Time for a Lemons 2020 thread. We've only been planning this for almost a year so naturally we waited until a couple of months before the party to get started on the cars.
First up is Dirtie, the Datsun B210. The initial plan was to source a transmission and send it back to the track. But no, that would be too easy. So we will be doing a engine swap instead. We scrounged up a LE5 2.4L engine and 5 speed out of a 2007 Solstice for a song. It seems like the perfect engine since it won't actually fit in the engine bay.
Today's project was removing the Datsun engine so I can get the engine bay cleaned up and ready for the transplant.
Ready to pull.
My chains and leveler were at my office so a ratchet strap was pressed into service for the removal.
This is what's going back in it. The engine bay is 27.5" long if you remove the radiator. The engine is 26.5" long. Not sure where the radiator is going to end up.
We have 11 weeks until the race. This may be a down and dirty install. I guess pretty doesn't matter as long as it runs.
“It seems like the perfect engine since it won't actually fit in the engine bay.”
Lol.
Following. Interested to see how this works!
Maybe a big cow-catcher in the front to extend the engine bay??
What race are you going to run the car? Maybe I'll see you there. I'll be at Pitt Race, then the week after will be at the true 24 at CMP.
In reply to Klayfish :
We will be headed back to the 24 at CMP in April.
Saw the radiator in half, weld the halves shut, stick one on each side of the car in some big air scoops, route the coolant back up to the engine. Foolproof!
In reply to slowbird :
I'm considering putting it in the hatch at the back, like a off road racer. What I will probably do is mount it in front of the radiator support instead of behind it. I only need a inch or so in length. My biggest concern is the intake and the steering gear might want to occupy the same space. That would be a major problem and might cause us to reconsider the swap.
Toyman01 said:
In reply to slowbird :
I'm considering putting it in the hatch at the back, like a off road racer. What I will probably do is mount it in front of the radiator support instead of behind it. I only need a inch or so in length. My biggest concern is the intake and the steering gear might want to occupy the same space. That would be a major problem and might cause us to reconsider the swap.
The vacuum behind a car will help pull air through the radiator if you do what I picture. Not that sawing is a bad thing but I would vote for plan b.
so plenty of space, a whole inch..... 
great now I have another thread to watch....
Chop the firewall and move things back, gain better weight distribution?
In reply to MrChaos :
Then I'd be fighting the exhaust. Converting to a rack might be a possibility though. The problem will be running out of time. Two cars to get ready by the end of April, plus getting the G35 ready for the end of February. If it ends up being a major problem, I'll source a transmission and throw the old engine back in it for this race and try to get the swap done by September. We shall see. I need to get the engine from my office so I can do some serious measuring. That will happen this week.
We(Idle Clatter) decided not to do CMP spring because it's a 24(Pitt instead). Best of luck. You were your neighbors last spring and we got to watch you fight that transmission for hours. Hopefully this is easier for you.
Last year was a pretty fun event. I'm not super pumped to be doing another 24 hour though. The 2 day events are a lot more fun.
We are glad we did it, but not sure we want to do it again. We also lost a transmission at 0130 and finished replacing it by 0930.
Tunachuckers are also boycotting the Spring 24@ CMP. As one of our teammates quipped, "This can't not not be fun."
We're also working on shoving a too-long engine into a too-short engine bay, for a future build...
In reply to volvoclearinghouse :
P1800?
hobiercr said:
In reply to volvoclearinghouse :
P1800?
Not to be an automotive pedant, but you got the number part of the alphanumeric designation correct. 
volvoclearinghouse said:
Tunachuckers are also boycotting the Spring 24@ CMP. As one of our teammates quipped, "This can't not not be fun."
We're also working on shoving a too-long engine into a too-short engine bay, for a future build...
Y'all need to at least run one so you can say you have done it. We had a lot of fun last year, even with everything going to E36 M3 at the 5 hour point. Having the race be over by 11 am and home before dark isn't a bad thing either. Just make sure you take Monday off to recover from being up all weekend.
I plan to shake down my 318ti at the Pitt test day, but will not be racing. My old car's (688 SHO) sister team the 889 SHO girls car will be there though.
It's looking like the Gingerman October race will be my only event this year.
In reply to Toyman01 :
I hear ya. I'd like to do one as you say, for the experience. Unfortunately we've been whittled down to only 4 drivers, ony 3 of whom (myself included) I could possibly convince to run a 24. I think we'd need a minimum of 5 drivers, and probably 1 dedicated pit boss, to have a chance at completing a 24 with all team body parts in tact.
Some version of the Ecotec and AR5 are pretty high on my list of contenders for my Metropolitan.
I'd like to find a cheap ratty/salvage complete Solstice/Sky for the entire drivetrain and suspension.
I seem fixated on the LSJ from the supercharged SS Cobalt, just to avoid turbo plumbing and packaging, but that supercharger takes up a lot of real estate on its own.
In reply to volvoclearinghouse :
We are going with 2 cars, 8 drivers, and a dedicated pit/paddock person, plus a bunch of the local autocross crowd shows up and they are more than willing to pitch in when things go sideways. The other advantage is I have no interest in actually winning on laps. We are just there to have fun with cars. If the cars get parked for a couple of hours it's not the end of the world. We also don't assign drivers to one car so we can mix and match as needed. My middle son is driving and he would stay in the car for the entire time if you let him. My wife is also driving, and she will probably only run one stint. It all works out in the end.
volvoclearinghouse said:
In reply to Toyman01 :
I hear ya. I'd like to do one as you say, for the experience. Unfortunately we've been whittled down to only 4 drivers, ony 3 of whom (myself included) I could possibly convince to run a 24. I think we'd need a minimum of 5 drivers, and probably 1 dedicated pit boss, to have a chance at completing a 24 with all team body parts in tact.
I could probably find you a pit boss. And at least one more driver.
