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I have introduced myself already, have a Ecoboost 2.3 engine and the accompanying auto and am looking for a suitable project car to welcome them. The Crossfire's under 2500 kg weight is good, the chassis is said to be stiffened up from its Mercedes origins, I like the suspension design it's not outdated as some say but needs more front caster and there are big brake kits available. On the maybe down side the steering is apparently a bit dead but more caster or a rack and pinion conversion? may fix that, the different front to rear wheel sizes are a no-no and in Australia Crossfire specific parts are difficult and body kits impossible to find.
That's all for the moment, any relevant tips, advice, links that may help the decision making process would be appreciated, assume that I know the basics and have done project cars previously. There are no restrictive rules on modifications applicable so what is practical and financially sensible goes. Cheers, Richard.
Why the 2.3 ecoboost? Several reasons relevant to my use - 350 hp stock with upgrades available, reduced front end weight, heaps of aftermarket support for the auto as well, low mileage so no work needed, suits the services available to me and a good package. Need a car that can be made to handle like a MX5/Miata, can the Xfire be made to do that?
No racers here? I've searched everywhere on the intrawebs and found nothing of use, even the usual race utube vids are almost non existent,
I'm not concerned about the Ecoboost but the thing is I'd prefer a dual clutch transmission but aftermarket is a nightmare. So the engine choice was governed by what good conventional auto it had or could be easily fitted. The Ecoboost's auto is a good one, it has plenty of aftermarket support including a programmable ECU to improve shift speeds and other desirable features. So I'm looking forward to fitting all that stuff into a good coupe chassis, what ever that turns out to be.
As the Crossfire at heart is a cruising platform, and not a lightweight racer, I'd say matching the Miata is not in the cards. A miata is a smaller car, far lighter, and has incredible aftermarket support. For building a racer, I think you're better off in that realm. That doesn't mean you cannot make a Crossfire quick/fast/well handling. Several of us have done it. However, in competition, you need to start with something competitive out of the box. I like these Crossfires, but they're not ideal against other offerings.
Perfectly sensible advice Neil as would a BRZ/86 be but this is not a sensible topic. My guess is that a Mustang V8 would be too wide to fit into a Crossfire but unless I ask who knows. A Chrysler Hemi looks like it would fit but they are a bit of a weight monster.
If you're looking for power, then look to swap in an engine that will definitely fit. Look into either a M112K (SRT6), M113, or if you want to go for it, a M113K. All of these options are much easier to accommodate than the Ecoboost or the 4.5/5.4 or 5.0 options, and all are capable of the power levels you are looking for. FWIW, I was looking to swap a Chrysler 2.4 turbo from a SRT4 into a Crossfire, before just going this route, myself.
The Crossfire is good but has limitations. It's heavy. Adjustability is challenging. Hard to get enough negative camber in the front. Can't be lowered as much as needed. The front control arms will hit the bracing if too low, the tires will hit the inner fender wells and the shocks will split the bump stops and bottom out. Front tire size is limited. In the rear the control arms end up below parallel to the ground lowered and the camber arms hit the sway bar. Suspension travel is insufficient when lowered. Front brakes need lots of cooling. Even fighting all these problems/limitations, the car can be made wicked fast. I stoped competing for several reasons one being what it was going to take to reach the next level. I needed more cooling for everything. I needed a custom front suspension but didn't want to cut up the car. I needed a roll cage. My wife was afraid I was going to eventually have an accident. The club racing here was going through lots of drama taking the fun out of it.
Still have done nothing re a Xfire but that's OK, prices are coming down. A V8 Merc engine is off the menu, too expensive here and the electronics are beyond my wish to be associated with. Might get a Xfire first and then decide what engine would fit for good weight distribution.
Read about it in the swaps section. V8 Mercs are <$500 all day long. Buying a V8 model as a parts car is often <$1k, and then you have the computer and all the stuff you need. And the all aluminum engine, which is light (comparatively). And it's a weekend bolt in job.
