mke said:TurnerX19 said:In reply to Robbie :
Only 1500 cc X1/9 axles are big. !300 cc ones are to fragile for a stock Fiat. The 1500 CV joints are Ferrari 308!
I KNEW a 308 engine was a good choice for the swap! Its practical a bolt-in :)
I've seen your version of a "bolt in conversion" . . . Not what the rest of us (mere mortals) think of when we hear that phrase.
Can we get a poll going of how many GRMers have owned this car now?
I know who I got it from and how Robbie got it 
In reply to Indy-Guy :
I should have kept quiet about the CV joints, cause we know there is a 308 engine around without a chassis now....
That would be beautifully ironic..... a 308 engine in an x1/9. 'Well, it already had 308 axles in it, so I went pure 308 on the drivetrain'.
I love it when someone else does the legwork(Jseries)
trackspec swap using bayless K20 kit
Yes, I am looking at K24s. 2ZZGEs, too, if I'm honest.
Some of those links have super annoying pop-ups. View at risk to your own sanity.
2zz was real high on my list when I was contemplating swaps.
Also 1.0EB
So, API has done sand rail stuff with the J-series. Interesting...
ECU reflashes below $500. (Edit: this may be wildly inaccurate.)
The swap has been done on a 92 civic . Distance between frame rails? Info is not immediately forthcoming. My girlfriend has a 2000 Civic that will be here in a couple of days, but If anyone knows the width of a Civic engine bay, It would be appreciated.
Too boy racer, yep, but there may be useable info out there.
Hasport, and Superior racing, both in Arizona are sources.
I apologize for this being so haphazard, I'm totally using this thread as a notebook.
gumby said:2zz was real high on my list when I was contemplating swaps.
Also 1.0EB
Yeah, the 1.0 EB is cool as it gets, but I doubt direct injection is doable on a challenge budget. I do have an Electrical engineer whispering things in my ear, but he whispers J-series.
I took Friday off work to run back to Middle Tennessee.
I had been given a heads up that the LaVergne Express Pull N Save had a couple of MR2s. When I got there one remained, and had been on the lot 42 days. Not long before the crusher, so I got on it. Broke my Craftsman ratchet, and had a heck of a time getting my booty, but I got it.
What I got was 4 corners of struts, springs, and uprights, along with two drive axles. Also, I grabbed the radiator cap and housing, because why not? $266.26 spent on budget, and I'm unsure how much of this will actually end up on the car.
The car was an '86, an early model, unless I miss my guess, as the rear struts have the highly coveted sway bar mounts. None of the inserts are puking fluid, so that's a good sign. I'm not going to lie, when the girl gave me the total, I felt the slightest shimmer of panic-gotta stay within budget!
The yard was a mess, but I got some face time with a J32 someone had dropped, subframe and all from an '04 TL. I like it. Approximately 18.5" from the front of the harmonic balancer to the bellhousing surface. They're putting them in the same holes as K engines, and people have put K engines in X1/9s, so I'm feeling positive. The length (width of the V, but length in a transverse application), is not to be ignored, but the last guys were good enough to saw out the bulkheads in front of, as well as behind the engine.
I got a look at what was meant by "the exhaust manifold was cast into the head"
Ought to make header construction easy
Not the best picture, but you get the gist.
In reply to wheelsmithy :
That just needs a simple adapter to bolt the turbo directly to the head. Instant spool.
Turbos? To heads?
Stampie said:In reply to wheelsmithy :
That just needs a simple adapter to bolt the turbo directly to the head. Instant spool.
Nice idea, but definitely not on a challenge budget. Besides, shouldn't 250-ish hp be pretty good on a sub-2000 lb. car?
So, I'm thinking the J may be a better fit than a K or other inline 4, due to the V layout giving more room laterally. I just need to get a look at the 6-speed. And find a wrecked TL super cheap.
I've dipped a toe on copart-lost an auction for a Acura TL six speed, got a lead on a wrecked auto, 4cyl Altima locally ( originally reported to be a V6 auto) for scrap prices, and missed the boat on a 93 NX 2000 with a roller rocker JDM engine.
I'm still keeping an open mind, and seeing lots of cool E36M3, but feeling the Budget.
Waiting for the right deal.
In reply to Stampie :
In fact, Ford does exactly this on the 1.0/2.0/2.3 Ecoboost engines.
I really did not need to see this thread.... now you have me looking for X1/9's and JDM Honda/Acura K series engines.....
dherr said:I really did not need to see this thread.... now you have me looking for X1/9's and JDM Honda/Acura K series engines.....
I got you
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/cars-sale/x19-mine-could-be-yours/150824/page1/
The J-series would be totally awesome in the x1/9. It would be effortlessly fast.
In reply to Robbie :
Yep, but as time goes on, I just can't allow this car to get an auto, and no luck finding a Hondura with a stick. Still looking.
The TSX 6 speeds bring $1300 ish without flywheel, axles, etc. Gotta find a donor.
If piecing stuff together from various cars, the Nissan option looks much more doable in budget.
In reply to wheelsmithy :
Are you trying to fit the cost into a Challenge budget?
If the Challenge is the key- I'd consider a cheap and small-ish motor and add turbo. Like a 1.6l Honda motor.
I'd do an auto with a mega shift. but I'm weird!
If a transverse V6 is what you want, why not a Nissan VQ series engine? More readily available with a manual transmission, clapped out Maximas are everywhere.
Yes, Challenge glory is the goal. I know I'm no drag strip winner, so autocross and concourse are the priorities. I feel limited slip is a worthwhile pursuit, and honestly, prioritize it over mega horsepower. Mainly, I'd like to keep it simple enough that I'd get it together for the Challenge. VQs are still on the table, and recently, QR25s, too, due to relatively cheap SpecV transmission availability.
In reply to wheelsmithy :
Sometimes KISS is the way to go.... Just to get there. You can plan more optimistic ideas when you have more time and experience with the whole system.
Getting AN engine to fit is better than dreaming about it.
In reply to wheelsmithy :
https://kalispell.craigslist.org/cto/d/kalispell-2006-acura-tl/6797850355.html
not mine. Just in case you know someone in the area. I contacted the seller and it will allegedly drive onto a trailer. Not that I’m drooling over it or anything.
You want a VQ
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