Numbchux

I've owned a Toyota Celica convertible for years. Love it to death. BUT, I now have 2 little kids, and because of the way the convertibles are built (built in Japan as a coupe, then shipped to a company in California to be retrofitted into a convertible), there are no factory upper child seat anchors. And even if I were to retrofit something, they don't have auto locking retractors, and the back seat is so small. I can't really bring either kid with me (I did not drive it at all last year, and only once the year before ).

So, I started looking for it's replacement. Something with 4 seats, preferably 4 doors. Agile handling. A bit more power, 2-300. A manual transmission. And cheap (I've never spent more than $2k on a car, I was willing to push or even exceed that for this one, but still very cheap by most peoples' standards). I was looking for Maximas, MK3 Jetta GLXs, IS300s, 325is, etc. RX8s kept popping up. So I've been researching engine swap options pretty hard for about 6 months, and decided that this was likely the direction I wanted to go.


A week or so ago, a post popped up on Marketplace for a 2004, parts or whole. No engine, transmission, driveshaft, exhaust, rear diff, steering rack, wheels, or front seats.... But it has a title, and was cheap. And it's a Touring model, so at least I can have a moonroof.

So, yesterday.....

Still a bit undecided about engine choice. I would like something interesting, aluminum, and inexpensive. An LM4 or L33 (aluminum 5.3 truck "LS") or a few others would fit 2 of those criteria. I have one other engine in mind, that, as far as I'm aware, hasn't really been done. I found a video from a shop in Pakistan with a variant of this engine in an RX8 bay, but not quite the same. I'm hoping to get my hands on an engine core sometime this spring/summer to test fit, and see if I'm completely insane.

Most likely going to be looking for a 3.9 FD rear diff.

Undecided on steering rack, I've been toying with the idea of a manual or hydraulic rack. It's absolutely crucial to me that steering geometry is maintained perfectly, which I don't usually see on builds like this (every time I see someone lowering the rack it makes me cringe).

I will likely use an ECUMaster EMU black, so I can interface into the car's CANBUS system, so the stock gauge cluster can be retained, and the electric power steering could, as well.


This project is pretty low on my list, with several other major projects that are higher on the priority list (I'm deep in a 1UZ swap in my old 4Runner. Building 2 new cars for my wife (fixing up an Outback for the winter, and building a 6-cylinder, manual transmission Baja for the summer, which will involve parting out 2 cars and completely stripping this Baja), and fixing a few things on the Celica to be sold. But, it's good to physically have the chassis here so I can plot things out, and hopefully I can attempt a test fit this year.

Numbchux

Thanks. Yea it's pretty rough, but hopefully I can get it back on the road.

I'm talking with a guy about picking up another shell that's likely in even worse condition, but has the RX8 parts I need to put this one back together.

I've plotted out all the pins on the EMU black, and I think it'll do everything that I want.

Not much more to do until I can get a few more parts, get it in the garage and start trying things. But first, I need the snow to melt so the mud can dry up. Can't really move cars around right now.

Numbchux

Alright, I've taken enough measurements and test fitted that I think I'm not completely crazy and I can admit my primary engine choice.

Toyota 2GRFE V6. 3.5l transverse V6 used in Camrys, Siennas, Highlanders etc. for about 10 years. Been swapped into many MR2s, and with headers, intake and a tune can make 300rwhp. With a couple small modifications, an '88-'04 Truck/4Runner V6 bellhousing can be adapted to this engine, which means any R- or W- series transmission could be used (including the AR5 and AX-15).

I work at a Toyota dealership, and we have one of these engines torn down in the shop, and I've taken many measurements off it. I also got my hands on a 2GRFSE oil pan (longitudinal variant of the engine from a Lexus IS350, has a different bellhousing, making manual transmission options more difficult/expensive, but the oil pan is shaped correctly and will swap), and propped it up in the RX8 engine bay to use as a reference for those measurements.
by Numbchux, on Flickr

Here's the only documentation of a 2GR RX8 I could find. This is a 2GRFSE with a custom intake manifold, I don't know what transmission

So yea, this is a long term project. I have 3 other projects in front of it, so I'm hoping to finish those this summer, and buy a 2GR donor car. Then I'll start a real build thread

Numbchux

I went to my local UPull's $100 all-you-can-fit-in-a-wheelbarrow sale last weekend. I had a list of 25 cars to check out, and mostly struck out. Got a few little things.

But, 3rd from the bottom of my list, was an '07 V6 Camry. This is the 2GRFE engine that I want to use. I didn't think it was going to be worth the time to pull the engine, but maybe there would be something worth taking.

Well, we came to that isle, to find that earlier the same day (it had rained the day before, so it was pretty obvious), someone had dropped the whole front end, taken the transmission, and left the engine on the ground. So my dad and I lifted it into the wheelbarrow, stacked the rest of our little parts around it, paid them $100, and rolled it into my minivan.


by Numbchux, on Flickr

Played a little bit with it on Monday. If I reverse the intake manifold, it hits the LH Intake VVT solenoid. I've got a few ideas, but I'll have to wait until I can actually do a decent test fit in the chassis and see what hood and firewall clearance I have to do much more.

Just need a transmission, and a steering rack...

And finish my wife's car.

wannawankel

Welcome aboard -
I used to live in Minneapolis - miss that city. Enjoy the board. I still have my '10 RX8 GT but have been spending more time motorcycling New England.