i can get a 350 chevy motor from this guy for 500 dollars, with turbo 350 trans. i was wondering if this job would be worth it?

the engine has been recently rebuilt along with the transmission.

right now i have a v6, with a 5 speed. i am getting a decent xash flow now, and have another car to drive to work, i have access to a shop with a lift.

if i were to go with the 350 i would have it on a motor stand wile i build it up.
i would plan on stroking it with a 400 crank, and mabie bore it the rest of the way to get the 383ci's

i do love my car, its in good shape, i could find parts for the swap pretty easy, just wondering if you all think its worth it.

me and my uncle would be doing most of the work, would the engine be ok sitting outback of my house on a stand? i would have an engine bag over it.

i can afford a 2k dollar swap if worst comes to worse, but i would not want to have to pay that much if it can be avoided.

i am trying to get ahold of the 350 guy, he is on vacation or something, i need to know what parts are included with the 350.
last i heard it was out of a 70's nova. it was not the original engine as some may know. the 307 was switched with the rebuilt 350 about 2 years ago...

with my v6 i know its slow, gtech said 0-60 in 7.93 seconds so i want a fast weekend cruiser.
would the rear 3.42's hold up?
waht kinda frame bracing will i need to do?

 

"Worth it" is in the eyes of the beholder. From an economic standpoint, you should be able to sell the V6 car, buy a factory V8 car, and put your 383 in it for less money than the V6 to V8 swap will cost you. But, if you're attached to this particular "body", you can get over that.

You will need things that won't be on the 350, regardless of what comes with it. A factory V8 donor car is the best way to get those things, even if you don't use the engine out of that car.

The engine would best be kept indoors while it is awaiting installation. But, with proper protection, you can get away with outdoors.

The rear in your V6 car is identical to what a V8 car with those gears would have gotten. It will benefit from some "help", but being from a V6 car doesn't have anything to do with the help it needs.

Sub frame connectors are a good idea in any 3rd gen that is subjected to any kind of agressive use (even V6 cars).

 

let me ask you, why did you do the swap vs getting a new car?

 

Ignorance.

I picked up the car as a non-runner from a neighbor down the street. I never drove it before the V8 went in, and in fact, he never did drive it. I didn't find out about this web site until I had been done with the swap and driving the car for several months.

I had the V8 on the cherry picker and cleaning it off in the driveway getting it ready to stab when a neighbor from up the street stopped by to show me the '87 350 TPI 'Bird that he had just picked up - for less than I had in the parts I was right there trying to put together.

Had I done a little research, or knew about this site, I never would have done what I did.

 

Same here...except...I would have still done the swap, I just would have been more prepared.
If you NEED your car now, for a daily driver.....think about it. If you want a PROJECT car...go for it, it will keep you buisy and take care of any extra cash flow you have....

 

how come my t5 wont work with the 350? didnt some v8 camaro's come with the t5?

now that i am warned, i say this white 91 Fireird Formula ws6 nice cindition, except for a smashed front clip, i am gonna find out how much they want for it... that would be a better deal i guess...

 

V6 is a 60degree motor, and the V8 is a 90degree motor, so the bellhousings are different, i just read a post on this page that covered the whole trans swap obstacle so if you do a search or just look around on the first page of the motor swap board you're bound to find it. you need a new bellhousing, and clutch i think but all i know is id rather just make sure i got the trans with the donor car... i wouldnt think of the swap without a donor car but thats just me

 

Looks like my V6 will always be a V6

 

True, but the input shafts are different, and the gear ratios are different. Even reports that the V6 T5's aren't as strong as the V8 versions.

 

When I bought my project car, I didn't know whether to get a V6 car or V8 car. Didn't make much difference to me because everything was coming out anyway. I bought a 91 V6 car because the price was right and it was what I had wanted. Tuesday, the engine and tranny came out rather easily. I wouldn't see why it would be that difficult for someone to put a 350 and transmission in. Seems like it would need different mounts than stock and just the accessory brackets. I'm probably over simplifying though. No matter; I've got much bigger plans for my project and many years of work ahead of me.

 

You haven't started the task of moving the engine mounts on the crossmember. You'll start to wonder when you do get to that part.

The "normal" TH350 6" tailshaft transmission is shorter than the T5 or TH700. The mount is located in a different place. Those two things mean you need a different crossmember, driveshaft, and torque arm. Oh, the TH350 doesn't have provision for the torque arm, either, so you have to do something about that.

Yes, you are oversimplifying. That's why so many people get in over their heads.

Not that it can't be done (obviously). But, it isn't straight forward, and that's why those of us who have done it try to make sure that the whole story is told when people ask. And, when you get right down to it, the only "right" price for a V6 car that's going to have a V8 put in it is what you are paid to take it off their hands.

 

Will the drive shaft used for a V8 T5 car fit an Auto V8 car? Or would the Auto V6 drive shaft fit the Auto V8 set up? I have both and need to know which one fits. If they do.

And is the swap worth it...?

I'd never do it again. Moving the motor mounts and changing the front springs is a bitch if you dont have the right tools or a motor in the car.

Buy a V8 car.

 

five7kid, I see your point. Having t o replace the crossmember along with other certain things is a pain. Good thing i had planned on doing that anyway. And they basically did pay me to take the car.

PS Just how different are the crossmembers? I have both a V6 and V8 car so I will be able to see the differences from underneath, just not from above.

 

It's not V6 or V8 that make a difference for the crossmember/driveshaft/torque arm, it's the transmission type. 5-speed and TH700 are the same length, so going between them isn't an issue.

However, '82-'83 with 3-speed automatic or 4-speed are shorter, so the crossmember/driveshaft/torque arm are all longer. TH350 is the same length as the above, again shorter than 5-speed or TH700.

Spohn (sponsor button above) makes a nice crossmember/torque arm combo for the various combinations. If you have to replace what you have, and especially for a TH350 installation, it's a very nice setup. It moves the torque arm mount to the crossmember, taking that force off of the rear mount.

 

I did the V6 to small-block swap because I had this misguided idea that I was going to trick my insurance company into thinking I had a V6 when they ran the VIN tag (thus, cheaper insurance).

Unfortunately, what I didn't realize is that my $1500 V6 beater would become a $13,000 V8 beater (still a beater because the body/paint aren't done). When it's done, I'm going to have to show receipts and insure it for "cash value" instead of full coverage, since they'd probably give me about $900 for a totalled or stolen 83 Firebird.

If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't. Find a nice TPI 350 car and drive it instead of working on it constantly. Just my $.02