engine and drivetrain Engine swap?

[Tsweers89]

Alright so a customer has brought me their 2002 which was recently purchased that they are wanting to get some more power out of. As of now the car already has a m20 swapped in along with normal bolt on's you would see with that engine. His budget is around $7-9k. I know a stroker 2.9L m20 is a viable option but you will get maybe 200whp out of that on the high side. So for the $5k I don't think it is worth it and I don't think he will enjoy it as much either since it will only be a 50 whp increase. I have heard the tuning horror stories of ITB's so I want to stay away from that and do something simple for him were he won't need to mess with it as he isn't very mechanically inclined. He saw a s50 swapped 2002 online and stated that's what he wanted. After doing some digging it seems a lot of fabrication work is needed. Which salt this time I'm not able to offer. I would turbo it but again no off the shelf kit will work and that's kind of what I am looking for. So what are your guys thoughts?

[jrkoupe]

while no off the shelf kit is avail as far as I know.....there are tons m20 turbos flying around

 

look at sites like  r3vlimited or e30tech for many many turbo builds......ez 300 hp and over.

 

oth, this guy may really be better off in a different car...lol

[Tsweers89]

This is said 2002

Edited October 26, 2015 by Tsweers89

[jrhone]

I'd say turbo the M20 tats in there. Should b waaaaay less than 9k. Yeah when you start saying 300+ hp in a chassis that came with 100 that gets me nervous as you have to reinforce and upgrade a lot to be safe and usable.

[NickVyse]

stick a 4.10 ratio lsd in there, fibre glass/cf hood and trunk and tell him to spend the rest on driving lessons - that's plenty of poke for shits and giggles in an 02!

[AceAndrew]

My thought is if you're a shop that wants to turbo a used engine for a customer ..... well that's taking a big risk (especially if he wants to last a while).  I have helped more than one (competent and friendly) shop who has shot themselves in the foot in this exact way.

When you consider something like a stroker you also need to consider that you now have a fresh rebuilt engine. With proper tuning it will last a very long time. And for the record, tuning ITB's isn't anymore difficult than tuning a turbo.  One more thing you also need to consider is that if you do go turbo or s5x you should also be swapping to a medium case differential (and all the associated modifications).

To put it bluntly, when the customer starts by asking for an S5x it starts ringing alarm bells in my head that this guy has unrealistic expectations and could be a major headache to deal with no matter WHAT route you take and how much effort you pour in.  Good luck on the project, i do sincerely hope it turns out successfully.

Edited October 27, 2015 by AceAndrew

[jmr_1602]

Maybe he would be interested in a turbo'd Honda S2000 or whatever motor.

I like the S14 and M20 swapped cars. It seems like all these new owners are into stuffing modern motors into 02's. Kinda like the VW and Datsun crowd. Personally I enjoy and am proud of the mighty M10.

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[Fatherof3]

I'm guessing this customer just wants a light powerful toy. See if he is open to selling the 2002 to the many who will love it at the level it is and suggest he look for a v8 swapped Miata, 914, ect.

 

Edited October 26, 2015 by Fatherof3

[skipsfcr]

We built a stroker M20 for a customer's E30. He loved it, I suppose for bragging rights as much as anything else. We were unimpressed.

[TobyB]

He's going to have a hard time keeping his ass behind him with TOO much more power.

 

I agree with Andrew on this one- an S52/4 in a 2002 is kind of like a Mitsubishi Zero- you're not really supposed to bring the thing HOME afterwards...

 

I vote Ford 460.  With a blower.  And nitrous.

 

That oughta do it.

 

And it might not be much more than a turbo...

 

t

[arminyack]

LS1 swap

 

[bento]

He's going to have a hard time keeping his ass behind him with TOO much more power.

 

I agree with Andrew on this one- an S52/4 in a 2002 is kind of like a Mitsubishi Zero- you're not really supposed to bring the thing HOME afterwards...

 

I vote Ford 460.  With a blower.  And nitrous.

 

That oughta do it.

 

And it might not be much more than a turbo...

 

t

He needs an E30 to do a proper v8/blower.

Happens to be for sale right now, too!

http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/cto/5259913394.html

[gastephens]

I know I'm old school but seriously, this guy should buy a new Mustang GT and be done with it. I just don't understand people that want an old car because it has character and then replace everything about it that had character. A well-built M10 will move a 2002 just fine. An M20 will move it even finer. Oh, and Get Off My Lawn!

[TobyB]

I love this place...

 

t

[13]

Drop a CA Tuned monster rear end conversion in with an e30 LSD, and put a Holset on... Or be cheap like me and go spray juice on these cheap engines