Quick car on a budget/engine swap

[Invain]

I have a few weeks before my job starts, and even then on the weekends there's pretty much absolutely nothing to do, so I've thought about starting a project car. I need to get a different car since I sold my old one before college, but after looking around I think I could definitely build something way faster/better looking than I could buy used. The only reason I'm even considering this is because my dad is a mechanic/diesel tech and we have a huge shop with every tool I'd ever need. Any mechanical work, including an engine and trans swap could be done here saving a crapload of money on labor. I also have an uncle that owns a body shop and I could get a very good deal on any bodywork/having a car painted.

The easiest/cheapest thing I could think of would be to find a cheap 240sx in good condition and swap in a S14 SR20DET or RB20DET.

What do you guys think? Any other suggestions besides a 240sx? I want something that still looks halfway decent, with the possibility of a full body kit in the future.

[Auburn]

Depends on what you want.

You should be able to get an early LS1 F-Body pretty cheap these days. I've often thought of dropping a LSx motor in a late 80s style 300ZX. You can pretty much make anything awesome if you get creative enough.

[bics56]

LS1 anything get my vote!!! There are a ton of swaps...but if you like f-bodies then you can keep it pretty cheap. As for the 240...not a fan...and body kits = rice 99% of the time.

[Invain]

It'd be fun to fix up a camaro or trans-am, but this car will also be my daily driver so I don't want something crazy on insurance with a v8 that chugs gas like crazy.

I'd think something like 250 horse in a light little 240sx should be fast enough for me while still being reasonable.

[zen]

It'd be fun to fix up a camaro or trans-am, but this car will also be my daily driver so I don't want something crazy on insurance with a v8 that chugs gas like crazy.

I'd think something like 250 horse in a light little 240sx should be fast enough for me while still being reasonable.

I drove by a mid-80s camaro z28 for sale and wanted it. I immediately started thinking about the engine work I would do.
Then when I mentioned my thoughts to a co-worker, he told me I'd have to grow a mullet.
Hahaha! It's a great line but it made me sad because it's true. Times have changed.

[Auburn]

A 3rd gen Camaro with a Turbo Regal 3.8 swapped over into it isn't the worst idea.

[zen]

I doubt it's hard to find those 3.8s since they were in various Buicks, Potiacs and Oldsmobiles for quite a few years, but I suspect you'd have to pay a pretty penny for those turbos. It would probably be cheaper to get a kit or maybe even send it out, in which case, you could use a V-8

[Auburn]

I doubt it's hard to find those 3.8s since they were in various Buicks, Potiacs and Oldsmobiles for quite a few years, but I suspect you'd have to pay a pretty penny for those turbos. It would probably be cheaper to get a kit or maybe even send it out, in which case, you could use a V-8

At one point, stock turbos could be found pretty damn cheap. But, I'm pretty sure the 3.8s in the turbo Buicks were unique. I know the later 3.8s were completely different. I wouldn't think it would be too expensive to pull the motor/tranny from a T-Type if you find the right junkyard. The benefit to the turbo 3.8 vs. a V8 would be insurance breaks since they usually just go off number of cylinder. I kind of doubt gas mileage would be that much better vs a newer LS1...it would probably come down to differences in gearing for each setup.

[zen]

Oh, if you can find a T-type in the bone yard, have at it!
Personally, I'd be amazed if you find one there.

[Auburn]

Oh, if you can find a T-type in the bone yard, have at it!
Personally, I'd be amazed if you find one there.

You can find some crazy stuff in the right place. I bought my Challenger from a guy that basically had Mopar Nirvana in two barns out back. 426 Wedge Motors, 392 Hemis, 340 (which I picked up), along with a Duster and an Imperial.

There also used to be a 55-57 Nomad that sat out in a field rusting for years near my parent's house.

[Detard]

My dad has an 1966 Jaguar E-type that he restored fully. Now he wants to buy me a 1968 Mustang fastback for me to work on. I'm pumped!

[Invain]

Lucky bastard. My dad had a brand new charger back in the day and has always said he'd love to restore something crazy with me but just doesn't have the time with work and stuff.

