It’s already been four years since Tom brought us the perfectly documented Project Thunderbolt LS3 Miata build. While he’s been keeping busy with his Figaro and AZ-1 projects, the time has finally come for the Turbo Garage to start another full build, this time an LS-turbo powered Toyota Tacoma. I can’t wait to see this one unfold with Tom’s token humour and build quality.
Tag: engine swap
BMW V10 powered Lotus Exige
What do you do with yourself after building a V10-powered E30? You do it all over again, this time with a slightly more exotic subject. This Lotus Exige gets stretched and widened in order to fit the M5-sourced 10-cylinder power-plant, culminating in a very sleek and capable supercar-fighter that gets put through it’s paces at the track.
Thanks to Maarten for submitting. Click here for more Lotus builds. Click here for more BMW builds.
4G63 EVO 8-Powered MX5
On this site alone, we’ve seen more than a few different types of MX5 engine swaps, including a 13B turbo, 20B PP, 2x LS3 V8s (here and here), and of course the standard engine converted to turbo (here, here and here) and even supercharged. More often than not, though, it’s the MX5 that becomes the donor vehicle, with many vintage chassis swaps using venerable Miata’s for their drivetrains. This build there, though, is one of the first times I can honestly say I’ve seen something entirely different applied to a Mazda roadster, in the way of a Mitsubishi Evolution 8 engine converted to rear wheel drive. Along with the very interesting engine choice comes a stack of gorgeous home-built fabrication work to set off the rest of the car, transforming it into a formidable track beast.
Click here for more Mazda builds. Click here for more MX5 builds. Click here for more engine conversions.
VQ35-powered Mk1 Escort drifter
Hailing from Bristol in the UK, this unorthodox drift car starts out as a Mk1 Ford Escort estate. Soon enough the guts of the car are unceremoniously removed and everything that goes back in is custom built by a very talented owner/builder. The finishing touch is the ex-350Z V6 that finds itself in front of the firewall. The most impressive part about this build (well, the whole damn thing is impressive) is just how fast the progress takes place. With the shell currently in undercoat, I don’t think it will be too long before we see it completed.
Thanks to Alan for submitting. Click here for more drift builds.
A Tale of Three Lotii
Colin Chapman, James Bond, Formula 1, Pretty Woman. These are some of things that you might associate with the word “Lotus”. But what about air ride, engine swaps, wide wheels and interior re-trims? I’ve mentioned before how much I love seeing once pampered classics being torn down and fettled with as they become more affordable, and these three examples truly embody the guiltless “modify everything regardless of the badge” train of thought. You might not agree with some of the styles of modification, but I’m not here to convince you one way or another, I just like seeing people modify cars, especially cars that are rarely messed with.
All three builds reside together on the Retro Rides forums, and whilst enjoying their threads individually, I thought they’d make a great combined post to showcase how these vintage British sports cars are being re-imagined by the DIY crowd. I’ve added some captions to the images to make it easier to follow, I hope you enjoy.
Want to read more “A tale of …” posts featuring multiple cars? Click here.
Project Binky – Austin Mini GT-Four [video build]
![Project Binky – Austin Mini GT-Four [video build]](http://build-threads.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Binky.png)
The folks at Bad Obsession Motorsport must have a bad obsession with building bonkers cars, because they’re putting together quite the ball-tearing package. They’re taking a Mini (or what’s left of it) and stuffing it full of running gear from a Toyota Celica GT-Four. Yes, that’s a 4 cylinder turbo with all wheel drive. What’s better is that they’re documenting it all on video, with some token British dry humour (my favourite kind). Watching the guys cut, linish, fold, and weld hand-make bracketry and structural sections is making me want to get out into the garage more than ever. “Project Binky” will be one serious little Mini once completed.
I’ll be sure to update this post and let you know via the Facebook page when more videos are released.
Lancia Delta Evo1 – Part 2(JZ)
Remember this Lancia Delta I featured back in November 2009? No? Well, that’s okay, because I didn’t either! The build was submitted to me very recently, so after assessing it I started the usual process of putting the post together. It actually took me about 10 or so pages before the build started to look familiar. So why am I featuring it again? Because the car gets a full overhaul and is now a completely different beast compared to a few years ago. You’ll probably see pictures of it on the track on Speedhunters within their 2013 Gatebil coverage, so it seems as good a time as ever to share the build with you.
Thanks to Bastien for submitting via the Facebook page. Click here for more Scandinavian builds.
K20 1st Gen Civic
Here is a perfect example of why I love modified cars. Take the shell of the first generation of specific car, then stuff it with all the goodies from a performance model of one of the most current generations from the same linage. I love it. Click here for more Honda builds.
Thanks to Nils for submitting, who is also undertaking a thorough restoration of a 240Z, look out for it in a future feature. Continue reading “K20 1st Gen Civic”
4-cylinder Turbo ’68 Mustang
Wait…what? Yep, a 1968 Ford Mustang on any automotive website (or magazine for that matter) would have you assuming that a stove-hot V8 would be hiding under the bonnet, and 99% of the time you’d be right. When Beau submitted me his ’68 Stang, he pointed me to a certain page on his build thread, and when I got to it I knew why it had to be featured. Beau neglected the 302ci V8 he had waiting to drop into the car and instead opted to go down an unorthordox route, slotting in a 2.3lt turbo 4 cylinder from a Ford Merkur (Sierra). Make no mistake though, this car is more than just an engine swap, with attention paid to suspension, brakes, and interior, stereo, and many other details.
Saab 93 + Viper V10
Not a day goes by that I’m not grateful for the crazy people out there who are willing to tackle insane driveline swaps. I mean seriously, at what point in your life do you sit there and think to yourself “You know what, I think I’m going to put a Viper V10 into a Saab 93 wagon?”. Pure insanity, I love it.
Thanks to Paul JDMST for submitting.