I'm inbetween engine swaps right now and can't decide beween keeping the tired old 2.8l and injecting some new life into it by turboing it or going with a 350. I'd like to keep the 2.8 because it's the original engine and I've always been facinated with turbo v6's, but it just won't give me the power I want and remain reliable. My target is 350-400hp nomatter which route I take, which means some serious mods to the 2.8 and I could stomp some v8's easy with that kind of power and have better handling, but only if I can keep it in one piece. What do you think?

 

You just answered your own question

 

lol

 

383, along w/new tranny, subframes,

 

I guess I'm sentimental about the 2.8 because it's the original engine, but it will be alot more fun with a v8.

 

I'm Gonna be a spoilsport guys!

Keep the V6!

I have often thought about what I’d do if I had to have a rebuild or such and a V8 is tempting. But like you say the V6 is the original engine for your (our)car/s and I’m a bit of a purist.
I think, and I know I’m going to get shot down here, but I think the V6 sounds as good as the V8 is more fuel friendly than a V8 (don’t forget I live in a country where its $1.73 a litre!) Also, last week I had no end of problems with my distributor and thanks to the extra room in the V6 engine bay I was able to climb in and work in relative comfort.

I know I just described why I’d keep MY V6 but it gives ya something else to think about eh?


Speed.

 

Definetely go with the 383 I am also looking for one, Any of you guys know who sells them the cheapest?????

 

for the hp he's wanting, w/consitant reliability, a biult 350 or 383 will give him the best bang for the buck. if he's worried about kkeping the cars origonality, crate up the v6 drivetrain, along all parts removed for conversion. If it needs to be put back to numbers matching shape, replace the front & rear main seal, oil pan gasket, and then replace drive train/parts.

side topic: for 383 prices, jegs, summit, P.A.W. (the 1200pg catalog) a search in engine swap forum should give you good results

It could actually be cheaper to keep your v6 car, and buy another w/a v8 init already. beat that one up

 

well what will be easier...
fabbing/installing a turbo system or
swapping the front drivetrain and cooling system for a V8?

 

Fuel prices are starting to get high here too (compared to what we're used to paying) at $2.60/gallon keeping the v6 might not be such a bad idea, but I'd rather go with a well built 350 and suffer on gas than nuke the original v6 on 15lbs of boost. There's an old man on my block with an Iroc parked in his driveway that hasn't moved since I've lived here, maybe I could get it cheap... You could save alot if you get a 383 stroker kit through paw 'jetbast', plus you could choose a better cam/intake combo than a crate engine would have. I've never bought a crate engine, I preffer choosing my own parts and saving cash by doing it myself.

 

Why are we talking about fuel economy here? High horsepower (the guy wants 350-400 HP) out of a V6 is NOT going to get many miles per gallon, especially if you're always dropping the hammer.

 

Anybody who has to ask a question about what they should do and what it will cost probably doesn't have the know-how or financial resources to make either dream work.

Either a Turbo V6 or a built V8 is going to cost big $$$. To swap to a V8 and a built V8 at that is going to cost several thousand dollars. Adapting a turbo to the V6 will require lots of fabrication and will be finicky at best. Even the factory developed turbo packages of the era were time bombs. You're getting yourself into a nightmare of constant required upkeep and you'll end up with something that can't be driven regularly.

 

I say v8

 

I say V6!

 

Actually I've built sevral engines myself before, so ask before you speak so you don't look like an a**. I could easily build a stout 350 or 305 for $1500 and make enough power to get into the high 12's, and fabricating a turbo setup wouldn't be much more challenging. With the right tuning a turbo can be more streetable than an equivalent v8 and still get better gas mileage because on the street it would spend most of it's time in the lower rpm band where the turbo's not spooled. I'm asking people's opinions because I wanted to build a turbo'd v6 for something for a while now, but I'd rather have the power and reliability of a v8 in my daily driver.

 

Go read the rest of his post, he does nothing but dog on people.

 

Since when is "ASKING" saying I am an idiot?
And sorry to bust your bubble, I built my 383 for 1100. Straight up. everything included. Granted it does not have aluminum heads yet, but it can still spin all 4 tires on my 4x4 at will.

So you might want to think before you type, or people will definately call your

 

I read a couple of Drew's other posts and he comes off as a real jackass! Either he walks around with a permanent wedgie or he's a little . Another engine swap I thought about doing was grabbing a supercharged 3.8L out of a Bonneville or a Regal and cranking up the boost with one of SLP's underdrive pulley kits. I could probably get 300 horses out of it with some tuning and a good cam and still be reliable enough to be a daily driver.