So, seeing as how some people already know about this, I decided to make it into a progress thread. About 2 weeks ago, I picked up my new winter project/summer car. It’s a 1999 Sunfire GT CONVERTIBLE. It had the 2.4L engine with a manual transmission (243,000kms), power windows, locks, mirrors, and top, with cruise and tilt. Bought it from a .org member living in Ajax. He was the original owner of the car, and had it as a show car. Long story short, he’s expecting a family and needed to get rid of one of his 4 cars lol. This is what it looked like when I brought it home:






So, I was originally planning on swapping all the parts from my coupe over to the vert during the winter, but the more I thought about it, the more I didn’t want to swap all my engine mods over to a 2.4L Izuzu with 240k+kms, so an engine swap was going to be needed. Seeing as how this is a pre 2000, a new interior harness is going to be needed as well. So that’s where we (Gary and I) started. Ripping out the old harness and installing the new one from a 00+ red zed with the power options needed:








We had to figure out which wires controlled the top because we weren’t going to be able to find a 00+ convertible interior harness in a junkyard lol. So, after troubleshooting for quite some time, we started installing the “new” harness, and got the interior mostly back together:





And the trunk wiring is complete, and the 03+ rear end was swapped over. Long story about trunklids…but this is why I had that RkSport spoiler on my car…thanks Wayde





Next up…the engine! Removed the bumper and crush guard, fenders, rad/ac, hood, etc. and started pulling it apart and hoisting it out:











Pressure washing the engine bay:






Made yet another trip to the junkyard to get the new engine. A 2.2L Ecotec with approx. 70k. It’s an Auto that has a cracked cover plate, but our buddy Cody has a manual that can be swapped onto it






We are now at the fun part…relocating the tranny mounts.

Big thanks to Gary for all the help.

C&C Welcome





BUY MY SAAB TURBO SETUP! --> http://www.j-body.org/classifieds/detail/61091/

sweet should be nice once it's all done.

Doin' work son!

Looks like some great progress so far. Keep on it.

I want to see this thing running.






Supercharged 2002 Cavalier Z24
J-Body Bash Veteran

cant say i understand swapping a smaller engine into the car but whatever...

good progress.



Familiar Taste of Poison.

teeeheeee

welcome to the eco brother hood my friend, you have been healed lol

Very nice! That's gonna be a great car when your done. You keeping the steering wheel controls? I'm always jelous when I see those.




Member of J-body of Michigan.

you'll probably never hear me utter these words again...



i dont hate that wing. granted, the two wing setup looks really silly, but i think it actually looks decent.



JBO Stickers! Get yours today!

very nice! i'm liking this! much props from me!



WiGM-Tuners member.

Wow...I can't wait till I pull the 2.4 on mine, but I need a trans before that happens. Keep up the good work!

im digging where this is going





RIP JESSE GERARD.....Youll always be in my thoughts and prayers...

The 03-05 rear end swap is SEXY! do the front swap too! Great work, cannot wait to see more progress!!! Droptops FTMFW!!



Flickr Photostream Facebook Twitter

z yaaaa wrote:cant say i understand swapping a smaller engine into the car but whatever...

good progress.

with the weight saving from the eco alone... our verts need that lol.. now i want an eco in my vert. but i do love my 2.4 for now. good thread. love the seats.

lookin great so far. if you need anything PM me cuz I have a bunch of eco parts laying around

nice project. looks like a lot of fun too, keep us updated



JBOK.org / J-Bodies of Kentucky

z yaaaa wrote:cant say i understand swapping a smaller engine into the car but whatever...

good progress.

Easy only a 10bhp drop with losing .2L.


Also ECO > LD9




I had too.



Tinkles

2003 Cavalier 1SV
Bagged and Blown

AZ24Ncav wrote:

z yaaaa wrote:cant say i understand swapping a smaller engine into the car but whatever...

good progress.

with the weight saving from the eco alone... our verts need that lol.. now i want an eco in my vert. but i do love my 2.4 for now. good thread. love the seats.

On the tundra the switch from 4.7L iron block to 4.6L aluminum block was 65lbs on the V8. So here I am guesstimating 25-35lbs max. Although little, it is something.



Nice to see how GM reinforced the chassis.






>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----

hooray for 03 swaped verts , been thinkin abotu eco swap myself of 3400.

It was a big toss-up bewteen staying LD9 or getting an Eco, and I figured doing the Eco swap would be alot more rare. I've never seen an Eco vert, and Im sure 95% or more people haven't seen it either. (I know theres 1 or 2 ppl on here with it). Plus, theres more potential from an Eco.

DaFlyinSkwirl - Do you happen to have an Eco clutch and flywheel in good shape? Not really looking for anything aftermarket....yet

Progress from today:
Got the Eco torn apart, and the manual tranny on so that it can be taken in and out of the bay to figure out where the mounts need to be welded. The engine is sitting in the car now via the top engine mount and the tranny resting on the sub-frame







BUY MY SAAB TURBO SETUP! --> http://www.j-body.org/classifieds/detail/61091/

i just sold my old fidanza flywheel to QBE not that long ago so I'm short in that department... no clutches currently tho.

come to think of it, the only thing you might be interested in if you're looking for it is an eco specific radiator. low miles, its for an auto but it works fine for manual too.

gl with the project. sounds alot like what im planning on doin this winter with my vert. but im already ahead of ya with the motor swap lol. just got 2 do the tranny swap and swap all my other parts over. cant wait for more progress pix. oh and heres a teaser

YOU are way ahead of him with the swap? Come on give credit properly I was going to chime in to let him know he wasn't the first Eco swapped vert though, on behalf of your fancy little red car


On the other hand....you have other fingers.

In my family we teach that boys have a God-stick and girls have a Shame Cave. -John Stewart

Loving this beyond words. I can't wait to see the end result!

JLAudioCavalier wrote:YOU are way ahead of him with the swap? Come on give credit properly I was going to chime in to let him know he wasn't the first Eco swapped vert though, on behalf of your fancy little red car

well i will give credit to paul for all he did to this car. but i also get some credit in this too! i was the one that drove with paul and picked this motor up and hauled it back to his house in my truck. and i also helped him install part of the motor! so i get credit! lol. the rest of whats done to this car will b all me lol

hahaha yeah and I can't wait to see it man. I believe I got a rough idea of what you planned to do to it body wise, and I am going to be a HUGE fan, if I am right


Ok, no more thread jacking from us! lol


On the other hand....you have other fingers.

In my family we teach that boys have a God-stick and girls have a Shame Cave. -John Stewart

i couldn't just not click a thread titled eco vert lol. I see my 2 friends have beat me here. Kyle was definitely a big help in getting that thing running. I have to give clyde moore credit for making it all work

sweet project though. What I did for my body harness, was I got online on car-part.com, and search for convertible tops for sunfires. I then called each junkyard asking for a price for a body harness. I ended up getting one with the doors cut off (matched perfectly to the old harness) for 75 + shipping. Everything else wanted 325+ for a body harness. Good luck with the modification of the harness. It doesn't run through the BCM, so you can wire it up pretty easy. Good luck! You'll need it I promise!