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About 20 years ago, I took a mostly stock 4 cylinder Vega, (had a few suspension tweaks, aluminum wheels, 60 series BFG radials, some mild carb mods, and a homebuilt "Flowmaster' muffler), and beat an 85 HO305/5 speed Z28 Camaro AND an early 70s 240Z with 12.5:1 compression, a roll cage and race car slicks, on about a 90 second autocross course. They were kinda overpowered for the course, and I could drive it with my right foot firmly planted on the floor, upshifting and downshifting. I beat the Camaro by 1.5 seconds and the Datsun by a little less than a second. The idea behind the 60° V6 would be great weight distribution, and still making roughly double the power of a stock Mazda motor. I think I might be able to figure out how to stuff some 50 series tires under the stock wheel wells, I think a P295/50 would look good on the rear, 215/50/16s Frt. & 295/50/16s Rear look GREAT on my S10,
Thinking about an independant 8.8 for the rear diff. Even a stock one should handle anything a turboed 3.1 with a stick could throw at it.
Explain why you are starting with such a poor canvas? If you have to cut it to bits and rig EVERYTHING, why would you not just start with a car that better suits your end goals?
I can't hate too much though, I hate convertibles (hence year-round hardtop) and I'm not particulatly into track or auto x or even canyon carving, yet I love me a clean miata.
I can't hate too much though, I hate convertibles (hence year-round hardtop) and I'm not particulatly into track or auto x or even canyon carving, yet I love me a clean miata.
Yeah. But you aren't looking for advice to turn a segway into a demolition derby car.
I guess for the same reason I've stuck to Vegas and S10s all these years, I just like em. The trans has been broken in my S10 for a few weeks, and I've been driving her Miata a lot, and I'm really getting to like it, I'd like it a lot more with more power and traction. I can't stand to leave ANYTHING stock. I'm sure I'd probably be pretty happy with a strong turboed 1.6 or 1.8 and 225~245/40s~50s, but overkill is one of my strong suits,
Originally Posted by 18psi
It's hard enough that only like 5 people did it. Ever.
lol
But was it worth it? That's the question...
I take my toys pretty serious:
Also, it wouldn't be a "drag" car, just a street driven muscle car that does a lot of things well, much like the most modern muscle cars, but with a more vintage flavor.
The other option in my mind would be something like a Factory Five Cobra replica, they are said to be actually as good as or better than some of the originals, but I really kinda prefer doing my own stuff. Plus, I don't think they will wind up at 2500 lbs or less, which is one big attraction.
Location: Detroit (the part with no rules or laws)
Posts: 5,677
Total Cats: 800
So many people join this form and gloat things they do, things they've done, awards they've won. These people post pictures, tell their stories and try to get a rise out of us.
98% of those people we never see again.
Start a build thread, document your progress, show us your agonizing defeat or triumphant success.
PSS.
If you're going to stick around here you'll need a cat.
Shop cat sitting on my desk nuzzling my chin as I type, named her Lizzie, she's a lizard killin machine....she was feral, and about maybe 8 weeks old when we found her at the shop, the boss took her to the vet and had her spayed and got her some shots and stuff, then we kept her in a crate for a few weeks till she was fully healed. At first, she would try VERY HARD to draw blood every time I got near her, (feeding and changing litter). Then I starting using a thick welding glove, if she smacked me, I'd smack her back, if she bit me, I rough her up a little bit, holding her head. Now she loves me to death, and I'm pretty fond of her too.
I'm not trying to get a rise out of anyone, just trying to show I'm not some dreamer, or ricer. I know how to make a plan, (or follow a plan), and make it all work. I earned my nickname over the last 40 years or so, and I'm pretty good at making pretty much anything fast and reliable, I do it for customers all the time, but I generally do it best for myself, because I don't have to pay myself, and the budget is what generally gets us all in the end. I'm not one to spend stupid money, if I can make something as good as I can buy for a fraction of the $$, I do. I'm not set on any particular drivetrain or horsepower level yet, one of the reasons I'm here is to get a feel for what will work best for my purposes, which would be basically a badass street car, capable of being daily driven, maybe drag raced once in a while, maybe auto-xed once in a while, but mostly just enjoyed for the feeling of adrenaline it supplies.
Plus, I live 1.3 miles (or, about 3 1/8 mile dragstrips), from my work...
So, any opinions on a GM 60° V6 with a T5, probably N/A at first, then turbo charged later, as I get it all sorted out? I like the idea of them because they are pretty torquey, not too heavy, pretty easy to "package", and seem to respond fairly well to boost. Would it be best to start with a 1.8 version for the bigger brakes and rear diff? And are there any reasons to look for a particular year/range/generation or to stay away from certain years? It's a good possibility that I'll look for one with a blown up or missing motor to start the budget out right...do brakes, suspension mods, roll bar, etc. THEN look for a motor...
Again, the 2.8 3.1 engines have garbage heads with 2 tiny valves and an iron block. The LFX from the new Camaro is all aluminum, with 4 valve heads, VVT, makes 323ish horsepower, revs to 7400 rpm, is dead reliable, and somebody already makes a subframe kit to do the swap.
I have recently tangled with a CTS 3.6, (timing chains and gears) and the LFX looks alarmingly similar, if it's the same platform, No Thanks,
And having a subframe already made is really not really that much of an incentive, much of the "ready made" stuff I've seen and used for engine swaps, I can actually do better.
OK, just making sure you were aware there is an easy button.
I had an Opel GT with the '93 Camaro 3.4 /5speed swap. With all that displacement it only got up to the power level of a naturally aspirated BP engine. Rated gross hp 160 @ 4600. Yes, 4600 because it didn't breathe well at all. Better than a stock Opel engine but it was not a modern engine by any standard. Until about 5 or 6 years ago GM was flagging way behind the rest of the world in hp/liter because of ancient design architecture.
06-05-2015, 05:28 PM
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