I'd give my left nut for a brand new Suzuki Samurai.
Wish the new Jimny's the foreign press keeps teasing me about were coming here. I'd sign up right now to get the first one off the boat.
I'd give my left nut for a brand new Suzuki Samurai.
Wish the new Jimny's the foreign press keeps teasing me about were coming here. I'd sign up right now to get the first one off the boat.
--Josh
“Formerly we suffered from crimes; now we suffer from laws.” - Tacitus.
The thought has crossed my mind. Unfortunately, there is no safe route for a cyclist that will keep you under 30 miles. The 25 mile route is down a major regional interstate or down equally congested local roads with no shoulder.Originally Posted by Duelist
Also, that trip (and others like it I've been subjected to in my time here) can be as short as 50min or as long as 4hrs. I'm not kidding nor exaggerating. Consistent volume and time is one thing, but it's highly variable and without rhyme or reason most days. It makes me glad I work from home now, but it also acts as a pair of golden handcuffs because I'm resistant to considering other jobs due to the risk of...commute.
Chris
Suzuki Samurai. Spartan interior and removable top. Keep it under $20k.
Just add a modern turbo’d 4 banger (gas or diesel) with a 5 speed stick to all the original running gear & I’d be on cloud 9.
Damn I miss my lightly lifted zuke. 31” tires and lockers. You could wheel it all day and never break anything important.
ETA: LOKNLOD, I didn’t even know a Jimny was a thing til I read your post! Now I want one. I’d still prefer it with a removable top though.
Last edited by jandbj; 03-27-2019 at 08:13 AM.
I've actually had the pleasure of taking part in refreshing an older restoration on a Tiger, so I can sympathize with the packaging issues, as well as how spunky they can be on swapping ends - the example I worked on had been swapped from the 260 to an AL-head 289 and the open-diff Dana 44 in the back made things pretty sporty at the limit!
Knowing that we're talking about an Alpine, I'm kind of surprised that the F20 fits at all without spacing the subframe. That's a killer engine but a good F20C set with trans is ~5-6k minimum these days. If you plan on leaving it stock there's certainly some value there vs other swap options that'll likely need some aftermarket go-fast parts.
The SR20DE and 4AGE options are comparably very cheap vs the F20, and the 4AGE would fit in there VERY easily and won't overpower the rest of the car. IIRC the Alpines didn't exactly come with a beefy rear axle in 4 cyl form and the 4AGE 20v's being ~140-150hp won't totally murder the existing driveline parts like a V8 or F20 likely would. The SR20DE's have more HP and torque than the 20v 4AGE's but they don't have the same spunky throttle response in stock form. Parts support for the SR20DE/DET is absolutely incredible though, and honestly it's probably my favorite Nissan engine. I like the SR more than I like the RB, even the RB26. RB's are unreliable as hell and expensive as hell to keep alive and make HP compared to a JZ.
Oh, and I understand the Mazda thing, I do - but rotaries are for masochists that want to talk about their cars and not drive them. There, I said it.
I had two of them! An '85 GTS hatch and an '87 GTS coupe. Both sold in fits of stupidity for silly reasons and not nearly enough money..And and @JRB reminded me how much I also miss my old '85 Corolla GTS aka AE86those cars just don't make sense - on paper they're total turds, but if you drive one like you stole it on a windy road it just comes alive and it's so visceral and silly fun. Plus on the stock bigport 16v it drinks 86 octane and gets ~30mpg making that roaring 110hp even if you've got the throttle buried 24/7.
I really miss the coupe. It was stupidly clean and 100% stock and even had the original a/c. I'll never forgive myself for selling that one.
I'm guessing he had an SR5 and not a GTS. The factory downdraft carbs 4A-C engines had in the SR5 could be notoriously picky if they were neglected or poorly tuned. But yes, the AE86 Corollas are hot theft items to this day, just like Integra Type-R's.
The 3SGE BEAMS is awesome on paper but being an iron block it's heavier than SR and the F/K Honda motors, and there's far less overall aftermarket support for the BEAMS 3S's, especially stateside.
The BEAMS 3SGE is a perfect fit for older Toyota Celicas and such that had 22R engines and similar, but for a lightweight tiny British roadster I'd go 4AGE if I went Toyota, and SR or K motor otherwise.
The Tiger (and I'm pretty sure the Alpine too) has an unusual front subframe that doesn't depend on the engine being front or rear sump because it's almost all forward of the crank snout, and it's front steer so it doesn't need to clear a steering rack either. So there's a lot more flexibility there vs the Miata which is the only tiny 4 cyl car out there that seems to have a rear sump oil pan - the Nissan S13/14, AE86, RWD Celica, etc are all front sump. Though I didn't know it was an Alpine until a few posts ago so that was a wild-ass-guess on my part.
IMHO, the K-motor is worth the additional parts headache over the F20 especially if you're keeping it NA.
