Introducing New Cars: Engine Swaps

Showing posts with label Engine Swaps. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Crazy Holden Torana with Blown Chevy Puts Out 1,584 WHP

1:57 PM Hell No comments

Talk about a wolf in sheep's clothing. With a few exceptions like the sporty six-cylinder GTR XU1 and the 5.0-litre V8 powered SLR 5000 editions, the Holden Torana was a run-of-the mill compact model with plain Jane looks and lackluster performance.

But in the world of tuning and drag racing even the Torana can be transformed into a terrifying beast. Meet Jakes Edward's latest Torana sedan fitted with a massive 496ci (8.2-liter) turbocharged V8 Chevrolet engine that runs on methanol fuel.

At this month's Summernats festival in Canberra, Australia, Edward's yellow Holden took part and won the "Horsepower Heroes" competition as it yielded 1,584.5 wheel horsepower on the dyno! Watch the Aussie-made monster in the video after the break.

1970s Toyota Corolla Sleeper with Nissan V6 Turbo Runs 1/4 Mile in 11s

8:03 AM Hell No comments

We all love us some cool sleepers and what a better mechanical wolf in sheepskin than a third generation Toyota Corolla sedan [KE30 series] from the mid-1970s with a completely stock look right up to the rear window shades sporting a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 Nissan engine under its tiny hood.

The ride comes to us from Australia and according to the blokes over at FullBoost, it was created in just four weeks' time. The force-fed VQ30 is linked to a ZX five-speed manual gearbox while the car runs on 14-inch tires.

Fox Body Mustang Gets an Injection of Coyote V8 Power

11:49 AM Hell No comments

There was a lot to like about Ford’s “Fox Body” Mustang of the 1980’s. Though lacking the attractive lines or brutish character of the first generation, it was a substantial aesthetic improvement over the Pinto-derived second generation ‘stang. It was also somewhat unique in pony car history for offering a 2.3 L turbo four alongside the usual assortment of V6’s and V8’s, purporting to offer the right combination of performance and economy.

So it’s no wonder the Ol’ Fox is popular with pony car enthusiasts. Now, Kurgan Motorsports of Atlanta has taken one of these semi-classics and retrofitted it with the barnstorming 5.0 L “Coyote” V8 and drivetrain from a wrecked 2011 Ford Mustang GT.

Kurgan Motorsports owner Bob Kurgan explains:

“The engine just dropped right in. It was everything else that was difficult. With this engine only being out for just a little while, everything had to be custom built for it to swap over. Getting the engine running was easy. We had to custom make the motor mounts, air conditioning brackets, power steering brackets ourselves. But it’s a friggin’ animal on the streets.”

Dutch Man Builds Alfa Romeo GTV Bi-Motore with Two V6 Engines and 487HP [with Videos]

4:55 PM Hell No comments

“What do you do when the power of an engine is no longer sufficient?” asks Stephan Lenior, the man behind Squadra Tuning, on his company’s website. While the solution for the majority would have been a heavily modified or perhaps a completely different engine altogether, for the owner of the Alfa Romeo tuning company based in Holland, the answer to that question was far more radical and complex.

To make a very long story short, Stephan’s solution to u the performance of his Alfa Romeo GTV V6 involved the fitment of a second six-cylinder engine at the back. Easier said than done of course, with the project turning out to be a rather complicated and time-consuming process.

Stephan documented the entire build on his company’s website and if our Google’s translation is correct (any help from our Dutch speaking readers would be appreciated, especially on the matter of the transmission), Stephan took a 3.2-liter V6 along with the sub frame and suspension bits from an Alfa Romeo 166 and placed them in the rear section of the Italian coupe. Together with the GTV’s front-mounted 3.0-liter V6, the two engines produce a combined output of 487-horsepower.

VIDEO: A MINI Cooper S Powered by a Helicopter Jet Engine

1:10 PM Hell No comments

Rolls-Royce and MINI may have the same owner, but the two iconic British brands have never been intended to cross paths. That was until a Texas-based firm called BMP Design decided to squeeze a Rolls-Royce Allison 250-C20B jet engine sourced from a helicopter in the back of a MINI Cooper S. Yes, that's right, just behind the front seats.

The consequences of this action are easy to imagine: the 420-horsepower, 400 lb-ft of torque RR engine drives the rear wheels, turning the MINI into a 4WD monster. Managing to drive the car is a major achievement, since the driver needs to balance the conventional controls with the separate levers that command the jet engine.

As you are about to see, the speed and the acceleration of this little rocket are mind-blowing. As is the noise coming from the turbine engine. Watch the videos after the break.

This 1980 Toyota Corolla TE71 Packs a Big-Block 454 / 7.4-liter Chevy V8

8:47 AM Hell No comments

Let us introduce you to our find of the day; a 1980 Toyota Corolla TE71 Coupe retrofitted with a big brawny classic American V8 powerplant. This wolf in sheep's clothing was once powered by a small four-cylinder engine but now comes with a 454 cubic inch (equal to 7.4-liters) big block Chevrolet V8 powerhouse that drives the wheels through GM's Turbo-Hydramatic 400 transmission.

