Thread: Engine Conversions, Swaps Etc

Hi,

Because of the stupid cost of decent cars in Thailand, over the years I have had to find some ways both to amuse myself and have a reasonably priced powerful car without breaking the bank.

I've done already done a fair few conversions here, currently have two engine swaps going on - first of which has been underway for "some time" is a 1UZ-FE (Toyota V8 found in Lexus LS400 etc) coupled to a Supra 5 speed manual box which is going into a 1985 BMW E30 coupe. I chose the E30 as a donor car as it is one of the lightest RWD cars (1050kg), still has nice lines 25 years on (2 door) and strong Germanic build quality.

I bought the car from Racingweb classifieds, it already had a 1JZ-GTE twin turbo (smoking turbos), skyline rear diff, R32 brakes, nice 17" Advan wheels, original Recaros, MTEC2 bodykit, some gauges and other stuff and the body was reasonably sound with no major accident damage. Paid 145,000.










I have never had any luck/success with turbos unless they're behind a diesel, so having just finished a V8 swap into a Hilux (Automatic),



I thought the same V8 would be nice and most importantly reliable in the light E30 body but this time with a manual box, there were a several on youtube and various forums round the world, so I knew it was possible to get the V8 with a manual in there and working.

Approx costs of hardware......1UZ engine/loom/ECU 20K, R154 manual box 20K (that was cheap), clutch 10K, bellhousing etc 10K.










I finally got the engine in and wired up etc, this car goes really well, 276BHP in a 1 ton car







I have now decided to make this a track car, it is a real handful, so there are now many more jobs to do, the first is a roll cage, Boon Racing in Pattaya do the best ones in the area so the car is in there now, started work today, I had already stripped out the interior, engine also needs taking out again and moving further back, loads more stuff to do............
This is how my car looks today one year after starting this project




Not sure why this one is showing again










I was up at Bang Na a couple of weeks ago looking for some bits for the BMW but due to the bargain prices of engines I finished up buying a 1JZ-GE VVTi complete with autobox/harness/ECU and even a fuel pump thrown in for 15K. The old diesel is in excellent condition and should be worth enough to almost cover the entire cost of the swap and LPG (Bang Na prices :- Isuzu diesel 58K, box 25K).

I am fitting this into a workhorse 1995 Mazda Thunder pick up, this is a really straight car (still original paint). I've had it for a while but the factory Isuzu diesel makes long journeys a nightmare, was going to stick a V8 in it but that would have been overkill and a much more involved swap. I think the 1JZ VVTi will be perfect and should be possible to mount an LPG tank under the bed of the pick up and not lose any load space.

Most shops will cut the slam panel and reweld once the engine is in but after a bit of measuring, stripping bits off and hammering out the trans tunnel I thought it might go in.


Sturdy but noisy original Isuzu engine



Engine out





Weighing up the job



Looks like a challenge



That's never going to fit



A bit of jiggling



Change the approach angle



All hands on deck (except mine)



Not looking good



Keeping a close eye on the proceedings



Just clears the slam panel.......hooray



Lowering



A bit more



Almost there



Looking good



Coming to rest



Free of the shackles



Fits like a glove







I'll update the thread as things progress if there is any interest.


Also would be good to know of any projects/swaps/rebuilds/restorations other TD members are doing


Cheers


.

Good stuff.

I like this kind of work,

Keep posting the progress, I do admire you for taking on projects like these ,
To much free time ???,a good way to spend it...

BB

Thanks

Forgot to mention the Toyota 1JZ-GE VVTi is 200 BHP with a nice torque curve, and is going in with the 1JZ automatic gearbox.


Cheers

"To much free time ???"

Too much time but not enough money haha

I take my hat off or these kind of jobs, to me it looks damn difficult to connect everything.
Can I call you when I want a V8 engine in any old car? :-)

^ same with me, love hearing these stories, always thought the way to more power, bigger engine.
My first swap was a Daimler 2.5L v8 into a Austin 40 Farina

Very interesting thread; thanks INTJ.

Hi,

I need some of this

Red Line MT90 SYNCHROMESH OIL 1 US GALLON - Gear Oils & Transmission Fluids


Anyone seen it anywhere or any ideas where to look ?


Cheers

Today mocking up engine mounts and refitting ancillaries that were stripped off to avoid cutting the slam panel getting the engine into the bay.







Some photos better than others, all taken on my mobile and quality seems to vary a bit.


Cheers

Originally Posted by INTJ

Anyone seen it anywhere or any ideas where to look ?

Red Line has no official stockist in Thailand.

I'm struggling to find a lead.
A post made in 2003 says that this crowd stocks Red Line Products
Phone before you go obviously
Toon Motorsports · Bangkok, THAILAND · 662-457-4022
TOON MOTORSPORT

Thanks, I'll call them tomorrow, there was a guy on rcweb selling MOTUL 300 synthetic in Lopburi - that would have done at a push but he's sold out and not restocking. If all else fails does anyone know if the airline regulations would prohibit transmission oil from being carried in checked baggage ?


Cheers

MOTUL has one official stockist in Thailand


BIKE CARE INTERNATIONAL CO.,LTD.
199 Moo 8, Buddharaksa Rd,
Muang, Samutprakran,
10280 Thailand.
Tel: +66 (0) 2388 0869
Fax: +66 (0) 2701 4125

^ Motul is found at most of the bike shops catering to big bikes, so it should be readily available for cars too.

Thanks, the Toyota R154 gearbox is very strong but quite "agricultural" ie. notchy /clunky changes and a reluctance to change up or down at high revs as the synchros get worn. Now nearly 20 years old they have mostly been abused in drag/drift cars etc......mine is not too bad but from what I read on enthusiasts sites like Supraforums et al - the Redline stuff is like a miracle potion, smooth fast changing no clunking or crunching. Sounds a bit too good to be true, but thats what people are saying....

Motul is waaay second best so I'll do my best to procure Redline for now.

Cheers

Brilliant stuff INTJ.

I saw an old short wheel based Land Cruiser in a car yard in Chiang Mai. Mint condition resprayed fire engine red. I was looking it over with interest, but the 700K price tag was a bit stiff. The salesman had a cheeky smile as he went to start it up, and rather than the hum of an old diesel, I heard the roar of a 350 chev.

I've helped out with 2 engine conversions. One was like above, 350 chev into a SWB Cruiser. The other was a Mazda 626 converting to a 13B rotary. I don't know shit about mechanics but I'm good at passing the spanner and cleaning the tools.

Not sure if they got rotary engines in Thailand.

Awesome report dropping that engine into the Mazda, looked like it wasn't gonna make it. What are you doing about a diff for that one?

hats off ,interesting stuff . looks like you have a good crew for the work . do they need much guidance or are they inventive enough on their own?

Great stuff, have you actually tried a turbo retrofit before?
From what I've read, you need to lower the compression, but that depends on the engine, and tweaking the electronics.
What was the original engine?

Keep up the good work, I see another Chop Shop series evolving.

What about turning the E30 into a convertible?

Great reading, the pics are good too. Certainly interesting projects. keep it up.

INTJ;
You querried about gear lubes, have you contacted Amsoil? They make a complete line of synthetic oils and lubes. I use the various oils in my cars, trucks and motorcycles. The stuff never breaks down like syntheic blends.
The swaps look great, I wouldn't have ruined the little BMW! I thought that would have made a great daily driver with a heck of a surprise under the hood....

Shiloh Jim

"I wouldn't have ruined the little BMW!"




BMW is far from finished, beauty is only skin deep !


Cheers