[Cloud9...68]

The heck with the engine, those seats are gorgeous! <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/biggrin.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> What type are they? They look right at home in the 968.

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[968LS1]

Seats are Cobra Misano. I saw them at SEMA last year and had to have them as they matched the factory interior perfectly. They are expensive and they don't make brackets to fit the 968. I used some Sparco sliders and modified them to work; it was a bitch but it was worth the effort.

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[flash]

well, i'm certainly up for a ride too - i'd love to see it work out - in general, V8 swaps are fun toys, but so far, i've not seen one that isn't a real handful in everyday life - in fairness though, they were all carburetted, and older designs, so less civilized



also, i sure hope you don't run into registration issues like we have here - the nationwide homoginization of regulations is coming up fast - i don't know how it is going to affect engine swaps though - you can do such a thing here, but it is a long arduous process



those are the things that have kept me from doing it



custom gears shouldn't be too bad - maybe 5 grand for the set

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[wjk_glynn]

[quote name='968LS1' date='Dec 20 2005, 07:02 PM']The LS1 weighs 380lbs without the headers, about the same as a 968 3.0, so the weight balance has not changed.[/quote]



Interesting. Did you confirm that by weighing them, or reading specs. somewhere?



Karl.

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[968LS1]

Flash,



I have built several conversion cars over the years,1-240Z V8, 2-928's, 1 Volvo wagon, 3-944T's, 2-928's and 1-V8 Vega. I can tell you that the LS1 is a different animal than the old smallblock V8; modern technology has added greatly to daily driveability. I agree some of the older V8 swaps I have done left a lot to be desired from a drivability stand point. Some of the ones I did in the past had big cams and carbs and were not fun on a daily basis. If you know much about chevys the old small block would never come close to the power levels of an LS1 given similar cam profiles and the cylinder head flow of the LS1 blows traditionial SBC heads in the weeds.



A custom ring and pinion would be a lot less expensive than a gear set but probably not in my future. I know that Karl @ The Racers Edge had a custom R&P in one of his 968 racecars an it was around 3K. I guess if I spent the majority of the time driving the car on the highway in 6th gear I might consider it, but as I said before it has not been an issue for me.





I got the engine weight on the 968 motor when I shipped it to the buyer and the LS1 when I had it shipped to me. I weighed the shipping pallets and subtracted them from the total shippimg weights. I also weighed the car before and after the swap to see if there was a front to rear change. I also lost almost 50lbs swapping out the factory power seats to the Cobras.

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[bob blackwell]

Tom I go back to Atlanta, GA two times each year to visit my family. I will contact you next time I go through Birmingham. Thanks, Bob Blackwell.

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[Graham]

I have been thinking about this for a long time.



I firmly believe that this is the way to go for more power



Would a 928 V8 fit by the way or is it too big?



Anybody?



Graham

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[bob blackwell]

Graham, I think the 928 engine is too wide to fit in our 968. But I have not gotten out a tape or anything, just a subjective opinion from looking at the 928. Good luck, Bob Blackwell.

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[968LS1]

Graham,



The 928 engine is too wide and heavy compaired to an LS1. I did a LT1 conversion on a 84' 928 and it was 95lbs lighter on the front end when we weighed it after the conversion.

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[Greimann]

[quote name='flash' date='Dec 20 2005, 07:44 PM']... - you can do such a thing here, but it is a long arduous process



those are the things that have kept me from doing it

[right][post="13576"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]

Actually not arduous at all. The most demanding part of a conversion certification in California is the installation itself. All the gizmos have to work and with a modern V8 like the LS1, you have to pretty much do a factory style swap to make it run anyway.



Once that is done, the referee process takes about an hour or two with him visually inspecting and then doing the tail pipe test. You pass and get a sticker for your door jamb.



So not that big of a deal. Flame on flash.

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[flash]

maybe you got lucky dave - or maybe it's easier down here - sure wasn't the case up north though



the referees where we had to go (bay area) all kept us coming back again and again - they never seemed to know what the heck they were doing - on average, it was 2 visits, requiring a phone call to book it, a 6 week delay to get it, and then the 30 minute drive to the station to be turned back for some other dumb part that wasn't on anybody's list - it was a real pain in the butt - we got better at some of the dumb stuff, but there always seemed to be something - we never got lucky on the first shot, and even then when we went to smog it later, it was a lot of conversations and raised eyebrows by the tester - some testing places wouldn't even do it for fear of something hinky



now, all of this was over 15 years ago when things were still fairly new - it may well be that the process is more streamlined now



anyway, i look forward to seeing it - i've been meaning to talk to renegade for a while now, to see what they are doing, and if it would work here with a reasonable amount of effort - this is encouraging - all the more motivation to finish my chassis reinforcement work

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[bob blackwell]

That would certainly be the answer for more power Flash! My friend with the Corvette engine in his 944 is still overwhelmed with the power available and has not had any problems with it. Good luck, Bob Blackwell.

