'Blasphemous but maybe just perfect' engine swap thread
Discussion
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.
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.
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.
otolith said:
People are always putting Yank V8s into wankel engined Mazdas. I'd like to do the reverse, just out of spite.
An American on the internet has done it already, as always 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hxRc-B07QQ
Just to be blasphemous, I still don't get rotary engines, they sound f
king terrible 
I think the V8 in an RX-7, mentioned earlier, is a good one. Blasphemous because it goes against the whole lightweight, balanced design philosophy of the car, but perfect because now you get a gorgeous car with a powerful, reliable engine that doesn't need frequent rebuilds.... and may be more economical...
Similar story for the V8 in a Mazda MX-5.
Others I'd add would be the Rocketeer MX-5, with the Jaguar motor. Would probably not be blasphemous if they used the Mazda 2.5 V6 instead.
Someone managed to fit a Ferrari V12 in the engine bay of a 308.
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/classic/classifie...
Blasphemy because it was a QV to begin with. If he'd started with a 308i, I'd understand...
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....
Similar story for the V8 in a Mazda MX-5.
Others I'd add would be the Rocketeer MX-5, with the Jaguar motor. Would probably not be blasphemous if they used the Mazda 2.5 V6 instead.
Someone managed to fit a Ferrari V12 in the engine bay of a 308.
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/classic/classifie...
Blasphemy because it was a QV to begin with. If he'd started with a 308i, I'd understand...
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....
SturdyHSV said:
otolith said:
People are always putting Yank V8s into wankel engined Mazdas. I'd like to do the reverse, just out of spite.
An American on the internet has done it already, as always https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hxRc-B07QQ
SturdyHSV said:
Just to be blasphemous, I still don't get rotary engines, they sound fking terrible
I like them, except when they are aggressively ported and as a result at idle sound like a cement mixer full of spanners (or like a cammed Yank V8 for that matter king terrible 
)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...
otolith said:
I like them, except when they are aggressively ported and as a result at idle sound like a cement mixer full of spanners (or like a cammed Yank V8 for that matter )
You....you.....heathen...I don't have the words! )The lumpy idle of a bridge or P ported rotary is only there to give you fair warning!
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