kmfdm1308

I just picked up a nice 84 Z28 from my younger brother about 2 months ago. Haven't done anything to the car yet mostly due to the fact that the apartment complex I'm at, and I'm sure most, frown down on working on anything vehicle related on the premises.

To start off what I'd like to know is if there are any reputable junkyards that I could get a decent engine at and roughly what price they sell for. Currently the car has a rebuilt 350 in it. What I'd like to do is pull the 350 and preferably drop in a 6.0L. I also have 91 C1500 that I'd like to pull the slow 305 that's in there and drop in a 5.3L which I'd like to source as well.

I'm sure if all else fails, I can go to eBay and get one that way, but I'd rather source it locally for a visual inspection.

Another item that I'm curious about is if there are any shops that you guys can recommend? Living in an apartment is not the ideal place to pull and engine and install a new one, so if there are shops in the Austin area that can assist with this or even a trusted shadetree mechanic, please mention it as well.

I travel down to the Rio Grande Valley A LOT. Specifically to the McAllen/Palmhurst area so any information about junkyards and shops there are welcome as well.

Also if anyone knows, I forgot where I saw this, but read somewhere that there is a shop in San Antonio called HP Salvage that carries good tested engines. Any one heard of that shop?

Thanks in advance.

esc

iTrader: (6)

I bought my 4th gen rear brakes from HP Salvage years ago. They were in good shape for a good price. I slapped them on the car, used pads and all, and they worked great. I've heard a few others say they had good luck with HP Salvage as well.

As for putting an LS 5.3 (or 6.0) in a 3rd gen, it is a big job. Nothing will fit properly without modification, everything, the cross member, the motor mounts the AC, all cause issues. You will also have to swap out the transmission. Not that it can't be done. Many have done it with great results. But it isn't a straight forward, pull out the old drop in the new kind of thing. Expect to pay many $K to have a shop do it for you and do it right.

I suspect you will have similar issues swapping an LS 5.3 or (6.0) into an older truck.

GASPEDDLER

iTrader: (2)

I live in the RGV, there is a shop in Harlingen where I live called Champagne Auto that I would highly recommend. I know the owner from car meets and shows and he's a stand up guy.
http://www.champagneautoservices.com
Check with the ATX 82-92 F body FB group for recommendations on mechanics in the Austin area. My understanding is that there are a couple of real aces that are members of that group. If you ever get into a bind in the RGV send me a PM. HTH

kmfdm1308

hey guys thanks for replying.

@esc, thanks for the heads up. I understand that there will be some hurdles to overcome when trying to place an engine into a car it wasn't designed for. Before I made the move from McAllen to Austin 2 years ago, I used to work on a couple of personal project 80's Nissan Z cars I owned and my younger brother used to work on Honda's mostly. While those are imports, I'm sure many of the same challenges apply when swapping engines such as modified motor mounts, hoses being too short/long, AC lines as you mentioned, wiring, etc... It can turn into a headache really quick. I know there will be some $$ involved, but I plan on doing this right so I'll be doing quite a bit of lurking on the forum as well as kicking in when I can.

@GASPEDDLER, thanks for the info. A good friend of mine lives in Harlingen that I've been planning on visiting for some time now. I wasn't aware of Champagne Auto, but since you've mentioned them I'll stop by and check them out. Their website has some nice custom hot rods on there so that's definitely a positive sign.

esc

iTrader: (6)

As long as you know what you are getting into, it isn't REALLY that bad.

If you have not looked it over yet, take a look at this:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/engi...third-gen.html