VIDEO: Kawasaki ZX10 takes on Mazda RX-7 with Corvette V8 in Drift Challenge

7:44 AM Hell No comments

Now here's something you don't see every day. Sent in by Carscoop reader Łukasz Ż, this enjoyable time-waster of the day pits a motorcycle against a rear-wheel drive sports car in an out of the ordinary drift challenge. In one corner we have Nick "Apex" Brocha of Icon Motorsports piloting a 2005 Kawasaki ZX10 with 175HP and an extended swingarm. In the other corner is professional racecar driver Jim Guthrie in a 1993 Mazda RX-7 powered by a 375HP Corvette V8 engine. The result? Follow the jump to find out.

eBay Sleeper: 1979 Chevrolet Malibu with Pontiac GTO 5.7-liter LS1 V8

9:31 AM Hell No comments

Now that Pontiac is officially gone, one way of keeping the heritage alive is to salvage whatever parts you can find. We don’t know if that’s what the owner of this 1979 Chevrolet Malibu thought, but, nevertheless, he did swap the original engine with a modern 5.7-liter LS1 V8, sourced from a wrecked GTO, while keeping the styling of the car pretty much stock.

1985 BMW 557i with Corvette V8 Heart Transplant

11:22 AM Hell No comments

Owning a mint condition E28 BMW 5 Series would be a dream come true for most bimmer fans. However, the owner of this Euro-spec 1985 528i was probably not impressed by the stock 2.8-liter powerplant’s 184-ponies, so he performed an engine swap.

If it was up to me and money wasn't an object, I would've probably tried to fit a V12, but the 1999 Chevy LS1 V8 isn’t a bad fit either - that is, if you really feel the need to hear an American V8 burbling under the hood of a vintage German sedan.

Video: Dacia Logan with Volkswagen 2.8-liter VR6 Engine!

6:09 PM Hell No comments

I don’t know if the word Dacia gives James May that fizzing sensation he often talks about, but the Top Gear host seems pretty fond of the Romanian brand. Same goes for low-budget European buyers who see the Renault-era Dacias as well priced models with affordable maintenance costs. One of the Romanian firm's latest cars, the Duster was even nominated for the 2011 COTY award.

However, the brand's models aren't exactly exciting, even more so when it comes to sheer performance with their mundane, small displacement petrol and diesel engines. But as always, for every problem there's a fix. This man's answer was to ditch the Logan sedan's four-cylinder and throw in a 2.8-liter VR6 Volkswagen engine.

Classic MINI gets a 78-liter V18 Diesel Engine with 12 Turbochargers and 3,500HP... [Take That Veyron]

6:40 AM Hell No comments

If you visit this week's Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK, make sure you stop by Cummins' stand to check out this one-of-a-kind Austin Mini with a unique engine-swap. In case you didn't notice, there's a colossal engine sitting just behind the passenger compartment on the classic Mini's stretched platform.

Cummins, an independent maker of diesel engines, fitted its biggest powerplant on one of the smallest cars around. The QSK78 diesel engine, which is used to power mining industry dump trucks capable of carrying 360 tonnes, is a 78-liter, 18-cylinder monster with 12 turbochargers producing 3,500HP (take that Veyron) at 1,900 rpm and 10,157 lb-ft / 13,771Nm of peak torque at 1,500 rpm.

Weighing in at over 11 tonnes (24,912 lbs), the V18 unit measures an astonishing 3,327mm (131-in.) in length, 1,633mm (65.5-in.) in width and 2,429mm (95.6-in) in height.

Ferrari 308 GTSi Owner Swaps Maranello's V8 for Pontiac Fierro's V6! [with Video]

5:36 PM Hell No comments

We never cease to be amazed by the things some people do to their cars. But while we may turn a blind eye to creations such this Acura/Honda NSX turned into a Ferrari 360-lookalike or this Mazda RX-7-powered BMW E30, there's something fundamentally wrong with swapping the original 214HP 3.0-liter V8 powerhouse of a Ferrari 308 GTSi with the... Pontiac Fiero's, Chevrolet-sourced 140HP 2.8-liter V6 unit.

Honda S2000-Powered 1977 Toyota Celica GT Coupe

9:57 PM Hell No comments

If you opened the hood of a 1977 Celica GT, you'd normally find a Toyota four-banger, but not on this one. This first-generation Celica packs a modern-day Honda S2000 engine complete with a 6-speed gearbox. The seller of the vehicle claims that the high-revving S2000 engine has been upgraded and now develops around 268-horsepower which should be more than enough output for such a lightweight coupe.

The owner of the car took the build a step further adding a Honda S2000 digital instrument panel, a pair of 2005 Celica GT sports seats and a four-point roll cage, just to mention a few of the mods.

If you're interested, the 1977 Celica GT with the Honda heart is up for sale over at Hemmings for a "negotiable $18,000".

Link: Hemmings - Kudos to Greg for the tip!