LS1 & T56 in Pre-1990 Alfa Romeo Spider
08-06-2015, 04:18 PM
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LS1 & T56 in Pre-1990 Alfa Romeo Spider Hello!
I was thinking about trying to do an Engine/Trans/Diff Swap in a Series 2 or Series 3 (1970-1990) Alfa Romeo Spider with an LS1 T56 etc. Have any of you guys had or heard anything about such a thing?
I have seen several Alfa Spiders running with Ford Small Blocks (289,302,351,etc) and the only problem they have with fit, is the bulge that is necessary in the hood to accommodate the Carb-AirCleaner setup. I think that the LS1 is overall shorter than the Ford setup, due, at least, to the air intake plenum that fits snugly on top, reducing the overall height.
My impression is that I would end up with a car that has very nice, classic, Italian styling, with the power and performance of a Shelby Cobra or perhaps better! My initial thought was to use the drivetrain from a Nissan 350z or 370z (the 370z makes about 330hp, normally aspirated - The stock Alfa Romeo 4cly 2L is about 120hp) but then I saw some show on Velocity where they were installing an LS1 in some small-ish car and it didn't look that big to me! The additional horsepower and sweeter sound would be nice too!
Thanks!
Lance B.
Austin Texas
I was thinking about trying to do an Engine/Trans/Diff Swap in a Series 2 or Series 3 (1970-1990) Alfa Romeo Spider with an LS1 T56 etc. Have any of you guys had or heard anything about such a thing?
I have seen several Alfa Spiders running with Ford Small Blocks (289,302,351,etc) and the only problem they have with fit, is the bulge that is necessary in the hood to accommodate the Carb-AirCleaner setup. I think that the LS1 is overall shorter than the Ford setup, due, at least, to the air intake plenum that fits snugly on top, reducing the overall height.
My impression is that I would end up with a car that has very nice, classic, Italian styling, with the power and performance of a Shelby Cobra or perhaps better! My initial thought was to use the drivetrain from a Nissan 350z or 370z (the 370z makes about 330hp, normally aspirated - The stock Alfa Romeo 4cly 2L is about 120hp) but then I saw some show on Velocity where they were installing an LS1 in some small-ish car and it didn't look that big to me! The additional horsepower and sweeter sound would be nice too!
Thanks!
Lance B.
Austin Texas
05-10-2016, 07:53 AM
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When I did this search a year or two ago I found one thread on an Alfa forum where I guy started a project but seemed to have never finished. If you take this on just beware that IMO the body will need reinforcement and there will probably be significant rust issues due to the Italian steel quality and/or lack of rust protection technology at the time.
However when you are finished it will be a really beautiful and unique car!
Hint: Miata's have nearly identical wheelbase and track width of a Spider. And Miata's have a small but functional aftermarket for V8 transplants and suspension/power train upgrades. So maybe there is a way to scalp off the skin on a Miata and transplant the Spider's beautiful shape over?
However when you are finished it will be a really beautiful and unique car!
Hint: Miata's have nearly identical wheelbase and track width of a Spider. And Miata's have a small but functional aftermarket for V8 transplants and suspension/power train upgrades. So maybe there is a way to scalp off the skin on a Miata and transplant the Spider's beautiful shape over?
Last edited by Sparkydog; 05-10-2016 at 07:58 AM.
05-11-2016, 03:21 PM
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I did some quick measurements on my 3.0L Alfa V6 and the LS, they are roughly the same size. The good old Alfa V6 is wide because of the hemi-ish heads. I almost considered a swap for my Milano... (but the transaxle won't stand the abuse, and routing headers could be troublesome)
So if you find a Busso swap Spider, the odds for a successful LS swap are good.
For chassis strength issues – just use skinny tires and you're good to go lol.
So if you find a Busso swap Spider, the odds for a successful LS swap are good.
For chassis strength issues – just use skinny tires and you're good to go lol.
05-11-2016, 10:33 PM
#6
The engine bay in my Austin Healey sprite is about the same size as the car in the picture above... It now has a SBC/200-4r in it, at one point I had a magnacharged LS6 in it that was all but wired up. Didn't want to have to hide all the wires and it would have looked weird with the throttle body stuff and everything through the hood so I pulled it and put a SBC with a 142 blower on it instead.
www.Britishv8.org has a lot of guys that have put big engines into tiny cars. It's a good place to start for ideas for you. I agree with the frame mods stuff... hell, pretty much everything has to be modded to get the engine to fit and function properly but when it's all said and done, it's totally worth it with the smile you'll get at the end of the day driving it.
www.Britishv8.org has a lot of guys that have put big engines into tiny cars. It's a good place to start for ideas for you. I agree with the frame mods stuff... hell, pretty much everything has to be modded to get the engine to fit and function properly but when it's all said and done, it's totally worth it with the smile you'll get at the end of the day driving it.