The LFX (and the preceding LLT) is a pain in the ass to swap into vintage vehicles because of the DI fuel system. Unless you bring the Camaro's fuel tank (or another DI fuel tank and fuel pump) with the swap, and are interested in running a lot of custom steel hardline, it's a no-go. Being a 60* V6 may allow it to fit in the narrow engine bay, though, but the exhaust work and other parts would be interesting.
But with custom direct-injection hardlines and fuel pressures above 1000psi, I'm leery of mixing that with Lucas electrics. That sounds like a recipe for a fire, and that's my professional assessment
Definitely a cool concept idea, though. That'd be a fun swap into a later-model Miata, actually....
Wholeheartedly agreed- 08+ was the beginning of the end. More recent models starting in 2017 or so have brought some of the spunk back but they're still very different cars than the 04-07's. It's a shame that so few 04-07's survive in good condition.
The S209 is coming to the US. Only 200 of them though and of course those dreaded 'market value adjustments' will be in abundance. We can't have anything nice around car sales managers.
Again, I'd skip the blower on the GT86 and go with a turbocharger. I'd also skip the Baja entirely, to me those things just never stopped looking weird as hell.
Yes. And I like going around corners and cones not in circles.
I've seen two F20 swaps and half a dozen rotaries. The rotaries fit better and lower in the chassis, offering plenty of space to work, but the F20Cs actually fit and just require a custom header. The rear axle in the Alpine is good for about 200 horsepower with hardened axle keys, but you'll grenade it pretty quick. That's okay, I have sitting in the garage a Ford 7.5" with an Auburn diff and 3.70 gears that has been shortened and centered (by swapping the short side of one rear end to the long side of the other. Works like a charm). Fits right under the car and with the limited slip and light weight of the car, should rather easily hold up past 300hp. But in case I destroy that, I have a Ford 8" that was originally under a track car setup with a locker and 3.90s, just have to narrow it to fit under the 'Beam.Knowing that we're talking about an Alpine, I'm kind of surprised that the F20 fits at all without spacing the subframe. That's a killer engine but a good F20C set with trans is ~5-6k minimum these days. If you plan on leaving it stock there's certainly some value there vs other swap options that'll likely need some aftermarket go-fast parts.
The SR20DE and 4AGE options are comparably very cheap vs the F20, and the 4AGE would fit in there VERY easily and won't overpower the rest of the car. IIRC the Alpines didn't exactly come with a beefy rear axle in 4 cyl form and the 4AGE 20v's being ~140-150hp won't totally murder the existing driveline parts like a V8 or F20 likely would.
Close both cars have the same front subframe, with the same front suspension. But the Tiger is front steer, the Alpine is rear steer. The trick is, the Alpine steering is "rear" in that it runs along the firewall. So front/rear sump doesn't matter, but bellhousing/block clearance does. For the Tiger with front steer, you end up with Alpine steering arms turned around, this really screws up the Ackermann angle and that's part of what makes them so shitty on the track. It can be corrected, using MGB steering arms which gets you back to neutral, but you ultimately give up a lot of tunability in the front end this way (and you get some weird bumpsteer). Several folks have built custom front ends, they run about 5-8k if you want one (I don't). Despite the fact that the Alpine has recirc-ball steering, it's vastly superior in terms of neutrality. The car has such a narrow track-width, it's got 2.5 turns lock to lock whether its recirc or rack equipped, so the ratio just doesn't matter much.The Tiger (and I'm pretty sure the Alpine too) has an unusual front subframe that doesn't depend on the engine being front or rear sump because it's almost all forward of the crank snout, and it's front steer so it doesn't need to clear a steering rack either. So there's a lot more flexibility there vs the Miata which is the only tiny 4 cyl car out there that seems to have a rear sump oil pan - the Nissan S13/14, AE86, RWD Celica, etc are all front sump. Though I didn't know it was an Alpine until a few posts ago so that was a wild-ass-guess on my part.
If you go with a swap that lets you maintain the rear steering, you start out in the better position from a tuning standpoint (and also you have virtually zero bump-steer). The rest of the front end is actually kind of a Mustang II, before there was Mustang II. In fact, you just need to move one of the lower control arm mounts out about 3/4" to make off the shelf Mutt control arms work. SPC make fully adjustable upper arms to your specs, QA1 has the specs on hand for the upper spring/shock mount to build you a set of adjustable coil overs to bolt right in.
The Alpines also don't suffer from front cross member fatigue and shock tower droop that Tigers do, because they aren't carrying all that weight up front. It's really an ideal car for a relatively light, powerful, high-revving, NA engine, with moderate amounts of torque. The whole V8 tiger thing was just a reflection of the '60s. It's cool and it's a "mini-Cobra", but realistically, what Rootes needed was...to build an S2000.
I'll look at what the K24 gearbox choices are. Since I know the F20 fits without cutting the steering, that's a big plus. Ideally, I'm looking for a weight to power ratio in the 12:1 to 10:1 range. I frankly don't have the skill to drive cars above 10:1 at the limit anymore, much below 12:1 and it kind loses the fun. I want it to be fast, not quick, fast. But not too fast.
