V8 conversions..what works?

Well I've owned two British classics with V8's, Sunbeam Tiger and Triumph TR8, and a friend years ago dropped a V8 into a Chevy Vega. I also knew a guy who dropped a V8 into a Triumph GT6. Also seen a TR6 and 240Z get the V8.

I'm sure some cars are better candidates than others. Just wondering what are good candidates for V8's? What is easy to do and what isn't.

You can literally stab a V8 into anything. (See the hotlink thread and the LS1 swaps are boring thread for many pics of random cars with V8 swaps).

I've seen them in VW bugs (both), Geo Metros, Minis (both), etc, etc. Hell, they build motorcycles with V8's now. Everything is a good V8-swap candidate.

Many cars are good candidates, Z cars, RX cars and chevy s-10's are a good start.

Personally biased to the 4.6 Modular V8 Ford Escort (as one is under construction in my back yard.)

Anything can fit in anything else if you have a Saw-Zall and a MIG. The question should be, is there a better candidate with better power to weight ratio than a V-8?

What's your goal? That may help define what goes where.

I like SBCs, but there's a polished up DOHC Jag six in a Midget locally. That car causes me to stutter.

Dan

Easy is when you don't have to start moving sheet metal, chassis rails or major components to make a v8 fit. My short version - if there is a book, kit or companies dedicated to supporting a v8 swap in a particular car - that's the easy category. If there's no support, you can't find anyone who's done it before - or the common answer is "doesn't fit/can't be done" it's a good sign it wouldn't be easy (which also makes it more interesting in my book).

I had a 351-W SBF in my 89 Conquest. I've seen LS swaps in the same vehicle which I would have MUCH preferred to do, but that engine wasn't out when I started that conversion.

That said...

I still want an LSx RX7 (2nd or 3rd gen), LSx 944 and 968 AND 928, and I want an LSx 1969 Camaro.

One I'm partial to

Fits in there like it was designed to be there.

240 volvo and 5.0 Mustang are a dead simple combo- the shifter even comes out the factory hole.

Datsun 240Z with chev v8 is probably better balanced than the 6 cylinder car. They just need a lot more brakes than Nissan gave them.

BiTurbo V8 would rule

AutoXR wrote: BiTurbo V8 would rule

I was thinking that too. You'd have to twin turbo it though to make it correct. LOL

I have been dreaming about dropping a Rover V8 into an E21 or E30. Would make a sweet sleeper DD.

Car Craft did a story about a Caddy 500 in a Chevette about a decade ago. There was a college kid who grafted the front of an Eldorado frame onto the back of his super beetle. He said that wheelies could be done with a good half-throttle blip.

BTW... That beetle swap looked surprisingly easy.

RX7 with a dead rotary= dirt cheap. Healthy carb'd SBF. Granny's Speed Shop kit. One weekend with a friend, a case of beer, done. Dirt cheap crazy fun.

The obvious answer is a Miata.

I always like how the MGB guys put the rover-via-buick V8's in the cars. With the aluminum on that motor its lighter then the stock 4 cyl.

BobOfTheFuture wrote: I always like how the MGB guys put the rover-via-buick V8's in the cars. With the aluminum on that motor its lighter then the stock 4 cyl.

I like when it involves a 4.6L.

I want Keith to chime in on the difficulty of the lsx into an mgb gt. I LOVE the gt and think this may be my ultimate car

MG Bryan wrote:

BobOfTheFuture wrote: I always like how the MGB guys put the rover-via-buick V8's in the cars. With the aluminum on that motor its lighter then the stock 4 cyl.

I like when it involves a 4.6L.

There is a Rover shop in Shelby, NC in which the owner put a 4.6 engine in a MGB, complete with fuel injection. It was indeed a clean installation.

I have thought of doing the swap into my ti.. but the lack of documentation on OBDII makes me pause

My great uncle was telling me about a 340 swapped Mitsubishi pickup he had.

Said it was fast as hell, so long as it cooperated and stayed in between the ditches.

IMO the RX-7 is better suited to a four or V6. Leave the V8s to those British ragtops :)

I still have no idea why some of you put 4.6s into anything. The size of the engine vs. it's displacement seems like it's a lose-lose when putting it into a smaller vehicle.

rover 4.6, not ford modular

Knurled wrote: IMO the RX-7 is better suited to a four or V6. Leave the V8s to those British ragtops :)

My take on this is right here

http://s869.photobucket.com/albums/ab256/aussiesmg/RX50/?action=view&current=MVI_0579.mp4