Thread: Asking the impossible .........SR20 in a Spitfire?

Hello gurus - newbie here.

Just out of sheer chance I happen to have pre Ca. smog '74 Spitfire sans drive train and a brand new ( yes, brand new ) SR20 sitting in the other end of my garage. Over a cold beer just hanging in my garage the idea hit me of marrying the 2. After all the SR20 is putting out roughly 3x the hp and torque for the same weight as the Brit iron lump that came out of the Spit.

Now not knowing if my SR20 came out of a FWD or RWD as I'd have to dig up a bellhousing and tranny. This is where the fun begins.

After days of scouring the inet I can't find out exactly what I've got. From what I could find the clues are:

Has distributor not COP.
Head code is 53J 0L
Block code is 53J as well ( there are also some numbers running vertically that are not part of the casting near the block casting code that appear to be silk screened )
Injectors are red

Now from what scraps I can piece together this would appear to be out of 91-93 SE-R or G20 Infinity

So..............

1) Where can I source the correct bellhousing and tranny out of say a 240SX or whatever ( Where do the drifters get their parts ?)
2) With the distributor does this thing need an ECU to run?
3) Can you even convert a FWD motor to run as RWD?

Any help here MOST appreciated ( can I send a case of beer FedEx?)

Thank you
Wm. Mc Arthur
Oceanside, Ca.

1) SOKO? One of those Japanese motor import companies? Not sure. I don't know if you mean custom to your application/chassis or you mean the standard 240SX housing
2) I don't know of any modern motor that doesn't at least need some sort of ECU whether it custom, stand alone etc
3) Yes, sometimes a little more work and fabrication though. The 240SX guys who swap in the SR20DET's are a good example

Thanks for the reply

Yea, big question is I know the SR20 was used in RWD applications but not sure in what Nissan model. Now IF it was ever used in a RWD is sourcing the bellhousing to mount a rwd tranny an impossible task. Said another way, can a SR20 that was in a FWD application simply be used in a RWD setup by just sourcing the correct bell housing and tranny or are there no RWD bell housings that will bolt up to a FWD SR20 ? If so, what Nissan models used the SR20 in a RWD setup? I thought the SX2000 or the 240SX were possibilities but can't seem to pin it down.

This question seems to be a real ball buster.

S13, S14, S15 are all RWD chassis equipped with an SR20DE or SR20DET in Japan and all other countries except the USDM.

53J stampings are FWD models. Not sure what the RWD stampings would be.

Pics of the engine will surely tell if a FWD or RWD variant.

You will definitely need the ECU, the injectors are ONLY controlled via the ECU, as is the ignition spark via the distributor. No ECU, no engine. You'll also obviously need a wiring harness to match the ECU, I would suggest the OBD I from the B13 to simplify things, but it may take some work finding these parts at your local salvage yard.

OK, thank - I'll try to post some pics from various angles.

::sigh:: - why Nissan has done the things they have - I will never understand. The 2002 SE-R Spec V would have been perfect for a SR20VE motor. Hence the "V" in the trim. I remember a big rumor going around back circa 2000-2001 about this - and then Mike Kojima made a post on the old SE-R mailing list putting it to rest and talking about the QR25

89 98 Nissan 240sx s14 Rear Differential LSD ABS Limited Slip Diff 127K Miles | eBay

I wish to take my b13 and rwd swap but hell if u want to make monster, here ya go. this ebay seller should have everything you need...GL