hey all im steve from adelaide and im a massive mighty boy fan. ive always loved the cars but never felt there was enough power... which brings me to my first question! OK, ive made inquiries bout putting in a suzi swift GTi engine and box (1.3 twin cam EFI and 5 speed) and spoke to a jap tuning place who said the conversion will be a bolt straight in with minimal mods. this got me stoked and have been sourcing parts even though i havent looked at a mighty boy yet! now, can anybody tell me how difficult this conversion will be and what i should expect?! has anyone done a conversion like this? id like to steer clear of turbos, but what else will fit?
any info will be great, thanks in advance
steve
Noob wanting information!!
Sorry mate but whoever told you that info is either completely clueless, or now having a massive laugh at your expense. 
The G13B won't go in without thousands of dollars worth of work. Possibly the furthest thing from a bolt in fit, besides maybe a big block V8!
The G13B won't go in without thousands of dollars worth of work. Possibly the furthest thing from a bolt in fit, besides maybe a big block V8!
F8B EFI turbo - Three pots and a snail.
Awww, really?! i was getting excited! apart from the 800cc engine is there another (pref EFI) engine that will bolt in relatively easy? he also said the alto or charade turbo engine will bolt straight in, but im not keen on a 3cyl turbo engine. is the alto a straight in fit? that is a 4 cyl 1lt single cam turbo right?
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psychosis7326
- Posts: 210
- Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2006 12:13 am
- Location: Tasmania
yeah as brayden said the g13b will cost alot but nothing is imposible a mate of mine is wrecking his swift gti and said i could have the engine for free the problem is that you will have to cut into the chassi about 2inches which means you will have to re strenghten it and have to have it fully enginered you would need all costom mounts shafts etc and even if you have the say 6-8000 bucks to do all that you run into the problem of not many places will be keen to register let alone insure a mightyboy that would do back flips in reverse that kind of power would be insane... if you have the pockets to pull it off i say go for it but if not the best option is the f6a conversion its not a bolt in but its got grunt or you can also go for the 800cc conversion which is bolt in easy to turbo and it is also possibly to twincam but there is a bit of work with it.... try hitting the search a bit and see what takes your fancy
best of luck: Psychosis
best of luck: Psychosis
yeah really im after a good reliable but cheap daily. i have bout 4k to play with so i was hoping to get a straight body boy, then put in a donk that will tick me round town but still take me out to my mates shacks (3 hour drives) whick is why a small capacity 3 cyl turbo didnt seem practical. ok, say $1500 for a shell, could i get an alto turbo engine in that and running for $2500? i really want it to have some go without modifying the engine, so hopefully an EFI something over 1000cc if i can. will a cappachino engine go in?!
thanks so far guys ill have a look thru the forum for ideas!
thanks so far guys ill have a look thru the forum for ideas!
Okay, so getting a rolling shell for $1500 is pretty realistic, but buying and installing an F6A front cut won't leave you much change from $4k once you factor in fabricating, engineering and all the extra bits you never consider.
I've seen it done cheaper, but you end up with a straight line rocket that would kill you at the first sign of a corner or intersection.
(Cappuccino engines are F6A, just the total wrong configuration for a FWD.)
I've seen it done cheaper, but you end up with a straight line rocket that would kill you at the first sign of a corner or intersection.
(Cappuccino engines are F6A, just the total wrong configuration for a FWD.)
F8B EFI turbo - Three pots and a snail.
ok, well, im really glad i joined this forum! knowing VERY little bout FWD cars esp suzukis its great getting info from people who know.
lets put it this way. i want a daily driver with some power to boot. i need to get round town but still travel country too so i think the 550 or even the 800cc will struggle. what engine options do i have? i really want a mighty boy but its not looking like a practical option anymore!
the F6A might be an option but does the cappachino's RWD layout make it hareder or impossible to put in the MB? im prob not getting it engineered, i just want it put in safely and so i can just use it and will tell the rego department its a turbo MB engine
ok, with the F6A engine it will rocket straightline, but a bit lower, bigger wheels, strut brace (if you can get one for a MB) will this stiffen the car up.
sorry if these questions are really dumb but im so completely new to these cars i wana know what i can do before jumping into a purchase!
lets put it this way. i want a daily driver with some power to boot. i need to get round town but still travel country too so i think the 550 or even the 800cc will struggle. what engine options do i have? i really want a mighty boy but its not looking like a practical option anymore!
the F6A might be an option but does the cappachino's RWD layout make it hareder or impossible to put in the MB? im prob not getting it engineered, i just want it put in safely and so i can just use it and will tell the rego department its a turbo MB engine
ok, with the F6A engine it will rocket straightline, but a bit lower, bigger wheels, strut brace (if you can get one for a MB) will this stiffen the car up.
sorry if these questions are really dumb but im so completely new to these cars i wana know what i can do before jumping into a purchase!
