Today was a milestone.
bowtie6 had a trial fit of body, new frame and ECOTEC engine. The following pictures show what this all looks like.
Yes, there has been some “shaping” done to the body. The area past the firewall was in need of change to make room for the oil filter (on the driver’s side) and the thermostat housing (on the passenger’s side). For anyone thinking about doing this to a “stock” TR6: beware. There will be some work required on the firewall as well as the battery box tray on the stock TR6. Since bowtie6’s firewall had already been modified, this was a small change. Under the experts hands of my cousin Jim Thompson, there was some welding involved and voilà – the engine fits.
Once all that work was completed, I mixed up some of DuPont ChomaOne single stage urethane red paint and the bare areas were re-painted. This took some doing but the result is awesome. Tonight the new areas are drying and the plan is to bolt the new frame to the body permanently tomorrow.
Well… Here is what an ECOTEC looks like in a TR6 with a custom frame underneath it. Note how far back the new engine sits. This change is highly desirable in moving the weight back. This is indeed a great day!
Can I ask you about engine mounts and were on the block did you bolt them onto
. I am trying to mount a 2.2 ecotec engine in my Alfa Romeo spider
Any help here, photos,etc
Would be nice, thank you
Awesome swap you are working on. I would give my left nut for a classic Alfa Romeo. The first thing that comes to mind is the front suspension crossmember and how that will clear the oil pan. But that not your question.
The mounts we used I think were the stock “pads” from the Solstice and then, since we had a blank canvas to work with on the frame, we just fabricated the other side on the frame. You don’t want to go with a “solid” mount otherwise you would get vibrations that would be felt in the car. With something as nice as an Alfa Romeo, you want that a nice as possible.
Thanks for your question!
The shift lever is in a more forward location than a stock Solstice/Sky setup. Did you have it fabricated?
Yes, the shifter has been altered and moved forward.