Despite figuring out how to drill holes inside holes
and cutting material thicknesses down wherever possible, my junk is getting heavy. The biggest problem, really, is my desire to run my Q78's. On steel beadlocks, they are seriously heavy and you can feel them sapping power. As you'd be aware, I've coiled the rear (more weight 
) and I'm going to coil the front (more weight ) but what that allows is better handling and the ability to take bigger hits - so more speed is possible. I could lean on the tuning, upgrade to a cappuccino or K6A motor, but the gearbox is also going to get marginal with more power heading in to it- it's 1.0 sized, and I'd really like an Auto. So, I'm playing with post AT10 motor swap ideas.
Rules are thus: It needs to be cheap, available and come with an available, short, 4 speed auto. I can't deal with a 3 speed, or I have to regear my diff$ or tran$fer. I won't swap into something that has to have a manual.
It needs to be native RWD, or available in a RWD version.
Absolutely no carbies.
It needs to make power. I'm looking for over 100hp/76KW. I'd normally say 100HP is the useful limit for a sierra, but with 78's, coils and 100" of wheelbase, I reckon it can handle more than that. I dunno, maybe even 150HP or more is feasible.
It would help me if it was weird and/or factory turbo.
It needs to be newer than about 1986 so if I want to engineer one into a newer car I can.
I'm open to buying a whole car to do the swap if it's cheap enough.
Here's some ideas:
Series 4 Mazda RX-7 13B "6 port" rotary and jatco 4 speed auto
Pro: Revs, 117Kw, native auto, EFI low COG
Con: fuel consumption, exhaust noise and heat, finding a good clean one- heavily absorbed into tuning culture.
Volvo B230/turbo
Pro: Cheap (really cheap) plenty of power, especially in turbo form. Garrett T3 turbo (or later a Mitsu T04) Great auto. Look like a good fit.
Con: Really heavy. (175KG
) Did I mention heavy?BMW 318 (heaps of variants)
Pro: Great auto. Lots around. Strong.
Con: Stodgy to drive unless I find a 16V one. complex efi once you get to E36 (post 1991)
CA18/DET Nissan
Pro: Powerful as a turbo. Strong auto. Lots available. possibly more reliable than the SR20 (more stable valvegear), and more compact.
Con: Old. Often driven very hard in import cars and come out of very tired, smashed 180SX's with P plates on them. Hmmm.
SR20 Nissan
Pro: Everywhere. Powerful. Very powerful and with a huge midrange, as a turbo. (140 odd kw stock) Good auto. lots of experience with tuning them around.
con: similar to CA (but not as old) Very bulky, much more so than the CA18 common too.
4AGE 88kw/100kw/GZE/20V
Pro: Powerful. Everywhere. Sound lovely with a deep, hollow note under power - nicely distinctive. Lots of variants. Lots of revs. Reliable.
Con:No easy way to run a 4 speed auto. No native RWD auto. Commonly swapped. Expensive for desirable variants.
H20 V6 Vitara
Pro: It's a 6, It's a suzuki, and it comes with a AW-4
Con: Not a great fit. Hard to find. Marginal power compared to other options here. (100kw) complex. limited tuning culture so expensive parts.
What have I forgotten/not considered? I'd love an alloy scat V4 or a hemi midget motor or a LS7 but let's be sensible. This is an unengineered, $1K clunker. Bring me your weird ideas.
PS I'm not crazy about a G16 baleno/AW-4. Not quite enough power, too common, and not really even that cheap. It's a great swap, just not a great swap for me.
Steve.