In a ute that weighs under 600kg, a mildly modded F8B will get it from 0-100 in around 11 seconds, which isn't exactly stellar, but not too bad for the engine size. Unless you happen to come across something with a bodgy F6A install already done, then for your budget I think a well looked after F8B equipped MB will be your best option.
Oh, and as for the Cappa RWD conversion - on a scale of zero to impossible, it would be a long way from zero.
Anyway, I was quite satisfied with the performance of my F8B before I became a boost junkie. Of course if you picked up a neat F8B ute then you could drive it for a while, see if it grows on you, then maybe tackle an F6A conversion later on, or like some of us have done, turbo the F8B.
At any rate the F8B (with matching gearbox) will handle long'ish journeys well. You're more likely to get uncomfortable before the motor does!
A strut brace is unnecessary as the towers are really close to the bulkhead, but stiffening up the suspension, upgrading the brakes and tyres are essential if you plan on poking any amount of power under the bonnet. Again this can become expensive as off the shelf performance parts aren't exactly available.
Oh, and as for the Cappa RWD conversion - on a scale of zero to impossible, it would be a long way from zero.
Anyway, I was quite satisfied with the performance of my F8B before I became a boost junkie. Of course if you picked up a neat F8B ute then you could drive it for a while, see if it grows on you, then maybe tackle an F6A conversion later on, or like some of us have done, turbo the F8B.
At any rate the F8B (with matching gearbox) will handle long'ish journeys well. You're more likely to get uncomfortable before the motor does!
A strut brace is unnecessary as the towers are really close to the bulkhead, but stiffening up the suspension, upgrading the brakes and tyres are essential if you plan on poking any amount of power under the bonnet. Again this can become expensive as off the shelf performance parts aren't exactly available.
F8B EFI turbo - Three pots and a snail.
thanks for all this info...
it sounds like its either a slow MB or no MB at all now. i have been a V8 junkie (VL V8) then a boost junkie (RX3, RX7 S5) now i settled down into a BMW but its gotten boring so an 800cc wont cut the mustard!
im guessing it would be just as hard to turn the cap enging into a FWD?
what are you running? the 800cc turbo'd?
im getting desperate! ok, the charade turbo engine i was told is getting hard to source but will bolt straight in... wrong again?!!!
what will be involved getting the cap engine into the MB? modding the crossmember and making new gearbox mounts? then getting a fuel pump or inline pressure pump?
it sounds like its either a slow MB or no MB at all now. i have been a V8 junkie (VL V8) then a boost junkie (RX3, RX7 S5) now i settled down into a BMW but its gotten boring so an 800cc wont cut the mustard!
im guessing it would be just as hard to turn the cap enging into a FWD?
what are you running? the 800cc turbo'd?
im getting desperate! ok, the charade turbo engine i was told is getting hard to source but will bolt straight in... wrong again?!!!
what will be involved getting the cap engine into the MB? modding the crossmember and making new gearbox mounts? then getting a fuel pump or inline pressure pump?
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psychosis7326
- Posts: 210
- Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2006 12:13 am
- Location: Tasmania
capa engine cant really go fwd unless your a kabillion aire you can get a f6a sohc fwd how ever which alot of people have installed but the f8b turbo setup is pretty nice thats the plan for my car eventualy i have the f8b and while its no bullet stock its alot better than the 550 my engine is pretty worn and due for a rebuild but it does 350+ km trips with no struglle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiYqIC5x5NA
heavily modded f8b the kind of thing we all wish we could shoot for
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiYqIC5x5NA
heavily modded f8b the kind of thing we all wish we could shoot for
Okay, forget the Cappa motor. The F6A it uses is available in FWD variants (Alto Works/Cervo Mode) which are the most common import motor conversions.
