Getting started... from SCRATCH.

Post by **synik** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:47 pm

Heya all, I just want to give a quick shout out to all of you people at this forum. I find this site and the forum QUITE amazing!! I've been doing a LOT of research lately... and this site has been like hitting GOLD! (LOADS of info... that is gleamed from EXPERIENCE and not "i think its" bs info.)

backround/intro: When I say scratch I mean litterally SCRATCH. As in I am 18 years old and know the concepts/ideas behind how everything in a car worx, BUT have never owned a car... or much less gotten my hands dirty working on one (well except for changing tires and oil on my family's '91 volvo 740... yes we are the proud owners of not one brick. BUT TWO BRICKS!) I've been doing research in the form of finding a car that is affordable, cool (but NOT 'honda' ricey, and also strong. (The affordable and strong aspect idea arrived at the strategy of buying a cheap car and doing an engine swap. Good idea from such a newbie as me??! eh?) Ultimately I arrived at the decision that I would get a '91 240sx and swap in a sr20det redtop (much better than a celica/3sgte swap???? Fwd limitations you know) .

****To get to the actual meat of the subject: I realize the cost of this operation... and I realize that it takes a considerable amount of skill and work to do (i will hopefully have summer to work on it), but the thing that I haven't really found out is this. What is the deal with what happens AFTER the swap? How do you deal with emissions? Insurance? With emissions there are a number of ways to fudge it hehehehe. But what do I do about Insurance once I change this car to have a new engine?? and in the future have lots of aftermarket modifications??

p.s. I love how the Silvia is known as a honda killer! Not to mention that the stock sr20det has 200hp!! DAMMNNNN thats SWEET!

Post by **synik** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:47 pm

P.S. While I was researching I came across this site. Prepare to laugh your *** off... and at the same time be amazed! LOL.

can you guess what Volvord implies??? (Hint: v o l v _ + _ o r d = volvord)http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gilesij/Volvord/

On clubvolvo.com forums there are guys who tell stories of burning rice boys in their bricks! LMAO!!! My jaw dropped when I saw this sort of thing... hahaha. I hope you all do too.

Post by **amaizenblue** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:47 pm

Don't tell your insurance about the swap. They won't check under your hood.

Easiest way to get around emissions is to register your car at a friend/relative's address who lives in a non-smogged county, unless emissions is state wide in Florida. You'd have to do some research on that.

Post by **S15_silvia** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:47 pm

well a lot of people either dont drive their cars on teh road after an sr swap or they do the nobel thing.............find a buddy on the inside that can pass you through admissions or give the inspector a hefty bribe but after you get it through emmisions you dont really have to worry about insurance just fill it out as if it were a regular 240sx they wont ask questins

Post by **S15_silvia** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:47 pm

yea you could do that too lol

Post by **synik** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:47 pm

... let's say the car gets crashed... and it wasn't my fault. I want money to repair my ride. Will I still be able to get enough money for the repairs... even though my insurance company thinks i have a 2000$ 240sx (when in reality i put in more like 4-5k... not to mention all the hours of [future] work!)??

Damn YO!!! peoplez are up at this hour!! shiat. I'm glad i'm not the only crazy one.

Post by **amaizenblue** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:47 pm

Well, I'm on the West Coast, and i work nights. It's my weekend, but I'm used to being up all night....

I'm not sure about getting all your money back. I know that you can show receipts of aftermarket parts, and they'll pay you for that, but I doubt you will get money for the engine. Just make sure you keep all your receipts. I'm sure someone on these boards could answer that better.

Post by **S15_silvia** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:47 pm

yea since the engine is illegal if you bring it up you might get yourself in trouble so id say drive carefully and insurance is kinda picky about paying back for stuff so i donno what you would do unless you go tlike racing insurance which i dont think would cover you on the road so?

Post by **I H8 UR DSM** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:47 pm

synik wrote:P.S. While I was researching I came across this site. Prepare to laugh your *** off... and at the same time be amazed! LOL.

can you guess what Volvord implies??? (Hint: v o l v _ + _ o r d = volvord)http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gilesij/Volvord/

On clubvolvo.com forums there are guys who tell stories of burning rice boys in their bricks! LMAO!!! My jaw dropped when I saw this sort of thing... hahaha. I hope you all do too.

I got my *** handed to me at Englishtown Raceway by a Volvo station wagon, fully built with a t88, he blew up at the 1/8 mile mark, and rolled to a 11.2 1/4 mile to my 13.1@105, he was over 100mph at the 1/8 mile mark, lol

and its on video : \

Post by **I H8 UR DSM** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:47 pm

synik wrote:... let's say the car gets crashed... and it wasn't my fault. I want money to repair my ride. Will I still be able to get enough money for the repairs... even though my insurance company thinks i have a 2000$ 240sx (when in reality i put in more like 4-5k... not to mention all the hours of [future] work!)??

Damn YO!!! peoplez are up at this hour!! shiat. I'm glad i'm not the only crazy one.

You dont want to tell your insurance company you have that motor in your car....and they will not take into the account the price of that motor when issueing your statement...your on your own, thats why its legal for "off road use only".

JESSERPI

Post by **godspeed** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:47 pm

yeah, im going to build a low, 240 or 180sx which ever you want to call it, for off road use only, and i mean dirt and trails...ha!!!

