Remember that LX9 I bought to install in my '90 Isuzu Trooper. Yeah, that never happened. It's just been sitting on the stand in my garage for two years. The old iron-head 3.4L continues to start every time I ask it to and only leaks a moderate amount of oil.
I got it in my mind to build a car for the 24 Hours of LeMons, so I picked up a 1970 Opel Kadett Rallye with title off Craigslist for $250 (after waiting down their original $700 price). The idea was to run the original 1.9L CIH engine like Team Tinyvette does mostly successfully in their Opel GT. Well, the engine in the Kadett was partially disassembled by the previous owned and is now seized. I don't know how badly, I figured I'd just find myself another engine. So I asked a property owner if I could haul off an Opel GT that has been rotting there for 20 years (no title). Drug the GT home, got it running good after cleaning up the Weber and replacing the entire fuel system (still short a fuel tank, but I have something temp rigged up for testing).
Long story short, both cars have automatics and the GTs engine is the newer one that had it's compression lowered for emissions - so it's not as potent as I'd like. You know what would be pretty potent though? That LX9 I have sitting on the stand.
So, I took some measurements that verified the project is totally doable and earlier this week I yanked the engine and slushbox out of the Kadett. Have a lead on an S10's T5 transmission with 2.2 bell housing, clutch, etc that will mate with the LX9. I have a parts Trooper that will donate it's pedals, hydraulic clutch parts, probably brake booster and master, gauges, etc etc.
Let the fun begin! [edit: photobucket doesn't seem to be loading the pics I linked, you may or may not be able to see them]
LX9 with 3.4L RWD bracket and timing cover and 3400 UIM.
I got it in my mind to build a car for the 24 Hours of LeMons, so I picked up a 1970 Opel Kadett Rallye with title off Craigslist for $250 (after waiting down their original $700 price). The idea was to run the original 1.9L CIH engine like Team Tinyvette does mostly successfully in their Opel GT. Well, the engine in the Kadett was partially disassembled by the previous owned and is now seized. I don't know how badly, I figured I'd just find myself another engine. So I asked a property owner if I could haul off an Opel GT that has been rotting there for 20 years (no title). Drug the GT home, got it running good after cleaning up the Weber and replacing the entire fuel system (still short a fuel tank, but I have something temp rigged up for testing).
Long story short, both cars have automatics and the GTs engine is the newer one that had it's compression lowered for emissions - so it's not as potent as I'd like. You know what would be pretty potent though? That LX9 I have sitting on the stand.
So, I took some measurements that verified the project is totally doable and earlier this week I yanked the engine and slushbox out of the Kadett. Have a lead on an S10's T5 transmission with 2.2 bell housing, clutch, etc that will mate with the LX9. I have a parts Trooper that will donate it's pedals, hydraulic clutch parts, probably brake booster and master, gauges, etc etc.
Let the fun begin! [edit: photobucket doesn't seem to be loading the pics I linked, you may or may not be able to see them]
LX9 with 3.4L RWD bracket and timing cover and 3400 UIM.
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