New turbo project - opinions needed on engine choice
 

Ok, so my buddy and I are thinking of buying a clapped out 240Z or second-gen RX7, and swapping in a modern drivetrain. The objective is to have a retro-cool streetable machine that can kick the shit out of 911 GT2's and late-model M3's at trackdays, whilst being less gay than a miata.

V8's are ruled out because the weight distribution is not really favorable. An LS1 swap is out of budget.

300 whp is obligatory. The engine must be capable of taking whatever boost is necessary to achieve this, without being built or modified internally.

Right now, the choices are 1999+ BP or a 2.0/2.3 Duratec from 03+ Focus or Ranger truck (essentially a Mazda MZR).

For a BP, I know we will use a miata 6-speed and 7" torsen. With a duratec lots of RWD trans and diff options exist, making it an overall cheaper option.

How reliable is a 300 whp miata drivetrain?

I'm right now inclined towards duratec because its a full 150 lbs lighter than the miata engine, plus the drivetrain parts are cheaper. What I don't know is whether it will take 300whp without throwing a rod thru the block.

240z with rb25de-tt
Vildini Motorsport | Shaw RB25DET Powered 240Z

im well over 300hp and i haven't broken any thing yet

I'm going to double that rb25de swap choice. Can't beat a RB motor.

Lexus V8 swap.

Turbo FE3. They (genuine mazda) were selling on eBay for $500. Kia versions are around half that and were actually made by Mazda for kia 97-98. 300+whp on stock, never cracked open, engine with 13 year old engine management here. And it's been installed in a second gen rx7 more than once.

sr20? They can take ~400hp unopened I think. Not sure how much they cost.

I say a 240 drivetrain. KA24 with turbo, and Im pretty sure the stock trans and rear end are good for 300hp, at least more so than a stock Miata 5 speed and rear. SR20 is good, but would have to be imported likely, and wouldnt come with all of the little pieces. Find a local wrecked 240 and take all you need. Plus being a 2.4L vs. 2.0, you get my point. From what I remember in my 240 curious days, the KA24 is a great engine and takes very well to boost.

Rx7 TII ftw. Then you just have to do an engine swap, driveline comes installed.

20B

Damn, I dont guess I read the op very closely. Yes, I agree with an RX7. If I were to do an RX7 though, I would rather have a 1st gen and do a 13B swap into it (if you didnt already have an SE) or swap in a 13BT from a 2nd gen and be done with it. Have a monster drivetrain and a very lightweight and small chassis. I want DirectFreaks



WTF, after a few years Youshit decides the audio track isnt authorized... gay. But bad ass car :jerkit::jerkit::jerkit: Not the same without sound.

*cough* Though its a long way, I have a great little 1st gen chassis that would be perfect for a track car, though it has no title. Black G trim. CHEAP!

PS. I have jerked it often to that video Naarleven posted above. Yum

rb25dett and sr20 - out of budget

FE3- what vehicles did it come in? ideally i would want something that's easily available with low-ish miles, which the duratec is. Miata engine, I wouldnt care about miles cause I know its rock solid.

lexus v8- cool, but no thanks.

ka24- is this a honda engine?

EDIT: NA6C-Guy, the first gen RX7 sucks on track because it doesnt handle nearly as well as the second gen. any weight difference is made up by the sophisticated suspension.

Why the no thanks? Meets all your criteria. Cheap, reliable, easy to find, make good power, light weight. Or you just don't want a V8 just because?

yep, just because. 4-cylinder turbo = way lighter and easier. plus, the idea is to be the underdog at track meets - the more porsche douchebags that laugh at you, the better.

honestly if an sr20 is out of budget and you want 300hp this isn't going to happen. any engine cheaper than an sr will need a rebuild to handle 300hp, unless you use something like a lexus v8 or vh45de, which will require a lot of fabbing and/or drivetrain work to work.

example with vh45de, IMO the cheapest option (stock 272hp, 296 ft-lbs): motor is cheap and if you can find one they're usually not too expensive (under 1k), but you'd need a kit to mate it to a z32 manual transmission (1k), and you'd need a custom driveshaft and maybe a different rear end, and a good amount of welding and fab work to mount it. you'd better not need to rebuild the motor either, cause they're quad cam, two timing belts, 32 valves, etc.

Edit: the vh45de is an aluminum block too. still a little heavier than a KA, but all in all not too bad.

IIRC the lexus V8 is lighter than a BP...

Here's what I'd do. Mazda BP and turbo it. Put forged rods and pistons. Or a FE3 and turbo it like M2cupcar said.

Or a KA24 and turbo it. Probably your best bet seeing how you can buy a 240sx with a KA24 already in it. :)

What about a 2JZ swap? Those cam in a few lexus as well. Get a manual from a supra to mate to it.

if he can afford a 2JZ he can afford an LS1 which is pretty much the only way to go. Inline 6 cylinders = heavy

The lexus 2JZ isn't expensive. I see them all the times at the junk yards. Around here an engine is 165 bucks you pull it.

Shit, go get me one and I'll give you $1000 for your trouble. Never seen a 2JZ in a junkyard, and surely not for under $200.

Sure thing. How many do you want? I can get them when I'm out of college around early May.

Or here's one for 898. I'll send you my paypal so you can send me the difference.
eBay Motors: SUPRA SC300 IS300 GS300 2JZ VVTI NON TURB ENGINE 2JZGE (item 220365572940 end time Mar-02-09 09:10:11 PST)

EDIT: 900 shipped. So you'll only have 1k in it to your door after you paypal me the difference. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2JZ-G...Q5fAccessories