For those considering the V8 swap, and wanting pictures...

[MaineExport]

Say if I wanted to just get the motor in and running, without worrying about the chassis yet, how much would it cost just to get it to fit in? (Not including the cost of the engine)

WRONG APPROACH!!!

The weight and torque of even a stock LT1 will tear your unibody chassis apart!!!!!!!!

I love this idea.... but I will go on record as being the a$$hole who thinks this thing is going to do damage!!! Even with engine mount supports and a reinforced chassis around the engine, I think this will twist the rest of the chassis up BADLY!!! I have seen it happen in Jeeps that have full box frames with twice the strength of a 240's measly unibody. The theory is KILLER, but I think it should be applied to a tube frame (or an actual frame at least). My humble opinion.

[irish stout]

I didn't say I wasn't going to do them... Just not at first. I'm trying to break down what he spent on engine alone first, because that would be my first step. The 350 that I would use probably wouldn't be an LT1, either, it'd be something cheap and less powerful.

And who said a car with a small block has to have a full frame? F-Bodys have smallblocks in them, as do a lot of other unibody cars.

[Aries]

you can pick up a stock LT1 for $1000 - $1500 in a junk yard.Transmission will run between $400 and $1000 depending on what kind you want.The motor mounts will run you about $300 to have made.

Maine is right though, the car is definatley capable of destroying it's chassey now.I'm working with some of the guys over at Mad Man & Co. Racing in Houston (the hold the world resord for fastest F-body) about dre-designing the frame to turn the car into a full chassey.

[Aries]

And P.S. did you make any CAD drawings/etc... of custom pieces that you'd be willing to share?(or sell?)

Yes I did, and the pieces will be for sale soon.Especially the reinforcements

[MaineExport]

And who said a car with a small block has to have a full frame? F-Bodys have smallblocks in them, as do a lot of other unibody cars.

They don't need to have a full frame, and that is not what I meant to imply. What they do need is a chassis with SOME strength. The s13 and s14 are notoriously weak. F-body cars are basically a brick on wheels, they are DESIGNED for that kind of weight, hp, and torque from the get go.

[Tino]

F body... G-body thats GN's and Monte's right or is it J-body...?

[MaineExport]

F body... G-body thats GN's and Monte's right or is it J-body...?

F is the Camaro/Firebird/Trans-amJ is the Cavalier/SunfireG.... good question... could be the Grand National or Monte... not sure.

[Tino]

yea yea pretty sure the g-body is the gn mc ss etc

[irish stout]

G-Body: Monte Carlo, 442, Malibu, Grand Prix, Buick's Grand National, and the El Camino, but I think there's more too.

And Aries, about how much weight difference would I be looking at between a 350 and a ka?

What I'm really thinking about is trying it in an S13. That should be somewhat similar to the fitment in an s14. Or maybe not, who knows.

[Aries]

the weight difference is about 50 lbs.Not much if you're going to be moving the battery to the trunk, and eliminating some of the other extras.

[Aries]

[quote=" irish stout What I'm really thinking about is trying it in an S13. That should be somewhat similar to the fitment in an s14. Or maybe not, who knows. [/quote] The difference in an S13 is going to be very small.It will work, but I make no guarantees about the hood closing, as it sits on more of a slanted plane then an S14.

[sultan]

what kind of rear end and what ratio are you using?

[irish stout]

Aries, the more I hear about this swap the more I like it! 50lbs is less than I thought. And about the hood, I can weld up a big 'ol cowel induction section in the middle, so no worrys there. I'm starting to be VERY interested in persuing this. I don't have a factory service manual (got screwed, long story), but if you can guarantee that the motor mounts etc... will fit an s13, you just might have a customer.

[Aries]

Irish:I'm sure we can work something out.The mounts will be the same, and I could be persuaded to make them a bit more adjustable if there was enough genuine interest in doing these conversions. Maybe even go so far as to make the mounts compatible with a ford motor or something of that nature. Nismo_Freak and I will be opening our new shop shortly, and we plan to market some, if not all, of the items necessary to complete this swap.

Sultan:I'm still using the stock R200 rear end with a 4.08 gear, so the rear end will hold up to a fair ammount of beating.

[irish stout]

Aries, to be honest, I wouldn't be looking at doing this swap till next summer, but until then I'd like to learn as much as I can about it.

What modifications did you have to do to get the transmission/driveline to fit?

[Aries]

well, here's some updated pictures for youhttp://images.killerzoo.com/vi...age=1

As for the drive line, the firewall has to be pushed in about 2 centimeters at the transmission tunnel, and then the driveshaft spliced and welded with a chevy U Joint for the transmission.

[mike_do]

HOUSTON, TEXAS ALL THE WAY!!!!!!!!!!!

:Werd

[FrEaK]

Nice job guys... who cares about wieght distrib.. this is a straight up dragger...

[bdawg46]

Yes, i know this thread is really really outdated but since i found this one why create a new thread? Anyway, there is another guy now in Detroit that has done a lt-1 swap in a s13 i believe. He has a kit for the swap and everything. He started a thread bout 3 months back on club240.com. Here it is:

http://www.club240.com/forums/...=3118

[Charlie240sxt]

I can get to any of the site aries put up ther broke to me damn i want to see this whats your best time right now Help me see the pics thanx

[Aries]

http://www.limecreekmotorsports.com has all of our pictures.

BTW, Mine was number 1, theirs is number 2.And they haven't done another one. WE however are doing a 454 at the moment...

[red240ne]

big block, wtf?? s13 or s14 this time?

[BuudWeizErr]

I can get to any of the site aries put up ther broke to me damn i want to see this whats your best time right now Help me see the pics thanx

Does ANYBODY have ANY idea what the hell this says?

[bdawg46]

TRANSLATION: I can't get to any of the sites Aries put up. They are broken for me. Damn, i want to see this. Btw, whats ur best time right now? Please help me see the pics, thx.

[Aries]

big block, wtf?? s13 or s14 this time?

S13.Coupe of course

[Altiman94]

Coupe, come on. Hatchback's are so much nicer looking

[bdawg46]

Since it is most later since u first started this thread, do you have a kit with mounts and crossmember for the lt-1 swap? And did you even get that frame thing worked out? Final question: if you do have a kit and/or frame.frame strangthing things how much would it all cost, to get the engine runing and w/o worrying about your frame to break into a million pieces?

[Charlie240sxt]

Sorry, I type really ****y when I am in a hurry. Thanx for the translation bdawg46. Sorry to all Ill try to be better at typeing when in a hurry.

Charlie

[Aries]

yes I have everything worked out.No we are not selling a kit.What we will do though is do the work in shop.

The kits that this other guy sells (yes I have talked to him) require serious fabrication on the K-Member to make fit.

[bdawg46]

How much would the work ocst including any extra parts (mounts, crossmember, etc,) minus the engine and trans?