There’s any number of vehicles out there begging for an engine swap. But few, we’d argue, deserve it quite like the Honda S2000. And we’re not alone on that front.
Just check put this roadster featured in the latest Build Biology video from The Hoonigans. Instead of the standard 2.0-liter straight four, this Schmuck (that’s actually his name) fitted the V6 from an Acura TL sedan. Not just any TL, either: this is the 3.2-liter J32A2 engine from the second-gen (circa 1999-2003) Type-S. And while he was at it, he bolted a couple of turbochargers on there, too.
From the look of it (and owner/builder Jason Schmuck’s story), it wasn’t a simple job. And he didn’t take many shortcuts, either. There’s a swap kit available for these sixes, but there was still a lot of work to do – not least of which was building the six-inch-thick intercooler, the intake manifold, and the titanium exhaust, all from scratch. Putting the radiators in the back and rerouting the entire cooling system couldn’t have been easy, either. By the time he was done, it took some 100 hours just for welding.
So how much power does it make, you wonder? Nearly 500 horses, and that’s with those giant Garrett GT3576 spools running just 7 PSI of boost. Crank ’em up (if the transmission allows) and it’d kick out a lot more than that, we gather.
Of course Jason didn’t just swap the engine, with all that entailed, and leave it at that. He also upgraded the brakes, suspension, rolling stock, and aero kit. He also stripped out the interior and fitted a full roll cage, racing bucket, and Sparco wheel. And he had it all painted in the same Protonic Blue you’d expect to see on a BMW i8, and had the otherwise stock hood cut out to showcase the turbos.
We could go on geeking out, but you’ll really want to watch the full sixteen-minute video to get the whole picture – and to hear the engine rev, the turbo spool, and the tires smoke.