline 6 doing 1600HP @ 9k rpm and you think its overhyped? 2jz doing 2000HP @ 8000rpm I think they are great engines. Just expensive because we didn't get a ton of them imported to the US. 1.6099 thousand horsepower Nissan RB26 Skyline Engine Dyno Pull - Tuned By Shane T 2Jz Dragster 2,000 HP on dyno test !!! |
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Infiniti G35 sedans and G35 coupes are kinda all over the place and inexpensive. Drivetrain on them is pretty beefy. First time I got under my wife’s G35x way back when I was shocked at the size of the components. Again, beefy.
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I always thought older jaguars with a big block Chevy were interesting.
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Quoted: Infiniti G35 sedans and G35 coupes are kinda all over the place and inexpensive. Drivetrain on them is pretty beefy. First time I got under my wife’s G35x way back when I was shocked at the size of the components. Again, beefy. View Quote Isn't the G35 the sister car to the 350z or something like that? |
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Quoted: Infiniti G35 sedans and G35 coupes are kinda all over the place and inexpensive. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Infiniti G35 sedans and G35 coupes are kinda all over the place and inexpensive. I struggle with this every time I think about this project. The 350/370z easily meet every requirement of mine. Their stigma and suppository looks are the only bad thing about them. I’ve even considered a newer/nicer 370 and just turbocharging it rather than swapping an engine in. Quoted: I'm in the same boat. I already have the swap. looking for an affordable car that wont be a super PITA to swap K24 RWD setup into. Having a 4 banger makes it easy to pick a body - a 4 banger will fit in 99.9% of cars out there. The world is your oyster. Quoted: IDK. The 2jz and the nissan RB both earned their reputation. They’re great engines, but 1k horsepower from either is $15k bare minimum on the engine alone. I have no interest in those levels of power or money. This is for a street car to drive around town. |
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View Quote Shhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeit. A 650cc motor is enough to make it damn near undriveable. OP - Nothing modern is really worthwhile of a transplant, imo, probably because I prefer sleeper looks. That's why I wanted the Chevy SS. No one expects the Spanish Inquisition. The only thing that works well is throwing in a bigger motor from the same make, like dropping the 4.2L Audi into a Q3 or 1000. Or an M3/M5 engine into a 1 or 2 series. If I had nothing but time and money to burn, I'd do modern engine swaps into older vehicles. A 572 in a 1970 C/K 10. Years ago I saw a great gen1 Camaro that they built into a street-legal road racer with a modern engine, tube chassis. It was done top-notch and it still had that stock look. Not "resto-mods," either. |
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Quoted: OP - Nothing modern is really worthwhile of a transplant, imo, probably because I prefer sleeper looks. The only thing that works well is throwing in a bigger motor from the same make… If I had nothing but time and money to burn, I'd do modern engine swaps into older vehicles. View Quote That is a problem - I’m not doing a money is no object swap…. in the 370z example you’re removing an excellent 300hp engine from a nice car to replace with what? Spend the swap money on upgrades and you’ll have less work and more power. That’s what I did with the mr2 I got last year - Toyota FWD bellhousing bolt patterns haven’t changed in over 30 years, so I put a current engine into a 30 year old car. Only needed one engine mount and an exhaust made, it was amazingly easy. Doubled the horsepower and it starts and drives like a brand new Toyota. It’s pretty sweet. There seems to be a happy medium in the 10-20 year old range where a swap is worthwhile, the chassis is pretty good, and the cars aren’t $$$. Bmw 1 series and 350z are good examples. I’ve also considered a BMW X3 and an AWD rav4. |
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Smart car.