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[flash]

it does seem like a no brainer way to get power



while i've never liked the way a chevy small block works, and always preferred the ford, certainly that is a personal preference thing - and admittedly, i know very little about the new chevy - i'm jut too old and out of date when it comes to that



i have mixed emotions about this whole idea though, and i'm a bit all over the map, having considered this option, turbos, and superchargers for my car



having already blown up 3 944 differentials, snapped clean a handful of CV joints, twisted one driveshaft, and twisted one 944 chassis beyond repair, with a blown small block ford, i have reservations about the car's viability there - i am REALLY hard on a toy like this, and am not looking to get into another 3 wheeled car (though it was danged funny to see), especially since mine is a cab



where the curves are and such, in relation to the gears, is something i would like to see plotted before i dive into something like this too - where you need to be in a gear to get the most out of it would be a big deciding factor for me - any chance of torque curve plots?



also, i really don't want to give up the top speed capabilities that a 7k redline would mean, and consequently a gearing change is a must - i am determined to get this car to 180, and once i get the airflow under the car corrected, which is what really currently limits the top speed, it will be up to the gearing and ability of the engine to push it there - there is enough power for sure, but it won't happen at 7k with this gearing



i think this is a great thing, am very happy somebody else is doing this, and want to know more

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[968gene]

Is the 951 transaxle a better option for this conversion? Was the A/C retained? Lastly, where the hell do you race this thing? The purists always swarmed my car and then came up with hundreds of reasons why I had race elsewhere.

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[968gene]

[quote name='bob blackwell' date='Dec 20 2005, 04:39 PM']Tom, I love it!  Brings back memories of installing a small block chevy V8 into my MG TD back in the late fifties.  If I ever need major engine work this is way I will go.  good luck and good Job,  Bob Blackwell.

[right][post="13558"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]





Mr. Blackwell, A V8 TD?!! You are the man!

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[S_Cal968]

Re: CA smog; I researched this when I was looking to Renegade for a 924 conversion, [glad I didn't keep the 924].

Anyway, last I heard, conversions are legal as long as the engine is the same MY or newer and retain the associated ECM. The new LS1 is an excellent choice... <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/cool.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[flash]

yeah - that's right - the fine print though is that every last item associated with anything smog, fuel, emmisions, or ignition, from the newer engine, has to be there too - otherwise it's red flag time and you get to take a number - this is where we were getting hung up - getting exactly the right component in there, and making sure it worked, and fit in the car, was always a challenge - it can certainly be done, but it may be more time involved than somebody might expect, and i sure wouldn't want to get all the way down to the wire and then find out i needed a different widget than i could get to work in the car



as i said, this is exciting, but before i do it, i need more info



other questions:



did you get to keep the AC?



any issues with power steering?



what alternator are you running?



how does the heat work now?



have any smog tests been done? did the cams mess that up?

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[Anchorman]

Out of curiosity, I did a quick Google on LS1. This came up for a crate engine for $6,090.



"This is the state of the art setup for your hotrod.

With (320 HP and 345 Torque) this (F-Car) Camaro/Firebird LS1 engine kit includes the LS1 engine complete with fuel injectors, exhaust manifolds, and flex plate."

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[bob blackwell]

968Gene, "The Man" is really Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins who did all of the cutting and welding and actually installed the Chevy V8 into my 1951 MG TD MKII while I was on two weeks leave from my job in the Air Force. Bill was also in the Air Force and took the opportunity to do the work while I was not around to bother him with my incessant questions. He is "Grumpy" Jenkins of the "Grumpy's Toy" fame in NHRA Circles. A very, very fast Prostock drag racer who authored a book on building a hot small block Chevy V8. I just provided the chassis and the engine while the Air force provided the Auto Hobby Shop where we worked on our cars. Good luck, Bob Blackwell.

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[flash]

lol - i knew you were a very very sick man - that is just too cool

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