slappahoe2000

dont have a lot of money to work with, will be doing all the work myself.. but looking for the best engine i can get my hands on. i have an 86 trans am, it has a 5.0L fuel injected v8. the thing is, it only gets like 200 hp... any suggestions? thanks

SR71BLKBRD

iTrader: (1)

how much are you looking to spend?
Any issues with going carbd?

Here is my .02

Im currently building a 383 HSR and I pieced my parts together. It was pretty costly and truth be told I regret not listening to my friends that said go ls or go crate.

you could always get a crate carb'd motor no wiring and should save ya a few bucks but youre not fuel injected. Theres plenty of articles on how to get big number out of junkyard 5.3's. Search your local craigslist. every once in a blue moon a LS with the wiring harness pops up for a decent price. then you could just rewire with the ls harness get the few odds and end things like the headers and swap that.

If I had spent as much on an ls as I did my 91 L98 I would probably be pushing 800+

Camaro86IrocZ

iTrader: (1)

The best engine for your budget is the one that's in it... Already there and running presumably = FREE... If you read the stickies you'll find a used LS swap still will cost 5K with all the little add on swap pieces.. I got a 5.0 almost free.. Goes from point A to point B dependably. Someday I'll piece a LS or LQ swap.. But it still takes time to do the conversion.. Something most of us are short on.. 350 vortecs are another popular drop in.. may be your best bet for fast and cheap... A rear gear change will make those 200 ponies sing in city traffic as well... I'd leave it be till your good and ready.. On another note check your chip number, some early chips that year were bugged.. If your first gear shifts around 40 mph at full throttle your good to go, if it shifts at 28 or so, definently look into that further -- http://www.gmtips.com/3rd-degree/dox/tips/ecm/prom.htm

Thirdgen89GTA

iTrader: (5)

My advice is do not swap the engine unless you can afford to go to a LS platform. Look for used Headers, CAI, cat-back and call it a day. All of those can be resold later to recoup costs when you go LS. Someone will be glad to buy them because they'll be in the same position you are now and by buying used you don't have much if any depreciation, so the money you spend will be roughly the same amount you can sell them for.

You can do the swap on the cheap if you spend time looking for parts and don't want everything right then and there. It won't cost $5k, but it won't be less than $1500. $2000-$2500 will get you into the LS platform. Then you can do what ever you want later as all of your parts will fit.

SR71BLKBRD

iTrader: (1)

http://www.jegs.com/i/Chevrolet-Perf...353K1/10002/-1

easy peezy but again u would be carbd should be able to reuse the serpentine setup off of the 5.0 and a couple other odds and ends parts

but as previously mentioned If doing it all again I would save save save. and then go ls. only way i would do it if i could go back

RamIt

Carbed but should be fun.
https://www.yearone.com/Product/1982-02-camaro/ct350pc1

zraffz

LS swaps are expensive... I am putting one in an s10 and going carb. Granted I freshened up my motor, cam, lifters, spring kit, timing set, new bolts/gaskets and I am running an $1100 set of headers/mounts/pan. My total into the swap is right around $5,200 not including a transmission, crossmember, driveshaft, fuel system.

I did sink $1,200 of that into a low mileage LQ9 though. A stock carbed 5.3 or 6.0 swap could probably be done for 2-3 grand if you really shop around... this is about what you'd put into a rebuilt vortec 350 with a cam which would also run you deep into the 12s.


A fun "welfare" build I did at 17 was a 350, rv cam, 305 HO heads. It trapped low 90s at high 14s with an inexperienced 5 speed driver and street tires but was an absolute blast on the street. It could be replicated for around a grand.

Mdenz3

iTrader: (7)

LT1 swap is pretty straightforward. You can find a whole running donor car for less than $2k. THe only thing you'd really need to buy beyond that is a trans crossmember.

Thirdgen89GTA

iTrader: (5)

Shouldn't even need that if you are starting with a V8 car.

Physically, with the exception of the A/C system a LT1 car drops right in with no modifications and uses the same SBC mounts. A/C compressor requires clearance and modification of the K-Member unless using a Vette accessory system.

stephenscamaro

5.0 built is nothing but a polished turd. That's all I got.

87iroctheo

I bought a running/driving 95 lt1 car, pulled motor & trans, and used numerous other things from it (harness, ECM, radiator, etc.) did my own wiring and after parting it out and selling the rest of the car as well as my TPI motor and 5spd, I was actually money ahead. The major costs to do the swap were in the spohn crossmember and fuel lines, but again after selling everything I covered those costs. Only thing I found was parting out a car is a PIA! There are a lot of losers out there and a parts car brings them out of the wood work.

Dizturbed One

This. Do the headers, CAI, cat back, and love it. For a little more money you could do cam, injectors, and a custom tune. You still wouldn't have a whole lot into it, you could do it bit by bit, and you wouldn't ever have to spend too much at once.

Pair it with a mild shift kit (pretty cheap if you know a guy or are a DIY kind of guy) and some nice rear gearing, it'll be a solid car. 305's get a bad rap, they do OK with the right parts, many of which are 350 compatible which helps when you sell it all off later.

Of course, I'm speaking from a California perspective, going carb is not an option I ever bother thinking about. A junkyard 350 with a bunch of used bolt ons and some dremel work would probably be pretty cheap and nice... You'll pay at the pump though.

Thirdgen89GTA

iTrader: (5)

Cam requires springs, which requires tune. Which also requires possible timing kit. Skip the cam.

Stick with external bolt-ons that you can sell at a later date.

Dizturbed One

Yeah, but I figure and cam and spring kit is so cheap but helps out so much with a tune. But you're right, if you need a timing kit too, it starts to really become a wash, almost twice as much as the cam and springs alone.

dmccain

iTrader: (2)

Depending on how much power you want. Rebuilding what you have and putting a mild cam under 465 lift with around 214-220 duration will work with your MAF TPI car. Some steeper gears with a good shift kit, torque converter, headers and 3 in exhaust and you will have a fun car to drive. Or get a GEN 1 350, go carbed and build a cheap but powerful engine. Find a junkyard Vortec 350 and go through it. You will spend a fortune trying to go LS. I know its faster and a better all around engine in every aspect but its a headache and expensive.