Fiat Coupe, Lexus V8 and a Mazda MX5
Discussion
Exactly, I didn't want to labour the point lol.
Part of the joy of having a strangely mounted turbo(s) is the sheer spectacle of noise.
This thing sounds spectacular!
I know it's a stroked and cammed old school LS1 but that turbo!
While it puts out 600bhp in this video it's only running 8psi
Enjoy
https://youtu.be/RGjooaGtaqU
Part of the joy of having a strangely mounted turbo(s) is the sheer spectacle of noise.
This thing sounds spectacular!
I know it's a stroked and cammed old school LS1 but that turbo!
While it puts out 600bhp in this video it's only running 8psi
Enjoy
https://youtu.be/RGjooaGtaqU
Great thread, the 3 different combination of cars are already interesting in their own right, so cant wait to see what the end result is. Not sure how far you got with the front, but it might be worth investigating if the twin wishbone setup from the Alfa 156 can be retro fitted to the tipo setup?
So, the transmission.
It's a 4 speed auto, I'll admit to knowing nothing about automatic transmission simply because I've always considered it beneath me and therefore pointless in a fast car.
Whenever I've seen a nice car and had a closer look and spotted an auto stick in there I'd always walk away disappointed.
After all no serious race car sported an auto, except maybe drag racers (I never got that either)
But since owning thie Lexus I've generally been quite impressed with it. I always though you just it in D and that was it. I thought that if you shifted down it would have some sort of fluid fit and die within seconds.
I was naive.
It was the sense of no control when lifting off or wanting to drop a cog, getting the weight where you wanted it and powering out. I thought there was none of that with an auto.
Well the Lexus proved me wrong, after a few weeks of disdain it grew on me, then I started playing with it.
Then I discovered it was the same gearbox as the auto supra tt.
When I drove one of those later on it felt super responsive compared to my slushy Lexus.
I assumed it was in the computer that controlled it.
Forever to be a slushy slow changer. Again I was wrong.
With a little tuning of the kick down cable I was able to transform the slush box into a rally spec shift monster, so much so I feared the engine mounts would get torn off.
So with some adjustment and tweaking I've got it shifting much faster and with far more vigor than it has a right to.
Perfect for not dropping boost while in go mode.
Included in the turbo budget is an oil cooler, unions and piping and a full fluid flush and change. Apparently the filter is a steel gauze type and best left alone.
The current gearbox oil is still looking nice and red and was done two years ago according to the history.
Obviously in the V8 coupe I'd like to fit a manual box. The supra R154 is the box of choice for me and buying one and the kit needed to mate it to the engine is getting on for £3k
The Auto will do for a year or two, but I'll fit a clutch pedal assembly in the coupe (minus the actual pedal) so it's there ready for when the time comes.
It's a 4 speed auto, I'll admit to knowing nothing about automatic transmission simply because I've always considered it beneath me and therefore pointless in a fast car.
Whenever I've seen a nice car and had a closer look and spotted an auto stick in there I'd always walk away disappointed.
After all no serious race car sported an auto, except maybe drag racers (I never got that either)
But since owning thie Lexus I've generally been quite impressed with it. I always though you just it in D and that was it. I thought that if you shifted down it would have some sort of fluid fit and die within seconds.
I was naive.
It was the sense of no control when lifting off or wanting to drop a cog, getting the weight where you wanted it and powering out. I thought there was none of that with an auto.
Well the Lexus proved me wrong, after a few weeks of disdain it grew on me, then I started playing with it.
Then I discovered it was the same gearbox as the auto supra tt.
When I drove one of those later on it felt super responsive compared to my slushy Lexus.
I assumed it was in the computer that controlled it.
Forever to be a slushy slow changer. Again I was wrong.
With a little tuning of the kick down cable I was able to transform the slush box into a rally spec shift monster, so much so I feared the engine mounts would get torn off.
So with some adjustment and tweaking I've got it shifting much faster and with far more vigor than it has a right to.
Perfect for not dropping boost while in go mode.
Included in the turbo budget is an oil cooler, unions and piping and a full fluid flush and change. Apparently the filter is a steel gauze type and best left alone.
The current gearbox oil is still looking nice and red and was done two years ago according to the history.
Obviously in the V8 coupe I'd like to fit a manual box. The supra R154 is the box of choice for me and buying one and the kit needed to mate it to the engine is getting on for £3k
The Auto will do for a year or two, but I'll fit a clutch pedal assembly in the coupe (minus the actual pedal) so it's there ready for when the time comes.
Edited by Steve20vt on Wednesday 31st August 09:18
Wow! What a saga. Hats off to people who try this sort of stuff. Not for them the option of a kit to put something like an LS1 into an RX7 or MX5. Far too easy!
I remember a magazine article on rear turbo installation. Someone says it was a 205 and they might well be right. Magazine more likely to have been PPC than CCC as CCC folded eons ago. Anyway, it worked and the enormous tube taking pressure back to the engine in the cold airstream under the car acted as intercooler and of course the turbo itself doesn't heat the engine bay up. So some pros.
