# non-Nissan RB26 transplants?



## kismetcapitan (Nov 25, 2005)

the RB26 has found its way into Z32s, S14s, even the Mk IV Supra. But what about European or American cars? There's the Mustang fastback that was done for the Tokyo Drift movie...but how about, say, sticking the Skyline GT-R engine and complete drivetrain into, say, an E24 BMW (which has a spot-on wheelbase with the Skyline GT-R). Or go RWD only into a GM F-Body Firebird or Camaro?

Thoughts? Ideas? With enough money anything is possible of course, but there are a fair number of cars that used a longitudinal straight-six engine layout where it'd be fairly simple to drop in an RB26 - just need to do the engine mounts and maybe some cut and paste to fit the transmission.


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## moosedoog (Jul 13, 2006)

ive always fancied the idea of an rb26 powered e30, couldnt do it to an original m3 though! ive owned a couple of e30s and like the way they look and drive but as usual with bmw the n/a engines arent worth playing with, too much money for not enough gains with potential for poor reliability on the older models.. i reckon you could drop an rb in if you know what youre doing for less than a good turbo conversion and rebuild on a 325 for instance.
that would make a wicked 500bhp sleeper........theres a few e30s with cosworth yb conversions, they look pretty interesting.

how about 2jz conversions though, isnt there a company in the states that specializes in them. i seem to remember an rx7 with a 1jz in it that they did that was awesome.


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## Eaze (Jun 19, 2009)

The thought of having a great engine in an american crustang or any "domestic" is horrible and shouldn't be wasted.

Although RB26 into a type of jeep sounds a bit intresting as for off road power.


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## xgundamx (Jun 20, 2008)

Its not a rb26 but there is a BMW e30 with a rb25det here in sweden


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## Jags (May 20, 2007)

RB26 has been put in an E36 race car and I've also got a BMW mag where an RB25 was put in to an old 5 series.


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## Tobie (Apr 22, 2009)

Here in South Africa it is quite common to see pickups, and tow trucks running the 7M-GTE Toyota motor, there are also a couple of 3 series BMW’s with the same type of conversion, a complete motor set you back 500 pounds.

RB25’s seems to get more and more popular as well.


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## Irish GTR (Apr 23, 2007)

kismetcapitan said:


> the RB26 has found its way into Z32s, S14s, even the Mk IV Supra. But what about European or American cars? There's the Mustang fastback that was done for the Tokyo Drift movie...but how about, say, sticking the Skyline GT-R engine and complete drivetrain into, say, an E24 BMW (which has a spot-on wheelbase with the Skyline GT-R). Or go RWD only into a GM F-Body Firebird or Camaro?
> 
> Thoughts? Ideas? With enough money anything is possible of course, but there are a fair number of cars that used a longitudinal straight-six engine layout where it'd be fairly simple to drop in an RB26 - just need to do the engine mounts and maybe some cut and paste to fit the transmission.


ANYTHING is possible indeed.


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## T04Z GTR (Dec 8, 2008)

Ive seen a couple of interesting coversions alrite, Oz seem to be mad for them...

how about an RB25 in a bongo van that i saw on you tube...:chuckle:

Or the Black & orange lada/Skoda type thing that been kicking about the net for some time with the RB25 conversion...


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## Irish GTR (Apr 23, 2007)

T04Z GTR said:


> Ive seen a couple of interesting coversions alrite, Oz seem to be mad for them...
> 
> how about an RB25 in a bongo van that i saw on you tube...:chuckle:
> 
> Or the Black & orange lada/Skoda type thing that been kicking about the net for some time with the RB25 conversion...


Seen 1 or 2 interesting conversions too myself.

The matt black lada just looks evil.


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## dan0h (Jul 26, 2002)

A friend of mine is currently fitting an RB26 into an S2000, not Euro or American I know but non-Nissan. Thats promising to be quite a conversion.


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## agent-x (Jul 26, 2008)

http://www.gtr.co.uk/forum/118301-crossbreed.html


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## T04Z GTR (Dec 8, 2008)

QUOTE = Irish GTR Seen 1 or 2 interesting conversions too myself.


