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Project is still going super slowly but going

Your Talon sounds like it was too nice to butcher. Mine had been just totaled for massive cosmetic damage so it became my donor. I'm a big rotary fan(daily drive an rx7), i would have prefered a rotary but a free donor is a free donor. And i wanted lots of power potential which the 4G has.

As for challenges with a 4G:
it isnt really any taller than most modern DOHC 4 cyl of simliar displacement. Miata motor is right next to it. i dont remember exact numbers. but its mostly irrelavant because all inline 4 will stick well above from rails in a locost so an inch taller wont hurt. remember the hood is custom made to go over motor, not like a swap in an exsisting chassis that is made for a specific motor to fit in.

The exhaust being on rpassenger sidce of car i like so i dont have to deal with as driver. as for manifold being on rear of motor, i took the cut and reweld apporach. my buddy and fellow locoster has a nice TIG welder. worked out ok so far. but i havent pressure tested it
the turbo inlet and outlet i'm not real worried about. i can get new inlet and outlet made easy(same locoster friend, he made scratch built ones for his miata turbo setup)

The engine management i'm not worried about. I dont plan to upgrade from the 14b turbo till i want more than 300hp. And then i would probably just go with a megasquirt setup if i wanted full control. Not likely to go that route though as i'm betting 250-300 whp on a locost will be fun for a while. although i would like a MAFT or such so i can run speed density or a smaller MAF instead of the giant 1g maf.

Wether to use a 4g or miata or anything else is dependant on budget and desires.
I wanted massive power potential(even if i never get that potiential realized). And i wanted cheap as possible.
So a miata or toyota 22r or many other 4cyl is out for cheap or easy big power. I love the rotary so i would've settled for a rotary but then my Talon fell in my lap as a free donor so i said ok! I also had the hook up on other parts like a free supra transmission to use with the 4g-toyota RWD adapter and a supra rear end that will hold plenty of power. These are things other people would have to source and probably pay for if using a 4g.

so if you are happy to build super light fun car, miata isnt bad. especially if work space is limited and a one donor car is a plus for you.
If you want power and less concern of super lightweight then i'd search beyond miata.

Also depends on your defiinition of power. I wanted my locost to keep in sights of my sportbike. that needs the area of 300hp whereas most people seem to b happy with lots less.

Hope this helps. good building and welcome to the forum

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90 talon as old dd turned into donor for the locost
06 suzuki sv1ks for the kneedragging fix

mitsu 4g63 powered 442e - viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7317&start=0

I think with the cam gears the 4G63 is much taller (by "much" I mean 1.5-2", which I guess could be a lot or a little) than a Miata engine. I've had both cars but I never measured. If I went the 4G63 route I'd probably fabricate a low profile rear sump oil pan. A friend of mine did it in is his RWD drag Talon, said it cost him about $85 and few hours time.

I guess there's nothing wrong with having the turbo face the back of the car, just seems funny to me.

I'd look into ECMLink Lite, it has the ability to do speed density and gives you a whole lot more than what a MAFT will as far as engine management. I would put it head to head with a Megasquirt at probably 2/3 the price. The major benefit being your car will run like stock at idle and cruise out of the box. Then you have the potential of making a lot more HP. I'd seriously look into it. ECMLink.com is the website I think.

You've seriously got me thinking about the 4G63 again. I wonder how it'd work out in a book frame...

2" isn't a lot taller I don't figure but I guess that is a realtive measurement that I won't really know if it matters till everything is bolted in and I see if it all fits.. I was going to try the stock talon oil pan. I know a lot of people worry about oil starvation and such but I figure i'd watch mhy gauges and see.

I figure I can turn the turbo if needed and deal with those problems as they arise. not the best planning method but its hard to figure how it'll all plan until motor is mounted and I have exact fitment and what problem is.

I'll check into ECMLink Lite. Never read up 100% on ECM Link. Just know of it. I like how you said stock idle. Its a DSM, there is no stock idle(DSM joke )

If you want power I think a 4g is the way to go. And you know the quirks and problems with the 4g so that's more than half the battle.
Not sure about book frame. I'll let you know how it fits into my 442!!

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90 talon as old dd turned into donor for the locost
06 suzuki sv1ks for the kneedragging fix

mitsu 4g63 powered 442e - viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7317&start=0

I got my first DSM in 1999. I've had three more since then. We all had hacked air meters and were running bigger injectors with factory dead times and Super AFCs. My car idled like crap a lot of the time. It got better when I added a spring loaded flapper door to the air meter. But still not great.

