Swap options for a spit?

[tbush]

I am looking for opinions on what swap to do to a '74 federal version, USA Spitfire.
 OK, maybe I am bucking the trend here. Here is what I am looking to do. I want to end up with a summer driver car for my wife.
The cost of rebuilding the original engine and the lack of suitable highway performance makes me want to do the swap.
 I would like to have 120 -140 hp when I am done and since my better half destroys clutches I want to put an automatic in the car.
What would be a good choice of engines/ transmissions?
A rotary would be fun. 13bt's are cheap enough and light weight. Not sure on their reliability. Really do not need the turbo or the complexity of an intercooler. Can the turbo be deleted?  N/A versions are hard to find in good condition. Renesis engines are expensive.
4AGE swaps seem to be popular enough. It looks like it would be difficult to shoehorn into the engine bay though. They look heavy.
A KL v6 would certainly look cool. I don't know what would be involved with that one. Getting the gearing right could be a job.
Whatever the swap I am thinking of using a Megasquirt to manage it. I can limit the fueling and rev's that way. SU's cured me from carburation. :0)
 Any other options? Recomendations?

[Dan B]

How about the Ecotech from a Pontiac Solstice?

[Bill Young]

Tim, at the risk of being considered non-import biased which I'm not, have you considered the 60 degree V6 line from GM? I have a 2.8 liter MPFI in my Midget and it is rated at 135 hp. They came up to 3.4 liters and with automatics in Camaros and Firebirds as well as S10 trucks. I think one of these would probably do pretty well for the purposes you describe. Good torque and enough power for the highway yet still very easy to drive. Not too heavy either. Plenty of support out there for the engine management systems from Brian at BMC up in Stacy,Minnesota. The one downside to your plan that I can foresee is the rear axle gear ratio. That will be really low for an automatic. There are some options out there though for that problem. The main problem area with a Spitfire swap is in transmission area of the frame and getting that reinforced and still have enough room for an automatic.

[tbush]

"How about the Ecotech from a Pontiac Solstice?"
Oh great. Another choice! Nice engines.  any ideas on how wide they are?

"have you considered the 60 degree V6 line from GM?"
No import bias here either. The imports are attractive for the low cost JDM swaps available.
I love the GM V6's. I have two Fieros with 2.8L's in them and 7730 ecms. One I retrofitted to DIS ignition.
How's the weight in your installation? I would be concerned about the Iron block. A pushrod 3.1L with aluminum heads might work. Parts are cheap.
Now that I am wondering about it, I think I will un-wrap a car and measure it up against a KL-ZE.
Yes. an automatic will be a tight fit. Where did the shifter location end up on your manual?

[Bill Young]

The weight seems to be about 80 or so pounds more than the original 1275cc engine as the original springs will hold up the front but drooped about 1.5" and that came up with the addition of a spacer below the coils. That's with iron block and heads. Engine and trans from an 87 Camaro. Those early British enignes were pretty heavy for their size compared to later castings.
The shifter came out about 3.5" to the rear of the original location but still very comfortable for even a long armed driver like me. Of course with an automatic the shifter location can be almost anywhere you want it with a cable linkage. It's covered in the photo section under MG Midgets.

[tbush]

Thanks Bill.
I guess perception isn't everything. I found some published dimensions for a KL-ZE.  24.41" long, 26.57" wide, 25.20" tall.
My measurments on a 2.8L V6 are 21" long, 22" wide, 29" tall. These are rough measurments as the engine is in the car and the car is packed away for the winter and difficult to get to. The width is across the exhaust manifolds. Add ~4" at the alternator. The height from the centerline to the top of the Fiero Plenum as about 21". The oil pan is 8" deep.
Strange the imports always get the credit for small size.
Any idea on the center line height to the top of a Camaro/Firebird 2.8l?

[Dan B]

If you did decide on the ecotech, here is a possible source for a brand new one.  Wade is in the process of doing an LS8 conversion.
http://www.wadesgarage.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=7186

[tbush]

Thanks for your help guys.
It's decided. The Spit is going to get a Pontiac 2.8L V6 put in to it.
Brian at BMC very gratiously sent me some pics and information on an install they did. The car looks it was designed for this engine. Once I get all of my needed parts together I will post Install pictures.

-Tim.

[spitfire79]

can you pass me this information as well, very interested in installing as well  :  wjb_217@yahoo.com

[tr8todd]

My vote would be to pick up an older BMW 4 cylinder.  You can buy a whole car for under a grand.  I'd start with a mid 80s E30 318i or 318is.  You get the engine gearbox, an adaptable driveshaft and a slick strong independent rear end(Limited Slip on the 318is model)  Other options would be an e21 320i from the late 70s early 80s or the later e36 4 and 6 cylinder versions.  Lots of aftermarket support and not as expensive as the BMW name would lead you to believe.

[alana]

If you are looking at the ecotec, look at Saab engines. Same LSJ engine but with a turbo on it - and much less expensive to buy as a pullout for some reason. Sell off the turbo if that's not your speed.

Zetecs are still cheap too if you look around.

With either of these options you might want to add this - http://quad4rods.com/ - to your list of bookmarked sites if you haven't stumbled across it yet.

Edit - never mind. I see after reading further you already picked something.

[scot abbott]

I did an old fashioned one, then upgraded it:
    I did a spit6 (actually a gt6 with spitfire body)
and then did a retrofit fuel injection to it. Made a nice running reliable car.