LFX Engine Swap (GM V6) at GWR
Posted: Tue May 03, 2016 12:02 am
In the never-ending search for more power, a full drivetrain swap has begun for the #13 time attack car, this thread will follow along and document the process.
There's a separate thread in these forums for the car in general HERE so here we'll just focus on the conversion to the new drivetrain. Here's the car:
This car is a 1990 chassis that has been running a turbocharged 1.6 for many seasons. Current power is around 215 hp, it's been enough to beat up on some much "faster" cars at the track thanks to good suspension, aerodynamics, and lightweight. However, with sights set on higher levels of competition that pit us against cars of all makes/models, many of which have big V8s and the like, it's time for some more firepower.
The donors for the new recipe are the Chevy Camaro and Cadillac CTS, with conversion parts from V8Roadsters and some good ol' fashion fabrication mixed in.
Engine comes from a 2012-2014 Camaro. Transmission can come from either the Camaro or CTS of those years. Differential comes from a 2006-2008 CTS:
Why the change? Why not go for more power with the Miata motor and turbo?
Well, take it from someone who has done a lot of racing with the turbo - it puts off a LOT of heat. I've melted just about every plastic or rubber part on the driver's side of the engine bay at one point or another! That heat also affects the motor in a lot of ways. Some might notice we don't sell a turbo kit for the 1990-2005 cars. That's because there isn't a kit on the market we feel we can endorse; there's a laundry list of changes that need doing to just about every kit out there to have a hope of running reliably under hard use. This car got there, but it took half a decade of custom revisions and improvements to get there. At the end of the day you can't get away from the fact that when you're asking a motor to put out 100-200% MORE power than it was originally intended to, longevity is not its strong suit any more. And that brings us here: the search for a great motor pairing for the car that was designed from the beginning to make all the power we want, which should make for not only a faster car but also a more reliable one.
We've done a lot of paper-napkin estimates about this swap, and on paper it looks very good for power and driveability without sacrificing light weight. There are more than a few reasons that it looks more appealing than a V8 swap - less chassis modifications needed, smoother and higher-revving than the V8s, better weight distribution, and more.
To top things off, V8Roadsters is working on CARB approval for this swap. No promises yet, but that could mean big things here in California. If the kits get CARB approval then we'll likely be doing a lot more of these swaps in the future, so this is a great opportunity to work through the process first-hand.
Follow along! In the next post I'll cover the engine details.
There's a separate thread in these forums for the car in general HERE so here we'll just focus on the conversion to the new drivetrain. Here's the car:
This car is a 1990 chassis that has been running a turbocharged 1.6 for many seasons. Current power is around 215 hp, it's been enough to beat up on some much "faster" cars at the track thanks to good suspension, aerodynamics, and lightweight. However, with sights set on higher levels of competition that pit us against cars of all makes/models, many of which have big V8s and the like, it's time for some more firepower.
The donors for the new recipe are the Chevy Camaro and Cadillac CTS, with conversion parts from V8Roadsters and some good ol' fashion fabrication mixed in.
Engine comes from a 2012-2014 Camaro. Transmission can come from either the Camaro or CTS of those years. Differential comes from a 2006-2008 CTS:
Why the change? Why not go for more power with the Miata motor and turbo?
Well, take it from someone who has done a lot of racing with the turbo - it puts off a LOT of heat. I've melted just about every plastic or rubber part on the driver's side of the engine bay at one point or another! That heat also affects the motor in a lot of ways. Some might notice we don't sell a turbo kit for the 1990-2005 cars. That's because there isn't a kit on the market we feel we can endorse; there's a laundry list of changes that need doing to just about every kit out there to have a hope of running reliably under hard use. This car got there, but it took half a decade of custom revisions and improvements to get there. At the end of the day you can't get away from the fact that when you're asking a motor to put out 100-200% MORE power than it was originally intended to, longevity is not its strong suit any more. And that brings us here: the search for a great motor pairing for the car that was designed from the beginning to make all the power we want, which should make for not only a faster car but also a more reliable one.
We've done a lot of paper-napkin estimates about this swap, and on paper it looks very good for power and driveability without sacrificing light weight. There are more than a few reasons that it looks more appealing than a V8 swap - less chassis modifications needed, smoother and higher-revving than the V8s, better weight distribution, and more.
To top things off, V8Roadsters is working on CARB approval for this swap. No promises yet, but that could mean big things here in California. If the kits get CARB approval then we'll likely be doing a lot more of these swaps in the future, so this is a great opportunity to work through the process first-hand.
Follow along! In the next post I'll cover the engine details.