by "Bozi Tatarevic" (hoonable)
Published 08/14/2013 at 04:36
by "Bozi Tatarevic" (hoonable)
Published 08/14/2013 at 04:36
Tags: LQ4
; LS2
; LS3
; V8
; Swap
; 500hp
STARS: 102
So you want to go fast and you want to swap a V8 into your ride but your budget is short. You can get that 500HP V8 and keep the wife happy. All it takes is some ingenuity and a little manual labor but the end is result is nothing short of awesome.
Your first step will be to select a viable donor. For my selection I focused on Chevy 2500 HD Vans which can come equipped with the LQ4 6.0L V8 which is very similar to 6.0L LS2 but with an iron block. The LQ4 produces 325hp and 370 ft-lbs in this application in stock form.
After scouring the auctions I was able to find a lightly wrecked 2003 Chevy Express 2500 RWD with the correct motor I was looking for. This van was found at an insurance auction nearby. It was sold as run and drive and I hoped for the best. Once it arrived we were able to drive it around the lot and found it to be in great condition.
Cost of Van at Auction: $1300
Auction and Transport Fees: $475
Total Cost: $1725
Now you may be thinking $1725 is not free and this is where the labor starts. The van was stripped down and all parts that were in good condition were inventoried, marked, priced and photographed. The parts were then placed on forums, craigslist, and ebay. Once some of the initial parts were stripped it was time to get to the engine.
Once all the broken parts and accessories from the front were removed we start to see the engine. Since the engine goes far under the cab in the van it is a 3 person job to get everything pulled out. We pulled the engine and transmission out together to save time. Once the engine was out we started inventorying the remaining parts and started selling off some of them. At this point some parts were sold which started knocking down the cost of the van.
Starting Expense: $1725
Items Sold:
Doors: $325
Brake Booster: $75
Taillights: $40
Radiator/Condenser and other Misc Aluminum Pieces: $32
Front Brakes: $80
Transmission (4L80E): $450
Driveshaft: $20
Rear Differential Assembly: $300
Expense left after initial parts sale: $403
Things are looking up as most of the costs for the engine have been recovered and it is now time to start to disassemble the engine. There were some carbon deposits but overall the engine was in good shape. We have it a bit of cleaning and decided to start selling off the parts we were not going to use in order to regain further funds.
Starting Expense: $403
Cylinder Heads (317 Casting): $180
Truck Intake and TB: $50
Oil Pan: $40
Water Pump and Fan Clutch: $30
Fuel Rails and Injectors: $40
Catalytic Converters: $280
PROFIT left after second round of parts are sold: $217
The block is now cleaned up and its time to start the build. First item up was to purchase some LS3 Heads. These were sourced used for $280, needing some work. The heads were sent out to a local shop where they had 3 valves replaced and were milled and worked over at a cost of $120. To go along with the heads, we picked up an aftermarket cam on the forums for $140. In order to finish out the package, a top end set of LS3 intake, fuel rail, and injectors was purchased for $240. The remaining pieces were an LS2 throttle body ($140) and a car oil pan ($105).
Starting Profit: $217
New Part Expenses: $1025
Expense left after current step: $808
At this point the engine is starting to be fairly complete and all that is left are small odds and ends for the application that it is going into. We rounded up the remaining parts of the van that were left and started selling them off to get closer to our zero mark.
Starting Expense: $808
Blower Motor: $20
Airbags: $50
Instrument Cluster: $35
Dash Wiring and Fuse Box: $50
Seats: $60
Partition: $75
Muffler: $20
Current Expense after present sale: $498
We are now in the last stages of the build/scrap process. The motor has been put together with the LS3 top end along with the milled heads for higher compression. The cam that was installed will provide great top end power and this motor is ready to produce 500hp on an engine dyno. In order to finish out our sell off, we take the van and all remaining metal parts to the scrap yard. Once we are at the scrap yard, we remove the wheels, spindles, and steering box and rack to sell separately. For our grand total, the results are below.