& more to come....:chuckle::chuckle::chuckle:


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## Irish GTR (Apr 23, 2007)

T04Z GTR said:


> QUOTE = Irish GTR Seen 1 or 2 interesting conversions too myself.
> 
> 
> & more to come....:chuckle::chuckle::chuckle:


 You never know what could happen.....:chuckle::chuckle:


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## GouldyGTR (May 17, 2008)

ive always said if my r32 gtr gets written off i will buy the nice tidy Mk1 escort near me and chuck it in that!


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## Dynamix (Nov 1, 2007)

Seen an rb26 in a nissan patrol 4x4, and in vl commodores over here, also 300zx, 280zx, cefiro, laurel, jzx100, lc torana, lj torana.. Heaps of wierd rb26 powered cars in australia.


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## BenTaylor200 (Dec 5, 2001)

Lada:









Mustang:









BMW:


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## Conrad (Jul 29, 2004)

There is also a Toyota Corolla AE86 on YouTube with an RB26 in it


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## rb30r34 (Jun 30, 2008)

We are looking at doing a full gtr running gear including 4wd into an e30 3 series soon. Should be intersting.


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## Drifter_85 (Jun 13, 2009)

Here in the states ive seen rb25 powered bmw 318i and 325i and my body has a 7m in his 87 1/2 ton pick up doing 11's in the quarter mile. theres a couple rb26s in older 280's. Theres a honda s2000 with a 2jz pushing 1025hp. Im putting a rb26 in my GtS


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## R.I.P.S NZ (May 7, 2004)

We've done RB30 into S13s, Patrol 4x4, Datsun 1200 ute, 240z and now a dragster chassis.

I'm still waiting for someone to do a super light well handling kit car with all GTR running gear, now THAT would make for an interesting ride.


Rob


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## Lith (Oct 5, 2006)

They are all Nissans, Rob  



> I'm still waiting for someone to do a super light well handling kit car with all GTR running gear, now THAT would make for an interesting ride


Tommy Kaira ZZII, anyone?  Tommy Kaira ZZII - Wikicars

And a 990ps RB26 (with 2.8 Stroker+ T51R SPL) good enough to make a Greek man scream:
YouTube - RX7 FD WITH RB26 ENGINE 990 PS BY GTR RACING TUNING GREECE 1st run


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## tokes (Jul 16, 2006)

I've been having dreams of buying a good RB26 core off a friend, rebuilding it, and mating it up with a Getrag V160 stuffed into an FD3S body. That would be nice.


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## R.I.P.S NZ (May 7, 2004)

Lith said:


> They are all Nissans, Rob


One is a datsun and one is neither datsun or nissan mate


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## Hugo (Oct 1, 2007)

I know of a E46 wich got a RB26 transplant here in Holland.


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## Lith (Oct 5, 2006)

R.I.P.S NZ said:


> One is a datsun and one is neither datsun or nissan mate


Ah I tend to count Nissan/Datsun as the same thing and had a brief moment where I forgot Nissan never made rails :chuckle:


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## Irish GTR (Apr 23, 2007)

There 1 or 2 very interesting and very unusual projects out there allright.


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## tyndago (Oct 24, 2002)

R.I.P.S NZ said:


> I'm still waiting for someone to do a super light well handling kit car with all GTR running gear, now THAT would make for an interesting ride.


The idea has run though my mind a few times. We have all the parts to do it. Just so you don't need to deal with all the BS here in the US. 

Just the GT-R driveline is so heavy, so lightweight would be relative. 

The heavy lump of an RB26 with front diff, plus trans and transfercase. Get something closer to doing a transxle to spread the weight out a bit. You could use the stock trans and redo the front and rear propshafts.


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## Satansbodyguard (Oct 29, 2007)

here's the one i would like to build.........with an 800 bhp rb30 and full 4x4 GTR running gear :chuckle::chuckle:


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## Irish GTR (Apr 23, 2007)

Must resist....................must resist.


