Im 16 and I have a 92 camaro rs 3.1L V6 and ive got some questions. Im tired of getting made fun of because of whats in my car. Not to mention getting laughed at by my friends because its purple....but hey it gets all the girls haha. I know it is possible to swap a 305 or a 350 or ive even heard of a 400 big block in one. I was wondering with me being 16 and on a budget wich would be best for me. I want something that will really beef it up and make me feel good about it. Seeing that putting a bigger engine in will make me also have to get a diff tranny. Im not sure if i should go to a salvage yard and try to pick up the motor and the tranny for cheap and try to get someone to install it or what. I have another problem i would rather my car be a manual transmission and i heard thats really a pain in the butt to change. I was bought this car and cant sell it but im not going to argue with it at all. I love this car to death but i just want it to have some ***** for gods sake.....

Does anyone know around how much this would cost??? I know a hell of a lot but maybe just an estimate....

I want everyones opinion on this one because i dont wanna make the wrong decision in which motor to get.... Thanks!!!

 

get yourself a donner car (v-8)
350 would be the better choice, as hey are plentyful.
The cost all depends on how good of a job you do. Ive heard guys do it for 300.00 Mine cost me aroubd 10,000. Good luck either way..And use the search button , plenty of info on this one!

 

Is it your only car?
Are you mechnically inclined? Have tools? A garage?

If it's your only car and you don't have a lot of time and cash, I'd say put it on the back burner for now. I know that's not what you wanted to hear, so here is what I'd do.

Find a junk yard 350 out of a van or truck. Maybe it'll have a turbo 400 with it too. You could probably get them both for under $500. If you go carb with no emissions, it will be a much simpler install. Then just go to Autozone or Pepboys or whatever and get a cheap performance cam, intake and ebay headers and it will run decent. Total investment would be under $1000.
If you have emission testing there, try and find a wrecked 4th gen donor car. That would be a good way to get your manual tranny too.
IMO, I think you should wait until you have more cash. I had no idea how much my swap was going to cost me. That's why it's still not complete after 8 months.

 

Go to a junk yard and fine a donor car and proceed to yank the V8 and the tranny out of it. Just make sure the it's mechanically sound. Often times, you can look through http://www.autotrader.com and find a good donor car that cosmetically looks like crap, but runs well. Don't forget to look in the back of the autotrader as well, because sometimes people are selling individual components.

For what it's worth, it's much easier to find a decent running engine, than a decent tranny. You might want to stop by local tranny shops to see if they have anything they'll let go.

Then I would just save yourself the pain of the electronics by purchasing a wiring harness from Painless or Tpis.

Or, you could just buy a RamJet 350 and be done with it.

 

An engine swap shouldn't be something that you are looking to do for as cheap as possible.....alright, if your current engine is going down and you need a replacement quick, then it's ok

Use your V6 till it dies, then save up money, that way when it does turn into a paperweight, you'll have enough money to throw a nice decent built engine into it.......

 

My 92 RS has a 5.0 Litre 305 and it's got almost 125K miles and still ahs planty of power.... it's not a 350, but i still like it. Plus i liek the sound pof a 305 through dual pipes.

400 small blocks are more of a traditional style engine, im not sure how many of em are wired up for a computer like the engine thats in you and I's car. Personally, I'm interested in a 383 Stroker for mine when this engine goes, but those are relatively expensive.

You gotta keep things like fuel mileage and insurance in mind too. A 350 doesnt get as good a mileage as a 305 does, although the difference isnt that much. With your V6, you've got the most economic sports car you can get, thats american anyway.

You say it gets the girls, well, thats not always a bad thing. If hte girls liek it, they dont care what motor it has. As long as the car looks good, and they think you look good.. then its all good. You only need power to show off and race, and you should only be racing on the strip.

It's up to you, but make sure y ou evaluate all teh pros and cons before you make any sort of decision.

Just adive from one 16 year old to another.