Possible Motorgen Project Cars
 

We've been kicking around ideas for doing project cars for a while. Here are some options in the poll. Let us know your thoughts.

Obviously we're looking for a fun way to promote the site (well duh).

The constraints are in this order:
1 cost - No budget set but we're talking a few grand tops, but on top of donations of some parts and time, it should be enough . . . I think.
2 performance - The idea is to have fun and promote the site with something interesting. It doesn't have to be a world beating masterpiece.
3 time - There are no special deadlines. (But deadlines will be set.)


One of the ideas is that any members who participate meaningfully with donations of time or parts can drive the car. I have an L83 SBC, and 700R4 that could be used. It's optional for it to be a a street car or track only car. It should have some kind of interesting feature or character. It's good if it can mix up different bits and pieces from different makers, keeping in line with what the site is about.

The poll is just some options. If you have some more, let us know.

HOW THE PROJECT WOULD KINDA WORK[
I'm a fan of the Tiger Team Model. That is talented people have responsibility for a project or an area of a project depending on the size and complexity. Project subdivision would look something like:

Project Manager (Vettezuki, unless one of you would like to take it on)
Oversees total project flow between units. Manages budget and scheduling. Is ultimately responsible for final product. Gets no credit upon success. Must commit ritual suicide upon failure. Ok, I'm kidding about the last bit.

Engine System
Responsible for engine, computer and harness (if it exists), engine cooling, intercooling (if exists), fuel storage and supply.

PARTS
- Vettezuki - L83 SBC
- 94cobra69ss396 - TT V6 (Z Motor)?
- joedls - Forged 302 Ford

LABOR

Driveline
Transmission, axle, etc.

PARTS
- Vettezuki - 700R4
- 94cobra69ss396 - 5 Speed from Z?
- joedls - 4 speed toploader

LABOR


Steering/Suspension
Steering, Springs, Shocks, etc.

PARTS
LABOR

Interior/Safety
Seat, harness, switchgear, cage (if necessary)


PARTS
LABOR

Paint/Body (I know a guy:))
Uh, Paint and body


MATERIALS
LABOR

General Fabrication
msc. bits and pieces that will be required almost no matter what.

MATERIALS
LABOR



If something strikes your fancy, please indicate which area you'd like to work in or what you might be able to contribute by posting a reply to this thread. You are not restricted to one area, but don't over commit yourself.

Anybody who contributes a major component, cash donation, or works on one of these teams can drive the car at the track or (if a street car) on our cruises.

Do you already have a lead on a car? I like the idea of the SBC in the 240sx.

Nope. Totally open right now. The nice part about a 240 or 914, is the could be made pretty gnarly and be street legal.

That depends on what year your engine is. Do you still have all the smog euipment for it?

I feel the MII is most practical. The others would have way too much front weight. They used to put SBC's in Jags and Healy's. Front weight proved to be too much for the susp, and the weight was way too froward.
My fav is the elec drag car, but you need big $$ and sponsors for that. It's up my alley too, but I do not have the access to stuff I had 10 years ago.

It's an L83 (1982 TB V8). It's a SBC, with a dynomite 8.5:1. Yes, it still has all the smog on it, but golley, we don't that silly stuff. I was thinking, instead of doing too much work on the engine internals, maybe some form of ghetto Forced Induction would work because of the compression. :huh:

The 914 is a rear mid engine, but it seem not trivial to do and is such a weight in such a small car that it'd probably require a LOT of fabbing to do safely. But seeing a 914 with a V8 rumble is . . . well, special lets say. I'm curious about the weiht distribution in a 240. As I recall they were front mid engines with the I6. I know guys do this setup for straight line stuff. Your probably right, too much front weight bias for to be anything other than a drag type car. There is a lot to recommend an MII . . . other than the way it looks. :nutkick:


The electric drag car thing is going to happen at some point. But as you mention, the cost and technical details are in a different category. Probably a better choice for a later project car.