To clear up any confusion, an F8B is THE ONLY direct bolt-in replacement for the stock motor. Yes I am running this motor, only converted to EFI and turbocharged.
Don't get me wrong, you can definately make a fast MB that handles pretty well (although still poorly compared to any RX), but you need to have the coin to get the job done.
The F6A conversion involves buying a front cut and having the Alto subframe grafted into the MB engine bay, then cutting and strengthening the existing MB engine cradle. From there you have to fit a new exhaust, surge tank, fuel pumps, ECU, upgrade brakes... the list goes on.
Personally I wouldn't start considering the job without $4-5k to spend on the conversion from start to finish - excluding the cost of buying the ute in the first place. Unless of course you've got the mechanical/metalworking expertise to get the job done cheap, and the time to tinker as well.
To clear up any confusion, an F8B is THE ONLY direct bolt-in replacement for the stock motor. Yes I am running this motor, only converted to EFI and turbocharged.
Don't get me wrong, you can definately make a fast MB that handles pretty well (although still poorly compared to any RX), but you need to have the coin to get the job done.
The F6A conversion involves buying a front cut and having the Alto subframe grafted into the MB engine bay, then cutting and strengthening the existing MB engine cradle. From there you have to fit a new exhaust, surge tank, fuel pumps, ECU, upgrade brakes... the list goes on.
Personally I wouldn't start considering the job without $4-5k to spend on the conversion from start to finish - excluding the cost of buying the ute in the first place. Unless of course you've got the mechanical/metalworking expertise to get the job done cheap, and the time to tinker as well.
F8B EFI turbo - Three pots and a snail.
thanks brayden you've cleared up alot of issues ive had going around the ol skull.
Im not expecting anything like my RX's, yes the performance and handling was remarkable but so was the amount of money i invested in them! ive sold all my cars and looking to buy a house so this is the reason behind working on a cheaper car!
i think ill give the alto engine a crack if i do opt for a MB, ill head into a jap workshop after work and see if they can do the fitment.
your car looks schmick as but working the 800 like you have sounds just as costly as a conversion!
Is there another car that has interchangeable parts with the MB? and also what should i expect looking for one, are they reliable, what breaks, do they rust in certain places, are parts hard to source??
Im not expecting anything like my RX's, yes the performance and handling was remarkable but so was the amount of money i invested in them! ive sold all my cars and looking to buy a house so this is the reason behind working on a cheaper car!
i think ill give the alto engine a crack if i do opt for a MB, ill head into a jap workshop after work and see if they can do the fitment.
your car looks schmick as but working the 800 like you have sounds just as costly as a conversion!
Is there another car that has interchangeable parts with the MB? and also what should i expect looking for one, are they reliable, what breaks, do they rust in certain places, are parts hard to source??
Body parts, no. Engine/driveline, yes.steven wrote: Is there another car that has interchangeable parts with the MB?
You'll pay anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand, depending on quality. They are only as reliable as the mechanic and owner. Rust is prevalent in the tray, sills, and lower panels - this will depend on where the ute lives.and also what should i expect looking for one, are they reliable, what breaks, do they rust in certain places, are parts hard to source??
Body parts are getting very hard to find in good condition. Just ask anyone who is looking for a grille or tail lights.
In all honesty Steven, if you're looking for bang for your buck, an import Alto would probably be much better value if you aren't completely hung up on having a ute. You can pick them up for $3-5k already complianced and turbocharged. Much less hassle (both physical and financial) than souping up an MB.
F8B EFI turbo - Three pots and a snail.
alto is not an option! im def hung up on the esky on wheels. ok, ok well after alot of looking the alto engine or frot cut sounds hard enough to find! looks like the 800cc engine will be it if anything... ok, what model MB came out the the 800, or is the 800 a conversion? is the power from the 800 enough to get up steep hills etc?
The 800 (F8B) is a conversion from a Suzuki Hatch/Alto. It gives a 50% increase in power, which is VERY noticeable. With the addition of a few small mods like a weber(or triple bike carbs), upped compression and extractors it will happily spin the front wheels.
That is the best low tech, low budget solution.
That is the best low tech, low budget solution.
F8B EFI turbo - Three pots and a snail.