TheSamba.com :: View topic

Sun Mar 18, 2012 3:38 pm

Ive searched around a bit and have some Idea of what I want.

My 4 seater frame is built to have the space for a larger engine. I'm thinking that I can sell my 1835cc and put the money toward a bigger engine. I would love to have a street buggy that will fly.

What I want to know is around much would it cost for a LS1 conversion. Correcct transmission, engine itself, wiring etc from a totaled car? Or any other V8.

Now for something more reasonable. How much does it cost for an Eco tech conversion? And how much more for a turbo?

Here is my buggy

EDIT:

If I were to take my 1835cc with a PICT 34 and put dual carbs, upgraded heads, with a bus transmission, do you think that will keep up, if not outrun an ecotec.

Also the buggy is a street buggy. It sees offroad maybe once every two months.

Sun Mar 18, 2012 4:08 pm

I would thinkThe frame/suspension itself wouldnt handle the weight :shock:

Sun Mar 18, 2012 4:19 pm

Google mendeola, look at the prices. Thats pretty much what youll need for a V8. Ecotec you could do a bus tranny. Ecotec is more bang for the buck. Any water cooled swap will take lots of fab work on your ECSR frame.

Sun Mar 18, 2012 4:20 pm

I'm planning on redoing the suspension soon. But the frame should handle the weight fine, atleast for a V6.

Check this two seater out, and then some others in his gallery too. It is the same frame I have.

http://eastcoastsandrails.com/id78.html

Sun Mar 18, 2012 4:25 pm

if you off road at all it would need way more support then the street rails in the link.

also you should look into some (real) coilovers

Sun Mar 18, 2012 4:48 pm

I edited the original topic. And I now Krazy Baja, those shocks went out within the first month of owning them.

Mon Mar 19, 2012 1:32 pm

Don't forget the cost of the adapter plate. I'd say around $650 with clutch and flywheel included. I got mine from Kennedy Adapter Plates for my SR20DET and it was $660.

Brett

Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:37 pm

I know this isnt what you asked, but when I when to a small stroker 2109cc AC VW, from my 1835, I pick up all kinds of performance. And I had my dual webers on the 1835. I also picked up a lot of performance when I regeared my tranny. She is short geared for hill climbs but can still blast down the beach at 75mph. Your gearing would of course be different if run on the street. With that being said, I have no problem keeping up with anybody up to 75mph, but there arent many places you can go that fast for very long in the Oregon dunes anyway.

Tue Mar 20, 2012 5:36 am

Buggy Disaster wrote: Ive searched around a bit and have some Idea of what I want.

My 4 seater frame is built to have the space for a larger engine. I'm thinking that I can sell my 1835cc and put the money toward a bigger engine. I would love to have a street buggy that will fly.

What I want to know is around much would it cost for a LS1 conversion. Correcct transmission, engine itself, wiring etc from a totaled car? Or any other V8.

Now for something more reasonable. How much does it cost for an Eco tech conversion? And how much more for a turbo?

Here is my buggy

EDIT:

If I were to take my 1835cc with a PICT 34 and put dual carbs, upgraded heads, with a bus transmission, do you think that will keep up, if not outrun an ecotec.

Also the buggy is a street buggy. It sees offroad maybe once every two months.

You can do alot with your current engine. How far down do you want to pull it apart? Just a top-end, or split the case?

To answer your original question, putting a good set of heads on there and a set of dual carbs will make it feel like a whole new machine. What cam is in it currently?

Tue Mar 20, 2012 6:24 am

Buick 215 aluminum V8. Weighs 318 pounds fully dressed. The later versions made 200 HP stock.

Tue Mar 20, 2012 7:44 pm

The eco 2.4 is the est bang for the buck. Aluminum block, fully dressed at around 325 lbs. stock it will put out around 200 hp and the case is so strong that you can turbo it and jump the HP up to around 400 stock. DAMN.
My mecganic has a twin turbo northsar motor in his 4 seater utility desert rail. That sucker pushes 685 hp. He also runs mendeola.

If youre running less then about 215 hp, a nicely built bus trans is the way to go. Medeola will run about $4-7k

Tue Mar 20, 2012 9:15 pm

Pass on the v8 with that frame will be too much weight.go with an ecotec easy to find and cheap to buy will make plenty power and a bus trans will hold up.

If you go with a built 091 then you can go to a turbo subie or honda v6.

Subies with turbos can make some insane power in a small package.

Tue Mar 20, 2012 9:48 pm

Quote: Pass on the v8 with that frame will be too much weight.go with an ecotec

The 215 V8 weighs less than the 4 cyl Ecotec.