Hello all!!! New guy here. Been looking for a while. Son (16 yo) and I are really getting in to the 3rd gens. Have been restoring a 87 formula. Just about ready for primer. We hate the sanding. Changing color here so all panels have been removed. What a drag, arms are sore. My latest acquisitions are a 91 RS and a 88 firebird coupe. The rs is a 5-speed v8 and the bird is a v8 auto. My question is what are the differences between a v8 pontiac and a v8 sbc. Will the engine parts interchange? Not seeing many engine parts in the speed catalogs for a pontiac. Most all is for sbc's. Looking to mod the 88 bird and make a street class/weekend dragster for the boy and I to try and tear up!! Just kidding really-well maybe not!!! My intent has been to teach this boy some basic mechanics. Have been out of this hot rod scene for about 30yrs. Look forward to posting and reading any info ya'll have to offer.thanks doodaddy

 

Nothing will interchange between a Chevy and Pontiac V8. Both your Firebird and your Camaro have Chevy engines though.

 

I guess I don't understand fully. You say that they are not the same, but then again the bird and rs are both chevy motors??

 

Like Apeiron said a chevy motor and a pontiac motor are different. But only a chevy motor was available in both camaro and firebird.

 

The last true Pontiac motor was the 301. Production stopped in 1981.

 

Thanks all, I got it now. That makes things a lot more interesting now. Looking to pull the bird motor out this weekend and fix a rear freeze plug. At least I hope that is the problem with the water leak. Looking to do some upgrades later with cam/intake, headers for a start. would really like to see some strip action next spring. the rs and formula are just for the strip. They'll look good and sound good. Not planning on the race setup for these. Again thanks !!

 

These are all V8's, right?

"Coupe" usually isn't used with regard to 'Birds. Is is just a standard 'Bird?

Anyway, the '87 is the only one that has heads that are generally considered worthy of performance upgrades. The TBI heads are pretty much limited with what the factory did with them (there are dissenters, of course, but even they only get low-RPM capability out of them).