Expense before visit to scrap yard: $498
Wheels and Tires: $180
Spindles: $40
Steering Equipment: $75
Scrap sale of Van shell and remaining parts: $344
Total profit after all parts were sold off: $141
In the end, the remaining $141 was used for funding for more parts on the project car so we broke even and we had a very powerful motor left over. As a plus, the van came with some metal shelving in the back so we got some new shelves for the shop.
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Bozi is the founder of Hoonable.com and creates articles on everything from engine swaps to late model car restorations. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook or drop him a line at Hoonable!
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See More from my series on LS Engines:
Speed on A Budget! Build a 400hp Chevy LS Motors for Under $1200
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My Latest Project. LS2 6.0L V8 Legacy GT RWD
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"joemcm" (JoeMcMullen)
08/14/2013 at 00:41, STARS: 3
That's bad ass. Sounds like something "Wheeler Dealers" on Velocity would do.
"-Amateur" (amateur)
08/14/2013 at 00:45, STARS: 2
This is awesomeness in its purest form!
"Frank Grimes" (FrankGrimes)
08/14/2013 at 00:49, STARS: 4
I need to do this for my fox mustang.
"SPNKiX" (SPNKiX)
08/14/2013 at 01:09, STARS: 0
This is awesome. I don't think I'll ever do it, but awesome.
"80CobraKid" (80cobrakid)
08/14/2013 at 01:14, STARS: 2
But with a Windsor. Or mod motor if you so choose. Too many LS foxbodies out there.
"Frank Grimes" (FrankGrimes)
08/14/2013 at 01:45, STARS: 6
I will take a LS over 90hp 2.3 any day of the week no matter if it's over done or not.
"ASheep" (ASheep)
08/14/2013 at 02:32, STARS: 1
Brilliant idea. Seriously great work selling it all off for a profit! How many hours do you think the whole thing took?
"ilostmypants" (ilostmypants)
08/14/2013 at 02:47, STARS: 1
"Dsscats" (dsscats)
08/14/2013 at 02:48, STARS: 0
What is it going in to?
"lunchtray" (lunchtray)
08/14/2013 at 07:57, STARS: 10
Now tell me: how can I supercharge my Miata for cheap?
"ZeroOrDie - Powered By MZR" (ZeroOrDie)
08/14/2013 at 08:00, STARS: 4
Oh man dont get me started on this. I have been cruising salvage yards for a year or so. Once I get the funds to go all in I will do the same for my project. This is awesomeee.
"Bozi Tatarevic" (hoonable)
08/14/2013 at 08:01, STARS: 3
You may have better luck joining one of the insurance auctions and picking up a whole vehicle to use like this. The added benefit is you get to keep the ECM, wiring, and other odds and ends to use in a swap
"Bozi Tatarevic" (hoonable)
08/14/2013 at 08:01, STARS: 1
I may have to put something together for you but the V8 is more fun. The LM4 article I wrote is basically the motor we did for my buddies NB Miata Swap
"RotaryLover" (rotarylover)
08/14/2013 at 09:32, STARS: 0
Ok. My miata is gonna turn epic!
"PilotMan" (Pilotman)
08/14/2013 at 09:33, STARS: 0
Very well done. Insurance auctions are the way to go.
"TheHondaBro" (wwaveform)
08/14/2013 at 09:36, STARS: 5
I wanna put this in my Accord.
I'l see myself out...
"Bozi Tatarevic" (hoonable)
08/14/2013 at 09:37, STARS: 9
For the accord, you would want the LS4, which is specifically set up for FWD
"J_E_C" (J_E_C)
08/14/2013 at 09:38, STARS: 3
That's awesome, classic hot rod ingenuity that is sadly lacking today. However it's still an iron block. I take it you aren't planning on sticking it into a Miata.
