If i were to swap to a V6 3.8 with like 200hp, would I need a new rearend? I was reading a thread on here about it and there were too many mixed opinions. Also the reason im thinking about swapping to a larger v6 rather than a v8 is just becuz of the better gas mileage, but more importantly becuz i was told its really expensive to swap to a v8 becuz it requires alot of modification and little parts to fit. I was thinking if I swapped to a 3.8 V6 Id be able to keep the same motor mounts and such. Oh and anything else i would need to know or purchase for this type of swap would be greatly apreciated.

 

With respect to the rear end...
This is a three part question.
From the point of view of "can I do the swap" There is nothing
about the rear end that requires attention to perform the swap.
From a durability point of view there would be nothing wrong with keeping whatever you have.
From a "what can I do to make my car better" Plenty of things.
Careful shopping might yield a low mileage disc rear. Not
particularly useful but pretty cool. A fourth gen rear would yield
a wider track. You might find a gear ratio more suitable to
how you drive or just more fun.

V6 to V8 isn't particularly hard but can be time consuming.
I would not reccomend this for a "first" swap unless
you have everything at hand, some extra cash, and really
don't need to drive the car for a while. (extra car)