CTS Spider

[SuperBuickGuy]

Apparently the spider didn't make the move to the new site... so a recap is in order.
I bought this car to settle a discussion with my wife about current cars. She thinks she needs electric to get better than 50 mpg, and wistfully thinks back to her GEO that got 60 mpg all while travelling at speeds approaching plaid in Indiana. I say "no" you can get (and okay, my mouth runnith over) 65 mpg by using a modern motor in a light weight 2 seat sports car.

so I bought this for $300 last winter


then had a great discussion on here about how to power it to get the MPG target. Everyone said "diesel", and they're right - with diesel it'd be a piece of cake... but who wants a diesel two seat sportscar? not me... and since I'm building it - the decision was made - gas powered... but what?

I seriously considered dumping this car for a Porsche after their "pet carrier commercial"

and here's why


and in its fuller sized version


anyway.... after all the discussion and figuring for who the driver and passenger would be... here's the project


the motor is a 59k CTS motor... gets 30+ mpg in a car that weighs 4200 lbs (the Spider weighs 2k)

A friend 'donate' running gear from a thunderbird - and the last piece of the puzzle will either be a T5 or (if I can't make it fit), a 6 speed from LKQ

stay tuned for more installments...


this is also the reason I've been busting hump to get the truck done because the motor is in Portland

[JOES66FURY]

I was wondering what happened to this project...

[milner351]

This is going to be way cool.

Do you have a way of manipulating the tune in the factory PCM? Did you get the wiring and PCM with the engine?

Or - are you going to go all Scott and Randal on this thing and megasquirt it?

[STINEY]

OoooGoodie! I was hoping this one wouldn't become an abandoned project!

Does the trans sit on top of the frame in that car like the Healey does? And the tunnel bolt down on top of it?

[SuperBuickGuy]

For now, I'm going to use the original computer with the VAS removed. Hopefully, I can manipulate the computer into what I need it to do.... I don't know about megasquirt - from what I understand the factory computer is resilient enough to learn its new parameters. If not, then I'll have to deal with how to run this electronically... wordy way of saying "I dunno". Also, I will turbo this little beast so that might force the change.... the biggest issue is the VVT, I can lock it out - but I don't think I'll get the mileage goals if I do. Interestingly, our Australian friends have been hooning this motor for several years - so there is a knowledge base (they also have access to a factory turbo'd version, albeit small displacement).

the car is a unibody - so not sure is the answer your question Stiney.

[studemax]

but who wants a diesel two seat sportscar?

Well, Mercedes Benz for one.... there's a lot of sporty car drivers in Europe who might tell you how happy they are with diesels.

If you don't want one, fine.

[Beagle]

OoooGoodie! I was hoping this one wouldn't become an abandoned project!

Does the trans sit on top of the frame in that car like the Healey does? And the tunnel bolt down on top of it?

Mine was like a Mustang, the tunnel is not all that big but it's part of the unit body. Standard type crossmembers...

[Mater]

have you seen what some of the euro diesels can do impressive.

like the twin turbo v8 jag clarckson drove around the ring

[SpiderGearsMan]

maybe it got p0008 timing chains stretching codes

[SpiderGearsMan]

diesel stinks

[SuperBuickGuy]

ah, but ya'll miss the most important no-diesel argument... it's my car, I'm building it and I don't want a sports car that smells like an 18-wheeler.

plus - if I did it with a diesel the couch crowd would say "oh it was easy to do that with a diesel".... and I'd be using old technology - which runs contrary to my premise. Honestly, diesel was easy to say no to, building a turbo'd 215 Buick v-8 was much, much, much harder to say no to.

as for the trans tunnel - there's a plate for access on the top, the entire top doesn't remove... which is okay because I'm moving the firewall back to get better balance.

[bnjny]

diesel stinks

So does obsessive negativity.

[CTX-SLPR]

have you seen what some of the euro diesels can do impressive.

like the twin turbo v8 jag clarckson drove around the ring

Twin turbo V6 not V8.

I've done some research in getting the XJ6 TDVI imported to the US with that engine but never went as far as trying to find a green one in left hand drive.

Is that the SIDI 3.6 or the conventional 3.6?

[SuperBuickGuy]

they come in a variety of flavors, but the SIDI (direct injection) didn't come out until 2007 (I have a 2006).... it's the dual variable valve version... there is a version in aussieland that is turbo'd but it's a 2.9(ish) displacement; also they have a version that the intake valve train is variable but not the exhaust.

[studemax]

diesel stinks

You just caught a whiff of your upper lip, Jimmy.