"Old-Busted-Hotness" (old-busted-hotness)
08/14/2013 at 09:38, STARS: 1
Leaf blowers!
http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/new-roadkill-b…
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"Bozi Tatarevic" (hoonable)
08/14/2013 at 09:42, STARS: 1
This is going into a Subaru Legacy Sedan. The Miata is getting an aluminum motor
http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/speed-on-a-bud…
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"GR1M RACER : Wrong Most of the Time" (jeffsine)
08/14/2013 at 09:42, STARS: 2
GET IN MY BELLY!
"RS Hole, I forgot my password for 8 months" (atlinke39)
08/14/2013 at 09:42, STARS: 169
This sure beats my method of free motors:
1. Find person with LS motor
2. Stab them
3. Take LS motor
"brellnob" (brellnob)
08/14/2013 at 09:44, STARS: 0
Maybe i read this wrong but you pulled $1725 out the bank to pay for the van. At the end you don't have $1725 to put back in the bank. edit reread. i get it now. profit
"jason" (jjj7088)
08/14/2013 at 09:44, STARS: 1
Excellent job .... I wonder when you factor in the time and effort to do all of the above steps; what was the opportunity cost? If you could just go out and buy the engine, already built, what would be the cost? 3 grand? 4 grand?
So you spend the 4 grand, and were able to work at your regular job for a month interrupted, you could earn the 4 grand and come out even as well. Point being, most of us dont have the time to do what this guy did here because we have to work and live for other things. Not to mention, if this was a part of his "regular" job, he could turn around and sell the motor himself as well ....
"Mustang 'DontHitTheCrowd' GT" (coleslaw4dinner)
08/14/2013 at 09:45, STARS: 0
I wanna do this for my Trooper.
Am I insane?
"mycarneverruns87" (mycarneverruns87)
08/14/2013 at 09:45, STARS: 0
Definitely not as many as the cookie cutter bolt on 5.0 or SOCH 4.6 cars though. They just get old to mess with and it's nice to switch things up. I am a Ford fan but I sure like seeing my 5.3 under the hood of my 89 Coupe.
"EAGLE 5" (walterjpucci)
08/14/2013 at 09:45, STARS: 2
AWESOME!!!
One question though what's the weight difference between this and an LS Motor?
"xtrappedunderricex" (HALLOWEDPOINTS)
08/14/2013 at 09:46, STARS: 0
this is great.
time to swap/drift?
"Bozi Tatarevic" (hoonable)
08/14/2013 at 09:48, STARS: 2
$1725 was put back into the bank at the end and an additional $141 was left over
"Somethingwittyer likes noisy" (Somethingwittyer)
08/14/2013 at 09:49, STARS: 1
Suddenly, the idea of a V8 drift car seems that much more actual.
"Brewman15" (brewman15)
08/14/2013 at 09:50, STARS: 0
Thanks for the write-up. That is a very cool approach.
I've always thought about an LS-powered Volvo, and this may be the way to do it...
"505 - morphine not found" (morphine500)
08/14/2013 at 09:56, STARS: 0
This sounds cool but did you also get injection and ignition parts for the motor? I don't see those accounted for, and I would imagine a good setup capable of 500HP should cost you. Or am i missing something?
Otherwise great idea, excellent execution, lovely write!
"themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce)
08/14/2013 at 09:57, STARS: 3
Instructions STILL not clear, V8 got caught in ceiling van.
"signintokinjalol" (signintokinjalol)
08/14/2013 at 09:57, STARS: 0
People just realized this now?
Thanks bud, now all my scrap yard engines will be gone.
"Rickster3rd ¯\_()_/¯" (rickster3rd)
08/14/2013 at 09:59, STARS: 0
Clever.
"deysg" (deysg)
08/14/2013 at 10:04, STARS: 0
I did something Similar: '81 Jeep Scrambler with a blown stock 258 motor and beat T176 4 speed. Bought a 93 XJ Cherokee runner with ODBI MPI 4.0l / AW4 Trans and 100k on the clock for $1500. After swapping in the motor and trans, buying some new parts, parting out the XJ and selling some of the old CJ engine and trans , I was break even. I did pay a good friend to do much of the swap , but my parts were a profit.
