My S2000 project (I'll take 4 more cylinders and one of them turbo thingies, please)

  • Thread starter Glubags
  • 187 comments
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That's pretty awesome. I was looking to buy a pristine '94 MX5 before I found the S2000, but it got sold out from under me. Had I bought it, I'd have ordered FM's stroker kit and turbo the same week. :D

In a way I guess I'm glad I missed out on the Miata, because I couldn't be happier with this... but I still feel a tiny tinge of regret every time I see a tastefully modded NA.
 
While I love seeing swaps like this...mostly, I think using the term "ricer" to cover all import tuners is not necessary. Some of us know how to do it "right" and it doesn't have to involve a V8 swap.

I believe he meant "ricer" as in the people who do the kind of modifications Glubags described. ;)
 
Someone call the ricers and tell them how to really upgrade a car

Yup. By swapping out the kitschy plastic body around your V8 for a real sportscar chassis. [/sarcasm]

Zing! :lol:

slow lazy american v8

7000 rpm is lazy? :dunce:

-

This swap is awesome beyond awesome.

Honda chassis, Ford differential, Dodge gears and a Chevrolet engine? Genius!

Only question is how much meat you'll be able to fit under the fenders... I don't like the idea of cutting up the quarter panel and you probably can't tub the inner fenders...

You know... too much power on too little tire is lots of fun...
 
This is magic, I thoroughly approve of this engine swap. What's going to happen to the F20C?

I suggest donation to a good cause/put it in an AE86 or something.

No, put it in an E30! :D

-> Glubags:
Thanks for the engine-swap link (Nissan 4cylinder in E30) and no, I've never came across this thread. I've seen Mitsubishi in an E30 though:
http://www.dentsport.com/gallery/projects/?album=9&gallery=89

And an F20C in a Lotus Cortina:
http://jalopnik.com/5393863/theres-nothing-wrong-with-a-1965-ford-cortina-that-a-honda-s2000-engine-cant-fix

But the F20C in an E30 still needs to be done. Do I have to do everything myself?

Edit: apparently it has been done in Thailand, but the pics in the thread don't work anymore: :banghead:
http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=198722

Edit II: Ireland. Now just remove the horrible stickers and find some decent rims. Can't be that hard! Oh dear.
http://www.driftworks.com/forum/drift-car-projects-builds/54458-honda-s2000-powered-e30-bmw.html
 
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Again, what an awesome project!:dopey: I hate it when people call American V8s slow and lazy when they're clearly extremely quick, genuine performance engines.
 
holy crap so your s2000 is now swapped with an ls2 AND added a turbo?

CRAP!!!!!!
I would've been happy with the ls2 conversion alone, plus H/C/I and full exhaust.
forget z06 hunting, time to go after the big dogs: zr1, acr, enzo...

man an s2000 with a v8 and a snail, post more pics please!!!!

I'm gonna sell my ls2 powered car in the next coming months to save up for a nice '08+ v10 coupe... :mad:
 
Going to have tons and tons of pictures soon enough.

One of the V8S2000.com community members is getting very close to finishing his car. It's an LS1/T56 build running the same Ford rear end I am. There is still some bodywork to be done, but he posted a new video recently, fly-by included :)



He's pretty much finished with the engine bay, and it's beautiful:
DSC_1307.jpg


He only lives a couple hundred miles away, so we're going to try to organize a meet soon with some of the other V8S2000.com guys.
 
All I can say to that video is.....

FAP FAP FAP FAP FAP!! :D

I wonder if that conversion's legal to do here in Oz?? :mischievous:
 
It looks like a really tight fit, where are your turbos going?
 
It's not as tight as you'd think. That guy's valve covers and the mounts he made connecting the block/heads to the strut towers are a little deceiving.

Just one turbo, and it's going to be placed forward of the motor, around the front passenger side corner. It's a 3-piece manifold (1 from each head running forward, then one piece connecting those two on which the turbo is mounted.

Very similar to this setup for their single turbo FD swap:

TurboSystemLeftSideLarge.jpg
 
I just want to see the look of the first person that pulls up to the light and wants to run, and then realize that they would never stand a chance in hell. Just out of curiosity, what kind of rubber is going out back?
 
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^ Um, no offense, but whats wrong with the F20/F22 stock engine? :confused:

Torque? Not having power till 6000 RPM? The fact that the S2000 isn't really that light at about 2800 pounds makes the lack of torque apparent...

As for swap, not sure if you posted weight figures, but how does this change the distribution, etc in the chassis? I know the FD3S it actually improves it since you get to gut out all that turbo piping, but with the S2000 I'm not sure.
 
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Torque? Not having power till 6000 RPM? The fact that the S2000 isn't really that light at about 2800 pounds makes the lack of torque apparent...
^ I am aware of the lack of torque on my S, that doesn't bother me when I'm pushing my S. Driving other cars that had more torque seems underwhelming experience at limit, unless if you like to drift every corner.

-> To me hitting 6K rpm towards VTEC in corners makes me feel that I'm a brave driver (especially when my tires are about to let go).

