1.4l_of_fury
New member
Has anyone else been dying to find out if a 2.0t ecotec from a cobalt would fit into their sonic's engine bay?
Possibly rediculous, possibly awesome.
- Thread starter 1.4l_of_fury
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ChrisJ
Active member
I've wanted to know if the 270HP 2.0T that comes in a new Buick fits or not. Does that count?
1.4l_of_fury
New member
radsonic08
New member
i mentioned the same thing the turbo motor from a cobalt ss or even the supercharged one thing is our cars are so new no one has tried the swap or wants to go through with a swap like that on there new car with 30k miles. i think later on when people are out of there warranty and need a new motor a swap like that will be tried but in the meantime its all ??? whether it will work or not and what youll need to make it work.
laborsmith
New member
The Buick Verano is built on the same assembly Line as the Chevrolet Sonic so it goes without saying that of course the Verano turbocharged engine will fit into the Sonic's engine bay.
Why would it not?
Laborsmith
Why would it not?
Laborsmith
chivalryder
New member
Any engine will fit into any car, as long as you're willing to do the work (and/or you have the money).
I recently read an article where some guys strapped a V8 into Tesla's new Model S.
I recently read an article where some guys strapped a V8 into Tesla's new Model S.
laborsmith
New member
I planned to respond by saying, "Minor detail," but it seems others beat me to it.
I think it would be an easier change than first blush because the 1.8 engine, to me at least, looks close to physical size of the 2.0t. So to me the engine may well fit w/o redoing the front.
But the transmission? That is where I see difficulty.
Laborsmith
Swordsmith
242hp/252 ft-lbs BNR EFI
I don't see why you couldn't make it fit, by throwing enough time and money at the problem, and further would think that the time and money would be relatively low since the platforms are fairly similar.
Personally, I'm not interested, what I love about the Sonic is the idea of an underpowered tiny engine, which means relatively high efficiency, with a turbocharger which means more than enough power when I actually want or need it, which is to say relatively rarely.
A 2.0 would be more engine than I ever need, and the turbo would just be even more extra bonus power... cool, but not the genius of "too small plus bigger on demand"
Personally, I'm not interested, what I love about the Sonic is the idea of an underpowered tiny engine, which means relatively high efficiency, with a turbocharger which means more than enough power when I actually want or need it, which is to say relatively rarely.
A 2.0 would be more engine than I ever need, and the turbo would just be even more extra bonus power... cool, but not the genius of "too small plus bigger on demand"
Preloader
The M32 Martyr
A swap would be fun, and is more likely to happen by a vendor to gain publicity.
Once Sonics become common in boneyards the average DIY'ers might be more inclined to take a stab at it, but for the most part, current Sonic owners use their Sonics daily, and the downtime to do a full swap isn't "practical" (I use that word subjectively).
Getting the engine mounted in is probably the EASIEST part of the whole project. With a welder, you can make one-off mounts in a day. I've done it.
As Laborsmith pointed out, reality is extracted from fantasy once you get into the drivetrain portion. Not a whole lot of improvisational choices to get the crank power to the wheels in a responsible manner.
This is why a turbo swap and/or internal power mods on the existing 1.4 is the name of the game right now IRL. You can still drive it to work the next day to make the money for your next big bolt on.
Once Sonics become common in boneyards the average DIY'ers might be more inclined to take a stab at it, but for the most part, current Sonic owners use their Sonics daily, and the downtime to do a full swap isn't "practical" (I use that word subjectively).
Getting the engine mounted in is probably the EASIEST part of the whole project. With a welder, you can make one-off mounts in a day. I've done it.
As Laborsmith pointed out, reality is extracted from fantasy once you get into the drivetrain portion. Not a whole lot of improvisational choices to get the crank power to the wheels in a responsible manner.
This is why a turbo swap and/or internal power mods on the existing 1.4 is the name of the game right now IRL. You can still drive it to work the next day to make the money for your next big bolt on.
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