"cnyautofreak" (cnyautofreak)
08/14/2013 at 10:04, STARS: 0
i own a legacy, an 08 2.5i. are you still able to have all wheel drive?
"C.44" (C44Supra)
08/14/2013 at 10:06, STARS: 0
Just one problem, what happens when your wife that won't let you buy just the engine sees the garage, driveway, backyard, kitchen, livingroom and study full of carparts for the next two or 3 months? I'd say paying the premium for just the engine would be worth not having to put up with a wife with homicidal tendencies...
"Acidboogie" (acidboogie)
08/14/2013 at 10:10, STARS: 3
Time for me to be
that guy
!
How many man hours went into stripping and selling the van and how much is your time worth?
Not saying this isn't a great way to go about getting the engine you want, just that you have to be willing to make that not-insignificant time investment.
"EricaJ" (Epica)
08/14/2013 at 10:10, STARS: 0
K, now how do you do it without starting with $2000? :P
"Matt@ShiftCarBlog" (shiftcarblog)
08/14/2013 at 10:11, STARS: 0
What car is this pictured in in the title shot?
"juggaho" (juggaho)
08/14/2013 at 10:14, STARS: 0
This was news at the turn of the century. Way to go.
"Thunder" (Thunder)
08/14/2013 at 10:18, STARS: 0
Yeah, but Will It Blend?
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I kinda wonder what that crazy blender would do with an engine block, or even a part of one. How hard is a piston?
"Group B-raaaaaaaaaap!" (AbarthGuy)
08/14/2013 at 10:21, STARS: 6
This is a fantastic article! And proof positive that with sweat equity, a little hustle, and a lot of balls, I too can have cheap power!
"MrDude_1" (MrDude_1)
08/14/2013 at 10:21, STARS: 0
electric leaf blower and a very long extension cord.
"hockeyguy44" (hockeyguy44)
08/14/2013 at 10:24, STARS: 1
You stated that you had the cylinder heads you purchased decked, but that doesn't lower the compression ration- it raises the compression ration. Do these used heads have a larger bowl than the stock heads, which would give you a lower compression ration?
I am curious as to where you get your 500hp in your title. What are the camshaft specs? If this cam has monster valve lift, did you upgrade the valve springs? Did you disassemble the engine prior to cleaning?
"CammedCTSV" (cammedctsv)
08/14/2013 at 10:24, STARS: 0
90 Lbs (and this is an LS motor, just iron vs Alum)
"Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom" (will-alib)
08/14/2013 at 10:24, STARS: 0
175hp just from heads & cam? Impressive.
"G30rge" (george-brooks)
08/14/2013 at 10:26, STARS: 4
"Too many LS foxbodies out there."
Look, the hipster of the engine building world.
"Bozi Tatarevic" (hoonable)
08/14/2013 at 10:27, STARS: 1
All the parts are listed above. The injection part were replaced but the costs were accounted for
"Bozi Tatarevic" (hoonable)
08/14/2013 at 10:28, STARS: 2
For that you will have to follow the comment from "RS Hole" above
"Der Sportwagoner" (sportwagons)
08/14/2013 at 10:29, STARS: 1
My Latest Project. LS2 6.0L V8 Legacy GT RWD
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This link at the bottom just kerploded my mind.
"JimSlade" (JimSlade)
08/14/2013 at 10:34, STARS: 0
Bravo...fantastic article...and great project!
"MonkeePuzzle" (monkeypuzzle)
08/14/2013 at 10:34, STARS: 3
don't forget, to make an empty spot in your car for dumping a v8 in you have to remove an existing engine. Do this BEFORE it totally craps out and craigslist will pay you for that too!
"Bozi Tatarevic" (hoonable)
08/14/2013 at 10:36, STARS: 0
Good call!
"Saeed" (Saeed-A)
08/14/2013 at 10:38, STARS: 0
i was wondering about the same thing, i did a little search on it and found that the LQ4 is about 100 lbs heavier.