My dad still has a 3.0 turbo V6 and 5 speed trans out of his 1985 300ZX that I crashed 15 years ago. I could probably get it from him if we would like to put it in something. He still has the computer and wire harness as well. We could turn the boost up on it and Corn Fed could tune it.

Those were damn good engines. But maybe a little pricey in the parts dept. for broken bits????

How does the weight compare to an SBC? With CornFed's experience, maybe we could do an E85 conversion too? :huh:

Just because it has low compression doesn't mean it will hold the boost. I would imagine it would require a rebuild to make any real power. Still, it's not a bad starting point for a project motor.

I'm torn between a 914 and a 240sx...

It's a good point. I think even with 1 bar of intercooled boost, we'd be talking a max of 400~BHP, which it would probably hold ok. An E85 Z TT Z Motor could hold more boost and power right out of the gate . . . I think.

Options have been updated to reflect additional possibilities. The electric drag car has been removed because it's probably "The Bridge Too Far" for a first effort.

I don't think that you will likely blow that L83. I'd be willing to bet that the diff/ trans would go on any car before that motor would.

The turbo V6 would be cool, especially if we went with a 240SX. But as Ben said, a bit pricey for the return. I'll be we'd see only 300whp after a couple grand even.

I'd go with Ben's L83. Pull the heads off, and bolt on some cheap used overly ported E-Bay heads. Lots of guys will port their heads too much, and the motor will run like crap, so they try to ditch them on E-Bay as having "special race porting." But for a drag/ track only car, who cares how well the motor behaves? It will always be up in the high rpm anyways. If we could score some tall gears and a manual gear box, then it would be even better for a peaky power band.

Then, score the biggest used solid flat tappet cam that we can (matched to the heads of course) with a 110-114 (preferably 114) lsa, try to keep the compression between 7.5 & 8.5:1. Then bolt on a big 6-71 or an 8-71 used, from an old GM diesel. Top it off with a used, possibly donated, or loaned, Holley... And that's all she wrote. I'll bet you could score the H&C&SC for a grand.

Or, used H&C& Big Nitrous Kit.

I'm voting for the 240sx or the RX7 with a blown sbc.

Why Buy One when you Can Buy Two?
 

Check it out. I learned from my Vette project, that if your' going to replace large amounts of stuff, there ain't too much point in spending $$ on a "good" car to begin with.

If we did something crazy like this, we could turn the 280 into a drag car with the blown SBC and the 240 into a street car with the TT V6 (no smog probelms).

Someone actually paid me to wrench on their 914 before. I didn't like the car, it was poorly made. And there would be NO room to work with a SBC in that car. As cool as a SBC in a 914 is, I wouldn't want to put it together or even work on it. Furthermore, the transaxle will likely have to be upgraded to handle the power, and a beefed up prosche transaxle will likely be more expensive than a traditional diff/ trans in most other cars.

Also, as a drag car, we'd have to worry about the CV joints breaking (or whatever they use).

Smog will not be a problem either way, if it's registered as a show car, it will not have to smog and it will be allowed to drive on the road, to and from automotive events/ shows. Which I suspect is all that the car would be doing.

And I hate to rain on your parade even more, but CARB components for the TTV6 wouldn't be very cost effective. ...Stick with one car for now.

If I were you, I'd either win the auction, or watch it CLOSELY and let it time out, then submit an offer. Turn around and sell the orange one, and keep the parts car for the project. IMHO.

Actually, we should make a plaster mold of the orange hood before you sell it. Then lay one out in fiberglass for the other car. Also, take the pass seat out of the blue one and put it in the orange one to up the resale.

Duly noted.

I'd like to get some other folks to chime in, but at least on the surface a running 240 and parts 280 for $800~, even in the condition they're in seems like something that should be kept a close eye in in the next day or so, since the auction times out on the 31st.

I know you got law school and all that, but would have some time for body and paint, nothing so extravagant, once you finish the Vette?

BTW, I thought that you were talking about this 240sx.



