Engine Conversions: Part 1

Here at Performance Garage, there is nothing that we like more than a wild engine conversion. Whether it be replacing an uninspiring factory powerplant or dropping something new in for the hell of it, a heart transplant of the mechanical variety is always an operation worth undertaking in our books!

We had a bit of a dig through our archives and have came up with a list of 35 killer conversions that we absolutely love. Check out Part 1 below.

1JZ Cressida

The 1J-MX83 combo is an oldie but a goodie. The swap itself is fairly straight forward and with a bit of online research, it is something that your average backyard mechanic could pull off over a weekend.

The particular example you see above is the legend that is 1JZ747, a car prepared by Blacktrack Performance that has held the title of the world’s fastest Cressida for years, with a current P.B. of 9.3 @ 157mph.

CA18 Datsun

The classic combo of big power in a small package will never become outdated and that’s why we love the Datto/CA18 mixture so much. The small capacity of the CA makes the registration of vehicles like the 1200 pictured above pretty straight forward and although they are pretty fun when factory fitted in early model Silvias, these 1.8L are an absolute hoot with a couple of bolt on mods in a lightweight Datto.

2JZ Corolla

Now this is one of the paths less travelled, mainly due to the time and effort required to shoehorn Toyota’s big boy into a tiny engine bay. Once it’s in there though boy is it a bag of fun!

Don’t take our word for it though, with Scott’s OKE020 saying everything that needs to be said for us.

LS1 Skyline

LS1 conversions are becoming increasingly popular and it’s no wonder why; they are light, cheap and make a fair whack of power with relative ease. This particular example is used for regular track work and the owner told us that as the LS1 is considerably lighter than an RB, the overall balance of the car is fantastic. If that doesn’t win you over, the sound made by this individual throttle bodied beast certainly will.

Renesis R100

While plonking a 13B into an R100 isn’t exactly groundbreaking, doing so with a rotor manufactured in the 21st century will certainly get our attention. The guys at Rotormaster completed this tidy conversion and even if it doesn’t make a whole heap of power compared to other rotors, it is still way up there on the cool scale.

1JZ RX7

When we ask owners why they have carried out any modification on their car, the token reply will usually be “to be different.” While this may have us rolling our eyes and nodding most of the time, that certainly wasn’t the case when we came across this 1J-powered SA22 RX7. Ripping out a rotor and replacing it with a Toyota straight-six may get the Mazda purists’ blood boiling but it’s right up our alley!

 RB26 VX SS Commodore

We have a Skyline with a Commodore engine earlier in the list so why not switch things up the other way. There are a couple of Commos getting around with RBs these days but this particular VX SS ticks all the boxes. Just look at that engine bay! It is a tidy conversion that makes some of the most confusing sounds you will ever hear come out of a Commodore in your life.

F20C AE86

VTEC has really been kicking in over the last few years, with F20C conversions becoming more and more common in particular. It’s really not surprising, I mean the F20C was the highest output per-litre production N/A engine for a long time and with a 9000rpm redline, they are a bag of fun to drive.

Dropping one between the towers of an AE86 like the one above really makes a lot of sense. The chassis was built for a high-revving, N/A screamer and this is a great upgrade.

FJ20 KE70

Just because it’s old doesn’t mean that the FJ20 should be ruled out and when combined with the lightweight platform of a Corolla, it is more than capable of getting things moving. Just ask Cameron, the owner of the KE70 pictured above. With a P.B. of 10.9 @ 123mph it’s certainly no slouch, lifting the front wheels with ease when it’s not rolling around sleeper-spec on stockies.

1UZ Volvo

The modern Toyota V8s have proven themselves to be a great package, especially with a little bit of boost. This 1UZ-powered drift Volvo stands testament to that, with the Japanese bent eight frying tyres under the rear of this 1800kg Sweedish brick without breaking a sweat.

SR20 1300

While their exhaust note is a bit agricultural, the SR20 is a fantastic four-banger and is quite a popular transplant. While they go hard in the heavier Silvias, we can’t even begin to describe the face-tearing ferocity of this featherweight Mazda 1300 when that big GT3540 spools up and 500 ponies are let loose!