Keep going and let's see the Fiat spinning its back tyres on Youtube.
I remember a magazine article on rear turbo installation. Someone says it was a 205 and they might well be right. Magazine more likely to have been PPC than CCC as CCC folded eons ago. Anyway, it worked and the enormous tube taking pressure back to the engine in the cold airstream under the car acted as intercooler and of course the turbo itself doesn't heat the engine bay up. So some pros.
Keep going and let's see the Fiat spinning its back tyres on Youtube.
Steve20vt said:
The spec was always this.
Fiat coupe.
RWD
1UZ turbocharged
I apologise if I didn't spell it out at the beginning that the lexus would be the engine development mule. It just made sense to me.
I may seem a little scatty, I know what I want and it'll take the time it takes.
Making the coupe a wide body isn't really adding a huge amount of extra work considering the work that will have to be done to get the engine in.
The basic concept is fixed, there may be added details here and there but that's development.
Single or twin turbos is neither here now there. A single would be simpler, but that's not what I want.
A buddy is building a monster 1uz capable of over 1500bhp on a single turbo and also doesn't see the point of twins.
At the end of the day WHEN it comes to the point of getting the rear axle in its only at that point I'll know how much extra width is needed.
I may be able to lose some width with wheel offset.
Things remain fluid and sketchy for me. Right up until I'm happy with it.
If it takes longer so what. As long as I'm happy that's all that really matters, this is being built to please me.
I'm happy with the auto box as it is in the lexus right now (slightly modded) it works well and will handle the power.
Eventually I'll get the manual kit together but I'd want am R154 supra box and there's more important things to spend the money on this year.
I'm not sure if people told Picasso he should have used a different colour or brush...
Not that I'm comparing myself to Picasso, this project is just my own interpretation of my own kind of art. It doesn't have to please anyone but myself.
I'm just putting it up here for anyone who's interested.
Quite right - and bravo!Fiat coupe.
RWD
1UZ turbocharged
I apologise if I didn't spell it out at the beginning that the lexus would be the engine development mule. It just made sense to me.
I may seem a little scatty, I know what I want and it'll take the time it takes.
Making the coupe a wide body isn't really adding a huge amount of extra work considering the work that will have to be done to get the engine in.
The basic concept is fixed, there may be added details here and there but that's development.
Single or twin turbos is neither here now there. A single would be simpler, but that's not what I want.
A buddy is building a monster 1uz capable of over 1500bhp on a single turbo and also doesn't see the point of twins.
At the end of the day WHEN it comes to the point of getting the rear axle in its only at that point I'll know how much extra width is needed.
I may be able to lose some width with wheel offset.
Things remain fluid and sketchy for me. Right up until I'm happy with it.
If it takes longer so what. As long as I'm happy that's all that really matters, this is being built to please me.
I'm happy with the auto box as it is in the lexus right now (slightly modded) it works well and will handle the power.
Eventually I'll get the manual kit together but I'd want am R154 supra box and there's more important things to spend the money on this year.
I'm not sure if people told Picasso he should have used a different colour or brush...
Not that I'm comparing myself to Picasso, this project is just my own interpretation of my own kind of art. It doesn't have to please anyone but myself.
I'm just putting it up here for anyone who's interested.
Knowing absolutely nothing about engineering, I don't often read these - plus they take a lot of time just to read - but this is as fascinating as it is fantastic.
Interesting, I'm yet another 20vt owner of old, now sprinting an Evo9 with around 400/400. I loved mine, a Sprinty with all the usual issues, doors freezing shut in Winter, and then once they do open, there was no catch to close them... All good, I did have several drives where the whole thing just worked (and I mean flew, and flew well). Great stuff.
Now following this thread with interest
Good to see some of the 'old names' chiming in from the Coupe forum too
Now following this thread with interest
Good to see some of the 'old names' chiming in from the Coupe forum too
When they work, they do work fantastically well as a package. The coupe is a brilliant car, that's why I have another that's going to be pretty much standard.
I love it, since the first time I saw one in a fiat dealer.
At the time I worked for Mercedes commercial (badge snobbery with trucks lol) and was looking after a fleet of Fiat ambulances.
I just thought it looked great, I think it still does.
But after a few years of big power Japanese rwd machines, the fwd fiat just didn't cut it for me as good a car the coupe is.
There's a nice coupe on YouTube rocking a turbo charged bmw engine, I think the fiat would have won more hearts over if it had been rwd.
I love it, since the first time I saw one in a fiat dealer.
At the time I worked for Mercedes commercial (badge snobbery with trucks lol) and was looking after a fleet of Fiat ambulances.
I just thought it looked great, I think it still does.
But after a few years of big power Japanese rwd machines, the fwd fiat just didn't cut it for me as good a car the coupe is.
There's a nice coupe on YouTube rocking a turbo charged bmw engine, I think the fiat would have won more hearts over if it had been rwd.
I thought I best make sure the stock ignition system doesn't cause an issue running low boost.
So £170 later on distributor caps, rotor arms, plug leads and plugs the V8 is sounding lovely and smooth.
