Toyota engine in a Daytona coupe?

[Cmwfastracer]

This may sound crazy or not the right thing to do with a muscle car, but what about a 65 coupe kit car with toyota's 2jz gte from the mk4 supra. Stock they're not that impressive but with some upgrades especially to those turbos it can be a monster. Any thoughts on this? I wouldn't do it but just wanted to see what you guys think

[tirod]

It could be done. Alternative engines are popping up a lot more now. I expect to hear of an Ecoboost any day now. 400hp stock, and the upgrades are on the horizon.

There are a few considerations, in no special order: The builder will be on his own, there won't be much in the way of "factory" support from any of the suppliers. It's a special one off job, and lots of previous experience working on both parts of the drivetrain will be needed - the engine getting mated to a trans of choice will boil right down to what motor mounts, etc. It's going to be an unknown mix of fabricated and factory parts. A sense of how things work dynamically together is more important than exactly what parts.

Credibility of the work will make or break it in the builder's eyes, and seriously affect feedback from the public. Too much homebuilt or Kustom would injure the overall appreciation. That's the real goal - hey, look at what I put together. It has to have a pro touch to it or it's will get a "hillbilly" taint quickly. And there are those in the public who will go out of their way to express their disappointment. That is a much bigger influence than we let on, but nonetheless, there it is. Ask the guys who put Chevy small blocks in kits - the 350 doesn't get much respect, the LS still catches some "Yawn, ok, it could be done. So what?"

We build these to get public feedback about how smart, cool, or wealthy we are. Be careful what you ask for.

Last, and for many, least, what's the reslale? Kits have a life after their owner, regardless of what he/she might think during the build. Some deliberately put them together with maximizing resale up front, others despise the concept, at the estate sale you get the harsh reality. Build a weird combination, it's going to barely make it's utility value of the parts sitting separately on pallets. Losing money is common. If eating a $10,000 loss to make a statement is OK, fine, it's not our credit card. You might ask your surviving family members if that is the "gift" they would like - some oddball car better off stripped to get the maximum value from the parts.

This is the caution: just because you can doesn't mean you should.

[Garry Bopp]

[QUOTE= Any thoughts on this? I wouldn't do it but just wanted to see what you guys think[/QUOTE]

Kind of a weird "first post". If you're not thinking of doing it, why ask the question? At any rate, tirod gave a pretty comprehensive answer.

Garry

[Cmwfastracer]

Honestly it just popped into my head. Soo many people do crazy things with that toyota engine it's crazy. People swap them into many different kinds of cars. Honestly if I had the time to build on though, I would keep it simple with roush v8 and maybe a 5 or 6 speed. Not to big a fan of 4 speeds but hey what ever gets the job done I suppose.

[tirod]

Nothing wrong with ideas. We finally got flip phones and drones after 35 years of dreaming.

There is a tendency for some to consider the Cobra and Coupe as a high performance platform for just about any idea. After all, it's iconic - the image will be "enhanced" or at least the exotic notion supported.

On the other hand, when said engine is suggested as a transplant for another make or model, then you get the reality. You might see the STI Subaru motor shoveled into a VW bus, but would it be all that under the hood of a 427 S/C? Even with 600 hp?

Would the Toyota motor be just as good an idea in a C2 Corvette? For whatever reason that might sound inappropriate, that's exactly what would be inappropriate for the Cobra. It's just that the concept of doing overpowers the lack of appreciation for what the Cobra is.

I think that is the major objection to most "off" brand motor transplants - it's not considered really working with what the vehicle is, just cut and paste inserts that don't always deliver a sense of continuing the essence of what the designers had in mind. It's a jarring note, a lack of refinement, a technical accomplishment that doesn't fit in with the aesthetics or image.

Would a 63 Split Window Corvette be "improved" with a turbo diesel? Or a Hemi Cuda with Mazda rotary? Very few suggest it, almost nobody does it, but the Cobra is exploited for it's looks constantly. Anything goes - all electric, too.

