I've got the fever

I vote Chevy Volt or Chevy Spark

Gasoline wrote: I'm bringing a 5.3l LS '55 Morris Minor with rear mount twin turbos to the $2013.

I love you.

For my interests, a Europa, a Seven or a Exocet

Give LS fever the 'tussin, and dare to be different:

XJS...With American Inline 6...With turbo(s)...With weight reduction...With handling....

...With flares.

Racer1ab wrote: Folks, this is easy. In the Holy GRM Trinity, the E30 and Miata are now common targets for LS engine swaps. The P71 isn't.

Or, since the 3rd leg of the trinity is oft debated, don't forget to float out the option for the Cherokee or AstroVan.

I vote a Mercedes with the w123 or 124 chassis. They are more readily available, and engine swamps are typically only done with later Mercedes running gear. They handle well too! Make it interesting and convert a diesel over to the LS.

-Hamid

NOHOME wrote: Grassroots, Motorsports oriented, appealing to a crowd that has a predilection for racing and classic cars. Quite a few Gyro-gearloose types in the crowd who joneses for a good fabrication article. Well, the answer is obvious. You MUST build an LS1 powered Europa.

I'll volunteer my spare as a willing victim, as long as I get to flog the dog snot out of it once its done!

AverageH wrote: I vote a Mercedes with the w123 or 124 chassis. They are more readily available, and engine swamps are typically only done with later Mercedes running gear. They handle well too! Make it interesting and convert a diesel over to the LS. -Hamid

This guy here. Listen to him.

In reply to Tim Suddard:

Whatever you decide to do i'm sure we either have a pan that will help make the swap work or we can adjust something to make it work

Well since it's GRM it has to be cheap & simple.

Nothing exotic, too small, mid engine or any of those other complications. In other words a straight forward replacement, not a totally re-engineered car. With the Miata you've got new rear end, new axles, etc. so something that you can use what's already there.

While the LT1 would be great and it would help us learn how to work with DI and VVT, it's not really Grassroots - yet.

Maybe how to source an alum block truck engine that's super cheap because they were built by the thousands and no one wants them anymore with a mix & match LS chart. That chart exists somewhere on this forum already. Just bringing all of the stuff together in one place.

Something that can be done quickly so the article can appear quickly.

After this article is done it might could springboard into a more complicated build later.

Now that I think about it I'm amazed this hasn't been done before.

C'mon, Tim, it has to be a P71. I hear Tom wants one, and JG knows a place. (Comes with free chicken, or something – I forget the details.)

Do the swap, double the stock horsepower, do whatever suspension & brake stuff occurs to you ... PROFIT.

Ok, two more suggestions:

-Morris Minor (traveler, coupe', or convertible). I've seen Rover V8's in them, so I don't think it's that far a stretch. Preferably Traveler. I have visions about building a box frame from scratch, 8.8 rear, nice independent front (or crap, can a dana 44 fit under there? Hadn't even thought about a moderately off-roadable Traveler), and a supercharged v6, but if you must go LT1, it would be the dogs bollocks.
-1 gen Ford Focus. They put a 302 in one at the factory, so it can't be that out of line. I'm thinking Rally theme here.
-Factory Five Daytona coupe? I'm thinking AWD conversion, and rally it, or minimum rally cross it. Or land speed candidate.
-Saturn Wagon. For shock value only.
-Belly Tank land speed candidate? You have not done much here, besides the Ro-Spit. And you know you want one.
-Can am Formula 5000 replica. Ok, that's stupid. Or is it?

Gasoline wrote:

MO! MO!

tuna55 wrote:

Gasoline wrote: I'm bringing a 5.3l LS '55 Morris Minor with rear mount twin turbos to the $2013.

I love you. For my interests, a Europa, a Seven or a Exocet

PLEASE! I really, really want to see this as soon as possible. The upcoming FMII Exocet we're building is going to satisfy my power bug for at least a year, and the 302 Exocet is leaving the states soon.

More info: http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/grm-exclusive-reveal-exocet-spec-a/57663/page1/

Lots of interesting answers here. To add my $.02:

As my Challenge cronies will readily admit, I'm not much of a wrench. That said, I still harbor fantasies about swapping an LS1 (or LS3 or L33 or L-something) into something else. Even if it's a swap that's been done a lot (FC RX-7) or not as often (e36 or e46 3-series), I would love to see an in-depth step-by-step swap article. Even if broken out over several issues, helping a guy like me achieve a swap would be awesome. Start with disassembly, talk about installation, the wiring, the fuel delivery, etc.

This type of article may not be what sells magazines, but I'd love a series of articles where I could play along at home and end up with a swapped car eventually.

Couple of my thoughts have been said already so consider +1 to the w123 and especially something full of 80's boxy lines goodness. Along that line, I really like the mkII supra idea.

Other thoughts:
Midlana + ls4

E31

My fav: First gen M coupe... pleaseohplease!

Wow, this whole time, I was thinking that this was Tom's thread.

bluej wrote: Couple of my thoughts have been said already so consider +1 to the w123 and especially something full of 80's boxy lines goodness. Along that line, I really like the mkII supra idea. Other thoughts: Midlana + ls4 E31 My fav: First gen M coupe... pleaseohplease!

I have an e31 that I could be convinced to sell you guys!

C.O.Y.O.T.E.

I could be happy with a z3 build. That's semi "adult" and "responsible".

Fiat?

E30. It while there has been a bunch of garage swaps posted on various forums, it would be nice to see a well documented swap. Hell, I'd be tempted to offer mine as the recipient...

Wanted to say RX-8.. because I have want to build one since Hinson first teased the idea.. but this article changed my mind:

http://classicmotorsports.net/search/?q=Depreciation+station

So Jag XK8 coupe gets my vote.

I vote Maserati Merak.

Or....original 2M4 body style Fiero with a real suspension.

Back when I was in college, I had a '73 Mazda RX-3 Wagon, which was actually a very cool car for its day. The 12A had Racing Beat headers, an aluminum intake manifold and a 4-barrel Holley carb. The suspension, which I had to keep at stock ride height to deal with the huge potholes in Newark (where I went to school), was nonetheless beefed up with large sway bars, Koni adjustable shocks, and 7" wide wheels. Though it would probably be almost impossible to find one today, I think that would make a unique LS swap candidate.

Edit: But not completely impossible. Would you believe I found one in Orlando? That's only an hour from world headquarters. http://cars.yakaz.com/mazda-rx3-sale