'Blasphemous but maybe just perfect' engine swap thread
Discussion
Leon R said:
Meridius said:
Thinking about how some engines like the LS V8 have been ubiquitous in use for engine conversion because of their practicality and easy performance. So what other kinds of engine swaps might be blasphemous for the die-hard fans of those marques but actually make a lot of sense and could create a better car for it?
I have seen the last few years, the Honda K-series VTEC engine being used in some BMW E30 but it also seems like a perfect choice for the E30 M3, cheaper, reliable, powerful high revving N/A 4 cylinder, lightweight and also has great potential for supercharger etc. But looking at values of the E30 M3 and how sacred many people seem to hold it, would they be brave enough to do it?
That also got me thinking about one of its rivals, the other way around, and the Mercedes 190E. Often seems the road car is viewed as being a bit sluggish and underwhelming and so almost like a perfect team up would be one with the BMW Inline-6 engines, either from the E36 and E46 M3s.
The thing about doing that swap in an E30 M3 is you could swap a K series into a much cheaper E30 and achieve the same so why spend all that extra on an M3 to start.I have seen the last few years, the Honda K-series VTEC engine being used in some BMW E30 but it also seems like a perfect choice for the E30 M3, cheaper, reliable, powerful high revving N/A 4 cylinder, lightweight and also has great potential for supercharger etc. But looking at values of the E30 M3 and how sacred many people seem to hold it, would they be brave enough to do it?
That also got me thinking about one of its rivals, the other way around, and the Mercedes 190E. Often seems the road car is viewed as being a bit sluggish and underwhelming and so almost like a perfect team up would be one with the BMW Inline-6 engines, either from the E36 and E46 M3s.
So for me, a standard E30 doesn't need a better engine. Get a 325i and you've got the best engine ever installed in one. It could do with some handling work but even there, they are already good, just not great. An E30 M3, on the other hand, has everything except an engine to live up to it... arguably. So that's the most likely candidate in the range for an engine swap...
RVVUNM said:
Wouldn't a Chevy engine in a Ford cause eyebrows to lift in Merca
Not really, at least not in hot rods.A SBC is cheaper to build and easier to get bits for as from the late 50s until the mid 90s they are pretty much all the same, so a gasket set is gonna work pretty much. Basically you had the small block, W motors in the early 60s and the big blocks, that covers you to the mid 90s.
Ford like to change things about, so you need to be a bit more exact on the year, they also had numerous engines - Y block, cleveland, windsor then the modular series - and thats just the small blocks!
Whilst there are a whole bunch of aftermarket parts (heads, cams, pistons etc) out there for both marques you probably have a bit better choice for the chevys at a lower price (at least some of the time).
Also a SBC fits better, it has a rear sump on the oil pan, which is nicely out of the way of a crossmember for the front suspension, Fords are front sumped, which can pose positioning issues. You can get different shaped sumps to help but its additional cost. Its possible, but how much hassle do you want ?
If you look around its quite common to see a smal block in an old ford. The other way around often gets people upset for some reason!
'35 Ford with a SBC, I'd guess a 70s or even 80s engine with the large cap distributor https://classiccars.com/listings/view/1448098/1935...
Originally that car would have had a 3.6 litre flathead producing a massive 85hp. The SBC, even a crappy one would be doing 200 and at one time you could pull them out of a junkyard for $50 as a runner..
these days the LS is common, but in the last few years the Ford Coyote engine has been making an appearance too.
Toyota 1ND-TV 1.4 Diesel from the mk1 Yaris into a Fiat X1/9. Same power, 74bhp, more torque, 170Nm vs 97Nm, probably lighter weight, aluminium block vs cast iron. It would probably have better in gear acceleration figures and use less fuel into the bargain.
Later versions of this engine make 90bhp so it would potentially improve on the performance of even the 1.5 X1/9.
Later versions of this engine make 90bhp so it would potentially improve on the performance of even the 1.5 X1/9.
s off the Aussie continget a Ford V8 into a Holden or vice versakiseca said:
...
..
And then there's this..
https://www.alfaholics.com/our-cars/completed-buil...
A few people have dropped a Busso V6 into 105 series Alfa Spiders.
Blasphemy because the standard car already has a pretty lively back axle with the standard 1.8 or 2l Nord 4 cylinder engines in it. A Busso would be up to twice the power. Saying that, I'd expect that the Alfaholics one would be the pick of the bunch, though even there looks like they haven't done much to the rear axle except swap the springs..
Still, that body, and that engine, irresistable for me. I'd take that over the Rocketeer any day of the week... even if I could probably get 10 rocketeers for one 105 Spider Busso....
Not quite as blasphemous as the Millington Diamond which one company has dropped into a GT Junior body...