"loki03xlh" (loki03xlh)
08/14/2013 at 10:40, STARS: 0
Great article. I plan on doing something similar to revive my 3rd gen f-body!
"yeah, that guy" (Whoawhoawhoa)
08/14/2013 at 10:40, STARS: 0
I was looking to get an avalanche at one point, and was looking for a very high mileage car. I bought a book on LS engines on amazon, and the rebuild process. Despite being a Ford guy for my whole life it is very impressive what chevy has done with the Gen 3 LS series motors. Very good engines, very cheap to work on, and the availability is incredible.
"CleverUsername" (CleverUsername)
08/14/2013 at 10:40, STARS: 0
Great work!
Here's a thread for an LS1 swap into a BMW E28 . The builder bought a Camaro for the LS1 and also broke even with a free engine and transmission leftover.
"MonkeePuzzle" (monkeypuzzle)
08/14/2013 at 10:40, STARS: 11
I did something similar myself.
I was given a stock civic by my wife as a wedding present. I bought a wrecked SI for its engine and other goodies, then sold the body as scrap, and as many parts as I could on ebay. Then I bought a 3rd civic with a bajillion miles (ok ONLY 315,000) and took its engine out and put my 36,000 mile engine from base model civic #1. Sold civic #3 on craigslist and in the end broke right about even.
"IMissTheOldInternet" (IMissTheOldInternet)
08/14/2013 at 10:41, STARS: 1
Yeah, nothing is free, but a lot of people can't just pick up another X hours of work where X * wage = cost of desired thing.
Also, there is a small "free lunch" aspect to doing it this way: rather than running your labor through a paycheck, and paying taxes on the benefit of that labor, you are turning your labor directly into the thing you want, paying no taxes on the added value. So even to the extent this is a breakeven in terms of time = money, you're better off to the extent of your marginal tax rate times the value of the thing you have produced.
"BREADwagon" (BREADwagon)
08/14/2013 at 10:42, STARS: 2
The LQ4 block is about 80 pounds more than the LS2 block. All else equal, that's an 80 pound penalty for saving a few hundred bucks (even thousands). Not too bad of a compromise if you ask me.
"HeelToe Do-See-Do" (HeelToeDoSeeDo)
08/14/2013 at 10:44, STARS: 0
I'm somewhere in the middle of a 5.3L swap into my '66 C-10. I assume you are doing your own tuning using something like HPTuners? I've got my engine between the frame rails but that's as far as I've gotten. The wiring, tuning, and fueling got a little daunting to me so I've put it on the back burner. Any tips or resources you know of to make it a little more manageable for a first time swapper?
"Bozi Tatarevic" (hoonable)
08/14/2013 at 10:46, STARS: 0
We are going with EFI Live. LS1Tech is your biggest resource as I am sure you know. LT1swap.com will also get you most of the wiring diagram and lots of great information on how to complete harness repins and such.
"Mister Win Blames People, Not Guns" (themarvelous1310)
08/14/2013 at 10:47, STARS: 3
Hrmph... I wanna be pissed at you for dissecting one of the few utility vans we have left in the wild(they only seem plentiful because businesses reuse them like Crown Vics), but it was kinda destroyed anyway, so at least its heart lives on.
Just do me a favor, guys. Don't do this with any undamaged/easily repaired vans, or retro swag vans, because those deserve to be driven to death while they still can be. If it can still burn...
It deserves another turn.
"Bozi Tatarevic" (hoonable)
08/14/2013 at 10:48, STARS: 3
We stripped the van over a 2 day period plus a couple of hours when we took it to the scrap yard. I would say all together there were about 30-35 man hours invested to strip all the parts off the van.
"Bozi Tatarevic" (hoonable)
08/14/2013 at 10:49, STARS: 2
We contemplated saving the Van when it came from auction but in the end the race car won out
"hockeyguy44" (hockeyguy44)
08/14/2013 at 10:54, STARS: 1
Maybe if the heads were Brodix heads. Cam would have to have massive lift. Valve springs in a typical stock head, even ifa performance head, wouldn't work well with high-lift cam. No mention if they checked piston-to-valve clearance (again, if high-lift camshaft). Also, not much talk of air intake system.