On a private airfield she whipped straight up to 150mph on the GPS.
For such a heavy car it does accelerate well after 70mph.
60 comes up a little sluggish but you can't have everything with 1700kg to lug about and long legs.
I'm sure the turbo will improve things further and in the coupe with hopefully nigh on half a tonne less it should be rather sprightly!
I'm currently doing a lot of motorway miles in it and generally hooning around having fun, but things are getting done.
A gearbox oil cooler is the next addition to go on next week along with a fluid change.
Also I've laid my hands on some mazda rx7 front hubs that need fettling to fit the mx5 spindles. Then some brackets need making up to allow fitment of the lexus 4 pot calipers.
So £170 later on distributor caps, rotor arms, plug leads and plugs the V8 is sounding lovely and smooth.
On a private airfield she whipped straight up to 150mph on the GPS.
For such a heavy car it does accelerate well after 70mph.
60 comes up a little sluggish but you can't have everything with 1700kg to lug about and long legs.
I'm sure the turbo will improve things further and in the coupe with hopefully nigh on half a tonne less it should be rather sprightly!
I'm currently doing a lot of motorway miles in it and generally hooning around having fun, but things are getting done.
A gearbox oil cooler is the next addition to go on next week along with a fluid change.
Also I've laid my hands on some mazda rx7 front hubs that need fettling to fit the mx5 spindles. Then some brackets need making up to allow fitment of the lexus 4 pot calipers.
Yesterday's mission was to put the transmission oil cooler on. I dropped the oil from the sump while I was at it. I've heard horror stories about flushing these so I figured I'd just replace the 1.8 litres the sump holds and run it a couple of weeks before doing it again and so on do I'll eventually get it all replaced.
Even after a few minutes of just running the engine the cooler felt hot.
These jobs are the kind of expense you feel absolutely no difference in doing but will make a big difference in longevity
Due to abuse from several Fiat pages on Facebook,I've been banned from cutting up my Fiat Marea.
According to how many left.com there's only 11 left on the road in the UK.
I've been in the position before where I've broken a car only for it to become collectable in ten years time.
So for now the Marea is probably going to get put through another mot and be used as an when fuel becomes an issue for the lexus.
Plus it might spur me to actually get on with the project in hand.
I still won't pull the lexus apart till its out of test in July next year. But it means I'll have to start chopping up the coupe bulkhead sooner rather than later.
According to how many left.com there's only 11 left on the road in the UK.
I've been in the position before where I've broken a car only for it to become collectable in ten years time.
So for now the Marea is probably going to get put through another mot and be used as an when fuel becomes an issue for the lexus.
Plus it might spur me to actually get on with the project in hand.
I still won't pull the lexus apart till its out of test in July next year. But it means I'll have to start chopping up the coupe bulkhead sooner rather than later.
I've had two, a marea 1.6 saloon. Which was very s
t.
And the current 2.4jtd 130 HLX. It does go quite well, it's got quite a few coupe parts on it steering and suspension wise.
One could argue the montego was a terrible car but try finding one for sale.
I do have offers coming in on it. But space isn't an issue and it was incredibly cheap bangernomic motoring.
I it sits another couple of years it's no bother to me.
By then there probably won't be any left on the road
t. And the current 2.4jtd 130 HLX. It does go quite well, it's got quite a few coupe parts on it steering and suspension wise.
One could argue the montego was a terrible car but try finding one for sale.
I do have offers coming in on it. But space isn't an issue and it was incredibly cheap bangernomic motoring.
I it sits another couple of years it's no bother to me.
By then there probably won't be any left on the road
Sorry just nipped out for some bits....
So I'm back again, its only been, what four years?
Anyhow. You'll be pleased to know the Lexus is still in one piece and now wears its rear mount turbo with pride and is a whole load of fun!
I had somewhat of a sabbatical and I will be updating this thread with all the latest info.
Fiat Coupe RWD project is continuing albeit minus the MX5 connection and in a much simpler fashion.
My biggest problem was overthinking and inventing over complex ideas.
What I should have done more of is actually trying the engine in the bay and see how it sits.
But no i got hung up on millimetre this and degrees that....
I should have just thrown it in there and see where the chips lay so to speak.
The lovely old Marea is still in the fleet and is now even more rare with it now being only one of six left!
I'll get some pics up of how everything is right now🙂
So I'm back again, its only been, what four years?
Anyhow. You'll be pleased to know the Lexus is still in one piece and now wears its rear mount turbo with pride and is a whole load of fun!
I had somewhat of a sabbatical and I will be updating this thread with all the latest info.
Fiat Coupe RWD project is continuing albeit minus the MX5 connection and in a much simpler fashion.
My biggest problem was overthinking and inventing over complex ideas.
What I should have done more of is actually trying the engine in the bay and see how it sits.
But no i got hung up on millimetre this and degrees that....
I should have just thrown it in there and see where the chips lay so to speak.
The lovely old Marea is still in the fleet and is now even more rare with it now being only one of six left!
I'll get some pics up of how everything is right now🙂
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff