Have an idea for an engine swap...

[oldgrayfrog]

]4642[/ATTACH] (http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=4643&stc=1&d=1305437320)
[ATTACH]4643[/ (http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=4643&stc=1&d=1305437320)
ATTACH] (http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=4643&stc=1&d=1305437320)

So I had an idea for an engine swap. I've always loved these old MGB GTs, they have a little back seat, are fairly light weight (2310 lbs curb weight), and have a huge wealth of parts available to make them into just about anything. You can change the whole suspension to coilovers for a little more than a good quality set of Miata coilovers cost, big brakes ? A set of 11.75 " Wilwood's will cost you about $700. Here's the best part, the swap kit to drop in a V6 is only $755. Well not quite the best part, it's a 60 degree V6, which in the 2010 Camaro puts out 300hp!! and weighs just 350 lbs!!The original 4 cylinder was 385 lbs. The 6 speed from the Camaro or the CTSV bolts right in. The car is cheap the parts are cheap (almost new Camaro V6 are $1700 the 6 speeds $1400) and it looks to be the simplest swap known to man. Get shopping! Well in my case get selling a certain M3:lol: Pictures of the MGB GT below. In England they actually made a GTB GT V8 with an anemic V8, but the oil shortages of 1973 killed it before they ever imported it here.

[Georgia Cracker]

My friend Paul has a B with the V6 conversion and it is quite nice and much faster than any B, except perhaps for Chris in Dahlonega that did a V8 swap. But the V6 handles better, and the engine looks like it belongs there. The only complication is exhaust routing. I know where a solid B convertible can be bought for $1k that needs an engine rebuild if you are interested. Of course I see you want a B GT, and so would I if I were doing this, since we already have the Miata to drop the top. But it might be harder to find one.

[Dynra Rockets]

The V6-60 and the 2010 Camaro engine are not the same engine. Vastly different.

[oldgrayfrog]

Both 60 degree engines, and loosely based on the original 3.4 according to GM. As folks have put v8s in the engine bay of these, I'm sure that the new 60 degree will fit, it just means it might be a bit of custom work.

[Stealth97]

A friend of mine had one with a 500 hp SBC, it was insane. If you're going to swap engines, why not go for a V8?

[Dynra Rockets]

Both 60 degree engines, and loosely based on the original 3.4 according to GM. As folks have put v8s in the engine bay of these, I'm sure that the new 60 degree will fit, it just means it might be a bit of custom work.


Double check that info.

The 3.4L V60-60 as used in the Camaro last in 1995 was a pushrod cast iron block engine rated at 175hp. Its latest version is the aluminum block pushrod 3.5/3.9L in FWD cars rated up to 240 hp.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_60-Degree_V6_engine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_High_Value_engine


The 2010 Camaro uses an all aluminum block/DOHC engine that is very loosly based on the old 54 degree Catera/Opel engine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_High_Feature_engine#LLT

There is nothing similar about those two engines at all. The new Camaro engine is substanually wider than the V6-60.

Anything can be made to fit but don't expect the V6-60 kit to provide a bolt-in using the new Camaro engine.

[oldgrayfrog]

How substantially? I don't know where you got the info about the new engine, another source called it a 60 degree engine. There's quite a bit of space either way, the old engine was used because it wasn't as tall as the 90 degree V8 and V6 engines, both now have been installed fairly easily and there are small riser hoods available if your manifold or carb doesn't quite fit under the OEM hood. I like the new engine and it costs less than an old Camaro 3.4 motor and carb set up. I think that you might have to chop the inner fender wells a littl bit, or else just mount it a little higher, as the new engine running its EFI wouldn't be nearly as tall as the 3.4 with carb setup. The reason I wouldn't necessarily go with an LS engine is cost. The lower end LS motor's with their T56 trans are at the lowest about $4000, while a 14 mile HFV6 and a Aisin trans are a bit more than $3000. If I can make it work with the much less expensive V6 swap kit, then it's a lot less expensive. In the end if the new V6 is a non starter, I may look into what can be done with an old 3.4 and a carb, but most of the sources I checked showed these topping around 220 hp. I'm sure that this would still be mighty quick for an MGB, just really trying to do something a little different. George, perhaps you could ask Chris what sources he used to do his V8 swap? That may be the easier, if more common approach. Now that I think of it, an MGB GT with a V6 or a V8 is still pretty uncommon, don't ya think?