Post by **Cyberkreig** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:47 pm

Godspeed - You do realize race events (drag/autox) are considered offroad

There is also something known as "supplimental insurance" or "aftermarket insurance" You have to do some digging around, but there are companies that insure aftermarket mods.. they deal alot with the "hot rod" and restoration crowd.. it isnt cheap tho.

Post by **S15_silvia** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:47 pm

and if you get in an accident rarely is the engine destroyed id tell them i want a new 240sx and the old wrecked one so that you can take the parts off and swap them to the new one? thats what my uncle did with his blazer and it worked out great thats what i would do..........

Post by **synik** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:47 pm

So the way I see it for insurance: I will get the engine swap and have my 240sx/sr20det. Then for insurance I will just have it so that I am insured for a regular used 240sx. If someone DOES ask questions. Then I use the excuse that this is for "off road" or track use only. And if I get into an accident... then I try to get some insurance... but if the insurance money involves them seeing the engine then I forgo the insurance money. For emissions: Either 1. I get it approved before the swap. or 2. I get the swap done and when the emissions test come up I some how hoodwink it (using the methods described above, cept for florida rules).

Soundz good to me! Here's to DRIVING AN ILLEGAL CAR!!!!! yaaaa!! Anyone have any good stories about close encounters with someone finding out the illegal? Or how they got out of it?

Post by **I H8 UR DSM** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:47 pm

If you get in an accident, and they "total" the car, you cannot take out hte motor.

JESSERPI

Post by **synik** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:47 pm

????

What it's a rule that if it's "totaled" then you can't take out the engine? (disregarding the actual condition of the engine.)

Post by **Sopdadope** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:47 pm

synik wrote:P.S. While I was researching I came across this site. Prepare to laugh your *** off... and at the same time be amazed! LOL.

can you guess what Volvord implies??? (Hint: v o l v _ + _ o r d = volvord)http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gilesij/Volvord/

On clubvolvo.com forums there are guys who tell stories of burning rice boys in their bricks! LMAO!!! My jaw dropped when I saw this sort of thing... hahaha. I hope you all do too.

I wish the best of luck with your SR swap. Keep us posted on your progress.

Also, turbo Volvos are no laughing matter. In fact, Volvo and Saab four-bangers are just as powerful and responsive to tuning as some of the world famous four-bangers like the SR, 4G63 and 3S-GTE. I'd even go out on a limb and say the Saab four-banger is probably the most capable production four-banger around. One swedish fellow tuned his Saab to 900hp. This engine was no dyno-queen either and was regularly exercised in some extreme long-distance rally races.

Post by **Nathan** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:47 pm

I read an article on a saab that was built for the pikes peak hillclimb, I think it had 600-700 hp out of that turbo 4, it was something sweet!

Post by **synik** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:47 pm

ya... I wish there were engine swap kits for taking that swedish gold and putting it to use in a good chasis (as much as I like the brick... i'd rather have something a LITTLE more stylish!).

I my brother told me about some friend of his who was looking for a volvo 740 motor to tune up and perhaps swap into another car. He said a 740 motor can easily go up to 300-350 hp.

Now at the time I didn't believe him at all but after actually learning some about cars and engines and such. I believe it. I hear the problem with volvo engines are not that they aren't built well. But rather they are over-engineered... then tuned down so that they are more reliable and last longer (that's why you always hear about those 500,000 and up mileage volvos. examples: car talk always gets a couple people asking about their 200k, or 500, and once i heard a 790k motor). When I say over engineered I mean that they use really good materials and ideas... but they tone down the actual ideas. Like a less agressive intake or head/valves.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Just about any car can have an engine swap from any other car... but if you are gonna go out of your way to do something never before done before. Then you either have to be really smart OR have the cash to back it up. (even if you are smart you will need some hefty doh to get all those custom parts you designed made)

---------------------------------------------------------------

Anyone know anything about machining parts?? or making custom parts? Maybe someone could enlighten me about how to make small cheap parts like a custom elbow pipe... or custom bolt/screw? That is probably a more attainable idea.

Currently my knowledge about this sort of thing is limited to: "they use CAD, Computer Aided Design, programs to design the part. Then the 3d model is sent to the shop and made". But what programs do these people use? And where do they get their parts made?

One very useful application for a custom part would be your own custom exhaust pipe. I think that would be one of the more easier parts to design. Maybe!

Post by **synik** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:47 pm

Do I smell a new thread topic? Maybe repost it as new thread about making custom parts... I'm sure that there are others who want to learn how to make custom parts. (or just their own custom nuts and bolts)

Post by **godspeed** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:47 pm

yes i do know a track is off road, its just funny to think of a trail and a 240sx, i guess it could be a rally car that would be cool to.....

Post by **amaizenblue** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:47 pm

If your car is totalled, you can buy it back in most states. My buddy just totalled his (very fast) Mustang, but the engine was fine. He bought the car back for about 150 bucks, and sold the totalled car, as is, for $3500 because of all the engine mods. Plus he got 7K from the insurance company for the car. Paid off his loan with about a grand to spare.

Getting started... from SCRATCH.

Getting started... from SCRATCH.

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