I’ve REALLY been neglecting my daily daydreams of future project cars. As previously mentioned, I’ve been SWAMPED at work and have really been focusing on helping my department reach some pretty high goals. I’ve also been extremely pre-occupied with a v8 swap into the 240sx.
Based on my horsepower goals of somewhere between 300-350WHP, I’m fairly confident that I will be going with one of the 5.3L variants of the Gen III/IV GM engines. Since I’m trying to save weight I’m wanting to stick with one of the aluminum 5.3L blocks, which leaves me with the LM4, L59, LH6 or the L33. I believe that the L33 is the most desirable block, since it’s the newest and comes with the highest rated horsepower out of that group of engines, excluding the LM4 from the SS. See this link for more info on those engines.: http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49118
With my relatively low horsepower goals I shouldn’t have difficulty reaching them with the 5.3L block. This post from ls1tech details a relatively minor build of a L33 that puts out 326hp to the wheels: http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=873706&highlight=l33 . As you can, all they really did (at least per that post) was add a LS6 Intake, Z06 CAM and a set of knock-off headers. I imagine that also included a ECU Tune, but that isn’t mentioned. I’ll need one on my car anyway, so that’s no big deal to me.
With the engine choice made, my next big decision is, which transmission. I REALLY want to use the Sikky Conversion Kit. Click the link, the thing is absolutely beautiful. However, I’ve been considering the use of a T5 transmission instead of the highly recommended T56. Due to it’s strength, the T56 transmission is nearly impossible to find a deal on. Everyone that has one, treats it like it’s gold when it comes time to sell. Not that, there’s anything wrong with that. But from my point of view, I have difficulty paying 4-5x what I paid for the engine, to get a transmission. Obviously, I will if I have no other choice. However, since my HP goals are relatively low, the car is lightweight and I won’t be attending many dragraces, I think the T5 would work well for me. However, the T5 is not compatible with the Sikky kit. It might work with the oil pan and the engine mounts, which would leave me with making my own transmission mount, shifter and driveshaft. I’m not too worried about any of those in particular, I just want to keep this swap as painless as possible, and the T5 awakens that ugly monster known as project creep!
Anyway, that’s where I’m at today.
Below are the websites that I’ve been using to get information/data from concerning this project. Click the links, if you’re bored.
Well, I’ve been slack with updating the blog. I’ll blame it on being busy at work, that sounds legit. In the few moments that I get to spare, I’ve been researching parts from the NASCAR Car of Tomorrow (referred to as COT from here on). <Rant on> I’m not a big NASCAR fan, but I do respect the technology that’s developed in this series. I know a lot of people will argue that, but let’s be honest here. These cars are 3200lbs and traveling around tracks at speeds that many people can’t even imagine. On top of that, they are relatively safe for the drivers. Just because the design and ideas seem simple on the outside, doesn’t mean there is not a huge amount of engineering effort happening in the background. Anyway, the COT seemed to stir up a log of commotion when the idea was introduced. Not being a NASCAR fanatic, I LOVE the car. I think it looks great. And with the use of a front splitter and wing, I feel that the technology that is being developed with this car will more directly benefit me, more so than the previous efforts of tweaking a body shell to produce the desired results.
To put it another way. I have the tools and a basic understanding to allow me to add a front splitter and a rear wing to my car. With NASCAR throwing the engineering effort towards these components, I can be assured that when I get ahold of them, that I am using components that have at least had some thought put into their design. <rant off>
So… That leads me to the package that landed on my doorsteps just a few days ago. Yep, that’s a splitter from the NASCAR COT. I saw an ebay user “racetrackmetal” selling a group of four of these as collector items. The ones they had listed were associated with a car and a driver that I can only assume a NASCAR fan would want the parts from. I sent off an email asking for one of these in good shape that didn’t necessarily have to be associated with a car, driver or a race. Luckily for me, they had a few that had been used for testing purposes. I got a GREAT deal on it, and the customer service was easily the best service I have received in a number of years. Here’s their website: http://www.racetrackmetal.com/ I suggest that if you’re looking for a particular NASCAR part, send them an email and ask if they have it. They have more items than what is listed on their website.
Back to the splitter. I purchased this splitter with the intentions of putting it on my Nissan 240sx. As you can see, it’s a little wide, so I’ll have to do some trimming to get it to fit properly. No big deal, the splitters are made of a new composition of polymeric-fabric material. The idea of this material was that it has to be strong, resist shattering, lightweight and cheap. I think they succeeded with this. I’ve seen pictures of these things digging into the dirt and surviving. I weighed mine at 8lbs, and it’s almost 1/2″ thick!
