I've always enjoyed taking the road less traved, so i'm entertaining the idea of one of these motors for a project to put into my 1984 T/A.

I've read that the Poncho 400 can make more power & torque with less mods than a 400sbc but may cost more (but please correct me if i'm wrong).
I know it'll shred my 10-bolt so I figure a 12-bolt will do, along with a better driveshaft. When my 700R4 (later type) was rebuilt I told them to build it as strong as possible and I paid out the ying to have it done. (This plus my existing L69 has already shredded the original 3.73 rear with the wicked shifts) Also soon i'll have subframe connectors to prepare for this.

Now here's what i'm unsure of. The tranny leads me to the questions-is there or is there not a kit to mate the Pontiac 400 to a 700R4?
Will the engine mounts match?
Will my accessories mount up, including the A/C?
Will I have problems finding the right heads and headers? (i'm aware of the steam holes)
I may wind up moving to a smog-inspected state, so I want to retain the original CCC system and get the Q-Jet to flow 750cfms. Better air intake is in the making. 3" cat-back will be on the way.

In spite of fuel consumption, what else should I know before making a decision to go this way?

I really want this car to rip asphalt and be unique in some ways, and yet still be streetable to a degree. I figure i'll be happy with somewhere around 450hp/500-some ft/lbs torque. Any advice and/or constructive criticism is welcome. Sorry for the brutally long post.

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DR Stevens
1984 Trans Am 305HO L69
sucks gas, hauls ***
1991 Firebird 305 LO3
for days when I need a/c

[This message has been edited by eightTfourTA (edited May 09, 2001).]

i commend you for doing something different. we just got done putting a built 455 in my buddies 71 bird. there is no kit that i know of to mate a 700R4 to a poncho.my recomendation would be a TH400, or a built TH350. the TH400 is alot stronger, but it takes more power to turn it compared to the TH350. Everything you mentioned, motor mounts, exhaust, driveshaft will have to be custom made. poncho 400 can make great power.

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Wide Open Till You See God...Then Brake

[This message has been edited by LilJayV10 (edited May 09, 2001).]

In order...
I dunno, but the 200-4R has bolt pattern you need.
No.
Not without different brackets.
Steam holes? Youre thinking Chevy. Heads and headers shouldnt be a problem, clearance probably will be.
Smog legal? Well I suppose that depends on the state, but it would never happen out here in Cali. The engine has to be newer than the chassis or you can forget it. Seeing as how the Pontiac 400 was last cast in 1978... Other states may vary of course.

Nah, i'm not moving to Cali, I think i'll be staying east of the Mississippi River. Also i've gotten my CCC system to work pretty good, so I want to try to keep it seeing as all the time invested and such.
On that 2004R, will that mount up into the '84's body, or will something need to be changed to accomodate? Will a different length driveshaft be needed? Sorry for the eternal q's, i'm just not familar enough with the 2004R.

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DR Stevens
1984 Trans Am 305HO L69
sucks gas, hauls ***
1991 Firebird 305 LO3
for days when I need a/c

Good Q.

Pretty sure the trans crossmember is different, but I think the driveshaft is the same. They used the 2004R in the TTA's, so thats a place to start to find out what they did when they stuck it in the car.

Someone makes an adapter to bolt a BOP engine to a Chevy pattern. Might be Trans-Dapt. Indian Adventures is said to be coming out with motor mounts and headers for this swap. There would still be a bunch of mods. You might want to lose the AC. Machine work is the same for all engines. Most parts for a Pontiac are not much more than for a Chevy, so the cost to build the engine itself wouldn't be that much more. It would be all the other stuff.

Um, no! Picture this is you will:Black car with dark grey interior, in Central Fla, driving around in a climate that usually gets 105* heat indexes from mid June-September. Besides, it'd be kinda cool to go stylin' down the track, running low 12's with the A/C on! I'll just have to find a way to bolt the stuff on and cram it all under the hood. Hence the challenge.
Thanks for the other info though. Everyone keep it comin' if there's more I should know, i'm serious about this swap!



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DR Stevens
1984 Trans Am 305HO L69
sucks gas, hauls ***
1991 Firebird 305 LO3
for days when I need a/c

The 700 will bolt up with a 350 or 400 plate because you are only matching bolt patterns.

I'm not 100% sure on the flexplate mount but I believe they are the same to bolt a 700 where a BOP trans resided.

Headers? Got me! Someone makes 'em i'm sure.

A/C shouldn't be a problem if you use the early compressor and your lines are long enough... i't prolly all in the brakets and whether you could find/make them. Serp setups are out unless theres a conversion for the pontiac to serpentine.

Sounds like a cool swap though. Putting pontiac power back where it belongs.

Any competent smog inspector would immediatly reconize the diffs in the motors at a glance. Some are cool enough to let it slide if smog is low enough though and smog functions hooked up.. don't count on it though.