I'm still-still alive!

[Plex]

Hey all its been like a million years and I've gone through a few AE86's in my time and finally traded off my gold / black one for a 93 RX7, which I did a swap on


I'll let the pics do the talking I guess


You guys probably remember the red coupe, but this was my first 86, bought it for 700 USD



I sold that for 3400USD and bought a 1988 Celica All-trac Turbo for 1800USD



Traded straight across for this car (which I've posted here before)


And then sold it like a year later to buy this from a friend for 7000? USD



When I got to California I sold that for 9000USD and bought another 86, which I built up pretty good from stock to this









I traded that car for a stock FD, which blew the engine a few months after owning it... I treated it nicely and everything, premix, all that jazz



I took it to Texas with me to work on it while I was in school for the military (again... for about the 14th time) I forgot it was back there a few times because the Tundra didn't complain about the trailer and car being back there at all





A friend of mine named Stephen ripped out all the wiring in preparation for making everything work without any of the rotary nonsense in the harness



He may or may not have done a shit load of custom wiring, all marine grade so top quality





How it looks today (new wheels while I'm in Afghanistan this time)





Yes thats an LS2 6 liter v8, because I can.



After all of that, I did some more military stuff in Washington state







And now I'm in Afghanistan working out in the back of a plane till June or so







Hope this has been a moderately entertaining read for those of you who I communicated with back in the day (2005? or so) and for others, maybe it'll inspire you in some weird way?

[banpei]

Welcome back!
That LS2 swap is surely a tight fit!

[Plex]

There is actually a LOT of room still, the pic angle doesn't show it but I can drop the headers without even taking out the starter or anything, just pull the spark plug wires and take them out haha



Hope all is well for you banpei, long time no 'see'

[Aram]

Hi,

I don't think we've "met" before.

You have a nice history with cars, they look awesome.
Love the FD with the blue te37's, but doesn't the LS2 fook up the briliant balance of the car by it's weight?

[4000GT]

There is one locally,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMP4lFx3rOo

It handles well, but they needed to spend literally a couple of hundred thousand to get there! Its an amazing car.

[Plex]

Aram Wrote:doesn't the LS2 fook up the briliant balance of the car by it's weight?

Common misconception, the LS engines are only about 40 pounds heavier than the rotary, because they have Aluminum blocks and heads. You have to relocate the battery anyway (well, most do to fit a bigger radiator) so you're shifting a lot of that to the trunk with the battery anyway


They maintain about a 51/49 F/R weight balance

[[Walaki]D`Lair]

Usually I dont like V8 swaps in japanese imports, but this one was done so professionaly, im amazed!

[4000GT]

Plex Wrote:

Aram Wrote:doesn't the LS2 fook up the briliant balance of the car by it's weight?

Common misconception, the LS engines are only about 40 pounds heavier than the rotary, because they have Aluminum blocks and heads. You have to relocate the battery anyway (well, most do to fit a bigger radiator) so you're shifting a lot of that to the trunk with the battery anyway


They maintain about a 51/49 F/R weight balance

I think there is closer to a 70lb weight difference. LS2 around 450, 13B around 380 from most reports.

[4000GT]

[Walaki]D`Lair Wrote:Usually I dont like V8 swaps in japanese imports, but this one was done so professionaly, im amazed!

Here is my Jap V8 swap

[[Walaki]D`Lair]