Anyway, I hope to follow this post shortly with a discussion on how I installed it.
In my Mongrel trophy truck daydream, I spoke about what kind of transmission I would run. I settled on the two speed Powerglide due to its light weight and compact dimensions. Plus, with a big block in light truck, I wouldn’t need a lot of ratios. Recently, while helping Jason find a suitable transmission for his 240 V8 swap, I ran across something better. Much better. Bert Transmissions.
These are two speed units that have a hydraulic clutch and a direct coupling to the engine. No traditional clutch, and unlike the Powerglide, no torque converter. Best of all, the magnesium model weighs just 36lbs. That is right, a whole racing transmission, designed to take the torque of strong V8 circle track engines, that weighs less than many stock flywheel and clutch assemblies. Amazing.
There are a number of projects I can think of that could use one of these gearboxes:
Think of how a turbo car builds torque and then loses it at every shift. That torque means the need for fewer ratios, and would return fewer shifts. This would be a great trans for land speed racing a turbo.
An autocross car that only needs two speeds could save about 100 lbs with one of these transmissions.
How about a dune buggy that will never need to go too fast? Low gearing means nothing but wheel spin in one of those.
I don’t think Jason will run one in the 240. Maybe if they have a three speed version…
Well, I have been wanting some Bilstein HD’s for my S14 for some time. They are super beefy, cheaply rebuilt/revalved and monotube.
Bilstein makes struts for the S14 but do not import them to the US. So I have been randomly searching around for the past couple of months trying to find struts from other cars that might work. From my research, the damn S14 is an odd sort. The fronts are REALLY short and the rears are REALLY long. At first I thought I was gonna have to go with the A2 VW Golf/Jetta front struts. They are the smaller 30mm shafts and are not as common from what I have been told.
Last week I was browsing ebay and stumbled upon a set of EVO 8/9 struts and they looked like they might work. I emailed the owner and he measured them for me. As I was awaiting his response I was further searching for pictures of EVO struts and found this picture
Those are a set of 3000GT/Stealth struts and just eyeballing them they looked like they would work. So I called Bilstein in Mooresville, NC and Keith is the man. Within 3 minutes he told me all I wanted to know.
[b]R36-5022-H0 insert[/b]
OD 45.8mm (1.8″)
Extended Length 480mm (18.89″)
Collapsed Length 380mm (14.96″)
Body Length 266mm (10.47″)
On paper they looked like they would work. So, I bit the bullet and bought a set, here is what they look like compared to my Koni Yellows
They bolt right into the stock housing!!! The body is about 1/2″ short than the Koni where I was running it at. The fat “stud” at the bottom of the Koni stuck out the bottom of my stock housing.
Ok, more measurements.
I inserted the struts into the my Techno Toy Tuning camber plates, the strut rod sticks up .3″ beyond the threaded portion (you can see a mark from a sharpie in some of the pics). That will be perfect as I have a solution for the wacked mounting of the T^3 camber plates that costs less than $2 and can be bought at Lowes. I’ll post that later.
The GC upper hats are a bit thinner than the T^3 ones, and drilled out sit pretty flush
I know this setup may not be appealing to alot of folks. There is no adjustablity. However they are cheaply revalved to whatever spring you may wanna run. I am also told that Bilsteins are easy enough for the avg person to re-valve but I have not looked into that.
Now all I need is a HD strut for the rear. The 3000GT’s MAY work with the stock S14 uprights but I have not had a chance to call Bilstein about them. The G35 front struts MAY work with the Z32 uprights but they are kinda pricey at $200/ea.
All Corvettes are cool, but I want a C3. Preferably an early one with the little chrome bumpers. With a big block and side pipes. I know that any later Corvette will blow into the weeds, but there is something about the earlier cars that the later models miss. They have a raw edge that the newer cars dulled. They are styled without apology to conservative audiences; head room and ergonomics be damned as well.
The other reason I want a C3 is the big block. The big rat motor looks so sweet shoved in the narrow nose of a Corvette. It looks like a Mongrel or swap job even when it isn’t. Plus, even with the regular deck block required by the Corvette’s sloping hood, the CID capabilities exceed 500. And that would be just fine by me.
I write this because it has been a recurring thought, but also in response to a trend. One of the hottest things to do now with an older car is to update it with new technology. The Pro Touring style. Many of these cars are extremely impressive; able to run circles around the originals while return better ride and mileage. I won’t deny that an LS7 powered ‘69 Camaro would make me smile for a long time. But, lost in that, at least for me, is part of the charm of an older car. There is no computer that makes sure it starts perfectly every time, there is no A/C that will shrink the boys up to your neck on a 100° day, there is no cruise for long trips. There is no doubt that all these things are flaws, especially for a daily driver. But for a car that is a passion, those little marks of character are what it is. It isn’t an older car if it doesn’t act like one.
