[ZDan]

Originally Posted by Reaper

How does it sit further foreward? The fa20 is quite far away from the firewall as is.

And an LS engine is a lot longer than the stock flat-4. C.g. of the LS will indeed be further forward than the c.g. of the FA20, unless the firewall is cut out pretty extensively...

Go look at the other swap threads. @C130NAV or @Cross should have all the data.

I don't see weight numbers for a done, functioning, driving swapped car...

Originally Posted by Reaper

Fd is rotary l. No shit.

How is the FA different as far as weight and location go? Both are very short engines. I would guess that the FD's stock rotary with twin turbos weighs about the same as the FA20.

If anything, weight will move further forward swapping into an 86 than it does in the FD, because the engine placement is already so much further forward. In the FD, the V8 sits ~85% behind the front wheels. On the 86, it's gonna be about centered on the front wheels. An LS/T56 swapped into the FD puts the shifter about where it should be relative to the driver, actually a little *aft*. In at least one LS/T56 swap into an 86 (with the engine shoved back as far as possible with the stock firewall) the shifter was WAY forward of the hole in the tunnel. They had to resort to an "XL" version with the shifter moved 5.5" aft to get it to fit. That's how much further forward the FR-S/BRZ layout forces the engine in the chassis.

I'm not against the swap, but no one should be under any illusions that the weight distribution will improve without a TON of additional mods.

I think the *myth* of an LS swap moving the c.g. rearward is due to a builder claiming they could get similar results to what they get with swaps into BMW E36s. But that car is built around a very long and heavy inline 6. The LS is a *shorter* engine and about the same weight, so c.g. moves aft. The 86 is a completely different ballgame. LS is a *longer* engine, and also significantly heavier, so c.g. moves forward (unless other drastic measures are taken).
See previous conversation on the subject from this thread (see pages 10 and 11):
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showt...weight&page=11

From one of my posts from that thread:

Originally Posted by me

OK, found the Vorshlag build thread:
http://www.vorshlag.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8275

This is perfectly reasonable, the same thing applies to S30 Zcar swaps. Replace a fairly heavy and LONG iron-block inline 6 with a much shorter LS V8, and weight gain is minimal and weight distribution moves rearward, as the V8's center of mass is well AFT of the inline-6's.

Weight gain may be in the ballpark, but the weight *distribution* ramifications are totally different. The BMW is built around a LONG and heavy inline-6, as correctly noted. Swap in an engine that weighs about the same (maybe less) but with its c.g. several inches aft, and of course weight distribution moves aft.

But the FR-S is built around a very short H-4. Even if it's mounted a bit further forward than they could have mounted it, the much longer V8 will have its c.g. situated further forward in the car even if shoved as far back as possible. And while the LS engine is no heavier (maybe lighter) than a BMW iron-block I-6, it is certainly heavier than the FR-S' aluminum H-4. Significantly heavier engine, placed somewhat further forward:


There is no way c.g. is moving aft unless ballast is added to the rear. Hopefully it can come in at my previous guesstimation of 2800-2850 lb. and 56/54 weight distribution, but that might be optimistic.

Regardless, it looks like a fantastic build, and the car will be one BAMF and a HOOT to drive, no doubt! Looking forward to seeing it run