If it's between the Datsun Z and the RX7, I'd change my vote to the RX7. Sexier body lines.

But the car itself really isn't that important either way. Seeing as how it will just be a shell.

For sheezy sleezy. I'm head over heels for this local chick right now, so I'm sure I'll be up here every weekend anyways. And with 3 or 4 guys sanding and no LSATs to study for, it should go quick.

You got time in the next day or two to go take a look these things? Pics can be funny. I also got a blaster attachment for my compressor. We could ghetto media blast it right in my driveway.

A SBC in a Mustang II. No way.

I like the Mazda with a SBC.
Ok, lets find a body first.:thumbs_up


I have a bunch of small block parts- even an extra dual quad intake. I have 5 or six extra set of heads. I have a bunch of shit Chevy parts laying around.

I even have a 454 short block --but that is going to be hard to talk me out of.:sm_laughing:


I've built hundreds of SBCs over the years. I maybe can help there.:laugh:

Darlene has a 1990 Toyota Celica GT in her garage that needs to be removed. She has got an offer of $200 for it. We can talk her out of it. BUT, its a complete vehicle and it needs a LOT of work.


Just throwing it out there.:drink:

I'm trying to talk her into getting rid of the 95 T-bird too.:)

Not today, tomorrow anytime.

well hmmmmm well if you guys dont mind im down to throw in a new submission for the project car.

i got an evo engine with a bad piston ring thats easily rebuildable
and i have a 87 mitsu starion.
and i know where to go to get all the parts and things for the swap. all i need is help and donations :-D









you guys know u wanna hop on this

and also it wouldnt be the same ol sbc in an import swap u see everywhere :-D

but if i had to pic from what you guys threw up i guess the FD body style of rx-7 with a sbc would be ok lol

I am sure I am a little biased but I would like to see something done with a Mustang II. Nobody likes those things and they really are never seen. I think that doing something that would gets peoples attention. IE a car not really coveted going fast would be pretty cool. Drop a TT V6 in it. That would be fun. Smog should not be a big issue.

I am down with any of the builds and would more than willing to put in a little money and lots of man hours to help.

You silly goose, this is for building a Motorgen project car, not helping user's build their project car. Unless you want to sign over the Evo motor and Starion. :smack:

hmmmm tempting to sign it over. im not fully sure on what i wanna do with the starion yet. i need money but at the same time i do wanna do this swap and build up lol.


ok then well stick to the sbc rx-7 build lol but i am taking donations for the starion :-D just pm me and ill send you the paypal email lol :laugh:

When you guys talk about RX-7s, what years are your referring to? This looks like a pretty clean 1979 that's locally available for something roughly in our price range (though the 240 and 280 for $800 still has my attention.)

The only problem with something post 1976 is getting it smogged is going to be impossible...

What you are not interested in the 90 Celica GT??????? Even if it was free.:rolling::rolling::rolling::rolling::rolling:

Maybe. . . :thumbs_up:

Apparently, if it has a "show car" registration it will be exempt from smog, but will be restricted in the number of miles it can drive, which should be fine for our purposes. However, I'm pretty sure you can put just about whatever you want in a pre 1975 and register it normally. :huh:

Yes, the Mustang II.
BUT!!!! They want to put a SBC in it. That just won't do. If we want to go fast we will need a FORD motor. :drink:

There are far more Ford's with SBCs than GMs with Ford motors. :nutkick: How bout an M2 with an Evo Motor, now that'd be cool. :pot_stir:

I told Darlene I want to give you guys the Toyota. She goes "but I can get $200 for it". Damn. :mad:

I won. It will be free, unless you WANT to give her $200. Me, I wouldn't even take it if it was free.:p

Ok that's all fine and good. But, do we want to go that way or the tried and true V8 powered race car. We have 700r trans and cheap SBC power. We could fit that into just about anything . There is enough talent here to get it done. Just don't let me work on it.:laugh:

:rolleyes:

Read on bratha'

Taling about 1st & 2nd gen RX7s. Light cheap RWD.