As a leisure project, I'm currently building an engine, which will get mated to a ZF box from a BMW. The finished project should be "fun" and be able to at least go near a race track and drag strip.

I've just sort of ran out of ideas as to what car to drop it in to eventually.

The engine will make around 450bhp (2.3 litre saab with a holset hx-35 turbo + bits), all being well, and the requirements for the "host" car are:

* RWD already (frankly, can't be arsed with making a whole new transmission tunnel etc etc)
* not super big (i.e. big old mercs go out )
* must be cheap
* not too obvious

I've been looking out for MX5's, but there are a few things that worry me about them, namely that my engine is quite high, so might end up with a big bulge on the bonnet or the sump will require extensive modification (or dry sump which goes out the window due to the cost). A good early one seems to start at
about 1k, although some money could be recuperated from the sale of the gearbox / engine. There are V8 conversions which the chassis seems to handle OK, so my 4 pot turbo screamer shouldn't be a problem.

However, for some odd reason, I like the volvo 340 However, I'm not sure if the chassis is strong enough, and the short wheel base might make it really super hairy (I've driven a 360 on snow, and that was sideways all over the shop).

I don't want to do an old escort etc, as that's currently being done by practical performance car magazine.

Also not too keen on BMW's, as they come with powerful engines already.


So, any other ideas?

 

Depends on what you want to use it for but there are loads of old rwd cars about...Chevette,Ascona,Manta,Volvo 240,Capri,Cortina,Starlet,Corolla to name a few.

 

oooh, manta or ascona would be nice

Don't want to do the 240 as the 240 is quite tunable anyway, but maybe the Starlet/Corolla, if I can make the engine fit physically... Any idea on engine bay size?

 

get your self on driftworks.com


millions of cheap rwd cars on there that would be awersome for what you want

 

The Starlet I would think has a big enough engine bay for a Saab lump as a popular conversion for the Hot Rod and oval guys back in the '80's was a Pinto or Crossflow.Same goes for the Corrolla and I would have thought most of the rwd cars from back then as most seem to have been over-compensated with plenty of room around the standard engines.

 

With the Saab engine you need to watch the height apparently which may reduce your possible targets, people manage to get a Small blcok v8 in the MX5 so pretty much anything is possible, one possible victim is the Omega, cheap, robust and anonymous/slightly tragic so nobody would expect it, apparently the post 94 Saab engines bolt straight to the box but you need to check the torque ratings.

 

yes, the height is the problem

I've been watching and bidding cheekily on ebay on mx5's, but now i'm having second thoughts about the feasability... I reckon the saab engine with cam covers and the standard sump is a lot higher than a v8, seeing as the 8 will have a similar stroke but naturally they're angled outwards, so don't build as much height.

Then again, I've seen the saab engine fitted into a bmw e30, and that engine bay doesn't look *hugely* higher than the mx-5.


Jacko: originally I was planning on using the omega box too, but even the r28 is only rated to about 280Nm, and i bet that's close to what the standard engine makes already The 328 e36-box i'm going for should be good for 500bhp at the very least (proven several times over on Swedish dragstrips), so I'm saving up for one of them (500 quid + delivery, eek!)


I can't shake the idea of a 340 out of my head... ultimate sleeper Also ultimate grand-daddyness

 

oh yeah, and a donor mx5 i was looking at, with broken gearbox, broken engine, broken clutch, rust holes in the chassis rails etc went for 710 quid on ebay... Insane, when you consider a "working" one can be had for about 1k + change

 

What about a Siera or 200 sx.

 

200sx looks "fast" already and are tunable, but a sierra might be an option

Sierra is good, as it's cheap as chips and relatively large

 

Quick update on this, I ended up with an mx-5 for 1k Picking it up tomorrow, hopefully it's not totally rusted to pieces. Still, even if it is, I don't really mind for 1k (11 months MOT, so it can't be totally arsed, hopefully)