-> Yes, the S2K is heavier than the 1st-gen Fit. I think because of its excessive amount of chassis reinforcement, so the roadster is overly stiff.

:)
 
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^ I am aware of the lack of torque on my S, that doesn't bother me when I'm pushing my S. Driving other cars that had more torque seems underwhelming experience at limit, unless if you like to drift every corner.

-> To me hitting 6K rpm towards VTEC in corners makes me feel that I'm a brave driver (especially when my tires are about to let go).

-> Yes, the S2K is heavier than the 1st-gen Fit. I think because of its excessive amount of chassis reinforcement, so the roadster is overly stiff.

:)

My MR-S weighed 600 pounds less than an S2000, and the more tractable power made it faster at auto-x. And it has a smaller cockpit. Torque is nice because you can actually use it in the real world for an on ramp, etc, without sounding like a mad man as the VTEC kicks in yo.

A large part of why 2 of my friends bought E36 M3s after test driving a few S2000s - having to always down shift to accelerate is rather annoying, as is having to rev the crap out of it to beat a Civic at a stop light.
 
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My MR-S weighed 600 pounds less than an S2000, and the more tractable power made it faster at auto-x. And it has a smaller cockpit. Torque is nice because you can actually use it in the real world for an on ramp, etc, without sounding like a mad man as the VTEC kicks in yo.
^ Yes I agree, and your car is not in the same league as mine (different classes in size) it is more of a MX-5/Miata-fighter. Um, I'm 6'3 and your MR-S/MR-2 Spyder is a lot roomier than my S2K (which is snuggier). Oh yea I do agree with you in that one (as an ex-WRX Wagon driver w/ 320chp), but I love blaring my VTEC thru the corners like a madman trying to kill a Filipino sausage (longanisa). :sly:

A large part of why 2 of my friends bought E36 M3s after test driving a few S2000s - having to always down shift to accelerate is rather annoying, as is having to rev the crap out of it to beat a Civic at a stop light.
^ To each driver his/her own, I like to move a lot while driving my car (more driver involvement for fun). It makes my trip less boring if you know what I mean. :)
 
what kind of rubber is going out back?

Depends on what I can do with the rear quarter panels. The flares I wanted are discontinued and out of stock everywhere that previously carried them, so unless I can find them from a private seller, my options are altering flares for another application to fit the S2000, or a cut/pull/fill job on the rear panels, or molding my own.

Whichever way it goes, I'll be looking for around 2" of additional outward coverage to keep some 315s tucked away.
 
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^ Um, no offense, but whats wrong with the F20/F22 stock engine? :confused:

Eh, yeah, bascially what Azuremen said, it's absolute lack of torque... just as you like having to get to 6000 to experience any forward movement, I like just the oposite, savage forward motion RIGHT NOW. it's a lot more usable on the street and blah blah, yadda yadda. I know you get my point. Nothing wrong with the stock 4-pot with the exception that you have to rev it like mad to get it to move you in any decent way... which, I know, is exactly its charm and strong point.
 
Depends on what I can do with the rear quarter panels. The flares I wanted are discontinued and out of stock everywhere that previously carried them, so unless I can find them from a private seller, my options are altering flares for another application to fit the S2000, or a cut/pull/fill job on the rear panels, or molding my own.

Whichever way it goes, I'll be looking for around 2" of additional outward coverage to keep some 315s tucked away.

315's! :D Sounds reasonable for the amount of torque.

Trying to visualize that … what do you have on a stock S2000? 235?
 
Im loving this build Glubags! thanks for starting this thread. I dont post here much but Im always reading and waiting for pic's!
 
As for swap, not sure if you posted weight figures, but how does this change the distribution, etc in the chassis? I know the FD3S it actually improves it since you get to gut out all that turbo piping, but with the S2000 I'm not sure.
The S2000 has a 50/50 wheight distribution. The V8 wont help in that way.
 
It won't help but it certainly won't hurt it much either.

We're doing everything we can to save weight up front. I'm hoping for the best. There's an LS7 S2000, full widebody kit, giant HRE wheels, all kinds of $$$ into it, and the LS7 is a bit heavier than an LS2... then again, I'll have the extra exhaust plumbing, turbo, FMIC and charge tubing... but I also have a lighter front subframe... so it'll be a guess until we get it on some corner scales.

However, the LS7 S2000's corner weights are VERY encouraging!

Build discussion thread:
http://v8s2000.com/showthread.php?t=117

Pics (click for larger):


That's 49.8 F/50.2 R. It actually carries ever so slightly more weight toward the rear. Most people would probably never guess that this would be the case, but most people don't understand that the F20/F22 and transmission aren't very light for their size, and the S2000 isn't exactly a super-lightweight at just over 2800 pounds.. and the 3021 on the scales above is fully wet and with the driver. Overall it hardly adds any weight, and doesn't do much at all to disturb the balance.

Can't wait to get mine on the corner scales and see how it compares, as well as figure out spring rates for the coilovers I'll need to order.
 
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