5 ms·

Sounds a lot like the urban legend I read years (and years) ago, about the son of a Porsche dealer who dropped a Porsche Spyder engine into a Volkswagon Bug. Ac

Sounds a lot like the urban legend I read years (and years) ago, about the son of a Porsche dealer who dropped a Porsche Spyder engine into a Volkswagon Bug. According to the story, he had a lot of fun rolling up next to muscle cars at stop lights, and then watching them disappear in his rear view mirror.

empath75 9y ago
That’s called a sleeper car. A lot of people do that on purpose.
- vvanders 9y ago
  One of the great sleepers was the Dodge Turbo Minivan[1] [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3Gdm_e_hxs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3Gdm_e_hxs
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
hrrsn 9y ago
A sleeper car. Very common. :) https://youtu.be/EE5x9vlb0ss?t=25 https://youtu.be/EE5x9vlb0ss?t=25
oldcynic 9y ago
Favourite silliness was the chap who got a Rolls Meteor aero engine (27l v12) put into a 1920s Bentley: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/850bhp-aero-engined-bentley-sale https://www.topgear.com/car-news/850bhp-aero-engined-bentley... Was sold to Jay Leno.
- tim333 9y ago
  The 350mph jet school bus was kind of cool also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvAPzGCqVG0&feature=youtu.be&t=1m41s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvAPzGCqVG0&feature=youtu.be...
tyingq 9y ago
My favorite was the 190mph Volvette. A twin turbo corvette engine stuffed into a Volvo Station wagon. Pretty stealthily too.https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GFrPjMVhP04 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GFrPjMVhP04 and https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XBu6STlhh8Q https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XBu6STlhh8Q
- semi-extrinsic 9y ago
  Small Block into a Volvo 240 is a pretty common hack in Scandinavia, to the point that you can buy kits that have all the required hardware and necessary paperwork to get it approved. They won't do 190 mph, but they are able to convert rubber into smoke perfectly fine.
  - tyingq 9y ago
    Right...it's the second video where it jumps directly to outrunning a Yamaha R1 motorcycle that shows this isn't just a kit job.
p_eter_p 9y ago
Subaru engine, but same idea... https://youtu.be/hpb2Him9CUo https://youtu.be/hpb2Him9CUo
djsumdog 9y ago
Back in University, we had one guy in the dorms who said his Uncle Bill put a Miata engine in an MGB. We were contemplating how that would even remotely be possible; looking up pictures of forums boards of both engine bays. "Well I guess, if you remove all of x, y and z and made custom mounts..." We later learned this guy ones one of those bullshitters who would lie about everything; told us he was in the national guard and hat to shoot rubber bullets at people looting stores after tornadoes. He was our age and had one of those civilian IDs they give military family members. Next semester we ask the guy if his uncle will bring his MGB to the car show we were putting together. "Oh he sold it." .... right ... Anytime we had some crazy idea for our cars. "I wonder if I could convert my mom's Maxima to a 5spd," the respond would always be, "I BET UNCLE BILL COULD DO IT!"
- spitfire 9y ago
  In the UK they do put K-series[0] engines into the MGB. [0] The K-series is the descendant of the T16, which is the descendant of the M-series, which is the descendant of the O2-series, which is the descendant of the O-series, which is the engine that we /designed/ for the MGB, but never was put into the MGB before it was canceled. The O-Series instead went into a bunch of work vans and other hateful boxes instead. So he might have sort of been right. But he was probably still a royal bullshitter.
  - justinator 9y ago
    Apt username. Is that you, Mr. B?
  - poooogles 9y ago
    >The K-series is the descendant of the T16 Descendant only in the fact it came later. The engines share nothing from memory. The K series was an all new small capacity engine (1400cc) on release. Compared to the O, M and L (diesel) it's a fully aluminium block and head with steel damp liners. The K series had its bore and stroke upped to bring it to 1800cc after launch, along with adding variable valve control with the VCC engine. The two engines share very little in common, the most frequent thing being they're normally both attached to a a PG1 gearbox. Source: UK MG owner that used to own 300bhp ZR.
Animats 9y ago
That's been done more than once. Jalopnik has coverage.[1] [1] https://jalopnik.com/someone-should-buy-this-porsche-engined-beetle-so-i-don-1604908317 https://jalopnik.com/someone-should-buy-this-porsche-engined...
Frondo 9y ago
The best souped-up beater I've ever seen is the White Zombie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apoeGMWF17c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apoeGMWF17c (And he's in Oregon! go Oregon! haha) Acceleration to 60mph in 1.8 seconds. 1250 ft lbs of torque. This was in 2013, too.
shaftway 9y ago
There's a company that drops Chevy V8s into Miatas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CdOlX1iq_0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CdOlX1iq_0 Also, there's the guy that built a jet engine into his Beetle: http://www.ronpatrickstuff.com/ http://www.ronpatrickstuff.com/ > We get this a lot. A police officer picking at his nose while trying to figure out what to charge me with. Notice the hopeful anticipation of us on the right. We're rooting for him and offer suggestions but unfortunately, the California Department of Motor Vehicles did not anticipate such a vehicle so he's out of luck.
- sq_ 9y ago
  The guy from your second link seems to be simultaneously completely crazy and completely awesome. I love his edit: You have to give the California Department of Motor Vehicles (the DMV) credit for creativity on this one. A DMV insider has disclosed to me that the DMV has made a formal request to a federal agency to rule if my Beetle constitutes a threat to national security based on what could happen if it got into the wrong hands. This raises three questions in my mind: #1 Does this mean I’m the right hands? #2 If someone with the name "b_laden13" is the highest eBay bidder for my Beetle can I refuse his offer even if he has the prestigious eBay Red Shooting Star feedback rating (the highest)? #3 Would this affect my eBay rating?
gambiting 9y ago
The version I've heard was that someone dropped a Porsche engine into a Trabant, which apparently was an easy swap as some technology for the Trabant was stolen from porche and the engine would just fit straight away. Then the Trabant would smoke everyone from traffic lights. I guess it's just an urban legend.
jaclaz 9y ago
Well this is reknown here in Italy, not an urban legend at all, a Fiat 500 (the original model of the 60's) with a Porsche 911 3.2 liter engine: https://www.omniauto.it/foto/19417/fiat-500-porsche/302209 https://www.omniauto.it/foto/19417/fiat-500-porsche/302209 Now (after having fitted a Ferrari engine) have made another one with a Lamborghini V12 engine (Italian, but not bad at all via Google translate): http://motori.ilmessaggero.it/news/news_fiat_vecchia_500_pi_ugrave_potente_mondo_oemmed_igrave_padre_figlio_preparatori_viterbo_scommessa_nata_al_motor_show-195372.html http://motori.ilmessaggero.it/news/news_fiat_vecchia_500_pi_...
foobar1962 9y ago
Back in the 70s I had a motor magazine with a story titled “Big (Golf) Balls” about a German who split a Golf GTI down the middle to widen it, then put a Porsche 911 transaxle in the back. That would have been a Mk I Golf too. Back then the title was quite risqué.
pryelluw 9y ago
Dunno about a spyder engine, but I used to sometimes tune an old beetle with a 911 (930) turbo engine and transaxle. It ran 9s on the 1/4 in low boost. Shit was scary.
walshemj 9y ago
I have heard credible similar stories (from an employee) of airship industry's at cardington putting one of the spare 3/4 race Porsche engines (used in the airship) into a Volvo they used as a chase car.

