I just thought I would stop in and introduce myself. I currently drive an 05 Subaru STi that I absolutely love. Unfortunately the time has come that it has to go. I am thinking about an LS swap FC to feed my urge. But that's a few months away at best, so for now I will lurk.

Hopefully before next fall I can join one of the TWR drives in a 7 instead of my Subaru. Some of you probably met me at the Shamrock Shuffle.

 

hey where you the guy in the blue subie that went on the chuck a nut run?? i think you had your girlfriend with you?

 

There are 2 LS swapped FC's for sale right now in the NW. Check Craigslist.

v8rx7forum.com

I think that is the correct address to the new website.

 

That was me.

 

I actually have that site up in another FF tab right now

I'm actually thinking I'll build one on my own though, so I know what my headaches are from instead of figuring out someone else's headaches.

 

what is a good starting platform for an LS swap? Should I just get the cheapest straight chassis I can find, or are there significant differences between the models?

This is going to be a fun/track car first and a DD second.

 

http://www.grannysspeedshop.com/ for ur swap

 

that site is packed with info. Thanks!

 

mr2boost ore somethiung like that had one of the cleanest ls swaps I have ever seen up for sale recently, not sure if its gone yet. try pm him

 

yeah i heard that granny speed shop is best plasce for the v8 fc info.

hey lackskill i dont know if you had the chance to get any of the pics from the run so i will post pics up

 

 

incase your woudering i was the black fc

 

Hey, thanks for the pics! I actually got the trunk finished a couple months ago.

 

Aaron, it's boostmr2 and yes he has the cleanest LS swap into an FC I have ever seen... And arguably one of the cleanest FC's to ever grace the planet... To give you an idea of speed... He swapped an LS1 with 2.5" dual exhaust and stock looking mufflers/tips and a K&N filter... He ran 11.7 quarter miles... Fast cars for sure.

 

welcome to the board.

boostMR2 sold his FC. its going to Canada from what I heard....

big site to find info on the LS swaps is v8rx7forum if your're not on it yet.

grannys makes kits and has a ton of info on the swaps on his site, hinsonsupercars also makes kits, and I belie jagsthatrun is working on them as well.... they do have other parts that work very well.

what to look for in a car- some of it depends on what you want to do with it. however, 1st priority is body and interior if you are looking for a car to drive daily. and if you want to avoid doing body work.
2nd- components and options... the turbo diff is vital if you're running a manual transmission, but there are other options (for a price.) if you get a non-turbo car you can put one in as well. 5- lug gives you more wheel options. turboII/GXL brakes are nice too. what options are you looking for- power windows? A/C? power steering?

 

yeah the trunk looks good i just remember the grey primer

 

Thanks for all the info. The car's top priority will be road course/auto x. Second priority will be to get me to and from events, while occasionally acting as a dd. Options aren't real important to me. While I don't want to do a ton of body work, I am planning on having to completely re-spray the exterior. I don't need a show car, but I don't want rust showing. 5 lug will be important to me and I will get a turbo rear end either way. Are the TII/GXL brakes the 4/2 piston? How do those compare with some of the BBKs on the market? A/C probably won't make the swap, and I'm on the fence about PS. I will probably end up with power steering one way or another due to the fact that I will be going with a 225+ in the front. How is the steering ratio on these cars? Are they a relatively quick rack?

 

What i recommend (what i did) is find an 86-88 base model (no sunroof) and then swap in the goodies. the S4 base model without sunroof is the lightest FC made, with the lowest CG, so it would def be the best platform. anything you want swaps right on, so there ya go.
heres what i used-
LS1/T56 86 base model
T2 brakes (4 piston), to include the booster and master cylinder, braided lines
FD torsen diff in a T2 pumpkin with T2 axles
255/40/17 front tires with a manual rack

T2/GXL brakes are the same (be aware this only applies to the S4 GXL!) as the FD brakes, so they are definately adequate. Road racers usually run stock calipers/rotors with race pads and some ducting.
the FD diff is ideal (for cornering traction anyway), goes right into a T2 housing, and is pretty cheap. the are weaker than the T2 clutch type diff, but will still only break if you are trying to run 10's with slicks on (you wont break one road racing).
the manual rack sucks in a drive through while trying to hold my drink, but thats about it. its not hard to turn at all over like 10mph. the ratio is kinda slow, so i wouldnt recommend it for autocross. on the track though i'm sure its fine. most tracked FC's seem to prefer the manual rack, saying the power rack numbs steering feel more than they'd like (this is pretty well debated on v8rx7forum).

feel free to come check out my car if you're in portland sometime. i'd be happy to show you the ins and outs.

 

^ what he said.

I'll add that significant weight can be removed from the chassis depending on how aggressive you are with it & how many things you are willing to do without.... heater, dash, interior, stock wiring, manual vs power windows, bumper supports.... it all adds up.

 

Ya, I was glad when that little project finally got done.

Why the hell can't I get multi-quote to work?

 

Awesome info. I definitely won't be going to the drag strip. Not my cup of tea. I'm coming from a car that could be difficult to match in cornering performance, so it's good to hear that everything is so interchangeable. That all sounds like a good plan and starting point for me. And if I'm ever in portland, I'll look you up!

Thanks,

Ryan

 

I have a friend that road races his STi, he gets CRAZY with his weight reduction. I don't think I'll ever be as hardcore as he is, but I will definitely be pulling out some of the blatantly unnecessary stuff.

I am kinda thinking of doing some sort of custom dash work since I despise the stock dash so much, but that wont be happening for a little while anyway.

Thanks for the info.

 

one more website- LS1tech tons of info on drivetrain, tuning, used parts sourcing, etc. there's people swapping these engines into everything under the sun, with builds from stock to exotic.

 

some more inspration- although it's an LT1, great read
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/641869

 

is this guy still in the area? his home town is literally a stone's throw away from me.