Swap options for 97 Aspire?

[redspire]

Just wondering what options I have for my 97 Aspire as far as engine and tranny goes. I'm looking for something that's as close to plug and play as it gets. Also, what cars and years would the engines come from? If you could include what would need to be modded as far as mounts and what not that would be awesome.
I'm looking to do a swap sometime, not anytime soon because my B3 is performing decently. Unless the price is absolutely right I'll have to wait until it's on its death bed. Thanks for any helps guys!

[FestYboy]

there is nothing unless you can find a 96 escort GT, the reason i say there is nothing is because you're OBD-II, and that hinders you for inspection. asside from the 96 EGT, there is no B series engine/trans combo available that ISN'T from the Miata. i've been looking for a few years and have yet to find a 96 EGT or even more rare Tracer LXi. this is the main reason Caety's Kermit doesn't have a swap already. granted, my '97 Aspire (Joker) has a 2nd gen B6 swap, but it's a rats nest of wires from the PO and it throws codes. i have a solution for that but i'm keeping that under wraps unitll completed.

the reason you need to find the 96 EGT is because that ECU doesn't test for an EGR because the engine doesn't have one and therefore cannot throw a code for insufficient flow or bad position sensor. once you have that ecu and harness, you can B8 or BP swap your aspire (with or without the G series trans that comes with it)

[redspire]

So if I find a EGT ECU I'll be golden for a B8 or BP AND be able to pass inspection? What if my area doesn't require emissions Arty? Does that make a difference? Maybe I'll just look for a clean Festiva shell and build from there?

[FestYboy]

there's still a visual emissions inspection as part of the safety protocol in your area (Northern Region). also having the OBD interface allows for easier diagnosis and monitoring information.

keep in mind that you asked for a "plug and play" solution, and in order to do that you need to retain the OBD-II status. please understand that the YEAR of EGT is critical to this request. also, if you were to swap the aspire to an OBD-I system ('95 and older), you wouldn't be able to sell the car within the state (mostly) and an out of state sale would likely screw over the buyer in relation to their state requirements.

If you want to do a swap to a car, (festiva or aspire), you're best to start with an '95 or older (pre-OBD-II), otherwise a more unique solution needs to be implemented.

[crazypunkerguy]

If your looking for OBDII bp's you can find a 96 EGT as festyboy said. Also a 96 Tracer LTS (they are rare). But, some 94-97 Kia sepia's LS/RS came with the OBDII BP's as well as a few Protege ES from 95-98. So keep up the hunt they are out there. I have ran across quite a few kia's in the yards. Might be a good option for you.

[eurotiva]

I was gonna say 97 sephia? I know mine had all kinds of sensors, that I haven't seen on a bp before. Of course, I'd listen to Arty on this since he has an aspire.

[JPT]

How about a Z5?

[Safety Guy]

JPT asked, "How about a Z5?"

I was about to ask too!

My understanding is that the '95 model year Protege DX (1.5L Z5 engine) was a "transitional year" for OBD-II, but I have no specifics such as use of EGR sensor, etc. Or maybe a later year Z5 with full OBD-II would be better. I'm not sure how to do the "homework" short of getting a '95 Protege and digging in.

Karl