empath75 9y ago

That’s called a sleeper car. A lot of people do that on purpose.

vvanders 9y ago
One of the great sleepers was the Dodge Turbo Minivan[1] [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3Gdm_e_hxs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3Gdm_e_hxs
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

hrrsn 9y ago

A sleeper car. Very common. :) https://youtu.be/EE5x9vlb0ss?t=25 https://youtu.be/EE5x9vlb0ss?t=25

oldcynic 9y ago

Favourite silliness was the chap who got a Rolls Meteor aero engine (27l v12) put into a 1920s Bentley: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/850bhp-aero-engined-bentley-sale https://www.topgear.com/car-news/850bhp-aero-engined-bentley... Was sold to Jay Leno.

tim333 9y ago
The 350mph jet school bus was kind of cool also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvAPzGCqVG0&feature=youtu.be&t=1m41s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvAPzGCqVG0&feature=youtu.be...

tyingq 9y ago

My favorite was the 190mph Volvette. A twin turbo corvette engine stuffed into a Volvo Station wagon. Pretty stealthily too.https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GFrPjMVhP04 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GFrPjMVhP04 and https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XBu6STlhh8Q https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XBu6STlhh8Q

semi-extrinsic 9y ago
Small Block into a Volvo 240 is a pretty common hack in Scandinavia, to the point that you can buy kits that have all the required hardware and necessary paperwork to get it approved. They won't do 190 mph, but they are able to convert rubber into smoke perfectly fine.
- tyingq 9y ago
  Right...it's the second video where it jumps directly to outrunning a Yamaha R1 motorcycle that shows this isn't just a kit job.

p_eter_p 9y ago

Subaru engine, but same idea... https://youtu.be/hpb2Him9CUo https://youtu.be/hpb2Him9CUo

djsumdog 9y ago

Back in University, we had one guy in the dorms who said his Uncle Bill put a Miata engine in an MGB. We were contemplating how that would even remotely be possible; looking up pictures of forums boards of both engine bays. "Well I guess, if you remove all of x, y and z and made custom mounts..." We later learned this guy ones one of those bullshitters who would lie about everything; told us he was in the national guard and hat to shoot rubber bullets at people looting stores after tornadoes. He was our age and had one of those civilian IDs they give military family members. Next semester we ask the guy if his uncle will bring his MGB to the car show we were putting together. "Oh he sold it." .... right ... Anytime we had some crazy idea for our cars. "I wonder if I could convert my mom's Maxima to a 5spd," the respond would always be, "I BET UNCLE BILL COULD DO IT!"