I am sure that some will say that the Pro Touring cars offer the best of both worlds, old and new. They are right. I just hope that for those that appreciate every part of the old, there are still some left for us.
Okay, so this isn’t a post about a project car. Although, I’m sure many project cars will be considered based on my next visit to VIR. I’ve been following the One Lap of America race this year. Considering it’s a short term series, and you can see nightly results, I find it highly interesting to follow, and it meets the requirements to not overload my attention deficit. For those that don’t know, the One Lap is a series of legal races held at various tracks, mainly located in the eastern U.S. The participants, must drive their car from one track to the next and compete for the fastest time at each track. No support team, no tow vehicle. Just two drivers, the car and whatever you can fit in the car with you. The original race was called the Cannonball Run (yes, those movies from the early 80’s) and consisted of actually racing across the United States on public roads. Obviously, this didn’t go over well with the authorities, so a “legal” version was schemed.
Many of the teams maintain a blog where they keep daily updates of their progress. You can find the links on the One Lap of America homepage. The series comes across North Carolina May 7-May 8, 2008. On May 7, they will be racing at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, SC, and will be at Virginia International Raceway on May 8. I plan on using this opportunity to take my 2yr old son to his first track event. He has shown a good bit of interest in my hobbies recently, and I think he would enjoy this. While he has been to a few autocrosses, that was before he was able to walk, and likely doesn’t recall any of them. Hopefully, he’ll enjoy the day out of daycare. I’m sure I will enjoy the day off of work. If nothing else, it will give us some father/son time together.
Perhaps I am getting soft in my old age (not just around my middle) because there are some projects that I would like that wouldn’t necessarily be all out track machines. Like Jason said about his 240SX, sometimes the creature comforts make a car more enjoyable than an extra tenth off the lap times at VIR.
To that end, I would like a first generation MR2. While the tiny Toyota two seater is never going to be mistaken for a Lincoln Town Car, they are surprisingly comfortable for the amount of fun that they deliver. When I bought the V8Mongrel, the early MR2 was very much on my radar.
I would like one with A/C, a set of comfortable aftermarket seats, T-tops and a 2ZZGE engine from a 2000-2005 Celica GTS. To be honest, I have no idea if the swap is even feasible, but having spent some time in a GTS, the rev-it-to-the-moon powerband would fit the character of the nimble little MR2 perfectly. Add in the six-speed gearbox, and you are looking at a car that can tear up backroads and cruise on the highway.
Of course, with two kids and two dogs, an MR2 is about as practical for me as a Hummer H1 in Tokyo, but hey, I can dream, right?
Well, I’ve already got a little slack on updating this series. So goes the life of a working father. To be honest, I’ve been swamped at work. Between that and thinking about future daily drivers, I haven’t given much thought to a project car.
Oh well, here I am thinking about the v8-240sx project. A company is currently in the progress of releasing a new installation kit for the LS1 into a 240sx. http://www.sikky.com/ *not released yet This kit includes the engine & tranny mounts, an oil pan that allows the cross member to remain unmodified and a custom driveshaft. The price of the kit is going to be in the $1750 range. While that seems a little steep at first, this kit gets rid of the majority of headaches associated with this swap. Another big headache is the header/steering situation, but I understand that this same company is working on a fix for that.
After I spotted this post on one of the numerous Internet Forums, I started doing a little more research. It looks like a LS1 can be picked up for under $2000, which includes most of the bolt-on accessories. Wow, this swap is becoming more doable every day. I’ve got two big issues that I would LOVE for someone else to figure out so that I don’t have to. First is the ABS. Right or Wrong, I enjoy having ABS on my car. On more than one occasion it has saved me from flat-spotting a $300 race tire. It removes my fear of destroying tires which in turn allows me to stay focused on the task at hand. With the price of race tires only getting higher, ABS is a solid requirement for any future project that I intend to race.
I’ve spent a bit of time scouring through the factory S14 manual and have not seen any reference of the ABS computer sending signals to the Engine Computer. No one has confirmed that for me, but I’m assuming that the system is a standalone system that will continue to operate regardless of the computer controlling the car. I’m confident enough in this that I can mark this item off of my list of reasons to not do a v8 swap.
Next reason. I want NEED to retain a working AC system. End of story. My current research is focused on trying to find an answer to this question. The car will be driven on the street way more than it will spend time at an autocross or track event. In North Carolina, AC is not an option.
