Kenny's B6t Festiva

[KB Motors]

still, its got the spoilers and its a clean bf, how many clean bf's do you see???????? espically up north. i would swap dashs with a american 323 and register it that way.

this is where things get complicated, i had thought of buying a cheap xr2 and putting the motor and trans into the 323 shell, but the guy has already re did the interior so the vin on dash doesn't match the vin on firewall,plus finding another b6t thats doesn't have 200,000 on it around here is pretty hard, and the pinch welds right behind the front wheels are all smashed and pretty rusty. i would love to sell the shell to someone who wanted it just to keep the car intact. the only things i want/need from the car are motor, trans, wiring and the digital cluster.

[muscle_Car1]

I change my vote. I was thinking it was an original GTX. I was also thinking he was getting the motor rebuilt, but now I realize its just the turbo that needs rebuilt. Plus, he got a lot of good turbo-specific performance parts as well. I guess I would do the transplant as well. But.....I still hate to see such a straight 323 get totally dismantled. I think you should buy it, put a DOHC V6 in it and use it as a DD. How hard would it be to drop a 3.0L Duratec in a 323?

Why not swap in the mazda k-series v6. Its been done before.

[blkfordsedan]

Why not swap in the mazda k-series v6. Its been done before.

I'm not real familiar with the Mazda v6 engines. All I know is they had a 1.8L (in the MX3? Wasn't it built by Mitsubishi?) a 2.5L DOHC that was in the Mercury Cougar, Contour/Mistique (also the MX6 & Probe?) and the 200HP 3.0L DOHC Duratec that was put in the Taurus, Escape, etc. (also maybe the 929 or whatever Mazda shares that platform?). I had a Duratec Taurus and it was a screamer (tranny was the weak link). It would surprise everyone that rode in it. Plus, they are a dime-a-dozen. I'm curious if the Duratec will bolt up to any manual FWD tranny that Mazda has. If so, it would be a great (and unique) combo in the lighter 323.

[KB Motors]

I'm not real familiar with the Mazda v6 engines. All I know is they had a 1.8L (in the MX3? Wasn't it built by Mitsubishi?) a 2.5L DOHC that was in the Mercury Cougar, Contour/Mistique (also the MX6 & Probe?) and the 200HP 3.0L DOHC Duratec that was put in the Taurus, Escape, etc. (also maybe the 929 or whatever Mazda shares that platform?). I had a Duratec Taurus and it was a screamer (tranny was the weak link). It would surprise everyone that rode in it. Plus, they are a dime-a-dozen. I'm curious if the Duratec will bolt up to any manual FWD tranny that Mazda has. If so, it would be a great (and unique) combo in the lighter 323.

if your gonna be putting any taurus motor in a 323 it should be a SHO motor.

[KB Motors]

Well i haven't much time to work on my festiva project lately, last weekend i pulled the b3 and trans out of the festiva and sold it to tatrobb, i just ordered a battery relocation kit and a walbro fuel pump. i spent most of the day yesterday pushing me shed back about 15 feet so i can put both cars on the side of the house. progress is slow but when it cools off here im gonna really start getting things done!!! (here is a pic of the empty engine bay, not as dirty as i thought it would be)

[kumalaba]

^

good luck with that sweet ride!

[muscle_Car1]

I'm not real familiar with the Mazda v6 engines. All I know is they had a 1.8L (in the MX3? Wasn't it built by Mitsubishi?) a 2.5L DOHC that was in the Mercury Cougar, Contour/Mistique (also the MX6 & Probe?) and the 200HP 3.0L DOHC Duratec that was put in the Taurus, Escape, etc. (also maybe the 929 or whatever Mazda shares that platform?). I had a Duratec Taurus and it was a screamer (tranny was the weak link). It would surprise everyone that rode in it. Plus, they are a dime-a-dozen. I'm curious if the Duratec will bolt up to any manual FWD tranny that Mazda has. If so, it would be a great (and unique) combo in the lighter 323.

Not made by mitsubishi, mazda.
Well the mx3 had the 1.8l but the probe gt & mx6 had the 2.5l v6. The blocks are identical.
Check out klze motors on youtube & such. You know 165hp 2.5l

No the durotec wont bolt up to any of the mazda engine transmissions.

[tatrobb]

I want a ride when your done kenny.

[KB Motors]

I want a ride when your done kenny.

a ride you shall have, hows that motor and trans working our for you?

[KB Motors]

I used my 3-day weekend to get some work done on the festiva. i got everything i need out of the mazda. i pulled the engine, took out all the exhaust and intake and all the turbo goodies along with it. I haven't been working on the project due to a hectic work schedule and i couldn't decide what to do with the mazda donor. it's pretty nice and i didn't want to destroy it. i had planned on putting a bpt in and converting it back to 4wd and saving the car. but when i got under the car and started taking things apart i found an abundance of rust and odds and ends. the new paint already has big rock chips and the paint is oxidizing around the sun roof. so i am back to square one parting out the mazda and making a b6t festiva. Here is a couple of pics of the engine and the intercooler set up.
Also i feel really dumb i couldn't figure out what this chrome canister is for. I thought it was for the PCV, then i thought it was an oil catch. but im not sure, it has two vacuum hoses on it one goes to the throttle body and the other goes to the valve cover. it has some liquid in it but not very much. Any ones thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks

[sasquatch]

looks good about time for an update

[aspireguy95]

Looks like an oil catch can to me

[KB Motors]

I spent most of today un-wiring the mazda. the guy had a viper alarm in there, power sunroof, after market power windows and locks and a sound system. It was a wiring nightmare. But all is well, feeling kinda over whelmed by this project right now. My garage is stuffed full of parts...ugh. OH BTW under the 323's passenger seat i found a underseat tray. does this fit under a festy seat too? This is what i started with and it only got worse when i started taking it apart

[sasquatch]

dont forget he had a turbo timer in there too lol...

ya i wish there was a better way to do the b6t swap... one that has the same amount of wiring as the bp

[KB Motors]

Well today i pulled the dash out of the festiva, got rid of all the ac stuff back there. and pulled the old b3 ecu out of there. My shed and garage are filled with car parts right now. im going to try to get rid of some stuff before i go too much farther on my project. It really hard to get stuff done when everything is in your way. haha