Drag SGT

Hey there! Just thought I would throw out a hello and say whey I'm here. I've got an old 1974 Fiat Sport Coupe which I picked up for 300 bones that desperately needed some R&R. So after fixing up several of the rust spots and pounding out and smoothing some old body lines I decided I would spruce the engine up a little bit. Well a few months and several phone calls later, I decided that increasing the performance to something that I would like was a little out of my price range so we started looking at alternatives.



The first thought that came to my mind was to put an Turbo Ecotec motor out of a Saturn Sky or Solstice but have recently been looking into import motors because we all agreed that I've never done one before and it would be just as fun and possibly cheaper than a domestic. One of us suggested a rotary because of the compact size vs. power output and the joke was made "Rotary: Works 60% of the time... every time". (Kind of like FIAT: "Fix it again tomorrow" hahaha) After we made fun of ourselves though we decided it would be a worthwhile venture to pursue because it's A) Unique, and B) Not some run of the mill SR20 swap.



So that's where we stand right now! I lurked around for a few days reading up on the stickies in various forums and read through the information on fc3spro.com and found it all very interesting so I'm thinking this just might work. The fact that someone with a 131 already did it gives me more hope that this can work and be straightforward! I need a little help deciding on a starting point though, so since this includes both FC and FD platforms I figured I'd try and get one successful thread going here instead of separate ones across the board. To start though, I'll define what I'm looking for and see what opinions you all have.



-My BHP goals are anything above 300. I would be happy with just edging 300. (The bug would probably bite me late on though) 350 would be stellar and 400 would be a little crazy in a 2000lb car but definitely enjoyable.



-We have full shop access and a competent welder so fabrication isn't an issue. (Motivation on the other hand....)



-A lightweight flywheel and good clutch are at the top of the buy list, as well as some exhaust components since it's going into a different chassis (i.e downpipe, and other pieces)



-The car doesn't need provisions for power steering or A/C (lighter front load, less spinning accesorries, possibly lightweight pulleys for the rest? Not necessary though)



-Fuel will be delivered via a cell and adequate pump so fuel upgrades will only be needed engine side.



-99% chance that there will have to be a custom FMIC made since there are no openings in the hood for the top mount on a FC.



-We have a spare Apex SAFC-II lying around which could be contributed but I'm open to alternatives.



-Any details I missed? Feel free to comment.



The next major hurdle in preparation is sourcing out an engine, wiring harness, and transmission. Ordering a front clip from one of the numerous JDM parts suppliers has been mentioned but I have no experience in that and therefore have no associated trust with any. Junk yards were the next option but the nearest FD engine listed is located in Portland and I am in Idaho. Opinions, previous experience, and alternative methods are welcome of course.



I also have not found where I can read up on the upsides/downsides of each engine. Obviously the 13B-REW has a higher starting HP than the 13B-Turbo but can the difference in power be matched or possibly beat for the price difference between the two? the BREW would also be newer and generally have less miles on it. I'm just not sure where to start at.



Anyways, this is a pretty large OP so I should probably leave it at that and hope for the best for now! I look forward to reading much more interesting information about these engines you guys love (and hate sometimes!)