So,

I posted here before when I had an 87 IROC project car I wanted to get running, unfortunately due to financial instability, I was forced to scrap the idea and sell the car.

My buddy knew I wanted another 3rd gen project and pointed me to a seller who was about to scrap his 1990 Camaro RS. It's a 3.1 V6 black hardtop that apparently has a ceased motor (the heads are warped completely, the seller told me) but with the exception of some minor damage to the drivers side fender and a little bump on the bumper corresponding to that side, the car practically looks mint after I washed it up. (I will post pics in the proper forum later, I have some of the car before we washed it. The car's got a clean title, and a borla 3" stainless steel dual catback exhaust that was installed by SLP(which, I have been told with some modification, I can fit this exhaust to a V8 application...) with some cold air intake or something, a set of american racing aftermarket rims...

Anyway, he lets me take it for 150 bucks. I'll post pictures, its a solid body with a tiny bit of surface rust, but my friend sanded them out today and said it was only surface rust.

So, now I'm left with the whole making-the-thing-go part. I don't want to rebuild or replace this 3.1 V6, I was looking more along the lines of a smallblock V8. While my friend has a few 350's sitting in his garage with god-knows-what other parts we could probably scrap together and piece some kind of mild power out of, He has brought to my attention that a friend of his is selling a 327 crate motor, never before used, rated between 345-365hp with a 4bbl carb for 2,000. He says its a steal, but sometimes I think he just gets a little antsy when he hears 3-2-7. Is 2k a good price on a motor like that? I'm sure you'll need more information on the motor. Talking to different backyard mechanics, I'm getting the feeling theres alotta myth surrounding the engine and I want to know what is and isn't true.

Also, I read the V6 to V8 info, but do any of you guys have any step by step write ups with pictures possibly to doing the swap from a v6 fuel injected to v8 carbed motor?

And while I'm at it, could anyone recommend a transmission? the car is originally automatic, and I've heard a manual swap can be tedious, so I was thinking a turbo350/turbo400/powerglide?

 

How's your budget? That's what dictates the moves you make.

First off, transmission. There is NO reason not to use a 700R4 from a V8. You can use the tailshaft off of your V6 tranny to hook your torque arm back up. Then you don't have to deal with issues like driveshafts and torque arms. It will just be a bolt in deal. Your shifter will work, etc...

Next, forget the 327. For 2k, you can get a great engine somewhere else. Like scoggin dickey...

http://www.sdparts.com/product/12556...eAssembly.aspx

that's a great short block to start with... or add this

http://www.sdparts.com/product/SD806...RPMAirGap.aspx

with those together and a used LT4 hot cam, you're in business. You're a few hundred bucks over the 2k 327 budget, but well worth it. Some searching around can probably get the stuff cheaper...

You can forget about 365 hp (yeah, right) 327 engines that were built 40 years ago and run some new iron that GM replaced that 327 with ON PURPOSE.

As far as step by step write ups, you'll find them if you search enough.

 

Yeah, I actually read the article stickied with the 327 fact from fiction after I posted so ignorantly (Sorry!) And after reading, took into account the fact that I could probably score a 350 crate motor elsewhere for a relatively similar price and beef it up a bit later. One of my friends has done a similar swap (LS1 into an 89 trans am v6)

My friend also has a 700R4 that he pulled off a 305 monte carlo that I might be able to use, but do you think its a transmission worth mating to a good motor? Like, (and please, humor me, this is all new to me, The most I've done on cars are brakes, oil changes, replaced fuel pumps, alternators, starters, belts, tune ups, etc.) I guess what I'm asking is that if I'm going to invest somewhere near 2k into an engine, will a 700R4 tranny really fully harness the power of the engine?

Also, p*****ange, nothing too crazy. I want to build a streetcar that I can drive everyday, **** on mustangs with, and complain about gas prices boisterously.

Would a more notable automatic transmission be a better choice, or is it not really worth it with a horsepower outlook of between 350-400 horsepower?

Also, if I got my hands on a T-5 with the slave cylinder intact, what kind of extra work would I be looking at?