Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

Hello all, i just ended up buying my first 311 and it will be a full restoration with a little customizing.
Car is in really good shape from what i can see and will be pulling the body this week to be able to have the underside coating on body and powder coating the frame.
I will be swapping the engine and transmission. I know alot will hate me for this but i will be using a vw 2.0t out of a gti converted to rwd.
I am using this engine and transmission due to me already having everything to make it run and just to be a little different since everybody uses the sr-20det. I just wanted to be different. My main concern at the moment is getting speedo and tacho to work with the can-bus system vw uses. or possible just adding a vw cluster to the dash some how. I hear caraddict is the one to talk to about gauges so if your around i would love to chat a bit.
i will be posting pics soon.
thanks and go easy on me , matt.

Welcome Matt. Look forward to following your project progress. Post lots of pictures.

Steve

S Allen wrote: Mon Apr 02, 2018 11:41 pm Welcome Matt. Look forward to following your project progress. Post lots of pictures.

Steve

I really am going to try. Mounting the engine will take some time but all in all not too worried about it. I'm waiting on transmission to get here so i can mount everything before pulling body off and have mounts welded for new engine before powder coating. i want it to be pristine when finished

Welcome, this should be interesting to see and will bring up something that no one has done yet (as far as I can tell)! It’s rare when that happens, so we all will learn with you.

What year engine? Will be interesting to see how you handle the exhaust routing!

I look forward to seeing a VW 2L roadster. For a little while, when the fate of my U20 was unknown, I had toyed with the idea of cramming a VR6 into the roadster (I dearly miss my old R32's sound).

Good luck, can't wait to see pics.

Well started doing some measuring and looking at engine bay and such and the 2.0t is really not gonna work very well for this swap. I would have issues with alternator touching steering box. and would have to modify the body frame to make it fit correctly. I also would have issues with the intake due to how it points downwards stock on the drivers side it would hit the steering shaft(not really many options since it's a plastic intake.). So i have been doing some more research and have decided i'll be doing a miata 1.8 engine swap due to not having to really modify anything on the car to make it work. I'm fully capable of modding the frame and such but don't want to ruin such a beautiful car to make something fit. I would rather use something just as decent and simple to swap like the miata engine, Plus i found a full swap with everything for 600 bucks so that is a plus. Who knows maybe i'll end up turboing it at some point.

So Miata engine has been done in the past, there are several threads about that. I don’t know if there’s much in the engine swap thread but you will want to check that out too.

Matthunter1448 wrote: Mon Apr 02, 2018 10:57 pm I just wanted to be different.

But the Miata swap as been done!

Alvin wrote: Tue Apr 03, 2018 5:54 pm

Matthunter1448 wrote: Mon Apr 02, 2018 10:57 pm I just wanted to be different.

But the Miata swap as been done!

You are very correct it has but not a whole lot. But. It's really not gonna be worth while to do it with the VW. My other option was a sd22 or sd25 and make it a diesel but that fell through and there kinda hard to find. I wanted to be different but there's a point where it might not be worth doing if I have to mod a lot to do and tear up a good body and cost effectiveness. Which is my thoughts on it.

Post some pictures of your roadster and don't forget to add your location! A VW TDI would be rad...ever since I saw a modded Golf TDI at 'Seca rollin' coal after every apex I imagined that in a roadster!
crazy torque!


ps, the SD22 has been done as well:

you can see it here:
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=19690&hilit=diesel

Yup I did a tdi swap in my 33 of 1200 fahrenheit gti since I love tdis so much. I did see that thread for the sd22 swap. And I had a good lead on complete setup for 200 but it got sold. And there actually hard to find parts for from what I've seen unless it's off a forklift. The tdi would have been a awesome swap as well but it is actually just as big as the 2.0t and I would have issues with it as well or I actually would have chose that. I love the tdi power and fuel economy u get.
So I will be buying the Miata setup. And I'm sure I'll be happy with it as well they are quite fun to drive and super easy to turbo so. I really would love the sd22 if I could find on it just wouldn't make any power. Plus the Miata looks super clean when swapped. And I found a complete swap with everything to run for 600 so I cant go wrong

Also I'm out of Tacoma Washington

Email sent.

Ted

ted heaton wrote: Thu Apr 05, 2018 12:47 am Email sent.

Ted

Received and replied.

Ooooor, you could look into a R16 turbo... been kicking around the idea of a megasquirt managed, FI R16 turbo. Quick reving engine, quick spooling turbo, say 200hp. No frame mods, no transmission sorting and mods, no drive shaft mods, no problems running stock gauges, etc. Just a cool looking, near period correct engine that has not been done yet... and would be different!