And then there's this..
https://www.alfaholics.com/our-cars/completed-buil...
A few people have dropped a Busso V6 into 105 series Alfa Spiders.
Blasphemy because the standard car already has a pretty lively back axle with the standard 1.8 or 2l Nord 4 cylinder engines in it. A Busso would be up to twice the power. Saying that, I'd expect that the Alfaholics one would be the pick of the bunch, though even there looks like they haven't done much to the rear axle except swap the springs..
Still, that body, and that engine, irresistable for me. I'd take that over the Rocketeer any day of the week... even if I could probably get 10 rocketeers for one 105 Spider Busso....
That is some machine though!
velocemitch said:
Not quite as blasphemous as the Millington Diamond which one company has dropped into a GT Junior body.
That is some machine though!
There was also the Aussie on one of the Alfa forums who had lost his legs in an accident and who got some distance in designing a transplant of the complete drivetrain from a Maserati Cambiocorsa into a 105 shell, but he’s been quiet for some time. That is some machine though!
It was more than a pipe dream in that he’d got engagement/sign off on various aspects from an automotive engineer and the appropriate Australian state licensing authority but I’ve not heard that it has been finished yet. I think he had trouble sourcing a donor Maserati.
Jimbo. said:
I’ve always thought a Chevrolet or Ford V8 would be ideal for replacing a knackered V8 in any Italian car, given the number of now-revered 60s and 70s Italian metal that ran said American engines (Iso, Bizzarrini, De Tomaso etc).
Dickie Meaden on twitter said:
Sweet Jesus please make this a cheese-fuelled nightmare that's gone in the morning.
Holden (i.e. Chevy) V8, GM auto box.
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1206411
I’d love to put a Fiesta st triple 1.5 200 bhp into a Mk2 escort.
Very lightweight powerful power unit with loads of torque . Should handle fantastic.
Here’s a lad with a VAG 1.9 tdi in a Toyota MR2 spyder
https://youtu.be/Cx2UTt349Bo
And of course there’s the Aussie Jeff ,with the Alfa Ferrari 360 engined Alfa GTV
https://youtu.be/7NiVepB9QLc
As regards the Porsche 924 1.8t coversion , I’d much prefer to go the American LS v8 swap route, they sound great.
Very lightweight powerful power unit with loads of torque . Should handle fantastic.
Here’s a lad with a VAG 1.9 tdi in a Toyota MR2 spyder
https://youtu.be/Cx2UTt349Bo
And of course there’s the Aussie Jeff ,with the Alfa Ferrari 360 engined Alfa GTV
https://youtu.be/7NiVepB9QLc
As regards the Porsche 924 1.8t coversion , I’d much prefer to go the American LS v8 swap route, they sound great.
I wouldn't say a rotary soundtrack compares with a good V8 or V12 personally. But then it's also smaller and lighter, making for a better car even if it's a less good engine. And compared to a turbo I3 or I4, which are of a more equivalent size, it's far smoother and sweeter.
"The 13B produced less power than the Red series motors that powered the equivalent Holdens, and significantly less torque, meaning performance was restrained with a 103 mph top speed, poor acceleration and terrible fuel consumption... contemporary reports suggest 9 mpg"
otolith said:
People are always putting Yank V8s into wankel engined Mazdas. I'd like to do the reverse, just out of spite.
I give you... the Mazda Roadpacer, a big Holden with a nat-asp 13B installed for the JDM 'government official' market. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_Roadpacer_AP"The 13B produced less power than the Red series motors that powered the equivalent Holdens, and significantly less torque, meaning performance was restrained with a 103 mph top speed, poor acceleration and terrible fuel consumption... contemporary reports suggest 9 mpg"
samoht said:
Magnum 475 said:
I don't know if it's possible, but I fancy a Caterham with the Audi RS3 five cylinder engine.
Something tells me that this would be epic fun.
It's called a Donkervoort D8, and it sounds like it must be fabSomething tells me that this would be epic fun.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/donker...
samoht said:
That is a Holden V8 not a Chevy you can tell by the shape of the rocker covers.Years ago (mid-90s) there was a chap who transplanted the pinto-based Sierra Cosworth engine into a Mercedes 190E Cosworth...
Which makes me think; what about the 6.2 AMG V8 into the Mitsubishi Gallant AMG? That would be pretty lively, I can't imagine the old Gallant weighs much once the 4wd and other high tech accoutrements are stripped out.
Which makes me think; what about the 6.2 AMG V8 into the Mitsubishi Gallant AMG? That would be pretty lively, I can't imagine the old Gallant weighs much once the 4wd and other high tech accoutrements are stripped out.
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