The next item of interest to me, is the transmission. I think most of the time, the LS1 was mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. If there were a 5-speed manual transmission that was lighter and is a direct fit, I’d probably give this transmission a shot. Again, I’d only bother with this, if the transmission gave a significant weight difference, a big difference in price, or durability.
Any comments, or tips that could help my find my answers? Leave them below.
I was fairly busy at work today, so I didn’t have a lot of time to day dream. My friend Les has recently sold his Z06 and is in the planning stage of a Monster Miata project. I’m sure this had a little to do with me coming back to the olde faithful; V8 240sx project. Since I already own a 240 (or two), this project is most likely the next step for me. I have already stopped adding mods that would be undone in the unlikely event I were to tackle a V8 swap. Instead I have been focusing on suspension mods (look for an upcoming custom swaybar install) and researching brake kits, cooling systems, and “lightweight” mods.
Besides the fact that I already own the 240sx, it is a very logical car for such a swap. It has a huge engine bay, and growing support by the aftermarket industry, even though the newest 240 is now 10 years old. The biggest problem is that v8 swaps are relatively new in this chassis. Currently the only installation kit is overpriced, and lowers the front crossmember. Since the control arms are attached to this piece, this is an unacceptable compromise, in my opinion. There are other companies currently working on installation kits so hopefully the choices will improve in time.
As I get older I’ve determined that I’m not going to give up creature comforts either. My swapped 240sx will need to retain all of the things that make it such a great car at the moment. That includes the ABS, the Air Conditioning System and the complete interior. I know that’s a tall order, but if I were forced to give up those items, I would just buy a Mustang instead and spend the time/money on making it handle well. I hear it’s not a difficult task these days.
Jason alluded to my latest crazy scheme, and I figured I’d blog some more details here.
I have long thought that the Baja style trucks were cool. Huge horsepower and an undeniable toughness. What I would like to do is take some of the same vibe and transfer into an asphalt runner. First, check out this Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords article on a trophy truck. They put the engine in the front, albeit very far back, and all the ancillaries such as the radiator, in the bed. I am sure this is because the front of the truck is vulnerable to damage from the extreme terrain and brutal landings they encounter regularly.
I would reverse that – put the engine in the bed and the ancillaries in the engine bay. On a race track, if you are airborne, damage to the radiator is seldom your first concern! Plus, unlike an off-road truck, I wouldn’t need 30+ inches of suspension travel, so the shorter driveshaft wouldn’t be a big impediment.
I would try to start with as small a truck as possible. An S-10 or Ranger. Work my way up from the smallest truck, to the long beds and see if it would fit. If that didn’t work, I’d go to a Dakota, but no larger. I don’t think a full size truck would be as much fun.
And I would need a lot of room, because I’d use a big block. Mounted in the center of the truck, the weight balance wouldn’t suffer, and the ability to make cheap and easy horsepower from cubic inches is really appealing. The big block Chevy commands a premium, but there are tons of 460 Fords and 440 Mopars ready for the project.
I am not sure what I would do about a transmission. It would have to be compact and strong. Perhaps an all manual two-speed Powerglide. Not exactly traditional for road courses, but nor is a mid engined truck. With a low weight and big block torque, the lack of gear ratios wouldn’t matter much either. Plus, a Powerglide can be built to take anything.
From there, the suspension would be pretty standard circle track style stuff because it works and is close to what the little trucks come with stock. Will it ever happen? I doubt it, but it is a cool project to daydream about. Got one of your own or input on this? Drop a comment in below.
Yep, that’s a splitter from the NASCAR COT. I saw an ebay user “racetrackmetal” selling a group of four of these as collector items. The ones they had listed were associated with a car and a driver that I can only assume a NASCAR fan would want the parts from. I sent off an email asking for one of these in good shape that didn’t necessarily have to be associated with a car, driver or a race. Luckily for me, they had a few that had been used for testing purposes. I got a GREAT deal on it, and the customer service was easily the best service I have received in a number of years. Here’s their website: 
. As you can see, it’s a little wide, so I’ll have to do some trimming to get it to fit properly. No big deal, the splitters are made of a new composition of polymeric-fabric material. The idea of this material was that it has to be strong, resist shattering, lightweight and cheap. I think they succeeded with this. I’ve seen pictures of these things digging into the dirt and surviving. I weighed mine at 8lbs, and it’s almost 1/2″ thick!
So I have been randomly searching around for the past couple of months trying to find struts from other cars that might work. From my research, the damn S14 is an odd sort. The fronts are REALLY short and the rears are REALLY long. At first I thought I was gonna have to go with the A2 VW Golf/Jetta front struts. They are the smaller 30mm shafts and are not as common from what I have been told.