[Unreal]

rx7, dsm, fox body

[nhlfan]

2.3L turbo ford engine into an FC RX-7 chassis. do it.

[Tumbler]

I've had two of my own project cars. My dad has had his share of cars as well. If you have a good place to work on them it can be a blast. I had a 1968 Plymouth Sport Satellite, 383 CID big block, blast to drive. coolest car at my school. I sold it and regret it. I bought a 1967 Cougar a few months a go for dirt cheap, did some engine work got it going again and was driving it as a daily driver for a while. It just wasn't the same. It had a 289 and just didn't have that muscle car feel. I put it on ebay last night and I'm going to try to replace it with another mopar or a fastback mustang. For you guys that might not know, mopar refers to Plymouth, Chrysler, Dodge. Hopefully I can have something ready to go this summer and college next year.

[Invain]

rx7, dsm, fox body

5.0 mustang would be fun but damn, they are ugly as sin.

I thought about an Eclipse GSX, but it'd most likely rape me on insurance.

[mrelwooddowd]

An interesting factoid...

In 1987, The Buick Grand National was the fastest production car in the U.S.


I think a 240sx is a good idea. They're a sharp little car, and not very common. If you go crazy with the power, though, it's still gonna suck the gas. Just getting it around 200hp (no idea what they are stock) should be a smokin' fast car, and really all you'd ever need on the street.

[Invain]

Yeah I'm most likely going to stick with the 240sx, or something similar. The engine I'm looking at swapping in is close to 220 horse stock. I figured after adding an intercooler, full exhaust, and some other minor mods I could get closer to 250 horse possibly. Should be more than enough to turn that little rwd car into a rocket.

[Doobs]

240s are good for drifting if you want to get into that also. A Lexus SC with a supra engine can be made very fast for fairly cheap.

[bics56]

It'd be fun to fix up a camaro or trans-am, but this car will also be my daily driver so I don't want something crazy on insurance with a v8 that chugs gas like crazy.

I'd think something like 250 horse in a light little 240sx should be fast enough for me while still being reasonable.

Currently my WS.6 cost me $38/month to insure. When I bought it when I was 22 it cost $80/month. I think it is worth running a quote. I know State Farms, Progressive, and Allstates have good rates. I have heard that AIG is good too. As for the gas mileage. On the highway my LS1 gets about 30 mpg and in the city like 18...now if I am hammering it then it drops a decent amount. You can do 1st to 4th shifts no problem which helps gas mileage.

The 240 is a very common car to get and modify. I perosnally think they look like poop.

[Davy_Baby9]

Im putting a ls6 into a 91 s10. Its a nice little project that is keeping me busy. Its not on the cheap side though...

[Spourk]

partial to RWD? If not get yourself a 92-00 civic hatch. Drop in a GSR and turbo it. plenty of speed for relatively cheap. Although i am a Fan of sr20det, Or if you wanted take the ka24de and turbo it. they can hold 400+ish HP on stock internals.

[Spourk]

hell you could tear down a d16 from a civic put a d16z6 head on it. pistons rods built for low compression and come out with 250-300+ HP easily

[Altephor]

A 240SX would be fun I think, I've never really driven a RWD but I've always wanted to.

The GSX isn't bad on insurance from what I hear, but they are maintenance whores, most people I've seen that mod GSX have them on jacks more than they have them on the road.

If I had the time/money for a project car I would probably do a classic V8, like a charger or an old mustang fastback. My dad owned a charger and an SS back in the day but he totaled both before I was born .

[Invain]

partial to RWD? If not get yourself a 92-00 civic hatch. Drop in a GSR and turbo it. plenty of speed for relatively cheap. Although i am a Fan of sr20det, Or if you wanted take the ka24de and turbo it. they can hold 400+ish HP on stock internals.

Not necessarily partial to rwd, but I think it'd be more fun to drive since I've never had one. I know a civic would be fairly cheap to work on but I definitely like the looks of 240sx's a lot better. I figured just swapping in a sr20det would be way more worth it because by the time you turbo the ka24de the cost would be close to the same while the sr20det would usually have way less miles on it.