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## Cris (Sep 17, 2007)

Satansbodyguard said:


> here's the one i would like to build.........with an 800 bhp rb30 and full 4x4 GTR running gear :chuckle::chuckle:


If you ever see what's under the bodywork you might not be so impressed!

In honesty do the transplant with a TVR would be a lot easier than most others. They're a ladder chassis underneath so it wouldn't be the hardest thing in the world for an engineering firm to develop a new ladder chassis. The existing one had the option of a straight six so the engine will fit.

Given the price of rusty R32s about it seems ripe for a kit. There's a kit for the classic Imprezza about...


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## Satansbodyguard (Oct 29, 2007)

Cris said:


> If you ever see what's under the bodywork you might not be so impressed!
> 
> In honesty do the transplant with a TVR would be a lot easier than most others. They're a ladder chassis underneath so it wouldn't be the hardest thing in the world for an engineering firm to develop a new ladder chassis. The existing one had the option of a straight six so the engine will fit.
> 
> Given the price of rusty R32s about it seems ripe for a kit. There's a kit for the classic Imprezza about...


yeh looked a a few but it was a choice of a V8 one or a R32GTR but the 4x4 and the RB26 in the R has more potential then the V8 rear wheel drive TVR

but as a project........ never say never..........:thumbsup:


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## stumpybrown (Apr 4, 2006)

There's an RB26 powered E36 M3 in New Zealand doing the club racing scene in the South Island, but its being beaten by a R32 GTR, you have to wonder, all that work, for what? However, it is good to see some originality, fair play for being different


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## Lith (Oct 5, 2006)

If its the R32 GTR I am thinking of, isn't that thing a bit of a monster?


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## Philip (Jan 17, 2002)

Satansbodyguard said:


>


Z-Cars built a Cerbera with a single-turbo RB26 and GT-R running gear.

Philip


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## DrGtr (Jul 18, 2009)

YouTube - RX7 FD3S WITH RB26 ENGINE 990 PS BY GTR RACING TUNING GREECE

Rx7 with an rb26 good combo!!:thumbsup:


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## DrGtr (Jul 18, 2009)

an other one
YouTube - RX7 FD WITH RB26 ENGINE 990 PS BY GTR RACING TUNING GREECE 1st run


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## TYSON (Oct 25, 2008)

I am currently working on a skymer (skyline engine in bmw e36). Its taken a few months to source the parts at the right price but other than a clutch I now finally have everything I need. 

As of today I am part way through rebuilding the engine, put the first piston back in last night. Cant wait to have it all back together, hopefully this weekend. 

I have pretty much everything figured out other than the sump which will need to be modified. Please note this is just a bit of fun so dont be mean or expect RIPS level build 

here are a few pics, still loads of work to do. Note I only used the skyline bumper as it was free and I get far to carried away when i'm left alone 

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/8330/dsc00151je.jpg
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/2161/dsc00149sx.jpg
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/7201/dsc00133x.jpg
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/3406/dsc00136ig.jpg


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## Irish GTR (Apr 23, 2007)

Something unusual.


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## GTRSTILL (Jul 27, 2006)

An RB26 feels like it would fit to a E46 M3. I cant believe the size would be that different. An automated manual SMG box bolted to the back would be a challenge but also fun.


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## pinn0025 (Sep 18, 2009)

kismetcapitan said:


> the RB26 has found its way into Z32s, S14s, even the Mk IV Supra. But what about European or American cars? There's the Mustang fastback that was done for the Tokyo Drift movie...but how about, say, sticking the Skyline GT-R engine and complete drivetrain into, say, an E24 BMW (which has a spot-on wheelbase with the Nissan Skyline GT-R). Or go RWD only into a GM F-Body Firebird or Camaro?
> 
> Thoughts? Ideas? With enough money anything is possible of course, but there are a fair number of cars that used a longitudinal straight-six engine layout where it'd be fairly simple to drop in an RB26 - just need to do the engine mounts and maybe some cut and paste to fit the transmission.


Of course...i mean its possible with enough money. Were you thinking about doing this?


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