[Dynra Rockets]

I don't know where you got the info about the new engine, another source called it a 60 degree engine.

The new camaro engine IS 60 degree, it just has nothing to do with the old 60 degree V6 engine. (the new Camaro/CTS/Vue engine architecture is similar to the V6-54 in the Catera/Opel as the same design team did both).

The V6-60 and the Camaro/CTS/Vue share nothing.

I may look into what can be done with an old 3.4 and a carb

There is no reason to go carb unless you want to. All Camaro 3.4's were port fuel injected (going all the way back to the 1987 2.8's)

(note, I did a V6-60 swap into a Vega in 1988, as well as a 231/3.8 liter V6-90 into a Vega in 1982.)

[miatastuff]

Grassroots did a 1.8 swap into a MGB GT a few years back. Could always do that and then that boosted thingy.

[Georgia Cracker]

There is (or was) also an S2000 engine/transmission/wiring harness on CL. That would be interesting too. But I really thing the V6 is the way to go, with kits you can buy to help bolt it all together. It would be the most painless. And when you are done you will have a car that will be almost as fast as the M3. Maybe. What is the point of this exercise anyway? Car ADD?

[oldgrayfrog]

I like tinkering with things. The M3doesn't need any help from me. It was developed for the One Lap of America race by guys that have won the whole thing, either six or seven times. Even as grossly over whelmed by my own greatness,I have to concede that these guys know a whole lot about putting a car together than I do. The race, while it does have a significant portion involving racetracks, there is still around 2,000 miles of public roads involved,so it wasn't in anyone's interest to make it a strict race car. If it beat the crap out of you, you couldn't run it fast on the track when you got it there. I bought the M3 knowing the only things I had to do were to fix the headlamps, replace the emblems that had faded and chipped, replace the broken fog lamps, paint the missing paint on the seat bolster, and either buff the paint or respray the car. I have got everything done with the exception of the bolster and the buffing (myt paint guy said DON'T paint it!!). Once that's done, it going on Ebay. I bought it well below market value, and hope to pull somewhere between 12,000-15000 bucks. I started with the Italia and put a couple thousand into it beyond purchase price, then traded for the 2002tii, which sold with about a $3000 profit. I'm trying to figure out what the next move should be. Ideally I'd love to find a Porsche 911 from the 3.0 to 3.2 Carrera era, like 82-89, I wouldn't turn down a 90-92, but that's probably way out of my price range. The MGB thing probably isn't a money maker, I'd have to find one cheaply and then do the swap on the cheap,and given that these were hugely mass produced, they aren't going to be worth a lot anytime soon. It's just a nice change from the modern car, without completely leaving modern cars behind I guess. A 2010 Camaro drivetrain would be good for more than a few trouble free miles I would think. There's also the car ADD thing of course, and now that I found the Beck seats, I have got the Miata where I wanted to. I may still do the Big Brake kit on the front, and the new body panels and flares and stuff still need to be done, but that project is pretty much over. I think there is a point, which I hope I didn't pass a while ago, that you can just overdo a project car. Certainly I've seen some great Miatas which were done much more simply then mine. I got the idea for what I wanted the body to look like, and I saved hundreds of pictures of individual cars with the different components I liked, the same on the interior. I have had that in my head for a while. It's not quite done, believe it or not there are a few elements left, and all the stereo and gauge stuff, but the basic lay out with these Beck seats has been in my head since I saw Kurt's about a year ago. Hopefully it will all look good when it's done.

[oldgrayfrog]

Apparently I can't say anything without writing a book either.