Want to swap a vtecchevy small block or a hayabusa engine into my Lancia Scorpion

[Tamas Opra]

So i've been thinking about this for a few days now.
Here's the deal,the 1.8 its underpowered and unreliable.I was thinking dropping a vtec,a hayabusa or a chevy small block into my lancia scorpion.I saw mkII golf with busa engine,smart car wtih busa engine, fiat x1/9 with k20 vtec or 914's with chevy small block,but I havent seen a Scorpion with a swap.
I know everything can be done but id like to hear some pro opinion which engine to go with?
Does anybody knows a shop in socal that could do this for me and what would be the cost of it?
An engine overhaul for the lancia could cost me 5 grand easy,and thats not very appealing.
Or I should leave my car stock,to keep the value?

[Tamas Opra]

this is the car in question

[dewolf]

Mazda rotary, 13B turbo. There's a Fiat X1/9 getting around my way with a wankel in it and holy crap...the thing hauls..

[Tamas Opra]

I had fc's and fd's.I love rotary's but when the apex goes and the compression drops your screwed.A turbo rotary rebuild is around 6 grand.Not reliable.I want hp and reliability.And these 3 listed engines have it.

[sca037]

Honda S2000 drivetrain gets my vote.

Brian

[billybek]

What about that little Rover aluminum V8? Didn't Pontiac or Buick make the same engine?

[widebody911]

I say keep it stock.

[Mericet]

Not a big change in hp but a common swap is to drop in the 2.0 from the Lancia Beta. Not too difficult either although there is a few small differences.

[Steve Carlton]

I think you're asking for a world of hurt. It's got to cost a ton to have a shop pioneer a conversion. Talk to a Fiat specialist, they had turbos.

[AFC-911]

Hayabusa sounds wimpy.

Same goes for the S2000 engine and the rotary...The Scorpion needs a V8 rumble, IMO.

[cashflyer]

The 1.8 TC engine can reliably produce about 200hp. It can be done naturally aspirated, but it is easier on you and the engine to go turbo and use megasquirt. I recently sold all my Fiat stuff, including everything necessary to build said engine - but I had to choose between it or the Porsche, and the Porsche won.

I suggest you contact Guy Croft.
Buy his book. Build your engine.

Or else get ready to write some big checks for fabrication work.

Originally Posted by billybek

What about that little Rover aluminum V8? Didn't Pontiac or Buick make the same engine?

Designed by GM, then sold to Rover.
Rover V8 engine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[VincentVega]

Cool car. I would build up a somewhat stock engine or just sell it and move on. I did a motor swap a few years ago and while it was cool it was never really right. Then the market was pretty small when it was time to move on. If you do the swap, try to leave as much of the car intact as you can. I always like them, I never see them on the east coast.

[kaisen]

Swap in a 5.3L LS4 from a late-model Monte Carlo SS/Impala SS/Grand Prix GXP. They're already transverse and their accessories are set up that way. All-aluminum, 300ish hp with modern computer controls. Easy to program the computer systems with LS Edit and there are a bunch of skilled tuners out there to get it dialed in.

You can buy a complete drop-out for $1500-2500. Here's one in California:
2006 Monte Carlo SS 5.3 Liftout Engine Complete 24k LS4 | eBay

[BeyGon]

What year is it, living in Calif. there are the smog Nazis to deal with.

[Laneco]

Originally Posted by dewolf

Mazda rotary, 13B turbo. There's a Fiat X1/9 getting around my way with a wankel in it and holy crap...the thing hauls..

I had a 13B normally aspirated in my 79 X1/9. That was a great handling car in desperate search of an engine. The rotary took care of that. Lotsa fun! Your friend with the 13B turbo, wouldn't have been Ian Cossar by chance, would it?


Oh and regarding the swap ** HERETIC WARNING** Have you considered a Cobalt SS? That's the supercharged (maybe some were turbos can't remember) eco-tec four cylinder engine. They lots of HP - I think one version was 260ish, most around 200 plus with "factory" upgrades availabe. Very compact drive-train FWD. Buildable to stupendous power real easily. We're talking capable of axle-breaking horsepower.

angela

[kaisen]

Angela, the Cobalt SS Ecotec was supercharged (also in the Saturn ION Redline), and they also made a 2.0L version (LNF) that was direct-inject turbocharged for 260hp / 260ft-lb. A few were transverse, made for the Chev HHR SS. They can make up to 1000hp, no kidding. But 320hp is easy, easy with either the Supercharged or Turbocharged versions. Just be prepared to pay more than the LS4 V8 I linked.

[john70t]

I think these are the basic rules for Cali engine swaps:
1). Engine must be same or newer than vehicle and same type. Can't put a 1982 diesel in a 1992 Geo.
2). All original smog equipment must be transfered. The Rx7 had three or four cats, and that may include the govener/computer for automatics.
3). Swap must first be signed off with a BAR referee, then tested at a Gold/test-only station after that(more dinero).

[Embraer]

id say keep it stock or put a plain-jane conversion engine in. the buick 215 isn't a great choice....performance parts are very limited, and even though it's aluminum, it's not super light. plus, if you're going to put the effort out of doing a conversion, then you might as well reap all of the benefits. a buick 231 V-6 would be a better choice. ...or any of the modern drivetrains. I like the Cobalt suggestion.

considerations have to be made early on....such as Ford 302/Chevy 350, etc. The Ford's distributer location might not allow fitting, etc. unless money is no factor, most people switch engines due to being a cheaper alternative. you even said yourself that you wouldn't want to pony up the money for a rebuild. unless you can do a lot of work yourself, fabrication costs will be a death by a thousand cuts.

[Tobra]

Swapping a motor from a FWD or mid engine RWD car would be easier, I would imagine. I have seen B18 motors from integras in Lotuses(Lotii?)

If you do it, keep all the stock stuff.

[kaisen]

Originally Posted by Tobra

If you do it, keep all the stock stuff.

+1000, keep everything!!!

See if you can buy a complete engine/transmission from a transverse FWD car with all the accessories, wiring, downpipes, and computer. Then fabricate a tubular subframe and have the correct-length halfshafts fabricated, and you're good to go.

Death by a thousand cuts is a good description Embraer!