Engine Conversions: Part 3

We promised and now here it is; the final instalment of our best engine conversions list. We’ve saved some of the best till last so check it out!

13BT RX8

The majority of engine conversions presented on this list have revolved around putting a later model engine into an older car but that isn’t always the best way to go about things. If you happen to be the owner of one of the current crop of admittedly bland production cars, going back to the brutality of the performance golden years can make for a whole heap of fun.

Take BADRX8 for example. Gone is the watered down, environmentally empathetic Renesis engine, replaced with a firebreathing 450rwhp older crop 13B. This is how Mazda should have made them!

1UZ Corolla

The 1UZ has proven itself time and time again to be a reliable package worthy of powering most projects. Even in stock form, when dropped into a light package like a Corolla, the 4L torque-monster makes for a whole heap of fun.

You can imagine then, why we love Lloyd Smith’s  drift AE71 so much. With compression bumped up to 14.1:1, some crazy cams, individual throttle bodies and a diet of E85, this bad boy pumps out a healthy 286rwkw and will do so on the limiter all day long. Lucky he’s sponsored by Falken Tyres because they don’t exactly last long with the way he drives.

2JZ Datsun

Even in standard form, 2Js are an absolute weapon. You can imagine the fun to be had then with a wildly modified example of Toyotas top performer squeezed between the struts of a dainty Datto. The tidy engine bay above is anything but all show, easily putting out 500hp+ in a package that would weigh well shy of a ton.

LS1 Silvia

The S-chassis would have to be one of the most widely supported in the import scene, making it a perfect base for a wide variety of motorsports. The factory-fitted SR20DET is admittedly a great engine but it will never match the instant torque delivery of an N/A V8. It is for this reason that a lot of people have been fitting them with LS1s and considering that they are only slightly heavier than the 4-banger, it’s a pretty good option.

SR20 Corolla

There has been a flow on effect from the numerous recent Silvia-centred transplants, with a whole heap of SR20s popping up for sale fairly cheap online. If you’ve got something small and you’re on the lookout for a turbo four-cylinder to power it, the SR offers pretty good bang for buck. That is in standard form of course, with the KE30 Corolla pictured above anything but budget minded, cranking out a cracking 135rwkw.

Barra Falcon

OK, so at first that title might sound a bit out of place on this list but just have another look at the photo. Dion Amato’s GMKILR XD Falcon is an absolute work of art that with the bonnet closed and a set of stockies, could pass as anything but the 7-second monster it really is.

As the co-founder of Dyno-Mite Performance, Dion knows a thing or two about the Barra’s brilliance so it made perfect sense that he would drop one in his drag car. While it might not leave the Ford family, it is easily one of the wildest conversions on this list.

RB26 180SX

The famed RB26 is any Nissan fanboys wet dream. Built to be the ultimate straight-6 to power the ultimate car, this heart of Godzilla makes for the perfect bit of brutality to be the centrepiece of any build. The particular example above puts out a mammoth 508kw, all the while making a wail that sends a tingle down the spine of anyone lucky enough to overhear.

13B S15

 The rotary crowd are a loyal bunch, renowned for cutting short any conversation outside of their interests with “if it’s not a rotor, it’s not a motor!” The car you see here could have only been birthed by the biggest of Wankel fanatics, dropping a mighty 13B in place of the petty four-cylinder. The signature rotary sound surrounds this Silvia loud and proud, creating confused looks wherever it goes.

2JZ Mercedes

The merits of the 2JZ-GTE need no further explanation here, they are a great engine and well worthy of a transplant. The choice in car is what makes this Merc worthy of the list, shoehorning a reasonably high-powered turbocharged powerplant into the very definition of luxury and comfort. Backed by an auto box, conversions like this one make for the perfect cruisers with a little bit of poke when it’s needed.

2GR AE86

The interesting creation you see here belongs to none other than Drift Battle Magazine editor Steve Pembrey, the first person in the world put an Aurion V6 into a Sprinter, with very few of them used in performance applications anywhere else.

With the help of Andy at Adaptronic and the guys at Autotech Canberra, Steve is now sliding with just over 200rwkw, with plans for improvement in the form of individual throttle bodies and a dry sump setup coming along in the near future.

1UZ Capri

Capris with tough V8s in them are pretty common and these days, twin-turbo V8 Capris aren’t exactly unheard of. Seeing one on the street, OK now things are starting to get a bit rare. Seeing one roll in off the street, run an 8-second pass and cruise home though? There is only one car in Australia that we could be describing here.