Any weird idea and it's thrown at the Cobra. If the concept can stand up on it's own two feet, then it doesn't need to be identified with it - it's just gilding the lily. But if the idea isn't all that good to begin with, then doing it to a Cobra seems to be the smoke and mirrors that disguise what it really is.

If any other motor other than a Ford is acceptable in a Cobra, then stuffing a Chevy in a Ferrari would be nothing: http://jalopnik.com/5792518/awesome-1000-horsepower-chevy-powered-ferrari-360-is-awesome

[Plebeian]

To me, motor swaps usually involve stuffing a bigger engine (8 cyl) in a smaller vehicle that originally had a 4 banger or similiar. Putting a smaller engine in a vehicle that was designed to have a larger one offers no appeal to most of us. Speaking of the Supra, have you seen that video of a Nelson Racing 427 twin turbo swapped in place of that 2jz? That's my kind of engine transplant. Cheers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgSA7d9ZMz0

[Cmwfastracer]

Very true on the inappropriate thing for the cobra. Overpowering it with a motor would take away the appreciation for what it was. Like if someone put some crazy amount of power into an e type jaguar, that would ruin the car IMO. This was just an idea tough. Not really saying the 2jz but a smaller engine preferably with fuel injection and more efficient. Like classic car with modern performance.

[NukeMMC]

Not really saying the 2jz but a smaller engine preferably with fuel injection and more efficient. Like classic car with modern performance.

What you are seeing these days, along those lines, is the 5.0L Ford Coyote engine being installed in the Roadsters and Coupes. It's a 420hp engine from the factory and can be made to go up to about 500hp before it is at the end of its reliability. You need to recall that the original 6 coupes were very successful racers running 289s that put out 390-400bhp. Throw a modern Dart big bore 351w blocked 427 running 550bhp (or more) into one and you have a serious rocket that will please almost every purist. Arm it with modern tires, wheels, gearbox and coilovers instead of transverse leafs and it will, even today, as Mr. Shelby once said, "Hand Ferrari their *****"

[Spaz]

Seriously. Toyota engines belong in toyotas at best a super 7 replica. Cool factor and resale would be zero. What's the point. JMHO.

[CraigS]

Although I also don't see the point, if you want a Toyota engine go w/ the 4.3 liter V-8. (Do NOT go w/ the 4.6 liter that is currently being used.) I don't know any details but the 4.3 was being used in Daytona prototypes a few years ago.
http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z9042/Lexus-Daytona-Prototype.aspx

[carbon fiber]

yeah, engines belong in what they were made for. next thing you know, someone will try to stuff an American v8 into a small british made roadster...

[STLMARSHALL]

yeah, engines belong in what they were made for. next thing you know, someone will try to stuff an American v8 into a small british made roadster...

Yea but which V-8 do you choose? I have heard there is only one American made V-8 that belongs in British sports cars. But when that manufacturer tells you no I guess you go to one of the others.

Personally I went with CS's 1st choice in an all aluminum variety. Peter Brock agrees with me.

[Stengun]

Howdy,


Seriously. Toyota engines belong in toyotas at best a super 7 replica. Cool factor and resale would be zero. What's the point. JMHO.

+1!

I'm a Ford Man, plain and simple. I have never bought a Chevy or any other GM product except for an '89 GTA T/A that was basically given to me. ( The T/A was 6 months old, had 9,000 miles and it was minus the engine. Total price including being delived to my house: $1,200.00 )

Part of the reason I like Shelbys is because of their connection to Ford. I would NOT feel the same about a Cobra if it had a Chevy engine.

If I wanted a bowtie engine, I would build a bowtie car.

Pretty simple.

Paul

[loeffler1]

Amen, Stengun

[QSL]

Simple no replacement for displacement. A 400 hp Toyota engine is a toy compared to an American V8 engine producing 400 hp. Besides.... Do you really want a car making a fart sound going down the freeway.

[CJBergquist]

Well stated Mike. Sure would add a lot of complexity. These things are hard enough to build as is.

[conway witten]

Why not put a Kia engine in.... that is even funnier!
The whole idea in the Daytona Cobra concept was an all American race car.