LS1 swap kit for FR-S for $1500?

[cornel45]

I've been looking into engine swap options lately and today I found a company called CXracing that makes the full swap kit with the engine mounts, transmission mounts, headers and Y pipe, and a couple other little things for $1500. It is the first one to the market as far as I can tell and apparently well priced.
Has anyone had any experience with this company or maybe even installed one of their kits into an FRS/BRZ? I might be interested in buying it but would love to hear independent review of this kit from someone that actually used it. Their stuff is on ebay and their website if you want to google it for pictures and prices. They have pictures of the swap and it looks pretty good to me.
Only downside is you would have to cut off the two heater tubes at the back of the engine to make the engine fit, which means no heat inside the car?
Anyone have any input on this?

[go_a_way1]

Originally Posted by cornel45

I've been looking into engine swap options lately and today I found a company called CXracing that makes the full swap kit with the engine mounts, transmission mounts, headers and Y pipe, and a couple other little things for $1500. It is the first one to the market as far as I can tell and apparently well priced.
Has anyone had any experience with this company or maybe even installed one of their kits into an FRS/BRZ? I might be interested in buying it but would love to hear independent review of this kit from someone that actually used it. Their stuff is on ebay and their website if you want to google it for pictures and prices. They have pictures of the swap and it looks pretty good to me.
Only downside is you would have to cut off the two heater tubes at the back of the engine to make the engine fit, which means no heat inside the car?
Anyone have any input on this?

I think someone install one of their turbos and it blew up on them like right away haha. I am not sure I would trust "China Express" (Thats what I think CX stands for :p )

[raven1231]

Yeah CX racing makes crap. There is a forum member who was the r and d car for both their ls1 kit and 2jz kit. I'm sure he will chime in.

[cornel45]

Originally Posted by raven1231

Yeah CX racing makes crap. There is a forum member who was the r and d car for both their ls1 kit and 2jz kit. I'm sure he will chime in.

I figure it probably won't be the best quality but the price is very attractive and there isn't much to go wrong with things like motor mounts and transmission mounts. I suppose they could be made of thin material or poor welding, but the pictures they have of these parts look pretty solid and well made. Don't know much about headers but as long as fitment is correct, I don't see much that can go wrong with them, at least not something that could damage anything else.
I would love to hear from the guy that provided his car for R&D.

[cornel45]

I just saw that they include a baffled aluminum oil pan as part of this kit for $1500. Seems like most of the hard work would be done for a swap like this for cheap.

[Draco_PR23]

The member is @Amir Ghadiri

Below is his journal:
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74391

[raven1231]

Originally Posted by Draco_PR23

The member is @Amir Ghadiri

Below is his journal:
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74391

Thanks! Couldn't remember his name!

[Draco_PR23]

Originally Posted by raven1231

Thanks! Couldn't remember his name!

No problem

[wparsons]

Originally Posted by cornel45

I figure it probably won't be the best quality but the price is very attractive and there isn't much to go wrong with things like motor mounts and transmission mounts. I suppose they could be made of thin material or poor welding, but the pictures they have of these parts look pretty solid and well made. Don't know much about headers but as long as fitment is correct, I don't see much that can go wrong with them, at least not something that could damage anything else.
I would love to hear from the guy that provided his car for R&D.

They could also be made to bad measurements (or a bad jig) and put the engine into a place where it rubs (or is fully in the way) of something important like steering parts or the firewall.

Headers would be in the same ballpark.

It might work, or you might be spending A LOT of time and money to correct them with custom parts.

[Spartarus]

They're fine, and they have plenty of room for adjustment / fine tuning. The "jig" that they were made on was an actual FRS belonging to a forum member. The fitment is apparently spot on.

The big hurdle is the heater hoses on the firewall. You have to cut them to make the motor fit far enough back. Relocating them (if you want a working heater) will be a pain.

Other than that, the LS will fit with a stock corvette/camaro LT1 front-end accessory drive package (which includes alternator and A/C compressor).

[Amir Ghadiri]

As you all know I am running their product on my car - LS Swap kit, LS Turbo kit (turbo kit isn't released yet) - The product is good, and the quality is there. I let CX use my car for R&D for their FA20 turbo kit, and brought it back for my LS swap because I was happy with the turbo kit (It outlasted my motor twice). You'd be hard pressed to find a better swap kit on the market today.

As far as the heater lines go, you actually don't have a problem. Mine were bent over during R&D, but they didn't need to be (now I need a new heater core lol, thanks CX). You can fit heater hoses without a problem.

If anybody has any questions, feel free to ask me. I'm not endorsed by CX, they only use my car for R&D. So I would tell you it's crap if it were crap

Oh, and CX is the initials of the two owners. Not China Express

[Spartarus]

Originally Posted by Amir Ghadiri

As you all know I am running their product on my car - LS Swap kit, LS Turbo kit (turbo kit isn't released yet) - The product is good, and the quality is there. I let CX use my car for R&D for their FA20 turbo kit, and brought it back for my LS swap because I was happy with the turbo kit (It outlasted my motor twice). You'd be hard pressed to find a better swap kit on the market today.

As far as the heater lines go, you actually don't have a problem. Mine were bent over during R&D, but they didn't need to be (now I need a new heater core lol, thanks CX). You can fit heater hoses without a problem.

If anybody has any questions, feel free to ask me. I'm not endorsed by CX, they only use my car for R&D. So I would tell you it's crap if it were crap

Oh, and CX is the initials of the two owners. Not China Express

Thanks for the info. Only 1 more fitment question. Which version of the T56 did you use to get the shifter lined up? Did you have to make a shifter extension?

[Amir Ghadiri]

Originally Posted by Spartarus

Thanks for the info. Only 1 more fitment question. Which version of the T56 did you use to get the shifter lined up? Did you have to make a shifter extension?

T56 with the GTO shifter setup fits dead center in the factory location

[Basket Case]

Originally Posted by Amir Ghadiri

As you all know I am running their product on my car - LS Swap kit, LS Turbo kit (turbo kit isn't released yet) - The product is good, and the quality is there. I let CX use my car for R&D for their FA20 turbo kit, and brought it back for my LS swap because I was happy with the turbo kit (It outlasted my motor twice). You'd be hard pressed to find a better swap kit on the market today.

As far as the heater lines go, you actually don't have a problem. Mine were bent over during R&D, but they didn't need to be (now I need a new heater core lol, thanks CX). You can fit heater hoses without a problem.

If anybody has any questions, feel free to ask me. I'm not endorsed by CX, they only use my car for R&D. So I would tell you it's crap if it were crap

Oh, and CX is the initials of the two owners. Not China Express

How has the handling ben effected by the swap? I really want to go this route, but i do't want to drift. I want the car to handle very similar to stock so that I can still enjoy twisty roads and tracking.

Thanks in advance.