[butch]

what would be the esaiest engin swap to do on my 1972 opel gt i want one where i can just drop in the motor and go maybe a lil trans work to but not alot also one with alot of after market to sup it up on the streets? i was thinking like a caviler or a rotary i am only 17 but knows alot about cars and i want a fast and fun opel to drive.

 

[Travis]

what would be the esaiest engin swap to do on my 1972 opel gt i want one where i can just drop in the motor

Another Opel CIH motor. 1.9, 2.0, 2.2, 2.4....

-Travis

 

[Travis]

He also said 'easiest' and 'just drop in the motor'. So I had to balance these with the aftermarket support when coming up with an answer. While it is true that he can't order any engine parts from Neuspeed or other big tuner, parts ARE available, it just takes a little more research. We also need to consider that dropping in a non-Opel engine is going to take some time and research as well.

So, if he drops in a 2.2l it will be a fairly painless experience for him. He won't need to make motor mounts and have a custom driveshaft made and cut this and hack that. This will give him a BIG boost of power for a reasonable cost and effort. The risk of tiring of the engine swap before it's completed is also greatly reduced.

When it's time to 'sup' up the motor he will still have many options. Want a lightweight flywheel? Order it from UR. Wan't a better cam? Have one ground at one of many places in the US with Opel cam experience. Don't know what cam to get? Ask on this list and you'll likely get a better answer then you'd get from your typical mail order tuner. Want high compression forged pistons? Order them from JE or ROSS or Venolia or Wiseco... Want a better flowing head? Do the research here and on classicopels and have a local shop do the work, or better yet, send it to TGSI. Want a header? Get it from Kirk or TGSI. There is an answer to just about anything and everything one would wan't to do. And the best part is that these custom parts often cost the same or less than similiar parts from the import tuners...

If this isn't enough, and I can't believe that it wouldn't be, there are MANY parts available in Europe off the shelf that we don't get here. RISSE in particular has lots of stuff, it's just not cheap. It's not any more expensive then the ricer parts here in the US.

And best of all, I consider the wealth of QUALITY information available for free from people like Bob to be more valuable than having a dozen sources for every part. The amount of confusion and mis-information in the import world in particular is so great that I would avoid it like the plague. Yes, there are many import people willing to support you but many just want to sell you parts.

JMHO

-Travis

 

[kwilford]

But Travis, unless a Rice burner is swapped in, how will the owner be able to get such required performance parts as a chrome air inlet pipe and matching K&N filter? Or anodized valve cover nuts? Or one of those really phat muffler extensions (I KNOW there is a term, I just can't think of it!), or neon lights in place of the washer nozzles? OK, some of those can be done without a Toyota engine, but I would think that the Opel engine would toss a piston just out of protest! The INDIGNITY of it all!

And DON'T take this response too seriously.

 

[mysticopelnva]

controversy of the deepest beaten path here on the forums... gotta love it but ill probably forget all about the engine swap things said and if i ever do one ill be asking the same "dumbass " questions (before doing a search is what makes them dumbass) and see the same arguements... because by the time i decide to do an engine swap this site may be non exsistant and ill be an old........... i stress old... guy anyway on with the controversy