>Hoover
> So, I figure she's a good candidate for a litte customizing project.
> I'd like to do an engine swap, and have heard that the L series works.
> I've seen plenty of these motors for sale locally (or reasonably close)
> and with the Zs, I'm gaining some familiarity with the engine type. I
> tried the archives for some possibilities but they're down, so I looked
> for sites on the web. I'ts my understanding the the L series works well
> but require modifications to the cross member and I'm not sure I have
> the knowledge/experience to deal with that.
>
> Are there any swaps that don't require chopping into the car, or that
> can be done by a novice? I'd really like to go with something that has
> a little better parts availabililty, and that is carburated. Maybe I'm
> asking the impossible ;)
In spite of my predilection toward 510s and Zs, I'm not sure an L-4 is a
good candidate for a roadster swap. Bill Kenyon has (had?) one with a KA24
that runs like a rocket, and Michael Spreadbury champions the SR-20 route.
I'm sure they can give you solid info based on hands-on experience. As far
as parts availability is concerned the KA may have an edge over both the L
and SR motors. They almost certainly are more readily available than either
of the others. The extra 400 cc of displacement, compared to both the SR20
and an L-20b, doesn't hurt in the low end torque department, either.
As far as either swap being easy for a novice, I'd think you'd need to
define both "novice" and "easy". In any case I'd expect doing anything like
this to take at least twice as long, and cost at least twice as much as your
first estimates. I think that a codicil to Murphy's, or someone else's Law.
I'm may be doing the same thing in the not too distant future so I'd be
interested in what either or both have to share.
FWIW,
Ron
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