I'm down under where the Merc V8 prices are way high and availability is way low, the only possibility is a damaged donor at the auctions. There are some US sellers on ebay but they price delivered according to the local market.
Regrettably this project is not going ahead which is very disappointing because the Crossfire has a lot of potential for my purposes and I just like them. Basically too much work, unknowns, potential project killers and annoying costs such as high shipping charges from the US and EU eg a CF bonnet/hood ~ U$1500 for just shipping. So I'm going with a Nissan 350Z which I have some previous experience with, it's heavier than a Xfire which likely has a stiffer body too but they are acceptable challenges.
Thanks to those who helped with the information, have lots of good ones.
Well this Xfire thing is not dead, see my V8 V6 topic, because an alternative is to wait for a SRT at a reasonable price and then go with the original engine. Modded of course. The problem of availability of aftermarket support still remains, in contrast just about everything is available for Nissan 370Z's at acceptable prices and they are certainly a recognised race car platform..
If you search (on google) there are v8 swap with chevy ,,newest hemi and mercedes,, the chevy and hemi have stand alone computer systems ,,the best to me is a 2004 to 2006 mercedes aspirated or supercharged,,, they bolt into the motor mounts ,, may need to change the ac compressor,,the oil filter/ cooler housing(for hood clearance.
i think Josh at the crossfire shop can fix your computer to run everything . with my swaps 3 so far i get 550 to 605 Hp and i set two records so far 10.55 @ 132 in the 1/4 mile with my first V8,, My third V8 will be track ready in two months,, the other record was in 2023 when i ran 12.008 @114 with a srt6 with street tires and no positraction rear,
I do know their ar members years ago that ran in the 11.8 but with a wave trac rear and drag radials. before on street tires and open rear 12.7 to 12.5 was the best they could do. so your best bet is a mercedes engine in the 2005 year as the computer is the easy year to change, this has change with josh as he can now change almost any cpu to work. google amx1397crossfire and world fastest crossfire. jim
Took the time to read some old racing subject posts here and found a lot of anti road course/circuit sentiment regarding the xfire. There were a couple of specific criticisms but not much which would help examine problems and seek a solution. So I do find it hard it to accept that the xfire is a dud for the purpose. I have no intention of trying to make something that will ace everything else, I just want a fast tidy car to drive at speed with no nasty habits when up against similar power/weight cars. Have decided if it's to be a Xfire it will be a SRT, it seems pointless otherwise. Alternatively it will be a 370Z which will take serious $ to get race ready.
I think you may be fighting for this as a platform a bit too much. The CF is a great touring car, and like all small cars, it can be made to go very fast in a straight line. However, it is not balanced out like a Miata, Corvette or Viper. It has a chassis made for form over function, and therefore does not carry a lot of the geometries for excellent and repeatable handling. As much as I like these cars, the CF would not be anywhere near the top of my list for building a road race car. Steering is vague, and the suspension does not give great feel for how much loading is actually on it. This tends to combine to make a car that feels great all the way up until things are not great - usually meaning you are in a spin. The threshold on that is ill defined, and difficult to assess. For drag racing, the only advantages it has are relatively light weight while being able to accept larger engines. However, stick a large engine in, and it becomes unbalanced, and the car's first reaction, again is to rotate. It is a touring car, plain and simple. A really good one, mind you, but it is good at that, and not a whole lot else. That is not to diminish the car in any way, but it is helpful to know what the car is and isn't. For this reason, my CF will likely rarely see a drag strip, possibly see one or two autox events, and probably never see a closed circuit, ever. Our 33-year old Fox body Mustang has more potential for all of those than the CF.
Are you thinking of track time or club racing. If it's just going fast and racing the clock, slap some sticky tires on the stock rims, aftermarket sway bars, camber bolts, get race pads and cooling ducts and have at it. The 370Z is quick as well but has horrible overheating issues. A competitor of mine had one. Put an aftermarket cooler on everything and still went into limp mode on track from overheating. The transmission I believe, even with a trans cooler.
Circuit Race Car Potential ?
