What are your most questionable swap ideas?

MyMiatas said:

this with this added?

How do the track widths compare?  The Miata is a lot wider than most older roadsters, so you may need some huge fender flares :)

Ford Taurus SHO 3.0 DOHC V6 (the original) into a '66 SWB Porsche 912. Yes, the engine fit into the engine bay. Yes, there are adapter parts available (block to transaxle, flywheel, clutch, etc) to physically bolt the drivetrain together. But....450+ lbs of cast iron  engine block stuck out behind the rear axle makes for a really bad weight distribution, plus the 901 transaxle would have spit out 1st gear in about 5 seconds, plus...cooling? At any rate, never happened. 912 got sold to a guy who wants to put a Tesla drivetrain into it, the SHO motor lives on as garage art:

How 'bout an LS into the front of a Corvair? Godzilla into a new Bronco? 

earlybroncoguy1 said:

450+ lbs of cast iron  engine block stuck out behind the rear axle makes for a really bad weight distribution

That never stopped the factory.

Current idea: nissan vg30dett into mk3 supra

Patrick said:

Current idea: nissan vg30dett into mk3 supra

I actually like this idea. And makes great sense considering 

Patrick said:

Current idea: nissan vg30dett into mk3 supra

Always wanted a UZ mk3 supra

In reply to earlybroncoguy1 :

I recall somebody putting a small block Chevy into a 911, finding that the weight distribution did not change.  Apparently the Porsche six is remarkably heavy, something probably to do with all of the flanges needed when you build-up an engine from separate crankcase and cylinders and cylinder heads and valvetrain boxes and all of the other accoutrements.

As much as I dislike the SBC, it was revolutionary for its time in how it eliminated a lot of unnecessary gaskets/flanges by having, say, the intake manifold do multiple duty as intake and valley cover and coolant manifold and such.  Other contemporary engines had separate valley covers and separate this and separate that.   There is a lot of weight to be shaved when, say, the cylinder head intake flange can be skeletonized, the block does not need to have the deck extend all the way to the valley and have metal there for a valley cover to attach to, etc.

It was a snug fit, he ended up using a remote/electric water pump for clearance reasons.

Patrick said:

Current idea: nissan vg30dett into mk3 supra

Kind of a previous gen version of this

start at 10:06 for the JZA80/RB26 story

So do we go VGA70 or an RBA80? I prefer the styling of the A70 and I think I prefer the VG30DETT, but I will listen to counter arguemnts.

I've been known to tell people the only "go faster" engine swap I'd consider for my truck would be a 13b with boosty bits. That isn't entirely true, as I'd also gladly do a turbo duratec ford. All I really know is it's never getting a v8. Boring. 
 

On the wishlist is a rotary swapped NC, and a CR500 into some flavor of cafe racer. Can you smell the premix?

Or the f23a1 and manual from my accord into the middle end of a super beetle. Less wheelies than one could hope for, but better weight distribution, more tq, and a way better soundtrack than any acvw is capable of. I know how that must sound, but I never claimed sanity. 
 

Or the Mazda 2.5 v6 into anything light and rwd. Or fwd. or anything. If I learned anything from my horrible mx6 experience, it was to just let things be. A little oil smoke is a terrible reason to send a car to the crusher. 

In reply to barefootcyborg5000 :

I always wanted to do a 4x4 s10 with a 2.8 and 5 speed. Swap t case to awd astro piece, and then put a northstar in place of the 2.8 (shares bellhousing). Slam truck, 17x11 vette sawblades on all four corners. Medium sized turbo. 

Poor mans way better syclone. The Northstar was 300hp out of the box....

In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :

The AWD S10 recipe has always held a special place in my imagination. I don't know what engine I'd use, and now I'm wondering if that cobalt ss lump would bolt to the stock trans...

I want a Hyundai 1.6t in my BRZ.  More power, cheaper gas (lower octane), similar/better economy, less Subaru.

also cheap to replace if you pop one, unlike BRZ engines

I'm diggin the table!  

Keith Tanner said:

Ford 3.5 Ecoboost into a Maserati Biturbo. It's a twin turbo V6, it's the only appropriate engine type.

This idea has also occurred to me; it doesn't even seem questionable.

Followed by a Maserati Biturbo engine into a Ford GT.

 That had not occurred to me, and is most questionable. Well done. 

barefootcyborg5000 said:

In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :

The AWD S10 recipe has always held a special place in my imagination. I don't know what engine I'd use, and now I'm wondering if that cobalt ss lump would bolt to the stock trans...

It won't bolt up... but I know someone that could use the Cobalt SS lump...

In reply to Tom1200 :

What's bad about this is, I have a short block from an '86 Grand National, and know where there are four or five Chevettes sitting in a guys back yard.   Challenge car? 

In reply to buzzboy :

What about a 1GZ-FE with appropriate induction modifications in an A60?

Seems as though everyone forgot the RB26-swapped mustang from Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. That was the worst thing to have ever happened to both the JDM and the muscle car scenes, if the internet is to be believed. 

In reply to paddygarcia :

Yeah, the 911 engines are hefty - but, being a boxer, they do have a much lower CG than a V6. Plus, the SHO was going into a Short Wheel Base 912, would have had to seriously upgrade the rear torsion bars, shocks, transaxle....too expensive.

If I were to do it again, I would go with a healthy 1800 cc Type 1 VW (bolts right in), step up to a 2100 cc, or go bigger with a Type IV/914 2.0 liter or larger.

Or, after I won the lottery, maybe a Polo 4 cylinder:  Polo Motors.

Patrick said:

Current idea: nissan vg30dett into mk3 supra

also workshopping nissan vh45de into mk3 supra

drock25too said:

In reply to Tom1200 :

What's bad about this is, I have a short block from an '86 Grand National, and know where there are four or five Chevettes sitting in a guys back yard.   Challenge car? 

When I called them "fools" it was because they didn't do it.  I think it's a great idea.

ToManyProjects said:

barefootcyborg5000 said:

In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :

The AWD S10 recipe has always held a special place in my imagination. I don't know what engine I'd use, and now I'm wondering if that cobalt ss lump would bolt to the stock trans...

It won't bolt up... but I know someone that could use the Cobalt SS lump...

For this project I was half planning on a 2.0T ecotec, 4wd ar5 from colorado, and a bw4472 from and Astro.

I have everything I would need except the 4WD ar5 and the skill to execute it lol. 
 

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/cars-sale/1989-chevy-blazer-ohio-1600/241711/page1/

I've put a VQ in an old rusty Datsun, a 2JZ in an old rusty Ford Model A, and a Camry V6 in the back of an old rusty Lotus.

I think we need a "least questionable swap thread" to steer my life away from chaos. 

volvoclearinghouse said:

I have a Thriftmaster Six Chevy engine from a 70's Camero that has been seeking a home.  I'm thinking perhaps in the shell of the '66 Jag I have.  Mostly to irritate the Jaaaaaag purists *cough*frenchy*cough*

I'm anything but Jag a purist.  In fact I highly recommend a Chevy Manual transmission in place of the Borg Warner automatic.   In fact in place of the GM turbo 400 

  If you want a Chevy motor in a Jag may I suggest the Atlas?   Starts out with 290 horsepower. And a turbo kicks it up over 600