We have a MkIV 1300 Spitfire here. It has a more or less internally standard engine with speeduino based injection on it and an overdrive gearbox. Currently it's all working reasonably well but the gearbox on particular is on borrowed time.
When we built the car it was with a future engine swap in mind so it already has bigger brakes from a GT6 and rotoflex based CV joint rear end.
Possible donors are under review. Not looking for megapower. Something around the 100bhp mark, light and compact.
Plan A was a 1.6 Zetec SE and T9. The engine is cheap - the gearbox, no longer cheap or even very easy to find.
Plan A2 was Zetec SE plus MX5 NA box. You can get kits to mate them. I even bought a box.... The box is on the big side..... not impossible but hard.
Plan B may involve Suzuki parts. We have a gearbox from a Samurai which looks like a toy next to the Mazda one. It would fit in the available space and ratios are good. We have seen this mated with the G13BA Swift GTI engine - which looks like a very good prospect. Of course this is series 1/2 Swift stuff and old now. And not so easy to find in twin cam form. Lesser G series engines in 1.3 and 1.6 form are fairly common though it seems that the 1.6 is not a direct fit on the gearbox (adapter is cheap though). Seems that J series engines also fit the gearbox but they seem to start at 2L in the UK and are beyond what we are looking for (might be a bit much for the little box as well). Then there are the M series which are common and provide a range of choices in the right power/torque area. There are even some in N/S mounting (Jimny) but it is very unclear whether there is any chance of getting one to mate up to the Samurai gearbox without major effort. Using the Jimny 'box is undesirable as they have 1:1 5th gear whereas the samurai is 0.79 and suits the diff gearing much better.
Any Suzuki experts know the answers?
Thanks
Nick
The potential victim
When we built the car it was with a future engine swap in mind so it already has bigger brakes from a GT6 and rotoflex based CV joint rear end.
Possible donors are under review. Not looking for megapower. Something around the 100bhp mark, light and compact.
Plan A was a 1.6 Zetec SE and T9. The engine is cheap - the gearbox, no longer cheap or even very easy to find.
Plan A2 was Zetec SE plus MX5 NA box. You can get kits to mate them. I even bought a box.... The box is on the big side..... not impossible but hard.
Plan B may involve Suzuki parts. We have a gearbox from a Samurai which looks like a toy next to the Mazda one. It would fit in the available space and ratios are good. We have seen this mated with the G13BA Swift GTI engine - which looks like a very good prospect. Of course this is series 1/2 Swift stuff and old now. And not so easy to find in twin cam form. Lesser G series engines in 1.3 and 1.6 form are fairly common though it seems that the 1.6 is not a direct fit on the gearbox (adapter is cheap though). Seems that J series engines also fit the gearbox but they seem to start at 2L in the UK and are beyond what we are looking for (might be a bit much for the little box as well). Then there are the M series which are common and provide a range of choices in the right power/torque area. There are even some in N/S mounting (Jimny) but it is very unclear whether there is any chance of getting one to mate up to the Samurai gearbox without major effort. Using the Jimny 'box is undesirable as they have 1:1 5th gear whereas the samurai is 0.79 and suits the diff gearing much better.
Any Suzuki experts know the answers?
Thanks
Nick
The potential victim