That's largely a thing of the past. My 1996 was the most modified DSM I ever had and the idle was 100% smooth. It was ridiculous. I probably would've even preferred something that didn't sound so damn sanitary. Except I'm 30 now and appreciate cars that don't die when you pull up to a stoplight. That's what my old Talon did with the first iteration of my hacked air meter. Chicks did not dig it.

I'm really wondering if I could get a 4G63 into a book frame. I really like the look of the book frame builds. I don't want to do a +442 (no offense, just not for me).

So a multiple DSM owner. You must really hate yourself
I joke but I know the pain of owning a dsm. My talon was my first and will be my last. For a 4 cyl I love the motor but not a big awd or fwd fan so that kills the rest of the car for me. If Mitsu would have keep the starion around for a halo car i'd probably still be a loyal Mitsu customer but ohwell!

As for the 4g in a book frame, the bare motor will definitely fit but the factory intake and a turbo right off exhaust mani might not. It might take a cutom intake and remote mount turbo. My buddy has managed to squeeze a miata motor and evo7 16g turbo in the engine bay of a book frame but its very 'creative'. Too much for me.
Search for user SteyrTMP on the forum here if you're bored.
As for frame choice I'm a big guy and I want comfort(relatively speaking) so the book frame wasn't an option for me. If I didn't mind the squeeze fit or I was smaller I would go book frame and would've made it work.

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90 talon as old dd turned into donor for the locost
06 suzuki sv1ks for the kneedragging fix

mitsu 4g63 powered 442e - viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7317&start=0

An inch or two can matter quite a lot. I have less than an inch of clearance between my engine cam cover (Miata) and hood.(oops, i mean bonnet).

That's what she said!

Now back to regularly scheduled serious discussion.

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mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.

another inch or two and i'd still be married

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90 talon as old dd turned into donor for the locost
06 suzuki sv1ks for the kneedragging fix

mitsu 4g63 powered 442e - viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7317&start=0

In for the updates! I'm an ex-DSMer as well and I'm currently trying to decide on going 4g63 AWD locost, RWD, or BEC middy obviously not in a 7 style car.

Not a lot of progress. Just been grinding and fitting the mounts for rear subframe. Haven't spent much time in garage this summer unfortunetly. My work schedule looks to be slowing down but the daily drivers are starting to want attention.

As for which route for you to take it depends on your goals and intended usage. And what type of vehicle you like for those intended uses.
As for AWD locost I would't bother unless you can make a rear engine setup like a lamborgihini or porsche. If sticking to factory set up it'll be easier to just strip a DSM out, cut roof off and take doors off and reinforce the unibody and drive the piss out of it. Not as unique as a handbuilt 7 but much easier.

Keep in touch with what you decide and any questions. We always welcome more Locosters!!

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90 talon as old dd turned into donor for the locost
06 suzuki sv1ks for the kneedragging fix

mitsu 4g63 powered 442e - viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7317&start=0

Well, we finally got to get some work done recently...

The frame almost ready for the Supra subframe:



Closeup:



Another closeup:



Better overall of the frame as it stands:



Well, we finally have it in! Over holiday vacation, we got together for an evening and got to work. Albeit, it's not final--the final edition won't have 7 washers per side... just need shorter bolts. He's looking for the Toyota factory cupped washers for the bottom of the bushings, if not, we'll just use/make large washers for the underside.

It took quite a bit of drilling small holes and enlargening them to the correct diameter and location with a die grinder... boring. Literally.

Bolted in:



Side:



No, I don't think that subframe is going anywhere any time soon.



Next plan is to bolt on the rear suspension to get a good idea of coilover location and to modify the fifth suspension point. Being 5-link, and the Supra subframe was maybe a foot oversize, we had to hack the subframe (where it bolts into the brackets), and will now have to relocate and shorten the fifth link.

Until next time....

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"Most restaurants these days are as noisy as a drum-and-cymbal factory invaded by two hundred chimpanzees intent on committing percussion."

Dean Koontz

Good luck with the build. I am glad to see you are using the Supra Multi-link rear suspension. That what I went with it is a little hard to fabricate but I feel like it is worth it.

Don't forget to add lots of pictures. If you are keeping the subframe I would derust and prime it unless you plan to modify it.

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2015 & 2016 EMod Florida State Autocross Champion
2013 & 2014 DSP Florida State Autocross Champion

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