spitfire 9y ago
In the UK they do put K-series[0] engines into the MGB. [0] The K-series is the descendant of the T16, which is the descendant of the M-series, which is the descendant of the O2-series, which is the descendant of the O-series, which is the engine that we /designed/ for the MGB, but never was put into the MGB before it was canceled. The O-Series instead went into a bunch of work vans and other hateful boxes instead. So he might have sort of been right. But he was probably still a royal bullshitter.
- justinator 9y ago
  Apt username. Is that you, Mr. B?
- poooogles 9y ago
  >The K-series is the descendant of the T16 Descendant only in the fact it came later. The engines share nothing from memory. The K series was an all new small capacity engine (1400cc) on release. Compared to the O, M and L (diesel) it's a fully aluminium block and head with steel damp liners. The K series had its bore and stroke upped to bring it to 1800cc after launch, along with adding variable valve control with the VCC engine. The two engines share very little in common, the most frequent thing being they're normally both attached to a a PG1 gearbox. Source: UK MG owner that used to own 300bhp ZR.

Animats 9y ago

That's been done more than once. Jalopnik has coverage.[1] [1] https://jalopnik.com/someone-should-buy-this-porsche-engined-beetle-so-i-don-1604908317 https://jalopnik.com/someone-should-buy-this-porsche-engined...

Frondo 9y ago

The best souped-up beater I've ever seen is the White Zombie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apoeGMWF17c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apoeGMWF17c (And he's in Oregon! go Oregon! haha) Acceleration to 60mph in 1.8 seconds. 1250 ft lbs of torque. This was in 2013, too.

shaftway 9y ago

There's a company that drops Chevy V8s into Miatas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CdOlX1iq_0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CdOlX1iq_0 Also, there's the guy that built a jet engine into his Beetle: http://www.ronpatrickstuff.com/ http://www.ronpatrickstuff.com/ > We get this a lot. A police officer picking at his nose while trying to figure out what to charge me with. Notice the hopeful anticipation of us on the right. We're rooting for him and offer suggestions but unfortunately, the California Department of Motor Vehicles did not anticipate such a vehicle so he's out of luck.

sq_ 9y ago
The guy from your second link seems to be simultaneously completely crazy and completely awesome. I love his edit: You have to give the California Department of Motor Vehicles (the DMV) credit for creativity on this one. A DMV insider has disclosed to me that the DMV has made a formal request to a federal agency to rule if my Beetle constitutes a threat to national security based on what could happen if it got into the wrong hands. This raises three questions in my mind: #1 Does this mean I’m the right hands? #2 If someone with the name "b_laden13" is the highest eBay bidder for my Beetle can I refuse his offer even if he has the prestigious eBay Red Shooting Star feedback rating (the highest)? #3 Would this affect my eBay rating?

gambiting 9y ago

The version I've heard was that someone dropped a Porsche engine into a Trabant, which apparently was an easy swap as some technology for the Trabant was stolen from porche and the engine would just fit straight away. Then the Trabant would smoke everyone from traffic lights. I guess it's just an urban legend.

jaclaz 9y ago

Well this is reknown here in Italy, not an urban legend at all, a Fiat 500 (the original model of the 60's) with a Porsche 911 3.2 liter engine: https://www.omniauto.it/foto/19417/fiat-500-porsche/302209 https://www.omniauto.it/foto/19417/fiat-500-porsche/302209 Now (after having fitted a Ferrari engine) have made another one with a Lamborghini V12 engine (Italian, but not bad at all via Google translate): http://motori.ilmessaggero.it/news/news_fiat_vecchia_500_pi_ugrave_potente_mondo_oemmed_igrave_padre_figlio_preparatori_viterbo_scommessa_nata_al_motor_show-195372.html http://motori.ilmessaggero.it/news/news_fiat_vecchia_500_pi_...

foobar1962 9y ago

Back in the 70s I had a motor magazine with a story titled “Big (Golf) Balls” about a German who split a Golf GTI down the middle to widen it, then put a Porsche 911 transaxle in the back. That would have been a Mk I Golf too. Back then the title was quite risqué.

pryelluw 9y ago

Dunno about a spyder engine, but I used to sometimes tune an old beetle with a 911 (930) turbo engine and transaxle. It ran 9s on the 1/4 in low boost. Shit was scary.

walshemj 9y ago

I have heard credible similar stories (from an employee) of airship industry's at cardington putting one of the spare 3/4 race Porsche engines (used in the airship) into a Volvo they used as a chase car.