lesd Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 Hello all, new member here ! I recently purchased a 73 with an old Scarab 327 conversion! My project begins! My first dilemma is: The car has the official 'bureau of automotive repair' engine swap sticker in the door jamb. The 327 is a 1964 block, matching the sticker data. Should I keep this engine ( rather than sell it ), in case good old California does some switcheroo of smog laws and starts asking for smog inspection on all cars ? I have an LT1 engine that I want to replace the 327 with. I will drive the 327 while I prep the LT1. I'm building the LT1 as a turbo motor. So I've looked at many of the pictures on Hybrids, and still can't tell for sure if it will be possible to do a twin turbo, or do I go single? The duals have integrated waste gates, and don't need a cross over pipe, and the T70 I have for a single would need an external gate, further complicating the plumbing. But the single could fit in the corner of the engine compartment, still allowing somewhere easy for the alternator to live Can I remove sheet metal from the inner fender near the strut tower to make more room? I worry that the tower top would become weak, and the weight of the car is taken by that point. I can TIG weld, so perhaps I can open up some space while adding some reinforcements. Any chance some of you twin turbo guys can chime in here, with respect to the exhaust plumbing ? Side note: Many years ago I swapped a 302 into a '74 Merc. Capri ( the old German one ) , and that was a single TO4 turbo. No intercooler back then, and it was a draw thru setup. It was a fun car. ( BTW , this site is a great resource for this ! ) -Les Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 Are you sure you want to mod a genuine Scarab? They're somewhat rare, you know. Anything you do to change it's original "Scarab" configuration will decrease its value. Just something to consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 I responded in your other thread, But don't be fooled... They aren't that "collectable" and certainly not as fun to drive as a well sorted JTR setup... I say dive in and make it into something you'll truly enjoy driving. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike Posted November 19, 2006 Share Posted November 19, 2006 I disagree... but I'm no expert. If it was me, I'd keep it as-is and convert another car. Again, just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesd Posted November 19, 2006 Author Share Posted November 19, 2006 Slight correction: It was assembled from a Scarab parts set, back in the early 80's. Not an official Scarab car. Just got back from a drive, and the clutch master cyl. went out. Driving home with no clutch is not very fun... Back to my question: Turbo plumbing. Anyone have any thought on this project, single vs dual, and modding sheetmetal to maybe make room ? Thanks! -Les I disagree... but I'm no expert. If it was me, I'd keep it as-is and convert another car. Again, just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
510six Posted November 19, 2006 Share Posted November 19, 2006 http://www.turbomustangs.com/smf/index.php?board=20.0 This site has lots of info on single vs. dual turbo SBC and SBF swaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike Posted November 19, 2006 Share Posted November 19, 2006 Not a genuine Scarab? Then by all means, YANK that 327 and replace it with the baddest power-plant you can afford!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo Meister Posted November 19, 2006 Share Posted November 19, 2006 Turbo plumbing. Anyone have any thought on this project, single vs dual, and modding sheetmetal to maybe make room ? If I had to do it over again I would go single turbo because you have half the expense and much more room for fitment. A friend gave me the turbos and so I used both of them. Don't cut into the tower sheetmetal unless you plan to add reinforcement. The turbo v8 will have so much power that it will distort the inner fenderwell, like mine. I had the strut tower surrounded with 1/8" steel and my front cage bar is attached to it. And I had alot more reinforcing done to the engine compartment. There is room for the turbo between the front of the engine and the fan shroud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesd Posted November 19, 2006 Author Share Posted November 19, 2006 Thanks guys, I do need some ideas on the frame strengthening topic. This won't be a 1/4 mile car , it will be mostly street driven, with the occasional roll on to see how the sport bikes react. I believe the 0 mph launch of a 1/4 mile run is much more stressful to the frame than a more gentle roll on. I've been looking at some single turbo project photos, and the exhaust still looks messy. When I did it last, I had no intercooler ( because they were very rare ) and the plumbing was therefor a bit more simple. How about using the space behind the front wheels ? Some Corvette twin kits place the turbos in those areas. Just an idea. I have a bunch of 4130 Chrome Moly tube laying around, I can use that for bracing and triangulating. As far as the Scarab that it is now, I do like the basic simplicity of it, but I did get the car as a base for a turbo project. I plan on selling the 1964 327 and 4 speed tranny after the new motor is ready. -Les Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad-ManQ45 Posted November 19, 2006 Share Posted November 19, 2006 You might want to do a search for SiliconeBoy's TTLT1 setup... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b__sosick Posted November 20, 2006 Share Posted November 20, 2006 jesus... a street driven V8 Single Turbo Z. Hate to be the domestics in your area!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silicone boy Posted November 20, 2006 Share Posted November 20, 2006 I agree with the Turbomeister that a single turbo setup would be a lot easier, and a giant single turbo setup would be a lot of fun. I had to pound the driver's strut tower in a little to make room for an external wastegate. I couldn't get the internal wastegates to work. If you do a search, you can find my flipped over corvette LT1 manifolds that would work really well for a dual or single turbo setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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