HI all. I'm newly registered to this board, although I've read through it occasionally the last few months. I try not to come too often, cuz I know I could easily spend the whole day just reading through posts. LOL. Anyway, I wanted some help/advice on an engine swap. I have a 1983 Trans Am 2 Seater Convertible. It has the original 305 V8 Crossfire Injection engine (66K miles). I want to replace it with a new engine hopefully this summer or fall. I was looking at an SDPC catalog, and saw an ad for the 357HP Vortec TPI engine. Does anybody know anything about this engine, or better yet, anybody own this engine? I have my eye on it, but would like to know more about it first (i.e. good, bad quality) or does it have problems and such. I've heard that it's a pain to switch over to different fuel injection systems, but I'm pretty set on parting with the Crossfire and getting a TPI setup. Can anybody shed some light on this engine for me? I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

-Eric

P.S. Oh yeah. If you guys can tell me how to post pictures up here, I'd be happy to post a picture of my car. Alot of people say my car looks like the batmobile cuz it's black and has a huge fiberglass hatch cover on the back with two bumps behind the headrests. I think it looks nothing like the batmobile, and the comments get old after a while. LOL. But to each his own.

 

Oh yeah one more thing. Anyone know how this engine holds up in comparison to the 350 TPI engines I hear about that came in the Firebird Formulas (was it 88-90?). Somewhere in those years. Is it faster, slower, the same as the formula 350 TPI's that came in the factory cars?

-Eric

 

Is this a daily driver car? I haven't seen the engine you speak of myself but being a vortec engine it's likely an aluminum block. Not necessarily aluminum, it could be cast but I know most new vortecs are alum. Anyhow, if it is alum. then I wouldn't consider putting it in a daily driver. Those are the kinds of engines you put in a car you drive on the weekends or at the dragstrip. Personally if I were you I would get a standard 350. I don't know how skilled you are but building your own engine is an option as well.. As for switching to TPI... You're talkin a lot of money for a (probably) minor performance boost.

 

No he's referring to the package the SDPC is putting out. It's a 350 with Vortec heads on it and the Vortec intake. I'm not sure if the heads are fastburns, I don't think so but I'm not sure. A few people have this engine already and seem to like it. But I think you may have a problem. If your runnig the crossfire injection it will not fit on the motor. You will have to modify it or convert over to TPI to make use of the combination. There are also other engines packages you could go to that would work with yoru setup. Also, comparied to the TPI motors that came in our cars, this one puts out more power.

360 HP TPI Vortec Engine Assembly

Hoe that helps.

 

Note that it also says: "Requires the use of EGR kit SD3816, headers and 350 injectors. Dyno tested with Edelbrock runners, 52mm throttle body and 1 7/8” headers." Those are long-tube headers, by the way.

Wonder why they don't include the things needed to make it produce that power with the engine (at least it includes the base). Just something else to keep in mind when considering the cost.