Hi I'm new on these forums and i just bought '84 Pontiac Firebird with a 2.8L V6. I know that the 2.8 is a slow engine and i am considering an engine swap. Now a friend offered a completely rebuilt 3.8 off a 1980 Chevy Malibu Wagon for a 250 dollars and it's got 40 000Km on it. He said he would throw in the tranny for free to. He kept the engine because he said it ran great. The problem is is that he only has the engine and tranny left, he ditched the body of the wagon a while ago so i wouldnt be able to get motor mounts or anything like that off it. So my question is:

1) Would this swap be worthwhile and if so what all would i need.

2) If this isnt a good swap then what would you suggest for another V6 swap?

I'd greatly appreciate your oppinnion. thx

 

It isn't a very good swap. You can get mounts since the turbo TA was a Buick 3800. The transmission wouldn't be as simple.

A better swap would be a 3.4l, which is a 60 degree V6 like the 2.8. There's more info about it on the V6 forum.

 

right.
and the 3.8, whether buick or chevy, have less hp than your 2.8,
they also weigh nearly as much as a 350.