JRB, the LFX has a very strange integrated exhaust manifold, so it packages especially nice for a 60 degree V6. given it's all aluminum construction. 300-330 hp may be a bit too squirrely in a small British car like that, though
They fit quite nicely in Miatas
for K series, KMiata seems to be the guys to go to for RWD swap parts. https://kmiata.com/collections/transmission-upgrades They use fairly easy to source BMW 5 speeds, including the Getrag 260 from the 6 cylinder E30s, and the 5 or 6 speeds from the E46s. the G260 is not a physically huge transmission, but it'll handle plenty of abuse.
Last model Thunderbird. Honda S2000.
Ken
BBI: ...”you better not forget the safe word because shit's about to get weird”...
revchuck38: ...”mo' ammo is mo' betta' unless you're swimming or on fire.”
Good stuff, and thanks for the nitty-gritty on all those details on Alpine vs Tiger!Yes. And I like going around corners and cones not in circles.
I've seen two F20 swaps and half a dozen rotaries. The rotaries fit better and lower in the chassis, offering plenty of space to work, but the F20Cs actually fit and just require a custom header. The rear axle in the Alpine is good for about 200 horsepower with hardened axle keys, but you'll grenade it pretty quick. That's okay, I have sitting in the garage a Ford 7.5" with an Auburn diff and 3.70 gears that has been shortened and centered (by swapping the short side of one rear end to the long side of the other. Works like a charm). Fits right under the car and with the limited slip and light weight of the car, should rather easily hold up past 300hp. But in case I destroy that, I have a Ford 8" that was originally under a track car setup with a locker and 3.90s, just have to narrow it to fit under the 'Beam.
Close both cars have the same front subframe, with the same front suspension. But the Tiger is front steer, the Alpine is rear steer. The trick is, the Alpine steering is "rear" in that it runs along the firewall. So front/rear sump doesn't matter, but bellhousing/block clearance does. For the Tiger with front steer, you end up with Alpine steering arms turned around, this really screws up the Ackermann angle and that's part of what makes them so shitty on the track. It can be corrected, using MGB steering arms which gets you back to neutral, but you ultimately give up a lot of tunability in the front end this way (and you get some weird bumpsteer). Several folks have built custom front ends, they run about 5-8k if you want one (I don't). Despite the fact that the Alpine has recirc-ball steering, it's vastly superior in terms of neutrality. The car has such a narrow track-width, it's got 2.5 turns lock to lock whether its recirc or rack equipped, so the ratio just doesn't matter much.
If you go with a swap that lets you maintain the rear steering, you start out in the better position from a tuning standpoint (and also you have virtually zero bump-steer). The rest of the front end is actually kind of a Mustang II, before there was Mustang II. In fact, you just need to move one of the lower control arm mounts out about 3/4" to make off the shelf Mutt control arms work. SPC make fully adjustable upper arms to your specs, QA1 has the specs on hand for the upper spring/shock mount to build you a set of adjustable coil overs to bolt right in.
The Alpines also don't suffer from front cross member fatigue and shock tower droop that Tigers do, because they aren't carrying all that weight up front. It's really an ideal car for a relatively light, powerful, high-revving, NA engine, with moderate amounts of torque. The whole V8 tiger thing was just a reflection of the '60s. It's cool and it's a "mini-Cobra", but realistically, what Rootes needed was...to build an S2000.
I'll look at what the K24 gearbox choices are. Since I know the F20 fits without cutting the steering, that's a big plus. Ideally, I'm looking for a weight to power ratio in the 12:1 to 10:1 range. I frankly don't have the skill to drive cars above 10:1 at the limit anymore, much below 12:1 and it kind loses the fun. I want it to be fast, not quick, fast. But not too fast.
I've actually never worked on an Alpine so I was guessing based on the Tiger. Crazy that they went to such extremes to stuff that 260 in there but it makes sense given there wasn't much any other way to get more horsepower back in those days.
That narrowed 7.5in sounds like just the ticket, too. Regardless of what ends up under the hood, I imagine it'll be a really fun car!
That's a wild looking cylinder head - Honda's newer K engines have similar integrated exhaust manifolds.
I worked on TONS of 5th Gen Camaros at the shop, usually 2-3 a week. We touched maybe 2 V6 models, ever, and they got intakes, catbacks, and a tune. Nothing crazy.
I am quite familiar with K-miata though - it's cool stuff. I'm crazy though so I'd probably turbocharge one
A friend of mine was going to pull the trigger on the K24 setup for his '93 Miata - but he ended up with a 1UZ-FE V8 from a Lexus SC400 donor, and I had a MK3's W58 5-spd kicking around so that'll work out nicely and give him some V8 noises and similar power for a lot less overall expense.
Such a shame they stuffed the 4.0L Lincoln V8 in that thing instead of at least a 3v 4.6L. A modern re-iteration with the Coyote 5.0L and 8R90 auto trans would be SICK though! S2000, 'nuff said.
They get fun when you put a little work into the suspension and square up the tires.
My wife's car with 9" Volks on all four corners. Oh, and a turbo
And mine with widened fenders and the SSR's pushed out a little:
1997 M3.
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Not another dime.
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