I don't think 500hp is happening here. Sorry.
"Bozi Tatarevic" (hoonable)
08/14/2013 at 11:09, STARS: 0
The numbers are not exact but it was built very similar to this build. Compression was raised as well and the tune along with the Exhaust that is going on work to complete the combo
"qqwweerrttyy" (qqwweerrttyy)
08/14/2013 at 11:15, STARS: 0
Ok, now how do you turn that iron block into an aluminum one? That sucker should be about 3x the weight of the aluminum block...
"Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom" (will-alib)
08/14/2013 at 11:16, STARS: 0
Nice. For what you had into it, ya done good!
"EAGLE 5" (walterjpucci)
08/14/2013 at 11:20, STARS: 1
Indeed especially if you drop it into something like an Ultima GTR or a Factory Five GTM where you can actually play with the weight distribution and add lightness everywhere else.
That's what I'd do with it.
"stevethecurse" (stevethecurse)
08/14/2013 at 11:23, STARS: 1
I'll be that other guy. It's not really the engine you want because its not really an LS unless it has an aluminum block, which this does not.
"I hoon, therefore I am" (hookemdevils22)
08/14/2013 at 11:24, STARS: 8
2008-later Express vans feature the LY6, which is basically what you just built - an iron-block 6.0L with LS3 (L92) top end.
"Bozi Tatarevic" (hoonable)
08/14/2013 at 11:27, STARS: 0
Good call, I forgot to mention that. I looked for the 08 and up models but they were all in the $4-5k range at the time so it wasn't cost effective
"Bozi Tatarevic" (hoonable)
08/14/2013 at 11:27, STARS: 0
Sounds like a fun and worthwhile project
"Bozi Tatarevic" (hoonable)
08/14/2013 at 11:28, STARS: 1
Thanks, Here is the link I meant to include:
http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/c…
"I hoon, therefore I am" (hookemdevils22)
08/14/2013 at 11:30, STARS: 0
Saw a guy at ls1tech that scored an 08 for dirt cheap. Ran mid-11s with little more than a cam (in a first-gen), then squeezed it to a second quicker.
What auctions/auction sites do you use?
"iamxpl" (iamxpl)
08/14/2013 at 11:30, STARS: 2
lol i think he forgot to math. meth, not even once.
"bigfish13.jf" (bigfish13-jf)
08/14/2013 at 11:42, STARS: 4
your method certainly seems like there would be a lot less physical work, depending on what you do with the body that is.
"racermd" (racermd)
08/14/2013 at 11:43, STARS: 2
You don't want to drop any of the iron block LQ-series V8 engines in the Miata as it would make the car too front-heavy. As it is, the aluminum LS-series is about 200 lbs lighter than the stock 1.6L/1.8L but the T56 transmission is about 400lbs heavier than the stock unit resulting in a net weight gain of 200 lbs over stock.
If you're going drag racing, the iron block might hold cylinder pressures better, but that's such a limited application. And who's seriously drag racing a Miata?! Don't answer that... I'm sure some nutjob out there is doing it.
If you plan to turn the Miata at all, it's best to stick with the aluminum LS-series blocks.
"LoganExplosion" (LoganExplosion)
08/14/2013 at 11:48, STARS: 2
Surprised nobody's mentioned it yet..
"Bozi Tatarevic" (hoonable)
08/14/2013 at 11:50, STARS: 1
You are correct sir. The miata we swapped got an aluminum block
"LandSpeed-DSM" (LandSpeed-DSM)
08/14/2013 at 11:56, STARS: 0
Perhaps I've missed this in my cursory searching, but how does one gain the privilege to post on Oppo?
"backRoads" (backRoads)
08/14/2013 at 12:16, STARS: 0
Oh, that's not free. That's just expensive in a different way. I gave serious consideration to this when I was buying parts for my LS1 Jeep swap. Here's why I didn't do it and bought a tested motor from a salvage retailer.