Chain driven rear drive so can get a hyabusa or zx14r motorcycle engine for 200+hp and fit it in. |
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Quoted: That is a problem - I’m not doing a money is no object swap…. in the 370z example you’re removing an excellent 300hp engine from a nice car to replace with what? Spend the swap money on upgrades and you’ll have less work and more power. That’s what I did with the mr2 I got last year - Toyota FWD bellhousing bolt patterns haven’t changed in over 30 years, so I put a current engine into a 30 year old car. Only needed one engine mount and an exhaust made, it was amazingly easy. Doubled the horsepower and it starts and drives like a brand new Toyota. It’s pretty sweet. There seems to be a happy medium in the 10-20 year old range where a swap is worthwhile, the chassis is pretty good, and the cars aren’t $$$. Bmw 1 series and 350z are good examples. I’ve also considered a BMW X3 and an AWD rav4. View Quote 1 series can be had with an N55. I don't think I'd bother with swapping anything else into that car. Curious about the MR2. What did you put in it? |
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Quoted: That’s what I did with the mr2 I got last year - Toyota FWD bellhousing bolt patterns haven’t changed in over 30 years, View Quote Well now you've gotten my interest. I have a 2012 scion tc. from what I understand, its basically a camry. FWD 4cyl NA and a 6 speed manual. Are there other toyota motors that just drop right in and have more vroom vroom? I had thought about going full retard with it and trying a LS swap and make it real wheel drive or something. For the lulz. |
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Quoted: Well now you've gotten my interest. I have a 2012 scion tc. Are there other toyota motors that just drop right in and have more vroom vroom? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Well now you've gotten my interest. I have a 2012 scion tc. Are there other toyota motors that just drop right in and have more vroom vroom? Quoted: 1 series can be had with an N55. Curious about the MR2. What did you put in it? Not all came with n55. Also, straight 6 engines are heavy so a v6 or 4 cylinder is a huge benefit in the weight/balance category. Good suspension/brakes with lots of upgrade options and relatively small in size are the biggest plusses for me. A GR engine is a common v6 swap for transverse engine Toyotas, you’d want a 2gr-fe for the easiest swap as it will bolt up to your transmission. Over 300hp for a basic swap and a few $k in engine upgrades for 400hp. People are getting over 600hp on turbocharged stock engines with good reliability. The AR also does well turbocharged if you do it “right”. I put an AR engine in my mr2. It’s only around 230hp but it weighs under 2300lbs. It runs and drives like the 2017 camry I took the engine from - reliable, starts easy, good gas mileage, wide/flat torque curve, awesome driveability, etc. I’m also considering a GR engine swap or turbocharging the AR engine in it instead of getting another car. Attached File |
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Quoted: Not all came with n55. Also, straight 6 engines are heavy so a v6 or 4 cylinder is a huge benefit in the weight/balance category. Good suspension/brakes with lots of upgrade options and relatively small in size are the biggest plusses for me. A GR engine is a common v6 swap for transverse engine Toyotas, you’d want a 2gr-fe for the easiest swap as it will bolt up to your transmission. Over 300hp for a basic swap and a few $k in engine upgrades for 400hp. People are getting over 600hp on turbocharged stock engines with good reliability. The AR also does well turbocharged if you do it “right”. I put an AR engine in my mr2. It’s only around 230hp but it weighs under 2300lbs. It runs and drives like the 2017 camry I took the engine from - reliable, starts easy, good gas mileage, wide/flat torque curve, awesome driveability, etc. I’m also considering a GR engine swap or turbocharging the AR engine in it instead of getting another car. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/335009/E58126FC-AFAF-488C-A3CD-33A24B8575F2_jpe-3251842.JPG View Quote That's very interesting. |
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Quoted: Old Maserati Bi-Turbo. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/100464/Maserati-Biturbo-Si-2048x1363_jpg-3251268.JPG View Quote Now that's a fun (and unusual) little car that could use a reliable drivetrain. Myself, I want to get a mid 1980s Cultus/Sprint/Firefly, rip out the back suspension, and weld in a front cradle from a modern turbo FWD car. It could potentially weigh less (and surely have more power) than a Renault R5 Turbo. |
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There's a guy near me with a turbo LS in a fiero. That thing is gnarly.
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Quoted: Miata > K20 or K24 Swap Older Tacoma > K20 or K24 swap View Quote Both of those swaps are common, I’d prefer a swap that is new or uncommon. I’m also picking the car first, then the engine. Not opposed to a K engine, but They are going the way of sr/jz/rb engines - they are no longer made so they usually need to be built up front and the cost of moderate power levels is growing past the economical range. If you want stock power levels they’re a viable option, but there are better/cheaper alternatives. |
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New edge and coyote swap. You save about 700lbs over a S550 or 650 but will suffer in braking and handling compared to the newer platforms. You get some good upgrades over a fox body also. You can help the handling and braking by throwing more money at the car. I have an 01 Cobra roller that I bought because it already has the K-member and suspension upgrades along with fuel. Now it needs a Coyote and a transmission. I will be heading to Japan for a two year tour so the car will sit for a while.
ETA: It's made me think about selling the car because of this. My truck also so they don't just sit for two years in my shop. |
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RX-7 or RX-8 with a small block Ford. RX-8's can be had cheap
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Quoted: How about this for an uncommon swap: Chrysler Crossfire coupe. View Quote That thing is awful ugly. Google says it's basically a mercedes, I have read a bit on the smaller 2000s mercedes like a c-class. Big plus for them is that they look boring and nobody expects them to be fast. I'd probably go with a generic 2000s 3-series BMW over those - the bmw is more common/available/cheaper and has better suspension and brake options. |
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