1. Peace of mind. I wasn't going to rebuild the motor, so it needed to be good to go as soon as it shows up. Once the swap is done, it's too late to find out your motor is junk.
2. Work. An engine swap is a TON of work; despite half the internet saying "just throw in a V8". Engine mounts, cooling, wiring harness, power train adapters, fuel system regulation, computers, tuning, shift points, gearing, drive shafts length and balance, axle strength, shifter.. it goes on and on. If I ever wanted this project to be drivable, I need to acknowledge that I don't have the time to part, price, list, and ship a whole car's worth of parts AND do the swap.
3. Cost. I got my LS1/4l60E w/ all accessories, computer, and wiring harness for 2500 to my door. And it has 30k miles on it, documented, with a copy of the title, and videos of it running on a test stand with pressure gauges, etc, displayed. Not too bad.
Having said all that; I applaud the garage mechanic that can pull off what you described, but I caution the majority of us to be realistic with yourselves.
"bariki" (bariki)
08/14/2013 at 12:20, STARS: 0
An iron block V8 does not belong in any Japanese car. Especially if you like handling.
"Cerne" (cerne)
08/14/2013 at 12:42, STARS: 0
This is a fascinating article and I wish I had the mechanical know how to do something like this.
That being said the parts might have been free, but the labour has at a minimum an opportunity cost.
"sounbwoy" (sounbwoy)
08/14/2013 at 12:52, STARS: 0
How long did it take you to get to this point?
"MrZoglog" (MrZoglog)
08/14/2013 at 12:55, STARS: 0
Too bad labor has a cost so as with many things that are free... not really free
"Hobz" (hansenmg001)
08/14/2013 at 12:56, STARS: 0
So how much heavier is this iron block compared to an LSX engine? The big argument for sticking the LSX series engines into RX7s was that it didn't mess with the weight distribution much so it would be interesting to see how this compares.
"Dr_Watson" (dr_watson)
08/14/2013 at 13:01, STARS: 0
Everyone always forgets the capital expenditure for the race shop required to actually do any of the work. :p
"bobrayner" (bobrayner)
08/14/2013 at 13:03, STARS: 0
"Free", if your time has zero value, you're mechanically skilled, and you have a large risk appetite.
"Lahjik" (ShachiCanthus)
08/14/2013 at 13:04, STARS: 2
Slap a couple 'a these bad boys on the side! They'll add mucho horsepower without even opening the bonnet>
"SLICK3R" (SLICK3R)
08/14/2013 at 13:20, STARS: 0
Ill stick with the 2.3 how many sock 2.3 stangs do you see around anymore? NONE!
"Smythe" (Smythe)
08/14/2013 at 13:38, STARS: 0
upon reading the headline, LSMiata was at the forefront of my mind... Until I read it was an iron block which killed it for me.
Although I did see the $1200 LS article that was written a while ago, haven't read it but if its a Al block I will have to begin negotiations with the better half.
"Darigaaz" (Darigaaz)
08/14/2013 at 13:59, STARS: 5
Out of curiosity, if I wanted to throw a V8 into a rear engine mounted car (say...Fiero) would I also need a front wheel drive mounted V8?
"Evan, Pope Of Jalopnik by Self-Appointment" (evanmcm)
08/14/2013 at 14:13, STARS: 7
Best part about that is you can even get them to help you load/transport it. Then stab them after.
"Frank Grimes" (FrankGrimes)
08/14/2013 at 14:17, STARS: 0
Theres are many reasons for that and one of them is getting chopped by a prius.
"Bozi Tatarevic" (hoonable)
08/14/2013 at 14:20, STARS: 3
Yep, you would want to use the LS4 and a transmission that matches such as the F40 6-Speed
"Darigaaz" (Darigaaz)
08/14/2013 at 14:28, STARS: 5
Excellent....now to find an LS4 and a Fiero